I'd feel more comfortable with Asperger's if it was called s

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I'd feel more comfortable with telling people about my condition if it was called something like Emotional Communication Disorder or something like that. When you have a condition what is just a bunch of words abbreviated, it just sounds less cringing. You have an explanation for your odd behaviour and anxieties, but it doesn't sound so serious.

I was talking to a colleague who has a bowel problem what interferes with her life, and it has a medical name for it but I can't remember what it is. But she said that she feels more comfortable just calling her condition IBS (Irritable Bowels Syndrome), because the actual term for her condition makes her feel like she has some sort of disease. So saying to people that it's just IBS makes her feel more secure about her condition.

And I feel the same way about Asperger's. I'd rather say it in a different way to people. I just hate saying Asperger's. Does anyone know what I mean?

Yep...I know what you mean. Asperger's might, to some schmuck in the street, sound more "serious" than something like "Emotional Communication Disorder." I

t's almost as if it is serious enough to have a fancy name LOL

Yeah I see that; and I wouldn't be surprised if there were even some, just some, very, very uninformed people who haven't heard of Asperger's and would think it might be some awful disease they could catch, or that you might die from.

Seriously, there is still ignorance out there and some people don't even have "Asperger's" on their general radar. Hence all the needing to explain further when we tell someone. This is why I haven't even bothered yet; I have some acquaintances it might be good to disclose to, but when I think of all the 'splainin' ..... it tires me out just thinking about it.

It's the curse of having a rare mental disorder that nobody heard of and nobody understands.
I could do without this so-called gift.

Closest thing I can think of to the name would be Social Communication Disorder, which is ASD without the repetitive behaviours. Could use that I suppose.

I think there is more to Asperger's than just social communication problems. Also it makes it sound more like a horrible disease, which it is not, and that it needs to be cured no matter what the risk, which it does not need.

People on the spectrum can communicate, it just doesn't come naturally, which for some reason the NTs think it should because nothing else matters unless you have a social life.

Another option is just disclosing your traits on an as needed basis without giving it a label at all.

I don't mind if it's called ASD. Being labeled Asperger's or HFA might give someone the impression that don't struggle at all and that I can function well in life when I don't have a job, can't handle school, am far from being independent and live with my parents at 29, struggle socially, none of which I would call high functioning.

I dont see why Dr. Hans Asperger could not have legally changed his name to....

"Leonardo Di Caprio".

That way I could tell folks that I've been dx'd with "Di Caprio's syndrome".

It just sounds so melodic.

The actor who starred in Titanic was born with some forgettable clunky heavy German name much like "Hans Asperger" before he changed it.

Of course on the other hand both "salmonella", and "melanoma", have beautiful melodic Italian sounding lilts. But that doesnt make either condition seem any more desirable to have.

So...scratch that idea.

I'm not saying Social Communication Disorder should be a blanket diagnosis. But those of us who display less obvious symptoms, and are mostly affected by anxiety in nearly every aspect of life but able to live independently otherwise, we need a different spectrum name. So we still be on the Autism spectrum, but can be defined with something that sounds a little less...fancy. I think that would make my life a lot easier when having to disclose my condition to someone. I do say "anxiety disorder", or "panic disorder", but I'm not sure if that would explain my quirky personality. But I do believe I have ADHD as well, which I do have a lot of symptoms of.