Aspergers?

Aspergers

Socially awkward; Difficulty knowing when I should talk; I can’t interrupt so will stand by the person I want to talk to until they notice me; Am often misunderstood; Can’t play string games like Cats Cradle;
Physically clumsy; Get lost all the time; Trouble with directions left, right, north, south etc; Fixated on reading and writing especially rhyme; Become so absorbed in what I’m doing that I don’t know what is going on around me; If I get interrupted when I’m reading a book I glance at the page number before I shut it and can go right to that page to continue reading. Able to fill in periodic table from memory as a teenager; Taught myself how to read at age four; Have trouble looking people in the eye—until my father beat it out of me and said I must be lying if I couldn’t look him in the eye—I still force myself to look people in the eye for fear they will think I’m lying; It was painful when people touched me so I was called a touch-me-not by my birth family; I still don’t like to be touched but tolerate it; I used to walk straight and stiff…until I went to physical therapy with an injured ankle and learned how to walk better; I don’t like change; I absolutely will not wear make-up; I hate wearing dresses and pantyhose although I do when I have to;

[danashire]

I have a friend that did not get diagnosed until recently and he is 23 a father a soldier and a husband. but he has alot of social problems. i dont know what kind of help u seek for this disorder but im sure he would love the info. but he dont go to any treatment is that normal and he does other things his heart is in a good place but its like he is a child waiting at all times for directions and is easily taken advantage of.

[Hailstone6394]

Hello,
I am new to this medhelp, so I'm trying to get into the forums here. I was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome when I was 10 years old. I am now 20, so that was 10 years ago. MAny of the symptoms you had posted about I can relate with. I had many problems with making friends. It's not at all that I was shy, but I could not read into other's body language or pick up on empathy. I would often be told I was annoying as many of my conversations were often long winded and one sided. My intrests were very advance for a child my age. I would talk with other adults about my interests in meterology, and trains. My symptoms changed over the years, and they still affect me to this day. As I grew older in my teen years I became more of an isolated person as I did not have many friends or social interaction. My intrests began to change into more destructive ones. My obsessions switched from being weather, trains, filmaking, etc. into drugs.
I highly believe that asperger's had a major role in my current drug use/addiction. My goal ended up becoming wanting to try every drug in the world at least once to experience them all. I would research up on substances for hours and hours. Documenting and journaling on my experiences. This has been my way of life for about the past 4 years or so. These days I feel that my addiction has somewhat slowed down as I have gotten back some of my older intrests, but the obesession with the altered states of conciousness and feeling different sticks with me.
I'm sorry that was so long,  but I'm very passionate about my interests like you would expect from an aspie. I am up for talking with any of you, or anyone who has suffered with asperger's as it is nice to know someone who is in the same boat. And even if I can help someone coap with having AS as I have found my ways to deal with the problems I have faced over the years. I also do love to learn more and hear from others about their experiences. Thank you again for starting this page here, and I look forward to hearing back from any of you.

[Dixie51]

Hi.  It's nice to hear from you. I like learning things about the way people with Aspergers deal with it too. I never got involved with drugs or alcohol probably because I didn't want to be like my father and his friends.
I know I have come a long way from where I was as a child and teenager.  My symptoms have also changed as I grew older.  Some symptoms have changed because I was not safe when I exhibited them.  My father was extremely abusive and caused me to fear avoiding his eyes. I can look people in the eye now, but only because I was forced to as a child.  By the time I was an adult looking people in the eye was a habit that I am still capable of doing.

The adults around me were not safe so I did not talk to them about my interests.  Reading and learning new words was a safe activity for me to engage in, so that is what I did.  I kept an encyclopedia copy of verse for children that I had been given as a child and read it over and over even as a teenager.

It sounds like you must be able to see signs of Aspergers in my post. I would almost bet that I have Aspergers.  My speech also reflects signs of Aspergers  as I tend to speak in a flat stilted voice when I am in unfamiliar settings. When asked to tell how I felt in one word after winning a radio contest I couldn't answer because I couldn't think of only one word.  A description of how I felt would require two or three words.  Since they didn't ask me how I feel without putting a word limit on my feelings I couldn't answer them. Any how this is enough for now. I would be interested in hearing more about your experiences.   : )

[Hailstone6394]

It sounds like you have the traits of Asperger's. It seems even though some of the traits show up in everyone, it's interesting to see how we all coap and work with the particular symptoms we show. That's seems mostly the way that the asperger's shapes us individually. I can understand and somewhat relate to how you said safe. I was also abused by my father as a child. Things did get better as I grew older, and I ended up standing up to him. Only now our relationship is not very close, and I still carry great resentments against him.

Only thing is I did not grow up around much of any alcohol or substance abuse. I was very oppositional against what I heard ( most of the time from my parents and especially father though). It's like sometimes I would do the opposite of what would be socially accpetable just to stand out, and sometimes in spite of something or someone. I had my greatest problems with bullies in school. Many kids did not understand me, and this led me to believe that something about me was just majorly different. I eventually got to where I could mostly ignor them, and this caused me to spend much of my time isolated. I do have a friend or two, but no one really that close.

I was nice hearing back from you though. I'd definetly love to talk another time about anything so just let me know. I also suffer with depression and some obsessiveness symptoms of ocd, so i don't know if you can also relate. Look forward to talking again :)

[mamateama]

Hi i have been reading ur posts and i'd like to join if i can?  I am 31 and a wife/mom, and just recently learned that i have AS. The first time in my whole life i understand why i am the way i am.  I always thought that becuz  my child hood was awful and i had bad parents was the reason for my anti-social untrusting ways. along with AS i have a boat load more things wrong with. One question i have is do some aspies have to go live at a rehab place to learn how to live a normal as possible life? Becuz even though i don't want to i think i need to so i can be a better mom and wife. I am messing up right now and have been the wholetime i just didn't realize. But my son needs a mom who isn't like me. Well somethings about me are alright, like how much i love him and i try as much as i can to show and prove that to him. I never want him to feel how my mom made and still makes me feel. I love him and my husband more than anything, but my bullying can get the better of me. Sorry i wrote this i may not post again for fear that you will think i'm stupid and a bad person ineed to go sorry bye

[Hailstone6394]

I'm glad you posted. What you are talking about I'm sure many others with AS have questioned and dealt with. I know there are support groups and different counceling programs that can help people with problems such as Asperger's, but I'm not so sure about long term rehab. I did recently hear of a college that was designed for students with Asperger's and would help them learn in an environment that could also help them grow to deal more with their weak points.

From what you have said I can feel your pain and concern, but I want to let you know that you don't have to be so hard on yourself. Yes, we do deal with asperger's, but we are also only human beings. I look at myself with my shortcomings and quirks as just being who I am. But we also can improve on those things like you seem to want to do. Basically what i'm saying hear is I don't think your stupid or a bad person for posting that... in fact I think quite the opposite.

I suppose what I would suggest is to look into counceling if you haven't done so already. On another note i'd also be interested in talking with you myself. I'm wondering what you mean by your "bullying", and if you feel that has to do with your asperger's.

Ok sorry that post was difficult for me to get out exactly what I wanted to say. Good luck on getting through this, and feel free to message me if I can help you with anything.

[mdbaby79]

I have a fear of learning now. I dont know is that a symptom of AS or connected to my bad experience in uni where I had a meltdown. Im just trying to see if I am part of the people who have AS or simply depression. Its like I feel that I know it all inside and think that I dont need to open up to a teacher who actually feels comfortable emparting knowledge as a way fo life.

[Dixie51]

Hi. I'm glad you posted.  It is not unusual for people with Aspergers to have a meltdown.  And it makes sense that since you had a meltdown while at university you'd  have a fear of attending classes.  It is probably a fear of of it happening again.  If you need to take university classes there are a number of them online. Check with your university for online classes you can do at home. Then if you feel better about it later you can go back to on campus classes. It sounds like there is a possibility that Aspergers could be part of the picture but there are also a number of other disorders that could produce the same symptoms, like perhaps bipolar.  It sounds like you could also use some therapy.
Good luck, I'll be thinking of you.
Dixie51