Enough symptoms to put forward to psychiatrist?

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I'm not making this a competition or anything like that, I'm just wondering if this is enough symptoms that I tick to ask her about Aspergers.

This was something I've been making with Wordpad over the weeks, it was basically just notes I'm gonna give to psychiatrist, so apologies it's quite messy. Some of it is repeated, I can't be bothered to edit it lots.

I am not going to repeat myself, this is about ME and MY symptoms I think I show of mild Aspergers.

I want to know if I tick enough boxes or not, because I don't want to go to the psychiatrist and make a fool of myself, yet again, so please don't ask questions which you already know the answer to. I have already made myself clear. Do not troll.

Androgynous/no gender and have always felt like this ever since I was young.

I like to 'stim'.

Problems with verbal directions/instructions, usually have to be repeated, often when I've only just been told and I've forgotten what to do already.

Sensory issues to some food, weather, light touch, noises amplified, crowds/people.

Social interaction/social cues are slightly off.

Can't read people all that well.

A lot of the time I talk AT people, and not realise they are not interested in what I am saying.
When I get talking on something I really like, you can't shut me up.
I am either very quiet or very loud in tone, and also either very shy or very chatty.

When listening to people's voices, in person or on TV/radio etc. it often sounds like 'Simlish', garbaled. I had a hearing test when I was about 9 because of this, but my hearing is fine, very sensitive in fact, but I have trouble listening to people talking.

I am told I am quite literal, also blunt and told I am rude when I don't think I am. I also have told I've done something wrong, and not understand why it's wrong.

I can't smile for photos. I try to smile, but I look back at the picture and I just look like death.

I can't look people in the eyes very well, or at all really. I can for a slight moment, but then I have to look away again, it feels too horrible and awkward.

When I find something I really like, it's an obsession. I will involve in this obsession every day. I also had an obsession
with bacteria/hand cleansing/contamination etc. when I was 11-17ish which I thought was OCD.
I am always telling my family off for leaving food out, because I am so obsessed with flies and foreign objects landing on my food. I won't eat the food if it's been left out, because I don't know if something has landed on my food inbetween that time.

I am quite neglegent of my looks, sometimes hygeine etc.

Clumsiness, slurred speech, tongue twisted, muddled sentences, "cat got your tongue" words stuck on the tip of my tongue or can't think of the word. etc.

Non-verbal communication. A lot of the time I just "mmmm" along with whatever the person is saying. If I am not interested in what they are saying, I can't pay attention.

I never thought other people have emotions, and I still don't. I find it hard to believe other people have emotions and I don't know why that is.

I have never been able to make friends well, I don't know how to communicate in friendships/relationships and it has always been
like that. I have always been a very lonely person, but I do sometimes prefer that. I hate being lonely too though, because I am incapable of making and keeping friends.

I find social situations very exhausting. Even going out to a doctors appointment for an hour and returning home again, it takes me a while to wind down again, so I usually just sleep.
I used to go straight to sleep as soon as I got home from school and college. I would get into my PJ's and go to sleep.

It is often hard to sleep though because of all my muddled thoughts, over thinking conversations/situations, all sorts of things.

I have to have music on all the time, or other background noise. Silence is horrible, it is unbearable almost.
I cannot sleep without the TV on as it is background noise, as well as a 'nightlight'.

I still sleep with toys.

I was always behind people my age.

I have always lacked empathy for other people, it is something I have never really had.

I would have real anger problems at school and at home, always. Big tantrums.

I don't like being touched unless it is a partner.

I am not very interested in sex. I am still a virgin. Kissing/cuddling with a partner is fine though.
I do not want to have kids or marriage/civi partnership.

People always ask me what is wrong or am I OK etc. There is usually nothing up, I just like looking around, and I have a very straight/emotionless face most of the time.

I don't like compliments of any sort really. They make me feel uncomfortable and exposed.
I also don't like people pointing out if I come across as bubbly/chatty/happy, because I don't feel like it. I just feel like a middle line, with the occasional low mood with BPD, but also a symptom of Aspergers. I also feel exposed/very personal when someone points this out (It's usually my therapist that does this) especially when it's wrong and think it's OK to tell me a feeling of something that I'm not actually feeling, if that makes sense?

My humour sometimes seems very different to people of my age. I am always offending NT's on my Facebook, with the funny pictures/content that I share.

I do not feel 21. I still feel like I am young. I always want to be quite young.

I was bullied at school severely, not only because of my looks, but because of my oddness/shyness.

I didn't wear a bra for quite a while when I grew boobs, because it didn't feel right. I also got bullied for this.
I didn't know how to approach my mum on buying bras, I had to save lunch money from school to buy some of my own, but I have never really felt girly.

I have always felt like an alien. I feel odd and don't fit in anywhere.

When I go away long distance, I get very home sick, have panic/anxiety attack and need to just go home. I have mostly had to come home early from planned weekends away.

I slept on my parents bedroom floor at night time up until about 13.

People with more neurotypical scores and less aspergers scores, have been diagnosed with AS, so this leads me to believe I do possibly have AS from the quizzes I took online.
They are just basic questions that occur in people with aspergers and neurotypicals.

I recently thought I had Attention Deficit Disorder (not hyperactive) and Body Dismorphic Disorder, but I think the symptoms that I tick for those, would more explain Aspergers.
I asked previous psychiatrist about Attention Deficit Disorder and Body Dismorphic Disorder, and dismissed them both without really actually listening to what I had written or said.
He said because of my BPD diagnosis, he can't diagnose me with Attention Deficit Disorder, but he felt I had a lot of the symptoms.
I feel this is probably wrong now, and mild Aspergers makes a lot more sense.

I have no access to school reports and such because they have all gone missing. I have asked my parents what I was like in a fair detail, as a child, and they just didn't want to bother talking to me/telling me so I have no proper memory of my earlier childhood.

I didn't do well in subjects I didn't like, because I had no interest in them and couldn't put any interest in. I can't pursue far into things I have little interest in.

I don't understand some peoples needs or wants sometimes. I don't understand people well. People annoy me quite some of the time.

When I was younger, from the of as young as I can remember about 9, to about 17, I found it hard to go anywhere on my own, do things on my own etc. I had zero confidence.
I didn't like being on my own in the house for a very long time. Only at the age of about 16 I finally got used to this.
When my parents would go out for the evening or day, I would put up a fuss before hand.

It's very uncomfortable to call people by their names. I usually get their attention any other way by tapping them on the shoulder or saying "oi" or something.
I can say people's names in 3rd person, for example "I am seeing John today" but I cannot say "Hello John" or "What's the time, John?"

I pick my skin and pick my eyelashes. I have always picked my skin, and it's been kind of a 'stim' for me. Only in the past few years since I was about 16 that I started picking eyelashes.
My stims are rocking back and forth, or side to side, I can also rock my neck slightly back and forth. Sometimes I tap my foot, wiggle my toes, or bring my legs up and down in a speedy motion.
I also make random whistling, that doesn't make a tune or anything, just a quick couple of whistles.

I chicken out of social situations a lot of the time, make excuses, or have always left social situations a lot earlier than already planned. I cannot attend a social situation unless I have at least pre-set a time with that person when I will leave by.

I often eat the same food, every day, for many days. I order the same food when I go to restaurants also. I have to do some certain things in my life in order, otherwise it doesn't feel right.

Even when I think I am smiling for photos, I look back on the photo and see that I am not smiling.

I don't feel like I have a gender (ever since I can remember) and I feel like an alien and don't fit in. I just feel, existant, but not alive.

Last edited by MightyMorphin on 05 Aug 2012, 2:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I don't get it. Why do you want to go to psychiatrist?

Because PSYCHIATRISTS are the people who diagnose mental disorders.

If you only want a relevant diagnosis, then why did you make this thread instead of going to psychiatrist and finding out for yourself?

Stop trolling please.

I'm not trolling. Google what trolling means.
I don't understand you. You're wondering whether you have autism, right? You want only diagnosis, you don't want any treatment or anything, yes?
So you wrote this huge post describing your symptoms, right?
So why did you give this post to us instead of psychiatrist? Do you think there is anyone who can give you a relevant diagnosis here, on this forum?

1.But let's say that everyone here thinks that you are autistic. That every response will be like "yes, you have autism, you need to go to psychiatrist". Then what? Then you would have to go there and you would have to say/write everything you have written now again.
So why not to do it from the start? Why to post it here if you'll have to post it all to your psychiatrist anyway?

2. Let's say everyone here disagrees with you. Will it make you less anxious? No. You'd probably end up asking somewhere else and going to psychiatrist anyway, if that's what you want.
Then why make a thread?

please, explain your reasons to me. I'm seriously puzzled. I'm not trying to be rude, even though it may appear so. I just don't understand you.

Am I missing something here, or has MightyMorphin not asked if we think they have Autism?

That list is much longer than mine was. I didn't go into a huge amount of detail either.

I think only you can really answer that question, but certainly nobody should make you feel like a fool for raising the possibilty.

One thing I think you really should do is make the effort to put this into some kind of order, maybe using the diagnostic criteria as a guide, as chances are you won't get much time with a psychiatrist and if it is too jumbled they may not read it.

Nice opening post change.
But please, if you are so afraid of making a fool out of yourself, do google "trolling". You're using the term incorrectly.

Mighty Morphin, that does sound like a lot of AS type traits, clearly you are worried that your psych won't believe you and are looking for reassurance from other people here, by looking for input from diagnosed people how have been through the experience.

I would think that it's more than enough information you've put down, and as it's hard to express things verbally with AS sometimes, your list will stand you in good stead. It will give you something to discuss and analyse and look at all the options for with your psych.

Good luck, hope you get the diagnosis you want.

Thanks for your replies

Your signature says you have BPD. I could be wrong; but some symptoms of Autism and BPD may cross-over. I have completely different medical issues and was told that I would be harder to diagnose.

You sound similar to me in a lot of ways. I too am self-diagnosed and considering a formal one in the future. As for your traits, you sound like someone with Asperger's to me and I think you have enough proof for it to be a plausible diagnosis. The only real issue though is your lack of childhood history. It's going to be a major part of any diagnosis and will probably be the difference between ASD and BPD. The sensory issues that you have make me think it is AS and not BPD though as they are with you since childhood while BPD typically develops from environmental factors (or at least that was my understanding).

My only comment on your list - which seems enough - is that you haven't really given much detail on how this is interfering with your life and that is crucial for a diagnosis.

What is your relationship, education, work and living arrangements? Are you where you want to be, is your suspected AS causing you difficulties in these areas?

Jason

A lot of what have you listed could be AS. It could also be due to an anxiety disorder and/or the BPD. Only a really thorough and honest assessment can determine that.

You need to ask your parents about the early years of your childhood. Try to find an online ASD questionnaire, (Eg. CARS) for young children and use that as a guide to question your parents. Including this information in your document will strengthen your argument, when you discuss this with your doctor. Part of an assessment includes an exploration into early childhood development, since the behaviors associated with ASDs are usually evident during those early years. This history is required for diagnosis.

School records from the first few years of school can help, because fine and gross motor skills are noted and marked along with social development. Behaviors common to AS are almost always present during those years. Eg. aggression; apparent deafness; speech peculiarities; etc... Can you contact the school board? They usually have a records office.

I pick my skin and pick my eyelashes. I have always picked my skin, and it's been kind of a 'stim' for me. Only in the past few years since I was about 16 that I started picking eyelashes.
My stims are rocking back and forth, or side to side, I can also rock my neck slightly back and forth. Sometimes I tap my foot, wiggle my toes, or bring my legs up and down in a speedy motion.
I also make random whistling, that doesn't make a tune or anything, just a quick couple of whistles.

NTs stim too. An autistic stim is different, because it produces a 'distinct' sensation, that is very pleasant and euphoric. For me, the sensation originates in my head and moves down into my chest. I have always had this. Unfortunately, I can’t say if everyone with AS gets this sensation, though.

When I went through my assessment, I was asked to describe the sensation I get when I stim. The doctor actually explored this in depth to differentiate my repetitive behaviors from those of an NT.

Disorders such as anxiety, DID and PTSD can cause symptoms that resemble sensory processing issues. It is important that this be explained and investigated properly, since a psychiatrist/psychologist can easily mistake sensory issues for dissociation, psychosis and hyper-vigilance in PTSD.

AS can appear as BPD. (There are many threads on the topic, here.) A good clinician can differentiate between the two. Although there are some similarities, the motivation and reasons behind the behavior are very different. It is quite common for women to get this label prior to finding out they have AS. I was one of those people. Some of what you describe makes me wonder.

I never thought other people have emotions, and I still don't. I find it hard to believe other people have emotions and I don't know why that is.

I always knew people felt and had emotions, but what they felt was identical to what I was feeling at the time. Sometimes, this still challenges me, despite knowing that people have their own distinct feelings.

Where did you get the idea that people with ASDs don’t like compliments? I don’t mind getting one, every now and then.

Having AS is a pain in my butt!

Have you gone for a neuropsychological evaluation? Ask for ADOS Module 4.