asperger's vs. weirdness. help?

[paper_airliner]

i get the feeling most people, including psychologists, can't draw a firm line between people with asperger's and people who are just unsocial, strange, have unusual interests and talents, etc

Comments

[tigerpetals]

The imaginary play thing is me as well. I don't use toys though, I use fictional characters, a few real people, and me, and then I distort those people almost beyond recognition except for the basic character traits. I've been worried about that, because I enjoy it, but I'm not sure if it's healthy or not, and I don't want to be unhealthy.

[pklemica]

There are many diagnoses less serious than addiction or depression with treatment: erectile dysfunction; restless leg syndrome; there are even certain medical approaches to alleviate shortness

[old_cutter_john]

You sound like an Aspie to me, but it's up to you what you call yourself. Most of us in this community reject the medical model: Autism is not a disease and it's no more appropriate to advocate a cure for autism than it is to advocate a cure for blackness. What I'd recommend is that you settle in for a while and see how you like it here - see whether the issues and experiences that we discuss are meaningful to you and whether you get anything out of being here.

Welcome!

[zebi]

I completely agree with what John is saying here. When my mother mentioned the possibility of Asperger's to me a couple of years ago, I wasn't sure what to think; the idea of something being "wrong" with me was not an easy thing to hear. I found this community immensely helpful - reading other people's stories helped me to see the autistic traits within myself. It also helped to explain what things in my life had gone the way they had. By the time I was formally diagnosed at the age of 34, I was at a place where I was comfortable with the possibility, and thus able to accept my diagnosis (of PDD-NOS).

[paper_airliner]

i absolutely believe autism is and always has been a real medical condition. i used to babysit a family friend's son who is autistic. he doesn't talk or show emotion unless you present him with anything with thomas the train's face on it. it's quite fascinating, and very difficult for the parents.
asperger's, to me, (and sorry if i offend anyone with this) is a second-grade autism for people who feel they display autistic traits or abnormal behavior/mood trends. i feel most people who self diagnose want to put a name to their oddities, as a sense of relief and comfort, which is completely fine. i get annoyed when people parade around thinking "look at me, i've got asperger's - i'm special".

if i do have asperger's, what does that really mean? what now? i guess that's my bigger question. what if i feel like there's nothing about myself i can or should fix?

[zebi]

For what it's worth, I fully believe that any diagnosis on the autism spectrum is a legitimate medical condition. Most people believe that you are born with it; for a lack of a better term, it's the way that your brain is "wired" and thus, it cannot be cured. However, it is useful to be aware of the challenges that your autism brings. In my case, I have moderate levels of anxiety (generalized anxiety disorder) and depression. I'm not on medication for those problems, but I have tried other approaches to help treat them (counselling, proper diet, exercise, etc

[spikeyannie]

We have some similiar characteristics between us and I must admit, I've had the same thoughts about it recently too-asperger's or just weird? :-P I've also noticed that as introverted as I can be, I do have an extrovert side which generally comes out when I'm either drunk, high, really comfortable, really UNcomfortable, exhausted, or hopped up on caffeine. It's part of why many of my friends have suspected that I'm bipolar, since it seems to be the "extreme" side of my personality, for better (happy, social) or worse (miserable, angry). Who the hell knows. I hate the ambiguity of all the psychological disorders. I actually wish it were more clear-cut.

[paper_airliner]

oh oh! i know exactly what you mean! i don't really have any female friends, all my friends are guys. my two best friends, dan and larsen, both think i might be bi-polar, because i guess i exhibit, as you say, extremes in my personality. usually about 70% of the time i'm just really quiet and kind of off in my own head. but when we drink or smoke or whathaveyou, i get really talkative. they've even brought it up with my dad, who is, for lack of better description, an ex punk musician/junkie turned new age hippie. he tells me that i'm just an artist and nothing is wrong with me : \ thanks, dad.

[simoriah]

There's more to AS than being strange and anti-social --> THIS!

Please also understand that some people try to act as "unstrange as possible", at least in public. Obviously when I was a kid, it was different; but I did not know any better. Now, I pretty much "get" what is weird to do in certain situations, unless I am in a new situation, in which then I am ultra-quiet until I get a feel for the group.

I also used to be the opposite of anti-social; I used to speak my mind, all the time, anytime. Gradually I figured out this is bad in certain places, and could even get me killed, so I chilled out on that.

Also, keep in mind that everyone's personal life histories affect them differently; I by nature cannot deal with "angry" people; I blame this less on AS than I do with growing up with a disfunctional family, with a bunch of angry people.

My point: AS is just as individual as the person.

[mouse_vicious]

'Please also understand that some people try to act as "unstrange as possible", at least in public.'

Yeah, this is where I feel misunderstood. I even believed that I was just a pretentious show off myself but I'm not a child or teenager anymore and I still can't stop being weird..

However some people are unintentionally weird without having aspergers so how can we know aspergers is a sufficient label for us?

[simoriah]

I think the difference is in the intent. While NT's almost "try" to be weird, for AS it is a natural by-product of our way of thinking. Even as you get older and realize that "X" is considered weird to the rest of the world, it is normal to you, and there are days when you feel comfortable doing it. At least, this is the way it seems with me

[mouse_vicious]

I have issues distinguishing between acceptable and unnacceptable honesty too. So if I'm not trying to be weird I am for sure an aspie?