Was i wrongly diagnosed with asperger's?

19 Comments

The title says it all. Sorry if this is long, I'll try to keep it as short as possible. I was diagnosed with Asperger's Disorder at age 8. I am now a 21 year old woman. I needed some extra help with schoolwork in elementary school and part of middle school, but in high school I did better on my own. I was often overlooked by my peers for being "different." Despite this, I have always had at least some good friends. But since two of my best friends have moved out of the state, I don't really have anyone to hang out with now.

One definite symptom I have is avoiding eye contact. I try to make eye contact during conversations but it's awkward. However, I'm not quite as socially awkward as I used to be, and I usually pick up on social cues. I've noticed the way I word things tends to confuse people. I've made a couple of posts on this site that confused the readers, I'm guessing because I went into too much detail. I have depression and OCD which is common for people on the autistic spectrum, also I'm prone to anxiety and worry a lot about things I probably shouldn't. I have some anger issues but it's never gotten to the point where I hurt myself or others. I've gotten very angry at people I was jealous of or people who disagreed with me, but now I admit I was wrong for being that way, and I've gotten better with it.

I have never had a serious boyfriend. I have had crushes on guys, but either these guys weren't right for me, I made mistakes in pursuing it, or both. I think I did go slightly overboard contacting guys I used to like. I didn't see where I went wrong until it was done to me. Earlier this year a guy liked me, and I was interested in getting to know him better at first, but he became slightly obsessed with me and this intimidated me. Now I see what I used to do to others and I regret it. I have a current crush, we're friends and I only text him when I have something to say other than "hi." Time will tell if something will come from it.

One very common trait of my disorder is having a limited range of interests. This is not me at all. The only time I really got stuck on something was when I was anime-obsessed between the ages of 10-12. Right now I'm trying to learn guitar, I dance and I study astrology, to name a few. My therapist says I'm very advanced. What do you think? Is it possible I was wrongly diagnosed?

Yes 18
No 14
Not sure 30
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Comments ( 19 )
  • pacinoharmon
    10 years ago

    Thanks everybody, your comments have been helpful. I'm not ashamed of having a disorder, just curious as to why a lot doesn't match. Maybe I just outgrew a lot of the symptoms as I got older.

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    • disthing
      10 years ago

      Apparently it's common with Asperger's for symptoms to lessen with age. So it's a possibility.

      Some people are misdiagnosed, mind you, so it's also plausible you never had it.

      Either way it doesn't matter. If this label no longer fits, then there's no point worrying about it :)

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      • [Old Memory]
        10 years ago

        It's common with Asperger's for symptoms to lessen with age, but not that quick! It wouldn't be a disorder if you just grew out of it in a few years. Asperger's is a lifelong struggle.

        This person is 21.

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  • beeswax
    10 years ago

    Those scum stigmatzed you to further their careers - look at what is happening now they are calling every normal youthful tendency a 'syndrome' and forcing healthy kids to take dangerous pharmaceutical poison - of course young people act weird - they are growing up in an insane world - and it is a natural reaction to act a bit odd under those circumstances. Do some research - it is a global scandal.

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    • KubaZinrák
      7 years ago

      I absolutely agree with u.to me Asperger doesn't exist.

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    • disthing
      10 years ago

      Asperger's and to a broader extent the full Autism spectrum is not a global scandal.

      Most techniques to help people with Asperger's don't involve drugs. The majority of treatments are therapeutic techniques - behavioural, social, physical etc.

      Some people with Asperger's are prescribed drugs to treat some of the more difficult behavioural quirks. I guess that's up to the patient, family and doctors to decide. But suggesting this is the norm, that it's some big scam to get people to throw money at drug companies is ridiculous!

      YOU do some research, Asperger's is real - whether you want to call it a condition, a syndrome, an 'alternative way of thinking', is neither here nor there. Of course there are misdiagnoses - that's par for the course with mental conditions, and some countries are worse than others for this (Doctors in the US have a habit of over-diagnosing, for example in the case of ADHD).

      A lot of Aspies struggle in a society where 99.9% of people have a different way of thinking and behaving to them, and can really benefit from therapy to help them become independent and successful WITHIN society, rather than feeling like outsiders.

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    • [Old Memory]
      10 years ago

      Very well said.

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  • moonlightshield
    9 years ago

    You've just described me! Except the anime and dance part, we're pretty much alike! And i'm 21 too, turning 22 this year.

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  • Geldsmaggen
    10 years ago

    I thought I had Aspergers. But it was emotional dissociation from childhood experiences. Having everyone stress "social skills" to me was no good, it lead to more obsession with being like everyone else and denying my own emotions. I almost thought I was a sociopath or even that all emotions were secretly fake and everyone was a sociopath because the pressure to perform social skills during times I was being unsociable because of emotions or because I was just being me (And denying my emotions so I thought it was skills instead of just how I felt) was so great. I thought I was just a sociopath who didn't know how to charm and manipulate and needed to study precisely how people worked. Then I overcame my dissociation and realized I had neither of these things, though I imagine if I didn't sociopathy would've became a self-fulfilling prophecy.

    So I don't know, because I've known real people with Asperger's but emotional dissociation can be mistaken for it.

    And just to make sure I'll point out I'm not equating Asperger's syndrome and sociopathy.

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  • AbnormallyAwesome
    10 years ago

    I no nothing about Asperger's syndrom, but most of your problems seem absolutly normal to me. Does it really matter if your personality gets a label or not? Society always wants you to be like everyone else, but guess what: Nobody is like everyone else.

    When I was a child I was diagnosed with dyslexia and I was always holding my pens "the wrong way". Still I drew better then any of my classmates. Today I'm a graphic designer and I read and write fluently. And I'm still proudly holding my pen wrong.

    Don't let others tell you who you are, no matter what degree they have.

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  • hiiiiiiiiiii
    10 years ago

    I really don't believe u do. U probably have something else that is not nearly as severe. I wouldn't worry too much if I was u.b who u r and people should respect it.

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  • KeddersPrincess
    10 years ago

    I was diagnosed with Asperger's and you sound a lot like me. But whether you have it or not, who cares? Live you're life. Even if you do have the "disorder" it doesn't change anything. You're still you and having a Asperger's isn't going to change anything, it's just going to put a name to something. :)

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  • GoraIntoDesiGals
    10 years ago

    If you're anything like me maybe you just have Mild Pervasive Personality Disorder. (Self-diagnosed though) For years I thought I might have asperger too but some things didn't match.

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  • Hottigene
    10 years ago

    Reading your post touchs me you seem like very Loving person Sweety I hope you can find someone to Love I would not mind getting to know you Love I dont know where you Live I Live here In Tucson Az but if you want to corrospond with me I would like that.

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      10 years ago

      Thanks for the kind words :) I'm in Ohio, pretty far away but we can private message

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      • Hottigene
        10 years ago

        Ok I need your user name Love to private message!

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      • Hottigene
        10 years ago

        My real name is Gene whsts yours Love

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  • [Old Memory]
    10 years ago

    I have aspergers. I've been diagnosed at least by 10 different doctors as well as being on the schizo spectrum. I'm not sure if anyone can tell unless they get to know me although I am often told I seem strange. I don't think your question can be answered on the internet. Your description doesn't suggest either answer. Lots of people are like you described but you didn't mention anything that indicates you were misdiagnosed either. Lots of people with aspergers learn to socialize better as they get older, especially if their active. Its just that they aren't born with the social instincts that other people have so we have to learn them.
    A few things that I have noticed is I am extremely clumsy to where I break something or get injured on almost a daily basis; I do not understand emotions very well; I do not understand people well nor do they understand me; I'm not great at communicating my thoughts in person, for example I am frequently told I constantly repeat myself without realizing it, or I will say something I didn't mean but didn't understand the meaning of what I said; I often do not know the meaning of what somebody else said; I do not read or express non-verbal communication the way most people do; My senses are distorted; I process information slowly; I have a savant ability in music including the ability to listen to a song a play it on the piano.

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  • Karmasbitch
    10 years ago

    It's hard to say. I think people are wrongly diagnosed a lot of the time because they aren't the 'norm' but idk. I avoid eye contact, been in mental institutions and hurt myself and I still don't think anything is wrong. Maybe I'm the wrong person to be commenting but, just be yourself!
    Btw a lot of people feel socially awkward, but it doesn't mean you are.

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