jc6chan wrote:
anneurysm wrote:
I'm very social and have many friends, am good at conversational skills, understand sarcasm and social nuances, don't talk about my interests very much, have controlled my meltdowns (for the most part), no sensory sensitivties (other than my picky eating)...the list goes on. But although much of my AS traits have faded, I still believe I have it, and still I identify with the disorder as I have been diagnosed.
Could it be a wrong diagnosis?
Hmm, it's possible. I've met her in real life a couple of times, and I still doubt that she has it. I've met another man off the forum recently who has more AS traits (clearly visible) but he saw a counsellor/psychologist and that person said that he does have some traits but not the full package, because he can understand people's intentions very well. I disagree, because one can figure out people's intentions logically once they learn the specific signs.
The way I can see whether someone has AS or not is the kind of interaction they seem to be more comfortable with. I won't specifically label them the AS vs. NT ways of interacting, but one is a logical, straightforward, and mostly objective way of interacting, where spoken word conveys most of the information. The other one is an emotionally-based way of interacting, where non-verbal interaction conveys most of the information. The second one is the one we most struggle with, obviously. Over time, we might learn to fake it and be able to go through the second way of communicating, but it can be something rather difficult for us to do and becomes very exhausting after a short period of time. Now, if someone says that they have Asperger's but at the same time, I see that they enjoy the former way of interacting more than the latter, it becomes suspicious. One of the most high-functioning aspies I've met (and I've met about 30 so far) told me that while she attends social events, it is like a duty to her; she absolutely dislikes it. These things are so overwhelming to her that after going to one social event, she would come home completely drained and would be unable to do anything productive. When I say that she's high-functioning, I say that because of the way she comes across (no awkwardness, can make eye contact, has a job as a social worker which in my opinion, only the most high-functioning people on the spectrum can hold).
You can be quirky and an original thinker and not be on the spectrum. You can be an introvert but not be on the spectrum. Some characteristics of an anxiety disorder may manifest themselves as symptoms of an ASD. I've talked to my psychologist about the repetitive/routined behaviour in people with ASD versus people who are not on the spectrum, and she told me something I did not know, that many people without ASD may resort to routine and repetitive behaviour when they are under high stress. If someone has an anxiety disorder, it would therefore make sense that they have more stereotypy and like routine, since they are under higher amounts of stress than anyone else without anxiety disorders.
Asperger's is a very difficult diagnosis to make, and even the professionals can get it wrong, especially when diagnosing at a very young age.
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Leading a double life and loving it (but exhausted).
Likely ADHD instead of what I've been diagnosed with before.
08 Apr 2010, 12:08 am
