Social Anxiety Disorder or Asperger's?

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How do you know if you have Asperger's vs. Social Anxiety Disorder?

Look to your childhood and look to characteristics outside of social ones (repetitive/obsessive tendencies and behaviors, executive function, etc).

It is also possible to have both.

I used to think I had social anxiety. I had no idea what AS was. It wasn't until a family member asked me to look up AS as I show many signs of it that it became obvious. As I reasearched more I started to notice certain things that I did growing up that just screams AS such as obsessive interests, misreading social situations and routines. But as AS has so many similar signs to Social Anxiety it is easy for people to be diagnosed with Social Anxiety when there's actually an underlying cause for it.

Thank you all so much for your replies! I'm just beginning to learn about AS. I originally began researching because I thought my husband had it. But the more I read, the more I wondered if I also have it. I'm just confused and feels like someone pulled the rug out from underneath me. So much is clicking but I'm not sure. I took ALL tests I could find online and they all said I'm neurotypical. And I brought it up to my therapist and he began laughing saying he didn't think so. But I just have this gut feeling that I might be on the spectrum. I totally have obsessive tendencies. Like I read the thread about listening to same song over and over again.......I totally do that! I forget to eat at times. I can relate to people and get them but usually on one-to-one basis. I HATE being in groups and socializing. It makes me so uncomfortable and I just feel left out and lonely. I have very few friends. I usually sit on my feet, have trouble with sitting 'properly' with feet on the floor. I hate change and have a hard time with it. But I am very emotional and express my feelings. I'm just really confused and not sure what to do about it. Some tell me that I'm just making too much of a big deal about it and a diagnosis won't change who I am. But it will help me understand. I'm also obsessing about this now. I've been online for days now just researching information but too afraid to ask anyone online. Any suggestions from anyone?

Really, only a specialist or an otherwise experienced professional can likely give you the feedback you're looking for. Confirmation bias is a thing and it's entirely possible to be an NT with AS-like traits. You have to keep perspective. How much do these traits impact you on a day-to-day basis and is it just a select few traits that you really relate to?

I'm sorry that your therapist laughed at your inquiry as I'm sure it felt invalidating. Maybe you should open the discussion further during your next appointment and go more in-depth about your own concerns and why he feels that you do not have it. He may have reasonable things to say that you should take into account or maybe he'll say things that make his possible lack of knowledge with adults/females on the spectrum apparent.

Best of luck.

Another possibility is that you have OCD or a combination of disorders that Sweetleaf alluded to. I really don't think that your therapist should have laughed at you at the suggestion that you might have AS. How was that useful to you in finding out what you have?