Hello everyone.
I've ended up researching Asperger's Syndrome because in the past few months I've had trouble with some serious Anxiety and Depression problems that led me to seek professional help. After a couple of sessions with a psychiatrist he came up with the suggestion that I may be showing some elements of Asperger's Syndrome. I'd looked at the condition before, but nothing had really clicked with me, but after it was re-suggested, it started to make more sense.
I think the problem was more pronounced when I was younger - very few friends, preferred to spend time on my own, would escape social areas in school to go to a library, typically somewhat depressed as a teenager from feeling socially isolated. I made some silly mistakes because I couldn't detect intentions or the effect some actions would have.
I'm 34 now, so I have learned a fair amount with some difficulty because I've been forced to interact with people at work. As I've recently been called on to be more proactive about communication, the continued effort has worn me down leading to a crash, I think. I've had drained, depressed periods before because the effort of social contact just takes a lot out of me.
The other element I've been faced with is more of a desire to manage to make friends with people I like, which might not have been present before. Maybe it's down to the fact that I've experienced more of the positives from social interaction, but I am sad because I don't seem to be able to go from acquaintance to friend. I guess I just don't understand how it happens.
At least there is a possible explanation, and the diagnosis just seems to make some sense of a generally lonely and isolated life. At least I have managed to find a partner and have two lovely young children, but the mental health problems have been making everything quite hard.
I'm hoping that this knowledge that I must have Asperger's Syndrome will help me to figure things out a bit better.
