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ClClClaudius
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30 Sep 2017, 2:06 pm

So I made this without introducing myself on this site, I hope that's not a problem. The reason why I'm so hasty with making this topic is because of somethings that's been bugging me since last year.

A bit of background information. Last year I got into a depression, it started to have an effect on my school life and of course on my own health in general, so I decided to visit a psychologist. As you can probably guess, they told me that I might be somewhere on the autism spectrum.

Things got better, I never agreed with their suspicions in regards to having autism, and so I dismissed that. But at various times throughout the year I got back to this claim. So after researching a bit more I'm still not convinced. I want to know what you guys think.

I do some things that people might usually link to someone on the spectrum. I isolate myself (this can take extreme forms); I can be very analytical (though I can be very sensitive too); I'm bad at expressing my emotions; they also said something about eye-contact, I met a girl during this time who confirmed this (I think this is because I’m insecure at times, I read that a lot of people on the spectrum get over this issue with making eye contact); there was another thing about sometimes standing or sitting in an odd way and making fidgety movements (the latter one is always because of stress, the former does happen but not that often I think); And a last one, the reason why I’m here. I have an irrational fear of cheese. I don’t like the smell, the look, the taste or the way it feel. My family calls me a nutter for being like this, and I myself hate too. I won’t allow anyone to have it on the dinner table. But if there is cheese in my sight, or even close to me, I get really uncomfortable. I can’t think of nothing else (this is probably just a phobia, nothing really to do with autism I think).

Things I don’t do that most people associate with autism. I’m very self-aware, I always ask myself what impression I’m about to make; I do take a strong interest in things but they change a lot; I consider myself to be an emphatic person, I think about how other people might feel when I do or say something; and there are more. It’s just in general, I don’t feel like I’m on the spectrum. Sure as a kid I enjoyed playing on my own, and I’m still alone most of the time. But I never felt odd until a couple of years ago, when I moved to university and lived away from my brother. I have a real hard time making friends or maintaining contacts. But I’ve always been told that I’m passive and non-chalant, it’s just who I am. I’ve met people with autism who you could call ‘high functioning’, and I don’t feel like I could be one of them. So what do you guys think?
(also what’s wrong with this site? It made my computer freeze up)



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30 Sep 2017, 8:10 pm

Welcome to Wrong Planet. :) You might try a self-evaluation quiz for autism. Much of what you describe is quite familiar to me. I didn't speak until I was 4 years old and was diagnosed with autism at 3 years, but had pushed that out of my mind and was mainstreamed. But I had anxiety and at times depression, and therapists kept mentioning that I was probably autistic. (There's no probably about it, they were trying not to shock me into disabling self-consciousness.) I minimized that for decades in my mind, because I could function well in certain areas, although I had difficulty in relationships, making friends, socializing, etc. I tend to isolate myself as well - being around people is draining for me and I recharge when alone. I'm extremely analytical - I have to be in order to compensate, because my social and interpersonal processing is impaired. I'm quite sensitive and caring, although I have a hard time reading people's expressions and feelings (I have prosopagnosia, but compensate for this by memorizing individual facial features and expressions). I don't do well expressing emotions or even fully knowing what I'm feeling (alexithymia). I've learned to roughly imitate normal eye contact, but unless I look away or just stare at the other person, I can have great difficulty in following what they are saying - for me it's beyond insecurity, although I'd totally cop to being insecure. I know that I have an unusual gait and odd posture, including when I sit - it used to get on the nerves of one of my exes. And I used to get picked on as a kid because I'd always fidget or wag my foot or very slightly rock back and forth, etc., especially when nervous. Like you, I'm very self-aware, almost excruciating so in my case. I have to always be careful about what impression my words and actions can create (I was a manager for years), largely because I don't have that automatic radar or built-in sense that tells me - I just have a hard time reading people to know if they're getting bored or aggravated or whatever when I speak, for example. I can easily go for years without making friends and it's hard for me to maintain contact with people - I just don't have much of a sense for whether the other person wants contact or if I'm being excessive. And I've been told that I'm passive (used to bug the living crap out of my first wife) and easy-going.

I don't have a revulsion for cheese, but I have strange avoidances and phobias, such as to heights and deep water.

I can't say whether you're likely to be autistic, but a lot of what you describe is very familiar to me. There are some autism/Asperger's tests pinned in the forums on this site and some here: http://www.rdos.net/eng/Aspie-quiz.php
I sort of blew off the importance of accepting my own autism until about five years ago - I also have PTSD and I attributed my issues to that. But I hit a wall trying to make my life work and I found I had to face it. I didn't want to be different or have impairments, although I also have real strengths. When I began to understand what autism is and how it affects me right down to my core - to my identity - I was blown away at how different I really am from neurologically typical folks. I think a lot of us adapt so well to societal expectations and norms that we suppress the awareness of our difference. One benefit of accepting my autism is that I no longer think people are mostly stupid or overly emotional or ridiculous in their interests (such as sports) - I realize that I'm the one who's different and that my struggles are because of that.



ClClClaudius
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01 Oct 2017, 7:35 am

Thank you.
I had to fill in a list with my therapist, from there on out she build up her suspicion. I have no problems with recognizing facial expressions, but emotions are often confusing to me.
I'm just not sure if it is worth it getting an official diagnose, I never felt my 'shortcomings' where there because of things beyond my control. In fact, I think being diagnosed with autism will limit me, like when getting a job etc. I'm 24-years old, what good will a diagnose do me now?



magz
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01 Oct 2017, 8:08 am

I had a similar situation, ASD was brought up by my psychologist during depression/anxiety therapy. I was 31.
I didn't go on for an official diagnosis, there are no reasonable offers for adults with ASD in my area, so why bother?
But I gradually accepted her opinion as a key to my self-understanding. That some of my behaviors that even my closest family have been always attributting to my ill will came in fact from my lack of understanding the social rules. That my "hysteria attacks" contempted by the people around were meltdowns caused mostly by overstimulation. My strangeness started to make sense, I started to see the rules.

If you can go on with your life like you did before, I don't see a reason for seeking an official diagnosis. On the other hand, interpreting yourself in the terms of HFA may help you better understand what you feel, what you need, what you want. That's valuable.


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