Uncontrollable obsessive interests?

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Hi, I'm new on the forum, my name is Jakub (although I usually go by the diminutive Kuba), I'm 25 and I'm from Poland.

I was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder in 2007. Throughout the years, I thought I did understand what it means to have Asperger or Autism, but I recently realized that... it's not necessarily the case. I often thought of Autism in a very stereotypical way. For example, you might find many websites that say that in order to be diagnosed with Asperger's you need to have only one interest and if you have two, then you're neurotypical. It's funny (or not?) that many psychiatrists in Poland actually believe this and last year I was at a psychiatric hospital where a psychiatrist rejected that diagnosis because I have had numerous obsessive interests throughout my life.

However, since I also have OCD, my OCD currently "attacked" my diagnosis of Asperger's. Aspieness is something very precious to me and it gives my life an identity and structure. I don't want it to be taken away from me, but my OCD often tells me stuff such as "you can't have Asperger's because X and Y".

Recently, my OCD attacked my obsessive interests and it tells me that in order to qualify for a diagnosis of Asperger's, these interests have to be uncontrollable and life-disorganizing. I know that this may often be the case and I did have moments in my life when my interests prevented me from, say, doing homework. However, I don't want this to be the rule. Last year, when the hospital took away my diagnosis, I could do whatever I wanted and be interested in whatever I wanted to be interested in and had a good control over everything.

So my question is: In order to be diagnosed with Asperger's or ASD do these obsessive interests always have to be uncontrollable and life-disorganizing or can Aspies learn to control their interests? I'm asking, because I'd like to have the diagnosis for the reasons stated above, but I don't want those interests to destroy my life, because I have a job and many responsibilities.

I'm sorry if this question seems weird, but this is just what OCD is doing to me.

Sincerely,
Kuba

They do not have to be uncontrollable nor life-disorganizing unless you have allowed them to be that way. You're a person, not a computer AI confined by modern code.

OCD is a b***h, I agree. Perhaps, though, those thoughts are not related to OCD but a typical fear of losing one's identity. It can be difficult to distinguish if they are without compulsions.

_________________
Unapologetically, Norny.
-chronically drunk

I understand. I might have allowed them to be that way and it's difficult now since I have a job and I'm afraid I might lose it.

Is setting time limits (such as, I will study Finnish/Esperanto/Greek/etc. from 10 a.m. till 11 a.m.) a good idea? I used to do such things before I developed OCD, which was maaaaany years ago?