Alexanderplatz

This all sounds like good news to me, some things may have changed for the better since my last contact with the system, let's hope it keeps up.

My assessment was done at a time of tension in the system, and it was an unpleasant experience - hopefully the way people are being treated has been improved. The number of points I was awarded magically rose from nil once I got a solicitor involved with firm instructions to go on the legal attack. I found that putting all communication in writing, keeping a photocopy and then sending it by registered post a good idea - phone calls not such a good idea.

"Disability isn't about being brave it's about being organised." Ian Dury - I like that saying. To my limited knowledge, a Consultant Psychiatrist who dxs adults will be aware of the contrived social performance that some adults on the spectrum can do so well. The majority of people, and that includes mental health workers, GPs and most Psychiatrists, do not have the first clue how to spot ASD in adults as they don't know what to look for, and as far as I know, adult aspies can become very good at automatic masking. In my case, I'm pretty certain my mother shamed me out of my more overt stimming at a young age. From what little I know, it looks to me like you meeting that mental nurse who spotted it was fortunate - he could well be proved right. Everyone who spotted me was proved right. Hope all goes well and keep in contact with how things go.

Second meeting with the Psychiatrist in May when I expect to be told that there isn't any support - perhaps there will be? ASD isn't treatable, our local dx team offer diagnosis only, and I consider myself fortunate to have got this far. I do not want a social worker / care worker, am High Functioning so things not so bad.

I went repeatedly half mad trying to figure out what was going on - hadn't a clue.

I have asd and levels of anxiety, but not high. I was undiagnosed at the time of my so called assessment for moving from Incap to ESA. Getting a solicitor worked for me. Yes, the ESA people ignored what my doctor said and asked me silly questions about moving cardboard boxes and had I any pets.

Dear Monicah, Diagnosis has been of immense benefit to me - but this happened at the age of 58 years old. I know little of the benefits or pitfalls of diagnosis at a younger age. For what I know, which admittedly isn't much, it takes at least two experts in the field to diagnose ASD, and diagnosis is tricky. Dear Confused Traveller, I went into the diagnosis confused, upset, paranoid that I was actually suffering from a mental illness and in my own opinion at the time, I completely bombed the diagnosis by being the most resistant pathetic dork you could imagine. After a christmas as an isolated gibbering wreck thinking that the doctor was going to dismiss me as a waste of space and time, it turns out I have ASD. I've yet to find even the slightest encouragement from officialdom for adults with ASD, let alone support.

Hiya, ordinary tea is my thing, though sometimes lapsang thingy stuff.

Can. This track is my equivalent of going to church. I want to be that drummer.

Very recently diagnosed at 58 with ASD, so here's my totally homegrown opinion. I'm high functioning. The fact that the D in ASD stands for disorder doesn't bother me in the slightest, yet it can stand for difference as well, and that is a simple fact. So, and I am one of the luckier ones, the word cure cannot apply in my world as I'm certainly not diseased with ASD. This kind of meaning is up to the individual, I'm not about to project this opinion onto anyone else. Sometimes I think that the S standing for Syndrome might be better for me. As one of the luckier ones I've still been bullied, isolated, misunderstood, marginalised, trivialised, have made a complete fool of myself and suffered long periods of isolation in what felt like a mild to moderate mental illness. Some of my life has been downright scuzzy. But, there's my fanatical interest in words and what they mean - that's good. And other things. Like automatically being true to one's self and others. (Just to be a clever clogs with words for a second, this feels like a biological imperative). Yes, I can only just about function in tolerant sub societies, and the NT world is savagely getting rid of them. For me: No disease means no cure. I'd defintely say that society is ill though.

Billy Pigg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ktD8maXxuo Must Must (lost in his work) - Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan ft. Michael Brooks

Relentless (Title Theme from The Loveless) - Eddie Dixon Oh Well (Fleetwood Mac) played by Bass Sax Quartet DEEP SCHROTT - that sounds a lot like a studio recording to me. Art Pepper, jazz sax genius:

Nine Inch Nails - The Hand that Feeds Rammstein - (Violates TOS as NSFW or just plain NS) Rammstein - Engel (Anybody else noticed the keyboard player with this band btw) NIN: "Cars" with Gary Numan, London 7.15.09 [HD]

Another fractured response from a 58 year old man, posting because I've been psychologically duffed up online by groups of trolls in the past. This has upset me beyond all reason despite the fact I know it shouldn't, and despite the fact I'm pretty mentally tough. What I've done is avoid the trolls. They can be staggeringly hostile if you stand up to them, and it looks to me like they want you to keep coming back so they can make you feel like quitting the internet forever. Some websites actually appear to have a policy of encouraging trolls, and some people see being sneaky and destructive online as a laugh. I've noticed that sarcasm and irony don't work in text messages, maybe it's the same with posting? On those Anti Social Personality Disorder people: Read a thing about them once online about how to deal with them IRL, and the advice was do not try to warn anyone about them, just get out of the way of them. Charisma was mentioned in the writing as well, they can have magnetic personalities and can be very very convincing con artists. The world and the internet strikes me as being like jungle, but like a jungle you can find really really good bits where you can find other friendly creatures.

Somebody said "ramblings"? - I want to do that.

One thing I did notice about the pro hermits was that the pay was quite good for the times, though the working conditions very difficult (this thing about not cutting the nails). It would be very interesting to know what the pro hermits themselves made of it all. And another thing about these pro hermits, it wasn't about isolation, they had to perform, so it will have involved showmanship. I'm assuming no proper hermit would do the job. Anyway, I'm on topic and off topic at the same time, - Aspie meet up - I want one, or think I want one, and this is a cyber aspie meet up. And springing off suddenly on tangents is one of the things I do. And knowing things. " . . . looking picturesquely unkempt, . . ." - lovely stuff, thank you. HELLO WORLD! - I think I'm doing that,

Professional hermits: In one period (18th century?) big posh people, particularly in England, had enormous big posh gardens. These gardens were meant to be strolled or driven or rode round by guests, who would find various bits of landscape, fake Greek temples, fountains or whatever, amusing, awe inspiring or whatever. Having a hermitage was all the rage at some point in this fashion, and some of the rich used to employ a willing local to be a part time hermit for the entertainment of guests. It must have been a strange gig for the hermit. PS found a web page on it: http:// www . hermitary . com/lore/ornamental_hermits . html

Chatbox could be good IF everybody thinks before they writes. It is easy to offend / be indiscreet / violate the terms of service with those things. @Mihaela: Studied poetry properly, at one of the big universities (particularly Shelley and Spenser). Hope you picked up on the hint of self mocking arrogant delusionality in my writing above (do you know a song called "Jackie", - Scott Walker sang it in English). Very naff bohemianism is my forte. Some of my demi monde adventures have been downright dangerous. Became increasingly reclusive from my mid twenties. Museums: Warrington is a gem. Misfit friends: We might pm. Yes, me too, only a few.

Sounds similar to my story - a friend spotted it, then another, then another. I was lucky to bump into people who knew about it, as I hadn't the foggiest idea I might have AS myself. Diagnosis has been a great positive thing for me, things make more sense, - much confusion resolved.

My social life, or shreds of sociability, or more correctly my parodic social performances, had to happen in places I could chain smoke. Ordinary society has never been able to contain the Alexanderplatz social phenomena, so it has happened on and off in various demi mondes over the years. These demi mondes had to be tolerant of my eccentricities. I laboured in vain to keep up my quasi social life by lurking in smoking areas for about a year, then ditched going anywhere socially I couldn't smoke. There's exceptions to my rampant pro smoking policy, - museums, art galleries, churches, i.e. anywhere I couldn't smoke before the ban seems to be fine. Rehearsal rooms aren't a problem, it's about music not society. Actually, yes, have spent much of my life hermitting (at one point it was a respected profession you know), but there have been compensatory upswings of perhaps a little too much exposure.

pm on its way to you Mihaela

There's a follow up appointment to come where I might quiz the doc about what my diagnosis might have been before the changes, see if he'll offer an informal opinion - he might not have one to offer. I'm high functioning and avoidant of anything like an assessor of support needs coming anywhere near me, though this kind of thing might be a factor in my future. In my locality it looks like the NHS provide nothing for us anyway. It has been an ordeal of over a decade getting to the diagnosis, with some disheartening twists. There were years seeing my GP until she deduced me as on the scale - that was three years ago and the information hit me like a train. Before that it was hunting down a GP who would take my mental / social problems seriously. On the emotional support side I'm blessed with a handful of solid friends who know what I'm like and accept me - this really is fortunate. I've been the black sheep in my family, the liver on the stony side, the waste of space and sometimes the scapegoat. This situation has improved, my father has accepted me after a life time of trying to modify my behaviour. Another family member is being significantly fantastic. My broadband allowance is about to expire, so must dash off for now.

Hiya - I'm very new here, - up for meet ups. There is a website for a cheshire charitable organisation that says it does meet ups for adults locally, and this'll be sussed out by me soon. I, have, have, have to use an e cigarette when impersonating sociability btw. If i were a pizza it would be liquorice and swan.

A kind hello to all. It's been confirmed for a week from a consultant level specialist that I have asd - don't know if I'm aspie, HFA or whatever.` It has been a very, very strange and hard pathway to this point. That's it for now, but I'll probably be back, a lot.