Asperger's diagnosis?

[Himu]

Seeing therapist for depression and it has been suggested I get screened for high functioning autism, or Asperger's. Not that there's a cure but there's hope that I can learn methods to learn how to cope with the problems attached to it and learn how to focus on the strengths. Does anyone have any suggestions or could impart knowledge?

[Cerveza mas fina]

Good luck dude, my niece has the opposite of aspergers (-ish, infantile autism) and ever since her diagnosis and getting some help she has blossomed.

[Valkyrie]

No advice or anything, except I wish you good luck and hope it works out.

[Himu]

Lager: That's good

[VomKriege]

First things first, meet a specialist for the screening. Goes without saying.

[Human Snorenado]

My nephew is on the spectrum in that general-ish place (they no longer call it Asperger's sadly, probably due to all the Ass burger jokes) and honestly that would make a lot of sense given my admittedly low knowledge of your life.

[Himu]

If I do have it, is there any hope?

[team filler]

If I do have it, is there any hope?

you could moderate internet messageboards 

[team filler]

If I do have it, is there any hope?

you could move to denmark 

[Madrun Badrun]

If I do have it, is there any hope?

If you do have it, it means you have always had it - so it doesn't really change anything other than give you paths for doing better.  Basically, there is no downside to being diagnoses with it. 

[Human Snorenado]

If I do have it, is there any hope?

If you do have it, it means you have always had it - so it doesn't really change anything other than give you paths for doing better.  Basically, there is no downside to being diagnoses with it.

Basically this. Given the obvious caveat that society is just inherently dumb with a lot of bullshit expectations, people on this section of the spectrum generally JUST DON'T KNOW WTF SOCIETY WANTS FROM THEM, so knowing that will give you the knowledge to either decide to approach life in a different way or at least know why things seem so weird.

[Cerveza mas fina]

Getting a (right) diagnosis is probably the best things that can hapoen, sure it might be scary as you feel you will be labeled "damaged"  but it's the first step to realizing your best potential.

[Transhuman]

You said it yourself, what's the point? If you've coped for this long, it probably hasn't interfered with your life enough to be a 'problem'. If you've got anxiety just do deep breathing or drugs or whatever. Your therapist should be telling you what you got, not the other way around.

[Transhuman]

Probably anxiety right? The only other major side effect is poor sociability but Cindi is plenty social to me (though I guess it's a lot harder to gauge through text). I guess i'm more of a let sleeping dogs lie type guy. When you're past a certain age all a formal diagnosis does is give you more shit to think about

[VomKriege]

Having a proper diagnosis can help with seeking the appropriate relief.

[Transhuman]

[OnlyRegret]

Probably anxiety right? The only other major side effect is poor sociability but Cindi is plenty social to me (though I guess it's a lot harder to gauge through text). I guess i'm more of a let sleeping dogs lie type guy. When you're past a certain age all a formal diagnosis does is give you more shit to think about

why do you always have nonsense takes and talk out your ass on issues
what are you, her therapist?

[Himu]

I really struggle connecting with people irl. Which is why I always flocked to online boards where I could express myself with people that have like minded interests. So if I do have the diagnosis, I need to learn how to better socialize irl which will hopefully lead to lower social anxiety which will lead to lower depression. As it is, I'm always  second and triple guessing my relationships with people which makes me not pursue them because I feel isolated and would rather be isolated than experience the hurt of not understanding how to be normal.

Edit: phone typos

[porkbun]

Probably anxiety right? The only other major side effect is poor sociability but Cindi is plenty social to me (though I guess it's a lot harder to gauge through text). I guess i'm more of a let sleeping dogs lie type guy. When you're past a certain age all a formal diagnosis does is give you more shit to think about

why do you always have nonsense takes and talk out your ass on issues
what are you, her therapist?

He's been an open mic "comedian" for 10 years.

Cindi, you may benefit from cognitive behavior therapy.  It's what I use currently and the only type that's really made a difference.

[Himu]

I mean I think I'm right there with you on being a bit weary of some things surrounding mental health diagnosis; important thing is to focus on becoming aware of your behavior and how it might be influencing your problems.   At the very least that can be a catalyst for coping better (less anxiety) and possibly even improving whatever you think is a problem.

People also can take a diagnoses and not turn that into a positive outcome, or diagnosis can be wrong and lead people down the wrong path.. but I don't assume Cindi would trust a therapist unless this came from some self realization I guess and not just a "diagnosis"

If I get the diagnosis it is my fear that I'm officially broken, as this is permanent.

Without the diagnosis there is hope that there is no finality.

[Human Snorenado]

There's no such thing as an "unbroken" human being, we're all broken, just in different ways

[Himu]

There's no such thing as an "unbroken" human being, we're all broken, just in different ways

Ah, very Catholic of you.

[Himu]

Probably anxiety right? The only other major side effect is poor sociability but Cindi is plenty social to me (though I guess it's a lot harder to gauge through text). I guess i'm more of a let sleeping dogs lie type guy. When you're past a certain age all a formal diagnosis does is give you more shit to think about

why do you always have nonsense takes and talk out your ass on issues
what are you, her therapist?

He's been an open mic "comedian" for 10 years.

Cindi, you may benefit from cognitive behavior therapy.  It's what I use currently and the only type that's really made a difference.

Cognitive behavior therapy? Expound please. I know what it is but no further details on how it works.

[Transhuman]

I really struggle connecting with people irl. Which is why I always flocked to online boards where I could express myself with people that have like minded interests. So if I do have the diagnosis, I need to learn how to better socialize irl which will hopefully lead to lower social anxiety which will lead to lower depression. As it is, I'm always  second and triple guessing my relationships with people which makes me not pursue them because I feel isolated and would rather be isolated than experience the hurt of not understanding how to be normal.

Edit: phone typos

I'm right there with you Cindi. Whenever I meet someone new I never know how much time you're supposed to dedicate to the friendship. It always feels like they want to hang out too much, or too little. I think that's less a problem with mentality and more a problem with the relationships you make later in life though, where you sorta feel like an outsider in someone else's life, or they feel like an annoying guest in yours.

[Himu]

It isn't just new people. It's a constant othering no matter how old or new. The only description for what I'm dealing with is everyone else is smooth but I'm textured.

[team filler]

everyone else is just unseasoned, bb 

[Madrun Badrun]

Cindi, you may benefit from cognitive behavior therapy.  It's what I use currently and the only type that's really made a difference.

I hated CBT when I tried it. 

[Transhuman]

It isn't just new people. It's a constant othering no matter how old or new. The only description for what I'm dealing with is everyone else is smooth but I'm textured.

They gotta make way for the Homo Superior

 

[Himu]

everyone else is just unseasoned, bb 

That spicy life

 

[Madrun Badrun]

Some just get ribbed more than others.

[Himu]

It isn't just new people. It's a constant othering no matter how old or new. The only description for what I'm dealing with is everyone else is smooth but I'm textured.

They gotta make way for the Homo Superior

 

It's easy to say this but in real life when you see everyone communicating with others but you, you're reminded constantly of your failure.

It results in a series of second, triple, quadruple guessing that in eternally vacuous.

"She doesn't talk to me that way."
"What are they always talking about?"
"How come I don't have that kind of connection with someone?"
etc.

Now make this not just for social relationships but also working relationships and familial relationships.

I want to communicate but I'm also aware that when I try to I end up turning people off so it's much easier to withdraw and not say anything.

Dressing it up as "seasoned" "homo superior" is cute and all but effectively pointless. It does not assuage any negative feelings and only works to enhance them.

And then you find yourself drinking for the 4th time this week.

[porkbun]

Cindi, you may benefit from cognitive behavior therapy.  It's what I use currently and the only type that's really made a difference.

I hated CBT when I tried it.

Yeah, it's not for everyone - my therapist says a lot of people quit out of it.

Cindi - it's hard to do a quick summary of it, but basically you learn how to manage and differentiate thoughts, feelings, and emotions and address the distortions that happen in each of them.  There is a lot of work at first, you have to spend an hour or two working on "mood logs" to address just one particular event but for me, once it clicked, it was really helpful.  I have very bad anxiety and depression (was hospitalized about a year ago after leaving my wife and kid on his birthday to go to Vegas to overdose) but it's helped a lot to slow down the hamster wheel of fucked up thoughts that run in my head.

[Transhuman]

: (

Yeah that's tricky. I don't have work or social or familial relationships either (though luckily I don't strive for them), and i'll avoid cliches like "gotta keep putting yourself out there", but I can definitely say drowning in booze isn't gonna help. If all my advice is useless, that's the only advice that isn't

[Himu]

: (

Yeah that's tricky. I don't have work or social or familial relationships either (though luckily I don't strive for them), and i'll avoid cliches like "gotta keep putting yourself out there", but I can definitely say drowning in booze isn't gonna help. If all my advice is useless, that's the only advice that isn't

Well, I communicated these issues to my therapist and that's where the "high functioning autism" label came in.

We will see.

[Mr Gilhaney]

Lots of people have a fairly (i mean, as much as a bore poster can have i guess) normal life with assburgers. Being diagnosed would be helpful for sure, not like it disappears without diagnosis. I understand still being worried about it, but try not to be and see it as a positive.

Good luck dude, my niece has the opposite of aspergers (-ish, infantile autism) and ever since her diagnosis and getting some help she has blossomed.

My new job is taking care of someone with infantile autism, now that's fucking rough man, when a 33 year old gotta have one person dedicated to him 24/7.

[Nintex]

That sucks, good luck 

On the bright side you can run for office now.

[toku]

Hope this leads to great year for you.

[EightBitNate]

Not that it isn’t obvious, but there technically isn’t a difference between who you are before and after you got diagnosed. At least now you can get treated for it.

[CatsCatsCats]

[lurks because I should prolly do this too]

[Cerveza mas fina]

Lots of people have a fairly (i mean, as much as a bore poster can have i guess) normal life with assburgers. Being diagnosed would be helpful for sure, not like it disappears without diagnosis. I understand still being worried about it, but try not to be and see it as a positive.

Good luck dude, my niece has the opposite of aspergers (-ish, infantile autism) and ever since her diagnosis and getting some help she has blossomed.

My new job is taking care of someone with infantile autism, now that's fucking rough man, when a 33 year old gotta have one person dedicated to him 24/7.

This is pretty mild, she might be able to live on her own I think.

[Potato]

You are you Cindi. A diagnosis will help you better understand why you are you and may help to provide some strategies to make improvements to areas of your life you want to improve.

A diagnosis in itself is not going to change a single thing about who you are.

[shosta]

I'd like to recommend everyone in this thread from this post onward for autism spectrum diagnosis.

[team filler]

assy was right! 

[Himu]

This is a very helpful video for me.

[Himu]

Okay so, I've been mindful of the symptoms. Some of them like freaking out after a change in routine made me go,"ha, that's not me."

Then this morning I find out roommate threw away or fucked up/changed the rice and beans dish I made that I was going to eat this morning and I am filled with an uncontrollable rage because I do not want to eat anything else.



NOOOO

[Yeti]

A roommate messing with your food is a perfectly valid reason to be angry

[Himu]

So, the thing that got my therapist to bring up Asperger's as a possibility is how I react to overstimulus. For Thanksgiving I went to my aunt's house. These days they invite all these people over that I don't know and aren't the usual people we invite. I get overwhelmed by the amount of new variables and people I don't know and come up with scripts on what to do. This time I got so overwhelmed that I decided to eat dinner by myself, upstairs, in the dark. I get so anxious dealing with people I don't know when dealing with all the noise and stimuli that I eventually had to retreat and just watched Dead End Hip Hop videos on my phone or take photographs to help me have a means to be social with an excuse.

The reason this gives me anxiety is because during the holidays growing up it was just my grandparents, parents, aunts, and cousins at these family holiday activities. But now it's not. I really dislike this change and sometimes I'm at the point where I might melt down. I get really stressed out by these situations and just pegged them as social anxiety. Reading a lot of Asperger's stories I'm seeing myself in a lot of them. It isn't a confirmation and I refuse to self diagnose but I see now why the therapist brought up aspies. It has me both really scared and relieved. Scared because there's no cure, relieved because there might finally be a name to what's ailing me.

[team filler]

Also you shouldn't be scared, being able to better acknowledge yourself from an outside barometer has its benefits.

There are also some people I've known that have Asperger's and have met up with people w/ similar interests/hobbies so that they can better enthuse on a similar level and be more sociable.

[Himu]

That is another symptom I've been reading that really speaks to me. I really like learning about topics. I like learning everything about it and its history. That's another thing I've read from others' stories that spesks to me. Again, not a self diagnosis but definitely rings alarms.

[Transhuman]

Being overstimulated is okay as long as you are the one choosing the stimulations. Otherwise it fucking sucks.

[Himu]

Took this test.

https://www.additudemag.com/screener-autism-spectrum-disorder-symptoms-test-adults/

One question goes,"do you struggle to understand phrases like 'dont count your chickens before they hatch?'"

And I put in,"sometimes."

Then later on it asks if I have a memory that's a "steel trap" and I have been sitting there for a minute trying to decipher what in the fuck that it means to have a memory that's a steel trap.

[Himu]

A roommate messing with your food is a perfectly valid reason to be angry

There's getting angry and then there's refusing to eat anything  but rice because that's what you want and you're on the verge of a temper tantrum.

[Nintex]

Took this test.

https://www.additudemag.com/screener-autism-spectrum-disorder-symptoms-test-adults/

One question goes,"do you struggle to understand phrases like 'dont count your chickens before they hatch?'"

And I put in,"sometimes."

Then later on it asks if I have a memory that's a "steel trap" and I have been sitting there for a minute trying to decipher what in the fuck that it means to have a memory that's a steel trap.

So what's your score? I like how the first question is a roundabout way of asking "DO YOU LIKE STAR WARS?" and 88 is the most points you can score. 

[Ghoul]

Took this test.

https://www.additudemag.com/screener-autism-spectrum-disorder-symptoms-test-adults/

One question goes,"do you struggle to understand phrases like 'dont count your chickens before they hatch?'"

And I put in,"sometimes."

Then later on it asks if I have a memory that's a "steel trap" and I have been sitting there for a minute trying to decipher what in the fuck that it means to have a memory that's a steel trap.

So what's your score? I like how the first question is a roundabout way of asking "DO YOU LIKE STAR WARS?" and 88 is the most points you can score. 

More importantly what was your score?

[Nintex]

Took this test.

https://www.additudemag.com/screener-autism-spectrum-disorder-symptoms-test-adults/

One question goes,"do you struggle to understand phrases like 'dont count your chickens before they hatch?'"

And I put in,"sometimes."

Then later on it asks if I have a memory that's a "steel trap" and I have been sitting there for a minute trying to decipher what in the fuck that it means to have a memory that's a steel trap.

So what's your score? I like how the first question is a roundabout way of asking "DO YOU LIKE STAR WARS?" and 88 is the most points you can score. 

More importantly what was your score?

27/88

To be fair, I had such a test as a kid because kids who liked to be inside with Lego and computers instead of outside with soccer balls were all suspected of being autistic.
They concluded that I wasn't. A few years later it turned out I was asthmatic(the first time I had a severe attack it nearly killed me) and that's probably why I preferred to avoid certain things that would trigger it (physical exercise, grass, swimming pools, dogs etc.)
 because I knew it wasn't good for me but I didn't know why.

[Himu]

It said that I may be on the high functioning end of the spectrum.

Anyways that test apparently isn't even good. This is a better, more thorough test.

https://www.aspietests.org/userdetails.php?target=/raads/questions.php

Haven't taken yet.

[Himu]

I took that test. Apparently it's often very accurate.

My total score: 144.

Threshold values for suspected ASD: 65.0
The average score for males with ASD: 146.2
The average score for females with ASD: 159.7
The average score for males with suspected ASD: 140.2
The average score for females with suspected ASD: 144.8
The average score for male neurotypicals: 81.2
The average score for female neurotypicals: 84.3

My score is in yellow. It says:

Scores with a yellow background are above the test threshold values. If your total score is above the threshold it may be worth getting professionally assessed.

ME RN

[Transhuman]

A lot of these questions are hard. "I am considered a compassionate type of person". How the hell would I know how people consider me to be?

I have a hard time figuring out what some phrases mean, like "You are the apple of my eye". This test was clearly written before smartphones existed...

[team filler]

test isn't hard, breh  you're just autisty 

[Transhuman]

I got 137.0

A lot of the questions are about how mean you are. Maybe i'm just mean?