Can generalized anxiety disorder cause similar symptoms?

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Thanks for the information. Another reason I feel I don't have GAD is that they say people with it don't avoid situations. I do. I mean, not horribly, mainly because my mom won't tolerate me sitting at home doing nothing all the time. I do in general try to push past anxiety when it's a situation I need to just get over - I have to go to college, I have to maintain a job, and I have to drive, however anxious these things make me at times. The more I avoid, the more nervous I get, so I do try to not let myself avoid things. But I definitely frequently avoid social situations because I imagine the worst situations possible and feel too out of control. I don't avoid everything, but most social situations make me nervous and I have to talk myself into going. Also, I recently did develop the chest pain and tightness symptoms, as well as some random pain wherever I fear I might be injured, and I throughout high school and middle school I did have intestinal problems, but I'm missing most of the others. And I've seen no description that mentions positive obsessions, stimming, bad motor coordination, or anything like that. I know online tests are less than reliable, but when I take them I am just as likely to be called AS or OCD as I am to get GAD.

I used to frequent an anxiety board. They were such nice people... but they were clearly NTs, except for a few exceptions. They had social skills, and they didnt have obsessive interests. Many of them had been through traumatic events which had left them afraid to do certain things, such as go shopping.

There were some there with social anxiety, but they seemed to either have AS, or avoidant disorder.

zen_mistress, what's the name of that forum?

Why do you ask?

Sttong intersets could also be OCD without the "C" (this has been suggested to me), ADHD, and I've even read it can occur with bipolar which is my current dx, so many possibilities...

I think it's more likely I have OCD. I do have slight germaphobia and urges to do things a certain number of times - but not to the point where it damages my life or causes me much stress. So I have a bit of the C, but the O I feel like I definitely have. But does OCD explain stimming?

I think it's more likely I have OCD. I do have slight germaphobia and urges to do things a certain number of times - but not to the point where it damages my life or causes me much stress. So I have a bit of the C, but the O I feel like I definitely have. But does OCD explain stimming?

My son was diagnoed with GAD as well as an ASD and OCD and NVLD. Oh, boy. Sounds like a Dr. Seuss book. Anyway, anxiety is a big part of autism related disorders. Many times it causes the stimming, ocd, shut downs etc. It is an inabilty to make sense of certain situations so the person becomes anxious. Or, sometimes, the person can appear to have anxiety when actually it's their mannerisms. One psych put a big emphasis on anxiety. Another said my son didn't appear anxious at all and was merely trying to contorl th eenvironment. Another, said, yes, I see the anxiety. If he walks into a room, and he is uncomfortable, he might act oddly becaue he feels out of sorts, but it doesn't mean his heart is racing and his palms are sweaty, but that he doesn't know how he's suppose to behave, socially and so he acts out of sorts. My point being, if you call this anxiety then you would put him on meds to make him more calm, but he still does not know how to behave socially and feels out of place. Sp. I say nix the meds and either eliminate the social event or explain, specifically, what he needs to do whenhe walks into this environment. It takes more work, obviously, to address this type of awkwardness. Straight anxiety, or free floating anxiety, I guess could be quelled with meds. Still, I always thing it's a good idea to learn how to work through the physical consequences of anxiety so that the person feels more in control. It is when you are feeling out of control, then anxiety is at its peak. When you put more contorl into your life, you feel less anxiety.

If it's related to an ASD, then it's different is my real point. I do think the two are distinct. My son doesn't get anxious in a nervous sort of way that I can tell. He is overconfident if anything.

equinn

Actually, now that I think back, in elementary school I would feel nauseous a lot and want to go home. I guess I was an anxious child - but when I look back, I don't remember the anxiety so much as the awkwardness and strangeness of me. Also, my mom is a ball of anxiety, so I see my problems much more as a result of being raised by her than of an actual disorder. I truly think I will be less anxious the older and more independent from her I get. GAD wouldn't explain why as a baby I had strange coordination and insomnia - unless I born with an anxiety disorder right off the bat. I wish I could remember better. My mom has never mentioned anything especially odd about me as an infant except for the insomnia and talking a little late but immediately speaking in full sentences. My mom is meeting with the therapist tomorrow to give her more background. But I feel like my mom already has her opinions set about me, just as the therapist does. I have my own opinions as well, but I know what goes on in my head. i know when and why I do the things I do and how I feel when I'm doing them. My mom knows I fixate on things, and she's right, but then anything I happen to dislike she'll assume is a phobia and start yelling at me to get over it. I prefer to drive with my windows down then with air conditioning, even though I recently got a new car that has air conditioning. So she yells at me that i have a phobia about it (since air conditioning fogged up my iwndow a few times and I couldn't see ) and gets all angry - but it's just a preference of enjoying the fresh air; if it's 100 degrees, I have no problem with using air conditioning.

I totally understand how easy it is to confuse AS and an anxiety disorder. I was completely convinced that I had Aspergers for a long time, but that was before I had any idea about the possibility of an anxiety disorder. I had just always felt this anxious, and I didn't realize that was what I was feeling- anxiety. I'm so glad now that I have figured out what is going on in my head so that I can get help and I am! I think you really just need to know all the facts, and, if you really think your diagnosis is wrong, make sure you talk to your doctor.

Elementary school is pretty protected too. It's high school where things get a lot more difficult.

Shuffling him off into a special school when the diagnosis might not be correct seems obscene. Many autism diagnoses can disappear with age. In other words it was just some behaviours or atypical development that righted itself.

In the UK most aspies are diagnosed at 7-8. Which is about the age when the nature of friendships change.

Jason.

I have the same fear about car accidents because they are so common. I especially have that fear when my mom and dad go somewhere on their own such as a doctor appointment or something. I fact sometimes I make them call or text when they get to the location alive. But then they have to go home alive. What makes the fear more realistic is mom almost died in a car accident awhile ago, my dad could have been killed or seriously injured in a second accident I have been in 2 car accidents and others that don't count (like in the parking lot) and my brother has been in one with me. Believe it or not most of them weren't our fault. Only one of them. And that one happened when my mom was sneezing and her glasses fell and then saw something and tried to avoid it and flipped her car. I make prayers when people are going without me when they are driving. Driving is the most dangerous thing in the world. In fact I don't drive and I am 29 in fear of getting in a car accident because of hallucinating, bad motor skills, acting on so called "delusions" (like the gov being after me... I definitely DON'T like calling it a delusion) and avoiding them on the road and speeding and going all over the place, having depression and wanting to kill myself, slow reaction and decision making skills and so on. I would make a TERRIBLE driver and am aware of that. That is why its safer that I don't drive at all. Also I get overwhelmed easily and if there is too much going on I would break down and have a hard time driving. Cars themselves look cool but they are incredibly dangerous. I feel safer in the air then a car. I used to fly planes during the most stable time in my life. Like you I fear for car accidents more for my parents or brother than myself. I still do fear for them for myself though and that is why I don't drive. Sad to say I don't know what will happen when my family dies. What will I do. I live in the middle of nowhere far away from human civilization so people HAVE to drive to get anywhere. I am stuck in the year 1812. Moo. Cows are everywhere out here and so are horses. Real high tech, eh?