Anyone here have Asperger's as well?
- Thread starter OCDavid
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blue-roses
Well-known member
Just my two cents' worth...I sometimes worry that I have it too, but while there are similarities between SA and AS, there are also subtle differences that observers might not pick up on. I've noticed a lot of us on the forum either have OCD or just have our little obsessions and phases we go through; in my case this comes in part from just not having much of a social life and just trying to fill the void with something. A lot of us also call ourselves "social retards" and that might just come from being out of practice rather than really not understanding cues such as prosody and body language. I sometimes think I have problems "reading" facial expressions, but really, it's probably just my "negative filter" making me anxious, not that I genuinely can't decipher what a raised eyebrow or an unfortunately-timed blink might mean.
Of course, I have read that a lot of people with AS often feel socially anxious, so it always helps to investigate, I suppose! There is hope for people with Asperger's; I'm studying speech pathology, as some of you might know, and there are some good social skills training techniques out there for improving communication, even subtle things that you might not think make a huge difference, like eye contact. Anyway, now I'm starting to sound like one of those spammers rather than a fellow SAer, so I'll stop!
Of course, I have read that a lot of people with AS often feel socially anxious, so it always helps to investigate, I suppose! There is hope for people with Asperger's; I'm studying speech pathology, as some of you might know, and there are some good social skills training techniques out there for improving communication, even subtle things that you might not think make a huge difference, like eye contact. Anyway, now I'm starting to sound like one of those spammers rather than a fellow SAer, so I'll stop!
Lorraine Manca
Well-known member
been accused, but not diagnosed. a key component of this syndrome is a lack of empathy. i think that is the main thing that distinguishes it from sa.
had the symptoms of avoiding eye contact, delayed speech, strange use of language, talkin too much on a few interests, and not at all on others, and wore clothes inside out, weird about textures
i dont think i have it
had the symptoms of avoiding eye contact, delayed speech, strange use of language, talkin too much on a few interests, and not at all on others, and wore clothes inside out, weird about textures
i dont think i have it
blue-roses
Well-known member
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that one.
I used to talk to a guy from my school on MSN and I told him about my SA and then he thought he had it as well and described it to me...after a couple of minutes I could tell (yeah, I know, I'm not a psychologist, but still...) he was a textbook case: He said he got annoyed when people got upset watching the news and just couldn't force himself to feel sorry for unfortunate people, even friends; he's online probably 18 hours a day looking up bizarre animals and talking about them even when no-one's interested; he told me out of nowhere about his first experience masturbating (er..thanks..) and got annoyed when I politely told him I didn't need to know; when I was trying to reassure myself about a difficult exam at uni by saying I'd done okay on the last one, he said "yeah, but that's cos that one was easy" (THANKS!) and when I used to sit opposite him at school he would just STARE at me for hours and hours on end.So basically...another key difference is whether you understand conversational maxims etc. (such as elaborating on answers instead of just saying yes/no, keeping what you say relevant to the topic, and just being "polite"). Even if SAers don't always uphold those maxims - BECAUSE of their anxiety - they still feel anxious about not having done it, whereas an "Aspie" just wouldn't realise that it wasn't acceptable.
Oh, I also had delayed speech...kind of. I spoke one word at the normal age, then a few months later said another word, then no-one heard a peep out of me until I was about two, when I started speaking in full sentences! Proves I've always had SA
- I do the same thing with German now; I'm pretty much fluent now, but I never spoke a word of it to my dad or any other German person until I was sure I wasn't going to make mistakes, haha.
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cosmosis
Well-known member
I'm not so sure lack of empathy is such a big characteristic. I think its more of an outside perspective. The disconnection, the isolation, causes people to not have 'normal' responses to other people. It seems to come about different. A blanket statement like "lacks empathy" is not fair at all. Several members of my family have aspergers to some degree too. The emotional repsonse is different - but certainly not lacking. Sometimes when something happens to someone, I feel nothing, other times I feel so much empathy that its almost unbelievable. It just comes about different because of the disconnection.
I think many people with SA have undiagnosed aspergers. Even on this board. I think the difference (if there is one) is that people with aspergers tend to naturally be more overwhelmed with social interaction (too much stimuli and confusion), have difficulty with understanding small talk and non-verbal communication and naturally have less of a desire for companionship (regardless of fear). SA people who don't have any type of aspergers tend to desire alot of compionship but are just too scared or anxious.
I think many people with SA have undiagnosed aspergers. Even on this board. I think the difference (if there is one) is that people with aspergers tend to naturally be more overwhelmed with social interaction (too much stimuli and confusion), have difficulty with understanding small talk and non-verbal communication and naturally have less of a desire for companionship (regardless of fear). SA people who don't have any type of aspergers tend to desire alot of compionship but are just too scared or anxious.
Jake123
Banned
Let's see, I've been diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder, Psychotic Depression, Schizoaffective Disorder, Schizoprenia, Schizotypal personality disorder, Manic Depression (Bipolar I) with psychotic affect, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Anorexia nervosa, Social Anxiety Disorder... Haven't been suspected of Aspergers before though.