Aspies For Freedom

Just found out about aspergers. Chances are I have it. Can anyone help me diagnose myself and answer this question. Should I "come out" as an Aspie, or keep it secret so I don't get pumped with drugs and do treatment. Thanks anyway.

I've done some of them online tests but they seem to test social anxiety and all that. I don't really have any problems going to parties or being with people, it just annoys me after a few hours and I need to return to my own space.

I've always had obsessions, moreso when I was younger. First it was space, even attempting to understand quantum physics when I was around 10 or 11. That failed but that led me to my next obsession Star Wars. had that obsesson for around 6 months. Then it was Lord of the Rings, I even embarassingly learned a bit of Elvish. After that it was conspiracy theories, after that ancient mythology and finnally psychology which led me to Asperger's.

I don't really have much obsessions now, and when I do they only last a few months. I think they've become less common since I started smoking cannabis about a year ago, which is a hobby in itself.

I produce music, and that's seen as a sign of Asperger's.

I've always been the black sheep of the family, always told i wasn't "street-wise".

Just being around "normal" people depresses me. They're like animals, they just don't think about their actions, it's like babysitting hyperactive children.

Well there's some more info. I'd like to know how I can get a proper diagnosis in the UK, and also, do you get any extra benefits of the dole for having the syndrome?

You seem to have a life which is similar to some aspie's life. You are not likely to get drugged by people if you tell that you have AS, at least not of sane people, but you might meet discrimination from just about anywhere.

You probarbly now that you could have diffirent degrees of autistic characteristics which is typical for AS, something you experience if you have "more" autism is that you are alot more sensetive to people who touch you.

The rdos test seems to be pretty thorough. Taking that may give you some bearings.

http://www.rdos.net/eng/Aspie-quiz.php

Play it safe and keep it secret. You won't get any official help, but in my view, I don't give a damn.

Everybody seems to think that 'Am I an Aspie?" is a tough question. Actually it's easy. If you match most of the traits, you are. You don't need to double-check and ask people.

i alwasy notice other aspies walking about at school. i notice them because they almost always hang out alone, they talk funny, they stim, they look inteligent, ect. I dobn't always try to talk to them, though. Especially if they are not in my class and don't look my grade level.

If you want an official diagnosis take the issue up with you GP. Ask for a refferal for an AS diagnosis. It can be a very slow process depending on where you live. Mine took 3 and a half months from seeing a GP to getting my diagnosis, which I believe is quite fast.

If you get any benifits for it from the dole, nobody has told me about them.

By the way could someone answere his question of whether he should come out as an aspie because I have the same question, my family would not take it seriously so for now I'm keeping to myself about it.

You don't have to worry about drugs and treatment unless you're actually incapable of taking care of yourself... If you aren't a danger to yourself or anyone else, they can't force you to take any sort of drug or go to therapy or anything. There's a whole legal procedure involved if they want to make you do any of those things, and that only happens to people with really bad problems--active schizophrenia, or a suicide attempt, or at least being unable to take care of their basic self-care things like showers and meals.

So there's no worry about having to involuntarily do anything if you get yourself checked for Asperger Syndrome. AS is common and about as debilitating as severe ADHD--that is, when you have learned the proper skills, there's nothing it keeps you from doing (with the possible exception of being a garbage man or socialite, both of which are equally repugnant anyhow). For that matter, AS probably gives you strengths you wouldn't have without it... me, I have very original problem-solving skills; and those are classic Aspie.

Whether you want to get an official diagnosis is really up to you, though. If you just want to know, for your own sake, whether or not AS describes your own quirks, then go for it. But if it doesn't matter to you, then you don't have to see anybody about it... Even if you don't have an official diagnosis, you can still teach yourself how to do what you're not good at because of AS--probably social skills, stress tolerance, and sensory-overload trouble. After all, Aspies aren't stupid (by definition!).

If you need outside help, then you might have to get a diagnosis, whether you want one or not. This is a consideration especially if you have some sort of comorbid condition like depression (common enough when the whole world has no clue who you are, and thus doesn't like you!). Or else you might want to take advantage of services given to people with disabilities, such as social security, job training, admission to the disability assistance department of a college, or something of that sort. Those things, you need a diagnosis for, too. (I'm taking advantage of my own diagnosis to take classes by correspondence from a local college, rather than going in to class. It means more work, but a heck of a lot less stress. Not all colleges will be this accomodating, of course.)

Anyway, diagnosis: Your choice. Weigh the pros and cons; then make your decision.

Well my social skills are OK, I can make and keep friends quite easily. I just don't want to, and I'd like to get a diagnosis so I can tell my friends the reason why I only ever go out once or twice a month with them for drinks.

I go to parties and am pretty much the life of it up untill it gets to 3 am when I've undoubtetly pissed someone off without realising and am one minute away from an ass kicking. At least if I get a diagnosis they can understand why I just seem to rub people off the wrong way.

The good thing about only going out every so often is that you can have your own time, but make time for friends. And when I do go out with friends everyone knows it's going to be some night. But, how do I translate this over to a relationship with a girl? I can't just meet her every so often and I don't think I can stand anyone being with me most of the time. I wish I just had some girl friends who'd just help me out every so often with a blowjob without all the relationship bollox.

I am almost *exactly* the way you are.

I was interested in science but since I sucked at Math and also had abstract thinking problems, I got rid of that and just got interested in pop culture stuff like Star Wars and became obsessive with that stuff, for a while.

Then I got into drugs a little bit and that hobby seems to have decreased all my other obsessions!

It appears the Aspies who aren't good at math are more interested in art, pop culture, literature and so on.  I must be one of these.

I also feel *awful* around a lot of normal people.  They really don't analyze or think about the things they do.  They just do it.

Hey, why don't you look at my thread (Immaturity or AS) and read that, as well as my replies?

Lemme know what you think!  In that thread, I mean.

I don't know why you don't see me as certifiable Aspie.

I also tried college and while the intellectual side of it wasn't *that* impossible (although it still really sucked because I was slow, so slow with everything), the social part and letting people know who I am was *impossible.*

So, due to overstimulation and anxiety, I had to quit.  There wasn't an option.  I couldn't learn coping skills fast enough.

If you folks would be so kind to "let me in," your inner circle here, maybe I can understand myself a little better.

If not, then once again, I won't "fit" anywhere.  I've never fit in anywhere.

Remember that quote by Einstein about not belonging to his country or to his people, or whatever?

That describes me.  I don't fit anywhere, and I feel odd around normal people.

Batman 55, I wouldn't exclude you.

I've got to have acceptance somewhere.  I haven't found it in the real world.

Question:  are you aware if there a lot of folks who have many (or most) of the Aspie traits, but for some reason, it doesn't impair social functioning for them?

Sometimes, on other forums, I read about people (some of them very "scientific, skeptical" types) who are doing very well, married, and so on.  But, they don't have a ton of friends.  And at the same time they are brilliant within their line of work.

Is that the "really borderline type" of Aspie?  Could that be an example of someone who has the AS gene, but only a few parts of it express itself in the individual?

I don't know much about the genetic science behind AS, but this would be a theory of mine, for now.

Any thoughts?

Yes, I agree.