what I was wondering was would this qualify as being ambidextrous ?


I remember my Mother telling me that I was because she was one but I never got around to developing the skills that was natural for my right hand. And I can't trust her again after she lied about my father... :/

Before you say anything I should add that at one point I could barely write anything with my left hand. Now, if I take it slowly, I can write and draw nearly as good as my right hand.

It took some time to find a comfortable position to do anything with my left hand
(writing drawing) but I'm pretty sure with a lot of practice and some time I can train my left hand to be just as good as my right hand.

So does this mean I'm ambidextrous or could it be something else entirely ?

To be honest, I think I draw a little better with my left than my right and I want to look into getting a guitar for a lefty since I did play one pretty decent...  

I know I posted on here before about me being ambidextrous, but truth is, I'm not entirely sure.

Plus I want to make sure it's that and not something else.... :/

I think if you're ambidextrous then you don't need to make an effort, or not much effort, to work with either hand.  It's something that comes naturally and without thinking.

It might have been lost as you grew up.  I was ambidextrous as a kid.  It drove my kindergarten teacher crazy because she had to write down which hand I favored, and I said, and demonstrated, that I could use either.  She told me to use my right hand, so I did.  I can't write with my left hand as well anymore, but like you said if I had to I'd need a little practice and it wouldn't be awful.  

I don't think it really matters, though!  Just one of those random things.

I was kind of hoping I was because I think I might have or developing Carpal tunnel syndrome due the fact that I'm causing self injury with misuse of this mouse. :/ I've had the numbness and tinkling plus the sudden loss of strength in my right hand...

I think your right AspieMomma, it could be lost during my childhood...

If you think you're developing RSI or Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, then you need to do something about how you use the mouse, find a replacement, take breaks and so on.

But if your experiencing these symptoms isn't it a little too late ? Unless taking action now would prevent it from worsening over time... :/

My uncle was a lefty. But at school they forced him to write and draw right handed. He wrote with his right hand for his whole life, although he wasn't really ambidextrous.

No, it's not too late.  See these symptoms as a warning sign, and take action now before you are disabled by them.  You should see your doctor.

I'm pretty sure I'm naturally left-handed, but as I was taught to write before I started school, my parents just assumed I'd be right handed. As a result, I have very messy writing! I can't write fluently with my left hand, but I'd put that down to a thirty-year disparity of practice. I est, drink, and phone people in a left-naded manner, which I've come to realize is the more comfortable way over the past 5 years. If i had time I think I'd develop my left-handed writing skills.

I disagree.  Have you ever seen a three year old write with either hand?

Manual dexterity, for all we take it for granted, is a practiced skill.  The more you write/draw/throw/etc... with one hand, the better you'll be at it.  If you've spent 20 years writing with one hand, it's going to take lots of effort to get the other hand as good (this even applies if you've been writing with your non-dominant hand for your life)

I agree.  Make an appointment.  In the meantime you may want to lay off the computer a bit, or use the other hand.    

Feel better!

Phil, try swapping your mouse to the other side.  It drives my husband crazy because he's a straight right-hander and is never sure which side I'll have the mouse when he wants to work on the computer.  Our daughter is a leftie.  I'm an even split, in that I can write with both hands at the same time, with my left doing a mirror image version of my right.  Although I can't write two different scripts at the same time, since I'd probably need a second brain for that.  But I'm sure you'd adjust pretty quickly to using the mouse left-hand if you persevere.  

As to carpal tunnel syndrome, I was mis-diagnosed for almost thirty years as having Repetitive Strain Injury.  It turns out that was merely a symptom of undiagnosed Hashimoto's disease, and since taking Thryoxine hormone daily, I am rarely bothered with what used to all-but cripple my arms.  So you can recover.  I doubt you've got an auto-immune disease, so just giving your major arm a rest while letting your left take over might do the trick in getting strength back.  

I hope this helps.

Alison