Aspies For Freedom

For those of you here who diagnosed yourselves: I cant help but wonder how many of you were sent to mental health professionals as children for being different; or even being seen by adults as problematic? While each Aspie is different and there are varying degrees of it[but no 'metric' for severity AFAIK]; I believe that the mushrooming awareness about Asperger Syndrome in the past 7-8 years alone has led to a lot of faulty self-diagnoses.Since AS is a developmental disorder, I tend to suspect that those who have AS to a substantial degree would have been noticed by their parents and teachers and referred to a professional-probably to be diagnosed with at least something.

My teachers commented alot on my preference to work alone, I was often at the Doctors with stomach pains. Stress was my label for a long time. In 1990 UK a child with stress was something to be kept quiet. I suffered stress all my 20's and havent built normal relationships. Doctor diagnosed AS in Dec 2006. I didn't diagnose myself, so mybe I shouldn't be replying to this. My AS diagnosis is all about unexplained stress and anxiety pre/post social interaction and occasionally during it.

My mother really noticed abnormalities in my behaviour when I was between age 2 and 3, in particular my misuse of pronouns. I think what really struck her were my stereotype behaviours at the age of 3 and the fact that I didnt intermingle with other kids at montessori school. For years I was seeing a quack shrink by the name of Dr. Rechiere who diagnosed me with Atypical Pervasive Developmental Disorder. I was later given a diagnosis of ADD(for me its ADHD in fact)at age 10 which was correct but was NOT by any means the whole picture. It wasnt until I was 11 and experienced severe depression coupled with outright paranoia that a year later-in fact 16 years ago to be exact-I was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome by a very outstanding shrink-Dr. Unis-which nobody including my parents and otherpsychologists really knew anything about at the time[this was 1991].

Ziyaret, I don't know the answer. My understanding is that everyone in some way, is aspergic. The degree of the spectrum varies considerably. I was never considered for mental health issues when I was young. I was, as now, just seen as someone who suffered stress in dealing with normal situations. I agree it is quite easy to read about certain mental illnesses and then develop the symptoms. I was told I had AS, what does it really mean?

Well Michael1, I certainly dont believe that everyone is aspergian in some way; however-there certainly is a spectrum but there is no metric that I know of for how severe someones asperger syndrome is. But from what you tell me it sounds like you have it less severely than I do. I certainly could be wrong, since I havent met you our observed you in any way. But for me I guess I would say that I do in fact have a rather substantial case of it-and thats probably why I was considered for mental health issues as a child. Ironically enough, my mother had worked in a mental hospital aproximately 10 years before she first took me to see a psychiatrist at the age of 3. It must have sensitized her to abnormal behaviour in children.

I was sent to a counselor for stubbornness and a bad temper. When he finally weaseled the story of my first stepdad's abuse out of me, he figured the therapy was done.

I'm officially diagnosed Aspie now, thirteen years later. In the guy's defense, AS wasn't an official diagnosis back then.

I was considered too serious, too bright, and manipulative.

I can't and couldn't manipulate my way out of a paper bag.

I knew I was different, the school knew I was different, my parents knew I was different.  I wasn't interested in what the other kids were interested in, I read at college level in second grade, I couldn't relate to kids my own age, and preferred books to relating to people (although when I did relate, it was with adults or kids much younger), I was shocked at what other people thought when they expressed themselves, and I had no concept of how my actions affected other people, or why anyone would care.  I was naive, and had no concept of self-hygiene.  

As an adult, I got treatment for the depression, and had therapy, because there was something not quite jiving.  Then I was dx as someone with a sub-set of BPD.  The worst dx in the world to have--way worse than just depression or anything else.

I got a letter from the school district I attended when I was in my mid-thirties, after my mother had died, or rather my parents got the letter.  It stated my parents might be interested in my school file, and was letting them know when to pick it up, as the old files were being destroyed since they were taking up needed space.

I picked up the file, and was shocked at what I found.  The school had determined there had something wrong with me, but because my parents wouldn't follow up with a psychiatrist, they were limited to keeping notes on my progress.  The school had wanted to skip me grades, and my mother had refused.  I had both behavioral and social problems, enough that the school officials felt it important to note in case I needed to show when my problems started when I went on disability!  I had no idea this was going on.

And now, I have a therapist who is working with me who is operating on the assumption I have AS (he can't officially dx it, but at my age, an official dx won't help much).  He finally figured it out when I was talking about synesthesia and sounds, and he started asking pointed questions.  He nearly jumped out of his chair.

I'm frustrated by the AS, but I am glad I really am not crazy.  I can accept myself, and move on, and find real ways to adapt, and not beat myself up when I "don't get it."  

Metta, Jaye.

Mine are doing that, too (I'm a teen).  But when I suggest or even beg that they do just that, they won't do it.  The reason I'm not diagnosed with anything isn't that I'm not different- it's that my Mom has this messed up idea that absolutely ALL shrinks are either useless, abusive, quacks, stupid, drughappy, or otherwise incapable of acurately diagnosing anyone.
My plan is to take MYSELF to see a psychologist pretty much on my 18th birthday.  Whether or not it's AS, it'll be a relief to at least have someone verify that I am different.

I am not especially interested in medical matters so I always assumed I was just prone to headaches and stomach pains and that this was associated with the stress I felt pre/ during/ post social situations, be it at work or in my private life. I understand the 'mechanics' of anxiety and panic. If you google stress, anxiety, depression, you don't come accross Aspergers in my experience. Being told I had Aspergers in Dec 2006 prompted me to look up the symptoms and find this site. I didn't know aspergers existed pre- Nov 2006. Using the information I have gained in the last few weeks I can track back many situations that didn't make alot of scense at the time but now AS explains them. I don't think that beyond self-awareness and understanding and employment concerns that an AS diagnosis is really relevant to people my age. As my GP said, when you are 17-18 these issues matter, but once you get to my age it's more an issue of personal understanding.

I don't think social anxiety on its own would cause a paranoid breakdown. There had to be other factors, possibly biochemical, that would have led to it. Unfortunately, there is still much ignorance about Asperger's syndrome and related conditions.

FYI that is atypical autism and at the time it was probably the closest match to what is now AS in the DSM. Why does that make him a quack?

That shrink should have whatever license he or she may have removed...

Um it releases endorphines which *do* make people feel good, why d'you think self-harming is so addictive?

Ah yes now I understand, I am almost shocked that a specialist would call that self-harm and treat it the same as cutting etc.

I was kind of lucky in a way because my Mum had and still has a lot of traits herself (especially egocentricity, interrupting, lack of social understanding etc.), so not only did she not find this all that abnormal, but her interrupting me etc. was something that prompted me into working on this problem in myself.