Re: question, the diagnosis;

[Guest guest]

Hi Ruth:

Thanks for your answer. I only realized that I was AS a little more

than a month ago. I'd been trying to solve the puzzle of why I seemed

to be marching to a different drummer (I was actually described that

way in writing when I was in college), and I came across Ratey's

Shadow Syndromes, where I read that AS is like " marching to a

different drummer. " His description fit me rather well. I checked it

out, took an on-line test, thought about it a lot, and decided that I

was a fairly mild, but very definite, AS. This explained a lot and led

to great relief from trying to solve the puzzle. It's been solved.

Discussions with Aspies via the web has even further confirmed the

self-diagnosis. I mentioned it to a guy I know who is a Ph.D. licensed

psychologist, and all he had to say was that they didn't teach about

AS when he went to school. I got the sense that he doesn't even think

AS really exists. Well, I do think it exists.

I'm a scientist, and very curious about the way things work. I've read

a lot of stuff recently, and I get the sense that no one has explained

the autistic spectrum very well. I get the sense that AS is really

distinct from classical autism, not just at the other end of a

spectrum, and I'd really like to get a handle on what is going here. I

enjoy discovering things. I write for a living, and if I can come up

with a new, creative take on the whole issue, I'd like to write about it.

Love,

Ken

> > Hello Ruth,

> >

> > While you are taking your nap : ) I am trying to write about your

> question....

> >

> > I want to let you know that your story makes me feel sad and I think

> you must be a strong person to be able to handle your tough life: 4

> children and a partner who died, that must be very hard. I hope you're

> managing well?!

> >

> > Oke, my part...

> > I was in a relationship with a man who was rather special in the way

> he lives his life, his interests, etcetera. In the same period I had a

> job as Human Resources Manager in a big company (spread over 3

> countries) and had a lot on my mind because the company was franchised

> and the new direction was terrible (corrupt and things like that).

> > About 1,5 year ago I had some kind of a blackout at my job and just

> couldn't do anything anymore. Fysicly I felt exhausted and I just

> couldn't go on anymore.

> >

> > I always had felt bad about lots of things, but just couldn't find a

> clue why. So I started psychotherapy, although I didn't really think

> that would help, but at least I could say " I'm doing what I can to

> resolve my problems " . My therapist one day told me that she thought

> that my partner had asperger. I started to look on the internet all I

> could find about asperger. I read so much information and started

> participating on a Dutch forum for partners of persons with asperger.

> And than... I found out that they were talking about people like

> myself! At first I couldn't believe it... but than I read again and

> again and again and more and more ... and yes... I was convinced that

> I had asperger.

> >

> > I mentioned this to my therapist. At first she didn't want to

> believe me, saying crab like " you make eye-contact " or " you don't

> swing your body " but I explained to her that she was having a

> stereotype of aspergers in mind that was nothing more than that: a

> stereotype and that there are a lot of women and men with asperger who

> behave quite 'normal' according to NT's.

> > Than I wanted to be diagnosed by a psychiatrist, because if I had

> the diagnosis it helps me to be able to play by our society rules in

> situations like finding work and things like that (I was fired at my

> job for being ill). It took a long while, but they diagnosed me

> asperger. First they thought it was borderline, but I convinced them

> that was not my case. By now I know quite a lot about DSM-IV and all

> those criteria, so it was really easy to show them they were wrong.

> >

> > The thing is, the knowledge about asperger is very small and most

> psychologists and psychiatrists have still the impression of rainman

> in their heads when they think of asperger. Kind of cynical is that

> here in the Netherlands we had a political murder a few years ago and

> the man who did it was diagnosed with asperger at first. Later they

> said he wasn't asperger, but at least it made people think again about

> what asperger is.

> >

> > Well, that is the story, more or less.

> >

> > Lida

> > question, the diagnosis;

> >

> >

> >

> > Hi everyone. I am having a hard time sleeping because I keep

> > thinking about all of you and wondering how we can get to know each

> > other and possibly help others understand us. This might be good to

> > be included in the family forum too. What do you think?

> > can you tell me your experience regarding the AS diagnosis; how

old,

> > when first received it and then realized it, what led to it and

> > personally processing the information regarding you?

> > I will share mine on another post

> > Thanks everyone,

> > Ruth

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > FAM Secret Society is a community based on respect, friendship,

> support and acceptance. Everyone is valued.

> >

> >

> >