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verbeia

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Hi! It's taken me a while to post here because I'm not sure what to say and I'm not 100% sure if I do have Aspergers/high functioning autism. It's something I'm looking into because I became suspicious that something I didn't understand was causing my longstanding anxiety and depression.

 

I self-diagnosed social anxiety (a counsellor more recently agreed with me), but I manage well enough in the workplace or when doing presentations as part of hobbies. The problem is when I try to have any purely social interaction, I feel quite lost, alienated, and - this is what really got me thinking - sometimes I just feel I don't understand what's going on. It particularly struck me a couple of times when in conversation in a pub. When I couldn't rely on my hearing as much because of background noise, I couldn't keep up with the conversation at all. I had to sit back and just drop out of the conversation. I had my hearing checked and it's fine!

 

I've also had some sensory issues, including a strong dislike of subtle touches, smells or sounds, although one of them, a fear of sudden loud noises, was a childhood thing I grew out of.

 

Aspergers or not, I certainly feel like I spend a lot of time carrying off an act rather than being myself, and having to think hard before I say or do anything in front of other people. I think I mostly manage it, but it's exhausting and stressful. I've also found it difficult to make or maintain friendships.

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Welcome, Verbeia! With all those classic traits it sounds very much as if you have Asperger's. Like you, I'm late discovering it in myself, and was doubtful at first, but the more I read and more people I got to know with AS, the more convinced I became. I'm now 100% sure and I'm due for a test very soon. My symptoms are very similar to yours, but I do have a fear of loud noises and I don't mind subtle touches, smells or sounds.

By the way, seeing your name, I wondered if you lived near the River Wharfe? I do :)

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Hi verbeia, how's it going?

You sound quite similar to me, although my sensory issues don't give me much grief. I notice small sounds, smells and touches but they don't really mind them. I'm in the same boat in that I'm not 100% I do have Asperger's, although I was diagnosed with it as a child. It doesn't fit the whole picture for me though.

Take care

Laddo

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It never does fit the whole picture. That's the very nature of a syndrome. If it fits most of the picture it's good enough for me - and a grounds for a diagnosis.

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Hi Verbia, I was diagnosed with High-functioning Autism, it's more or less the same as Aspergers I'm told, it's just I did have significant delayed speech, which people with Aspergers don't have, apparently.

 

I'm still an aspie though, 'cause I'm certainly making up for my talking now :)

 

With what you've wrote I'd say you do have Aspergers, I'm not good at all on giving advice on it, and this is my first post trying to. I have sensory issues to touch and fail on socialising altogether. But definitely go for diagnosis. And Mihaela and Laddo I'm convinced you have it, I didn't know you haven't already been diagnosed.

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Thanks for the welcome, all.

 

Yes, Mihaela, I do live close to the Wharfe, hence choosing this name! :)

 

I'm not sure if I'll ask for a professional assessment. I'm terrible with doctors for one thing, and not completely sure if I do have Aspergers. I wouldn't want to sway someone towards making this diagnosis if it's not correct, and I don't want to start seeing myself in a whole new light only to find out later it's wrong. I probably tick boxes for a few mental health issues, and tbh I doubt I'd get an Aspergers diagnosis. The sensory issues I mentioned aren't so bad I have to put my hands over my ears, although certain noises and smells do irritate and stress me. The social interaction thing might just be part of longstanding social anxiety too,

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Just remember, verbeia, that nobody on here is qualified to provide you with a definite diagnosis, especially based on just a few sentences and never having met you. Good luck if you do decide to see a professional for the dx, and good luck also if you don't.

 

~ Mel ~

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Yes, I was too quick to say that I think you do have it

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sorry i'm a bit late chipping in verbeia,

 

everything you say makes sense to me,

 

but I am not sure I can say if you are Asperger's/ autistic or not,

 

but everything you say has happened to you has happened to me :-)

 

I used to hate those crowded situations also.

 

back when I was younger I used to have to work in the city,

 

and it was horrible. everywhere crowded. I couldn't hear a word anyone was saying. etc.

 

but that just means you aren't good at smiling and pretending you can hear when you can't?

 

..and maybe being in crowded situations, just might simply mean you don't like being in crowded situation???

 

who does? not liking that don't mean you are autistic?

 

everything you say could have normal explanations.

 

I'm in the same boat as you, constantly questioning myself, and wondering if i'm normal or aspie?

 

i'll give you an example...

 

tonight my step son called me up, and told me the people in the assisted place he lives in, were ordering him to keep his flat cleaner,

 

so he was questioning whether he was aspie for not? cause he don't care about keeping stuff clean?

 

my response was that single bachelors don't give a toss about keeping things clean? to me my response was normal.

 

can you see my point?

 

all the best.

Edited by dotmarsdotcom

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