Is Aspergers trendy?

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Hi everyone,

I'm sorry, but I'm going to admit that I did not read this whole, entire thread, mainly because it's really long and I don't have the patience or time, and because this topic intrigues me immensely and I need to SHARE my thoughts.

I find AlienorAspie's predicament familiar because I'm also going through the same thing! Shock Horror . I've actually got an appointment later this month with a psychologist and hopefully I'll be able to provide enough info for a diagnosis (actually grabbing some old family home videos on the way home). But the more I learn and read and watch, the more I realise I have it. I have normalised a lot of my behaviour and because I have a family like me (I swear they are all Aspie, no joke... it explains a lot) it was never really picked up on. When you don't know that stimming and social awkwardness and being overly honest and being clumsy and having regular meltdowns/tantrums etc is abnormal, you listen to NTs saying oh I tap my feet, oh I'm shy, oh I can't lie and you think, "I must just have all the bad and annoying traits in the world." NO. Yes, I guess NTs must have some of these traits, but we have ALL of them. It's the fact that we have all of them that makes it so hard, and makes us wonder why people don't get us.

I do not know who Adam Lanza is? I'm in Australia so maybe this is why? And my perception on autism was the Kanner's kind before someone on a mental health forum actually said to me that I sound like her (she was apparently diagnosed as an Aspie). I thought I was Borderline or Bipolar or some sort of other subspecies. Since mental health does run in my family (or is it misunderstood-people-all-with-autism-and-getting-frustrated-with-people-who-don't-listen-and-then-getting-depressed that runs in my family?) I think that no one ever cottoned on to the fact that any of us would have it. So I don't really think it's trendy, and in Aus it's never really mentioned - even though the lead expert in Aspergers/Autism is about an hour drive from me! I had friends when I was young who had autism (diagnosed) - at the time I thought there was nothing wrong with them but looking back all the signs were there. I think it's actually underdiagnosed rather than overdiagnosed and a state of being that may just exist, and always has existed in the populace. Granted it may be on the increase, there is no way of really knowing this though. Some people have even suggested that it could be traits inherited from other humanoids (is that the word?) that roamed earth, like Neanderthals. I think there may be some truth to this, but that is just my opinion. It's completely possible that chemicals can trigger the dormant genes of Aspie-ness into action, like in families who are prone to cancer or heart disease. A predisposition to Depression can be inherited, why not autism? And depression seems much more common.

So I don't think it is trendy. People who want it are seriously misguided. Yes there are positives. But life is harder most of the time, especially if you don't have the understanding and support.

I think there needs to be more awareness, but in saying this, if I had children with autism, I'd probably get them diagnosed, make sure I read about how I can help them and rely on my past knowledge, help them understand what they're going through, and get them a tutor or some educational help, but I would NOT tell teachers and their employers etc. I don't like this idea of "fixing" them and medicating them. They are just different! There's nothing wrong with that - all they need is understanding. Please feel free to disagree though .

The problem is that people don't get it. People wanting these traits especially don't get it. You don't have to be obsessive to be smart. You don't have to be analytical to succeed in life. You need love, family and the basic needs that everyone deserves to succeed - THE END.

If it's trendy, it's misguided and people who think they have it and don't have it will soon find out they don't wanna have it.

In saying this - I really want my diagnoses because it will explain and validate so much

To Waterfalls. I just wanted to let you know that I noticed the moderator (on the other website) decided to remove the post with the Assburger joke (which I really appreciate, because eventho the guy apologised afterwards, it still shows some respect from the moderator).

Also thank you for the kind words in your latest message to me

I think there's better understanding of the condition than there used to be, but I wouldn't use the word "trendy" as it's often used by people who like to claim that Aspergers/Autism is just somekind of come-and-go fashion rather than a legitimate condition.