Is Aspergers Real?

[Jetra]

Sorry for the rant here.

I want your guys opinions: Do you think that Asperger's Syndrome is a factual disorder or could it just be a mix of other disorders already documented?

Here's what I think, the symptoms of Aperger's seem seem similar to several different disorders. The only thing that separates it from the rest is that your choice of friends are too old or young.

Symptoms and Relevant Disorders
--------------------------------
- Late social development (Social Anxiety)
- Prefer to being alone (Social Anxiety)
- Higher level of words and intelligence (Savant)
- Inability to read faces (Autism)
- Obsession of one or two topics (Addiction)
- Stubborn and rigid, only accepting their own thoughts (Unique)
- Quick to anger and misbehaving (Tourettes Syndrome)
- Impolite comments (Tourettes Syndrome)
- Everything needs to be in "order' (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)
- Avoid Eye Contact (Social Anxiety)


Once again, sorry for the rant, but I was diagnosed with Asperger's, but I didn't/don't have the above Symptoms (Except for the OCD).

 

[planemo]

What are the diagnostic criteria of Asperger's Disorder?

I'm not sure if I have it or not, it's a possibility that I have non verbal learning disorder, but I find it strange that you don't fit so many criteria and yet was diagnosed.

Did you go for a cognitive assessment? And the time in your life you were diagnosed could be a factor too...

 

[Jetra]

I think it was. My family took me to a school and there was a room full of toys.

When I started school, all the teachers kept me in the classroom while everyone else played outside. I hated that! I was dying for friends, but they thought I'd rather be alone. My mom kept me close to her, so I couldn't venture out to make friends. I did, however have some mood issues, but I don't think that was the main cause.

Apparently, though, I was a slow learner or something, I don't really know. So, they assumed I was Autistic, so...

Anyhow, here's why I think I have OCD:

- When I was younger, I was disgusted when we had to de-gunk the pumpkin
- My locker was always neat
- Everything I know is organized
- I prefer a clean environment
- I count as I walk up or down stairs
- Sometimes I flip out
- I CAN NOT be alone with my thoughts, I need to do things
- I shower daily, sometimes twice
- I don't like odd numbers
- I'd prefer symmetry

So, what do you think?

 

[Felgen]

Sorry for the rant here.

I want your guys opinions: Do you think that Asperger's Syndrome is a factual disorder or could it just be a mix of other disorders already documented?

Here's what I think, the symptoms of Aperger's seem seem similar to several different disorders. The only thing that separates it from the rest is that your choice of friends are too old or young.

Symptoms and Relevant Disorders
--------------------------------
- Late social development (Social Anxiety)
- Prefer to being alone (Social Anxiety)
- Higher level of words and intelligence (Savant)
- Inability to read faces (Autism)
- Obsession of one or two topics (Addiction)
- Stubborn and rigid, only accepting their own thoughts (Unique)
- Quick to anger and misbehaving (Tourettes Syndrome)
- Impolite comments (Tourettes Syndrome)
- Everything needs to be in "order' (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)
- Avoid Eye Contact (Social Anxiety)


Once again, sorry for the rant, but I was diagnosed with Asperger's, but I didn't/don't have the above Symptoms (Except for the OCD).

Asperger's syndrome is indeed a real disorder. There are certain overlaps with other disorders (most notably ADHD), but that accounts for several neurological disorders (eg. Tourette's syndrome) as well.

I can be rude sometimes (inappropriate swearing, appearing not to listen when spoken to and so on), but that's because I lack social intuition, not because I have coprolalia (affecting roughly 15% of everyone with TS).

People with Asperger's can be friends with people in their own age group, but we have to learn social skills intelectually rather than intuitively.

 

[Jetra]

I've always had good social skills. My teachers kept me away from the other kids though. I have no idea why, I always wanted to play with the other kids. ::

 

[planemo]

I've always had good social skills. My teachers kept me away from the other kids though. I have no idea why, I always wanted to play with the other kids. ::

Sorry to hear that. It seems that you were diagnosed pretty early on in life. I'm not sure how old you are now, but there are many comorbid features with AS, so the fact that you have another disorder doesn't mean that your original diagnosis of AS is wrong. But if you have doubts about your diagnosis you should possibly get a second opinion, by another professional.

 

[Jetra]

Sorry to hear that. It seems that you were diagnosed pretty early on in life. I'm not sure how old you are now, but there are many comorbid features with AS, so the fact that you have another disorder doesn't mean that your original diagnosis of AS is wrong. But if you have doubts about your diagnosis you should possibly get a second opinion, by another professional.

I have no idea what comorbid means, but I don't think that the AS diagnosis was correct in the first place. I'm going to try to get a diagnosis. Couple of problems:

1) I tell my dad, he doesn't think I have anything wrong
2) I tell my aunt and she tells me it's Asperger's because the first diagnosis was apparently correct. She has this weird thing about winning arguments, she doesn't think that there may be errors. In her eyes, everything she says and does is apparently correct and written in stone.

 

[planemo]

I have no idea what comorbid means, but I don't think that the AS diagnosis was correct in the first place. I'm going to try to get a diagnosis. Couple of problems:

1) I tell my dad, he doesn't think I have anything wrong
2) I tell my aunt and she tells me it's Asperger's because the first diagnosis was apparently correct. She has this weird thing about winning arguments, she doesn't think that there may be errors. In her eyes, everything she says and does is apparently correct and written in stone.

Life with Aspergers: What are Comorbid Conditions and how do they fit into Aspergers.

If I were you I would go for another assessment. Only a professional can give you a real answer as to whether your diagnoses was incorrect. My family are the same. They think they know "what's wrong" even more than I do. Which is impossible as I am the one with a problem.

 

[Jetra]

Life with Aspergers: What are Comorbid Conditions and how do they fit into Aspergers.

If I were you I would go for another assessment. Only a professional can give you a real answer as to whether your diagnoses was incorrect. My family are the same. They think they know "what's wrong" even more than I do. Which is impossible as I am the one with a problem.

Yeah, it's our bodies and I think we would know what's wrong with them.

Anyway, I'm going to force my aunt to take me when she gets back. I am starting to get worried that I may be worse than I think. Hence, the bleeding hands.

 

[fitftw]

Symptoms and Relevant Disorders
--------------------------------
- Late social development (Social Anxiety)
- Prefer to being alone (Social Anxiety)
- Higher level of words and intelligence (Savant)
- Inability to read faces (Autism)
- Obsession of one or two topics (Addiction)
- Stubborn and rigid, only accepting their own thoughts (Unique)
- Quick to anger and misbehaving (Tourettes Syndrome)
- Impolite comments (Tourettes Syndrome)
- Everything needs to be in "order' (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)
- Avoid Eye Contact (Social Anxiety)

I never developed socially. I love being in my room alone. I don't use big words much. I don't read faces. I am obsessed with my car. I am super-stubborn and closed-minded. I get angry quick when driving because I think I'm a better driver than everyone else. I can be impolite, but so can everybody. I am OCD about how my day should go. I don't make eye contact.

I guess I have Aspergers.

 

[LookingForward]

Anyhow, here's why I think I have OCD:

- When I was younger, I was disgusted when we had to de-gunk the pumpkin
- My locker was always neat
- Everything I know is organized
- I prefer a clean environment
- I count as I walk up or down stairs
- Sometimes I flip out
- I CAN NOT be alone with my thoughts, I need to do things
- I shower daily, sometimes twice
- I don't like odd numbers
- I'd prefer symmetry

So, what do you think?

Personally, I don't see most of these things as symtoms of anything... they seem pretty normal to me.
like:
de-gunking a pumpkin - perfectly normal reaction...
locker is neat, things organised - completely normal too, just like a tidy person.
Shower daily - Doesn't everyone...
prefer symmetry - absolutely normal, the human mind loves symmetry.

 

[fitftw]

a person who 'needs' to do things and literally cannot be alone with their own thoughts all day, probably doesn't have asperger's or 99.9% of social disorders. Sounds like Jetra just has OCD maybe.

 

[Felgen]

a person who 'needs' to do things and literally cannot be alone with their own thoughts all day, probably doesn't have asperger's or 99.9% of social disorders. Sounds like Jetra just has OCD maybe.

I can't be alone with my own thoughs day in and day out; that would drive me insane. Still, I'm formaly diagnosed with the disorder and meet both the ICD-10, DSM-IV and Gillberg criterias.

 

[fitftw]

^ really? Then wtf am I? If I didn't have to go to school or anything, I'd be content in my room all day every day. The internet is as social as I like to get.

 

[Felgen]

^ really? Then wtf am I? If I didn't have to go to school or anything, I'd be content in my room all day every day. The internet is as social as I like to get.

Asperger's isn't about whether you want to socialize or not, but primarily about how well you can socialize (Craig Nicholls and Courtney Love are for example very social). Apart from that, it also includes narrow interests, sensory issues, problems with multitasking and so on.

 

[Jetra]

Asperger's isn't about whether you want to socialize or not, but primarily about how well you can socialize (Craig Nicholls and Courtney Love are for example very social). Apart from that, it also includes narrow interests, sensory issues, problems with multitasking and so on.

Which is precisely why I never had Aspergers. I liked video games, then dinosaurs, then science. It's just that my interest takes me in deep.

Anyway, I don't want to be alone. Being alone is bad, that's why I hang with the waitress at this local cafe. I'm hoping to hang out with her, but I be a spineless jellyfish, yeargh!

 

[CosmicNeurotica]

I don't know if it's real, or really if any "disorder" is actually "real", because most people in the world think "differently", which means they have a "disorder". And if you think the same as everyone else, that's got to be a disorder too.

I've always thought of myself as normal. The fact that I can't socialize and make friends, live in the world makes you different. Not me.

 

[Jetra]

I don't know if it's real, or really if any "disorder" is actually "real", because most people in the world think "differently", which means they have a "disorder". And if you think the same as everyone else, that's got to be a disorder too.

I've always thought of myself as normal. The fact that I can't socialize and make friends, live in the world makes you different. Not me.

And this is precisely why we need a revamp in the system. Is it even bad to have Aspergers? I don't think so, but people treat those with AS as stupid instead of intelligent.

Sidenote: Sorry about Necro-ing.