Be careful. I was wrongly diagnosed with AS as a kid.

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Last week, I went to see a psychiatrist for the first time since I was 10. (20 now)

I told him about the aspergers diagnosis, and after answering some questions and talking to him for an hour, he told me he didn't see AS in me AT ALL. All of the AS symptoms I had are also ADHD symptoms and I had every single ADHD symptom in the book. The doctor put me on adderall and it's improved my life so much. I don't get bored 10x easier than other people anymore, I can focus on stuff that isn't fun, and I'm more open with people. (I wasn't a private person before, I just didn't feel the need to tell anyone anything they didn't need to know)

If I had this years ago, school wouldn't have always been so damn hard for me and I wouldn't have looked stupid trying to play any sport that required my full attention. Aspergers is not treatable(well, it is, but there's no well-defined cure-all pill like there is with ADHD) while ADHD is, so, please, if you're a parent and you think your kid has aspergers, please, MAKE SURE IT'S NOT ADHD. Don't make them have to go through what I did during high school. And don't suggest crap to the psychiatrists either, the reason the first guy thought I had AS is because some genius suggested to my parents that i share some qualities with his son, who actually does have mild AS. This time, I didn't suggest I had anything besides the AS diagnosis. I always kind of knew it was wrong because I only had two AS symptoms. I just thought that had to be it because, while I didn't feel autistic, I didn't feel normal either. Neither of the two groups fit me before. Also, I knew nothing about ADHD before last week, so I couldn't have ever figured it out. I always thought ADHD was a BS disorder made up by parents whos kids couldn't sit still. WRONG. ADHD can make your life harder for no reason at all. Brain chemistry speaking, ADHD people need to work more than the average person to feel the same amount of pleasure/satisfaction. From a science standpoint, ADHD and AS effect different parts of the brain, but because they share 3-4 out of 20(each) symptoms, they can be misdiagnosed as each other. I'm sure there's people out there with AS that adderall isn't really helping.

Last edited by Diamorphine on 21 May 2012, 9:32 pm, edited 2 times in total.

I guess AS is treatable in that we can learn 'bridge skills' to engage with (not necessarily conform) with those who think and feel differently than we do.

You have written an important post. I certainly want people to get the correct diagnosis.

I also believe in better living through chemistry, for example, antidepressants which I am now more open to. The only thing I might add is, if it's like antidepressants, there is a trial and error aspect. Just that biochem is complicated and everyone's is a little different.

I was diagnosed with outcast: make sure to bully and alienate....at least that is the impression I get.

Tried 6 different antidepressants, none of them helped my anxiety or depession. Adderall doesn't only help but completely cure both of these in me. But if you're depressed/anxious in the sense of generalized anxiety/major depression, antidepressants will help, but not for someone whos depression and anxiety were directly/indirectly because of adhd symptoms.

Well, AS makes people noticibly different and kids pick on the people who are different, so don't look at it as your fault. Unless you're made fun of because you can't shower, you don't take care of your hair, you smell, and you go outside without even trying to look presentable. That's just asking for it.

I know...and well sometimes I can't do that crap and do smell, then again I am a metalhead and metalheads don't care about sweat and smells otherwise they wouldn't go to those smelly, dirty metal concerts:twisted:. But they had no good reasons for their crap they are all just bricks in the wall. And I still go out looking un-presentable because it keeps those squares away and draws the other freaks in well and I just don't understand fashion I just wear what I like.

I don't see it as asking for anything I see it as saying 'leave me alone already, because I think your pastel colors and gigantic brand name symbols are pretty stupid looking as well.'

I had this problem as a kid sometimes, because of my what I now know is ADHD, I'd forget to shower or put on deodorant a lot of times and that got me made fun of. But seriously, its a huge boost of confidence when you can brush up against other people without them sniffing and making a funny face.

But then they might talk to me...and I find the homeless people more interesting. lol

Most of the homeless here just babble on about nothing when they're not asking for money. (nothing meaning telling stories that obviously aren't true and are usually rather disturbing)

Hmm the ones around here have interesting things to say, some are a bit mental but so am I so whatever...should I end up homeless I am sure i could find some decent people to chill with or whatever.

Unfortunately, outcast does not require a diagnosis. (It's also contagious, a fact that simply exacerbates its symptoms.)


As to diagnoses, I had it the other way around. When I was 14 I was diagnosed with ADHD, which didn't make any sense to me. I wasn't hyperactive in the least. My oldest brother had ADHD for sure (which perhaps was mentioned to my therapist and influenced her, in much the same way someone mentioned AS to yours.) But my oldest brother was a classic case, and he still exhibits some symptoms as an adult now (like pointing out random things and switching topic conversations out of nowhere.) I do those two things, but hyperactive? No way. My brother used to jump on the bed while holding my baby brother (which was actually the incident that caused my parents to get him diagnosed.) I never had a problem sitting still in class, though. I never had a problem sitting still at home, either (heck, I'd spend hours just sitting on my bed with my nose in a book!)

Luckily, though, when the therapist suggested that, I argued with my mom as to why I didn't think I had it, and she agreed with me. I shortly after stopped going to that therapist (I only went for about two months anyway, spending most of the time sitting in silence, giving one-word answers when a question was asked, since I didn't want to talk to a complete stranger. How in the world she thought I had a hyperactive attention disorder, I don't know. It was in the height of the "every kid has ADHD!" craze, though, so maybe there were other forces at work...)

I have since heavily researched both ADHD and AS, and looking at the list of ADHD symptoms and what is needed for a diagnosis, I'm even more baffled that anyone could ever have thought I had it. Similarly, I'm baffled as to how the therapist never guessed that I had AS. I never looked her in the eye, I was incredibly shy, and I'm sure my mom had told her how I didn't have many friends, but that I also got very good grades. Anyway, moral of the story is... Yes, make sure you get the right diagnosis! Research the associated traits, and if it sounds fishy or feels odd, get a second or third opinion (especially if the diagnosis leads to medication.)

Well I wasn't serious about being diagnosed, just saying I had issues even as a kid but none of that was identified so that is what I ended up with...not an actual diagnoses of that but its seems that is how I was treated.

I'm glad that you've gotten a corrected diagnosis, and are getting helped by Adderal. Even if you are not on the spectrum, you are still welcome here at WP!

Unfortunately, I do meet the criteria for Asperger's. Also for Avoident Personality Disorder, and Executive Function Disorder. I'm in my 50s, so I'm pretty much used to the first two, but the EFT seems to cause the most problems for me. I don't mind being an introverted hermit, but not being good at organizing my life causes problems. At least I live alone now, though. I spent most of my life living with relatives, and we drove each other crazy. It sure made being a hermit look good. And now that I am able to live like one, it is good. Life's a lot less stressful now, and more peaceful.

I know. I was playing along.

The "every kid has ADHD" thing pisses me off. And nowadays we're entering in to a "Every kid is on the autism spectrum" stage, is just as bad. It's taking two very real mental disorders which can significantly reduce your quality of life and trivializing them(Before last weed I myself believed ADHD to be a scam made up by parents of kids who couldn't sit down and stfu)/turning them in to jokes. ADHD is most likely even less common as it they say it is now and there's no way 1-100 people have AS. Just no way.

Last edited by Diamorphine on 21 May 2012, 10:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.

This right here is why I didn't feel I had AS(partially). The big thing is being unable to detect sarcasm and being unaware of people's emotions. I've always had a very sarcastic sense of humor, loved mostly sarcasm-humor based television shows. (Like Roseanne, or Two and a Half Men), and I've always been a good judge of what people think of me.

No offense to you SweetLeaf, I just used you as an example.