Hi- I'm a newbie to the forum, looking for help

[JulianDG]

Welcome

Thank you so much

 

[Bella Pines]

Aspie Quiz

That's a great quiz, I like the graphic.

When I was you I did research, reading, took online quizzes. Self diagnosing helped me learn tricks like recognising meltdowns.

Many here have sought official diagnosis for a number of reasons.

But only you can help yourself. What is it you are looking for?

 

[Hartley]

Hello and welcome!

 

[StephF]

Hi there, welcome to the forums. I hope you feel at home

 

[Dadwith2Autisticsons]

Thank you so much. I'm speechless. I've waited so long just to hear (see in this case ) someone say that they believe it could likely be Asperger's based on everything I've described. I just feel so different at times. So helpless, like nobody cares about me or my thoughts. I'm thankful to say as well that I've jumped on the right train to get to this page. All of you (I hope all the others that have commented read the replies as well) are like the family I've never had. I've been so anxious and depressed lately, but I have no clue why. Music and poetry are my main go-to for solace. Also I mentioned before about the semis; by the time I was 6, I could tell you everything about them. For me, that includes year, make, model or trim. I didn't mention before that I love to watch movies. Every movie I've ever seen, I've watched at least 20 times. I can watch a good movie once (e.g. Forrest Gump) and remember almost every single line. I used to drive my dad crazy doing it. Some of the folks I've hung out with that actually consider me their friend will have me reenact some scenes from movies as I'm good with voices as well. It's a weird feeling that I get from being able to remember those things but anymore, I try to look at it as a gift.

There will be lots of people that care here, so you came to the right place. Maybe you were depressed lately because of what you just you said, you have felt misunderstood, and felt confused where you belonged, and that there were signs and symptoms you had that seemed not able to be explained. But,
that is because many doctors can assume things and not look deeper. They may pick a few major traits out and assume a diagnosis, or if you lack a certain major trait rule some diagnosis out.

In my wife's case numerous doctors over twenty five years, just assumed because of her gender and some severe anxiety and depression signs that she had other conditions. Nobody got the ADHD diagnosis right, until her 9 hours of neuropsychological testing. In your case, it looks like they got the ADHD right, but missed the boat on the Aspergers, as the more you write and mention things, the more I feel you likely have likely Aspergers, too.

Our one high functioning child banged his head as a child too, as you mentioned in another message, and he loved repetitively watching dvds. He has a great memory as well. I suspect there are some narrowed interests things you hyperfocus on and will remember everything, which can be ADHD and Aspergers related, but there will be other things than you do not pay attention to because of cluttered thoughts and boredom, which is the hyperactive component.

The speaking a lot seems just because of that hyperactive mind, but your interests seem more like you find peace in passive activities, with mainly the interests narrowed with attention. I know it seems contradictory, as often Aspergers have that poor social skills component, and they say ADHD are often extroverts, but you may be more introverted based on your interests and activities discussed. The hyperactivity, and need to talk either to many, or with faster speed, or to talk a lot of information could be both ADHD and/or Aspergers, as the mind is racing, but sometimes too on great interests.

Yes, those with Aspergers have many special abilities Julian. It sounds to me you have that condition from all the things you said. If you combined this last message of yours with the two longer posts, I am pretty confident you have ADHD and Aspergers. For any medical verification of the latter, if you desire such one day, include all that information to them as you described. A competent doctor would know those two conditions can coexist. Certainly it looks like you have many of the components of Aspergers and ADHD, and both are present.

 

[texkag]

Hello Julian. Welcome to the forum. I hope you find the help or answers you are looking for.

Talkative to all, cannnot make decisions, disorganized thoughts, problems with school, low stress tolerance, and impulsivity look ADHD. My wife has those things and additional things like procrastination, fidgetiness, failure to complete tasks, poor concentration, poor memory, etc.

Any motor issues like tics may or may not be AS related, but when combined with your diagnosed ocd, which means likely some rituals present, and possibly narrowed interests, which I am not clear on yet, based on your interests mentioned, then AS is a possibility. ADHD and Autism are often common, in about 30% of cases, if that research was correct.

So, it is possible your original two diagnoses were correct, ADHD and OCD, but it would not shock me if instead you had dual ADHD and milder Autism or Aspergers. I would have to know more about your focus of interests, any sensory issues, your routines, and whether you have literal thinking, and your capacity to understand others' feelings. As well, it would help to know any signs and symptoms as a child.

My wife does not have motor issues, or narrowed interests, or literal thinking, nor social difficulty, so for her I just do not see AS as most core components are not there for that. Besides my wife's ADHD, she has some tendencies that look OCD related, and not Autism routine related, and she has lots of physical sensitivities to pain, allergens, hot weather, humidity, etc.

HI Julian, welcome to the forum.

Hey there, it's Julian.

I'm probably not as shy as some but I do feel as though I need some help. I am 26 years young and have been diagnosed in the early 90's as being ADHD/OCD. To my understanding, and someone please correct me if I am wrong on this, but I believe this was the timeframe in which individuals were being misdiagnosed as having the two mentioned. I struggle day to day with work. I want to go to school and get a better career but there's fear of not passing the class because I can't comprehend the subject matter; in addition, the teacher (professor) may put me with people I may not like or may not want to know. If I feel interested in a particular subject, and in my case Funeral Science, Anesthesiology or becoming a Locksmith, that I feel I cannot achieve...It will keep bouncing back and forth til I want to scream and pull my hair out. Other than those instances (just to name a few), I'm normally very talkative. I don't meet a stranger. My wife thinks that is extremely awkward of me to talk to every person I've ever met, though she doesn't know them. Communication is one of the biggest challenges in marriage, so much that at points, I have also self-harmed and have done extremely crazy things that I have no control over. Most of my family tends to think I have AS, as do I. My motor skills are underdeveloped so I am in other words a klutz. I have tics in my neck at times, especially when I am overwhelmed. I started noticing it in myself at a young age but I've never been able to control it. All of it scares me. I don't know where to go, who all to talk to or what to do for help. Most everyone on the thread here has probably been here for a while. I challenge everyone that has any suggestions for me (advice, etc.), to please come forward. I need answers to questions I haven't even thought of yet. God bless,

Thanks in advance
(also I have uploaded a picture based on some tests that I've taken, though not official yet as to where I might be placed on the spectrum).
View attachment 35037

Hi Julian and welcome to the forum. It's a friendly place to get some support and advice.

 

[Sabrina]

I hope I didn't post too much information in my first thread and I'm new to chat forums and blogs so bear with me

We ALL do that, in fact, according to the rules, you are not supposed to post very short messages that don't add up. So, one less thing to worry about! You can write as long as you want . That, for me, is one of the best features of this forum.

 

[JulianDG]

Aspie Quiz

That's a great quiz, I like the graphic.

When I was you I did research, reading, took online quizzes. Self diagnosing helped me learn tricks like recognising meltdowns.

Many here have sought official diagnosis for a number of reasons.

But only you can help yourself. What is it you are looking for?

Thank you so much. Honestly, an official diagnosis I feel would provide me peace of mind and getting the appropriate diagnosis would help others around me (family and the couple of friends I do have), have a better understanding of AS and how to actually talk to me the way I need to hear things. Maybe even help me get the appropriate "programming," if you will, to help me with my coordination and balance issues. As mentioned in some of the replies, I can't stand small-talk. It makes me want to scream and then I go offtrack and hit myself. There are multiple issues I have with comprehension. I can't stand to read, as I don't understand most of the content in the stories. Even in school, I was always afraid to do a book report for class so I never did them and I failed because of my comprehension level. Deep down, I've always felt apart from everyone else, my father included. He always bonded with my brother and sister before he would me. Because we had different interests and ambitions, I never got along with them. My brother would beat me as a child, and so much to the point that it drove me to cutting in my early adulthood. Honestly, it would probably help me feel a little more on the normal side, though I never will be. The way my thought process has always been, I've felt as though if I do in-fact have a disability other than ADHD or OCD, I wouldn't feel like I'm locked in a cage all the time. Again, I know that's not true either but it's just that mentality that I keep in the back of my mind on a daily basis that keeps me going on.

 

[JulianDG]

We ALL do that, in fact, according to the rules, you are not supposed to post very short messages that don't add up. So, one less thing to worry about! You can write as long as you want . That, for me, is one of the best features of this forum.

Thank you. That helps me. I feel like an open book at times. I don't realize how much I actually can write in a forum until I look at the post that I'm replying to. Everyone, yourself included have been such an inspiration to me so far that I could never go back to just a normal world without blogging or threading (whatever you call it on here (already getting angry typing this because it feels like my mind is blocked in terms of what to write)). It feels good though when I am able to type out what I want to say because I can't tell anyone how I feel in person. The words are always there but they won't come out. I don't test well because I forget everything I read just as quick as I read it, unless it's a subject that I'm really interested in.

 

[JulianDG]

HI Julian, welcome to the forum.

Hi Julian and welcome to the forum. It's a friendly place to get some support and advice.

Thank you for making me feel at home. I love it so far and I would likely consider all of you my second family

 

[JulianDG]

Hi there, welcome to the forums. I hope you feel at home

I sure do feel at home. You all are basically my second family now. Thank you so much for making me feel welcome

 

[JulianDG]

Hello and welcome!

Thank you so much ☺

 

[Sabrina]

My brother would beat me as a child, and so much to the point that it drove me to cutting in my early adulthood.on.

What happened to you is awful. The fact that you are only in your twenties and you can talk about it is amazing.

My husband got beaten a lot by his eight-year-older brother (from age six to fourteen, when he hit his brother very badly; that was the only way for him to stop).
He would hide in closets and cover his face begging his brother to, at least, not hit his face. The worst thing was that his mom was at home all the time, she would hear the screaming and do nothing.

My husband had to have a huge marital crisis to face his past. He was 39 at the time.

So I think you are in a very good path to recovery, being so much younger, and already courageous enough go face it.

 

[JulianDG]

There will be lots of people that care here, so you came to the right place. Maybe you were depressed lately because of what you just you said, you have felt misunderstood, and felt confused where you belonged, and that there were signs and symptoms you had that seemed not able to be explained. But,
that is because many doctors can assume things and not look deeper. They may pick a few major traits out and assume a diagnosis, or if you lack a certain major trait rule some diagnosis out.

In my wife's case numerous doctors over twenty five years, just assumed because of her gender and some severe anxiety and depression signs that she had other conditions. Nobody got the ADHD diagnosis right, until her 9 hours of neuropsychological testing. In your case, it looks like they got the ADHD right, but missed the boat on the Aspergers, as the more you write and mention things, the more I feel you likely have likely Aspergers, too.

Our one high functioning child banged his head as a child too, as you mentioned in another message, and he loved repetitively watching dvds. He has a great memory as well. I suspect there are some narrowed interests things you hyperfocus on and will remember everything, which can be ADHD and Aspergers related, but there will be other things than you do not pay attention to because of cluttered thoughts and boredom, which is the hyperactive component.

The speaking a lot seems just because of that hyperactive mind, but your interests seem more like you find peace in passive activities, with mainly the interests narrowed with attention. I know it seems contradictory, as often Aspergers have that poor social skills component, and they say ADHD are often extroverts, but you may be more introverted based on your interests and activities discussed. The hyperactivity, and need to talk either to many, or with faster speed, or to talk a lot of information could be both ADHD and/or Aspergers, as the mind is racing, but sometimes too on great interests.

Yes, those with Aspergers have many special abilities Julian. It sounds to me you have that condition from all the things you said. If you combined this last message of yours with the two longer posts, I am pretty confident you have ADHD and Aspergers. For any medical verification of the latter, if you desire such one day, include all that information to them as you described. A competent doctor would know those two conditions can coexist. Certainly it looks like you have many of the components of Aspergers and ADHD, and both are present.

"Missed the boat on the Asperger's diagnosis," I like that. That only pushes me further into wanting an official diagnosis as it would provide peace of mind. I am going to make an attempt soon to combine those messages to the threads I've sent and have a clinical psychologist review everything and study me. It will probably drive my anxiety up a little but I've been trying to prepare myself for that day.

 

[JulianDG]

There will be lots of people that care here, so you came to the right place. Maybe you were depressed lately because of what you just you said, you have felt misunderstood, and felt confused where you belonged, and that there were signs and symptoms you had that seemed not able to be explained. But,
that is because many doctors can assume things and not look deeper. They may pick a few major traits out and assume a diagnosis, or if you lack a certain major trait rule some diagnosis out.

In my wife's case numerous doctors over twenty five years, just assumed because of her gender and some severe anxiety and depression signs that she had other conditions. Nobody got the ADHD diagnosis right, until her 9 hours of neuropsychological testing. In your case, it looks like they got the ADHD right, but missed the boat on the Aspergers, as the more you write and mention things, the more I feel you likely have likely Aspergers, too.

Our one high functioning child banged his head as a child too, as you mentioned in another message, and he loved repetitively watching dvds. He has a great memory as well. I suspect there are some narrowed interests things you hyperfocus on and will remember everything, which can be ADHD and Aspergers related, but there will be other things than you do not pay attention to because of cluttered thoughts and boredom, which is the hyperactive component.

The speaking a lot seems just because of that hyperactive mind, but your interests seem more like you find peace in passive activities, with mainly the interests narrowed with attention. I know it seems contradictory, as often Aspergers have that poor social skills component, and they say ADHD are often extroverts, but you may be more introverted based on your interests and activities discussed. The hyperactivity, and need to talk either to many, or with faster speed, or to talk a lot of information could be both ADHD and/or Aspergers, as the mind is racing, but sometimes too on great interests.

Yes, those with Aspergers have many special abilities Julian. It sounds to me you have that condition from all the things you said. If you combined this last message of yours with the two longer posts, I am pretty confident you have ADHD and Aspergers. For any medical verification of the latter, if you desire such one day, include all that information to them as you described. A competent doctor would know those two conditions can coexist. Certainly it looks like you have many of the components of Aspergers and ADHD, and both are present.

* Also I wanted to add, because I'm not sure it's common in terms of AS, but even as a child- to date, I still continue to isolate myself from a lot of people. Music as I mentioned is one of my many escapes and I also love to draw. It's always something in my interest field that I will draw too. Architecture and floor plans really give me a sense of elation in terms of interest. Nobody in my family understands it, and ironically it was my grandmother and sister whom suspected I may have Asperger's.

 

[JulianDG]

What happened to you is awful. The fact that you are only in your twenties and you can talk about it is amazing.

My husband got beaten a lot by his eight-year-older brother (from age six to fourteen, when he hit his brother very badly; that was the only way for him to stop).
He would hide in closets and cover his face begging his brother to, at least, not hit his face. The worst thing was that his mom was at home all the time, she would hear the screaming and do nothing.

My husband had to have a huge marital crisis to face his past. He was 39 at the time.

So I think you are in a very good path to recovery, being so much younger, and already courageous enough go face it.

Thank you. I needed that. I just can't understand even to this day that he's now on drugs and mom died when I was 10 (possible OD/murder as she was found taped up behind a motel). He even beat me for cutting, but he doesn't understand that has always been my way of dealing with the pain, mental and emotional stress. Yes, I am glad I'm finally stepping out too. I know I'll get the help I need eventually.

 

[Dadwith2Autisticsons]

"Missed the boat on the Asperger's diagnosis," I like that. That only pushes me further into wanting an official diagnosis as it would provide peace of mind. I am going to make an attempt soon to combine those messages to the threads I've sent and have a clinical psychologist review everything and study me. It will probably drive my anxiety up a little but I've been trying to prepare myself for that day.

"Missed the boat" is a somewhat common phrase that NT's understand, but for those that are literal like our oldest son, and as you indicated you had a literal side too, and as many other Aspies relate, it could be harder to understand what such weird phrases meant. For that phrase, I just meant I felt that the doctors were wrong in not diagnosing AS in you based on everything you mentioned about your signs and symptoms. I have to be more watchful in using idioms and phrases like that. But, yes, I recommend an evaluation as you mentioned, and for you to show him or her many of those things you told us. Good luck with that.

 

[Dadwith2Autisticsons]

* Also I wanted to add, because I'm not sure it's common in terms of AS, but even as a child- to date, I still continue to isolate myself from a lot of people. Music as I mentioned is one of my many escapes and I also love to draw. It's always something in my interest field that I will draw too. Architecture and floor plans really give me a sense of elation in terms of interest. Nobody in my family understands it, and ironically it was my grandmother and sister whom suspected I may have Asperger's.

Yes, lots with AS seem to prefer to be socially isolated. That is a very common sign. The activities you mentioned tend to show that. So, bring that up to the psychologist too. Otherwise he would have no way to know, but just judge unfairly based on your speech and any other signs and symptoms he sees. There are signs and symptoms, preferences, and needs that cannot be seen at office visits, so the need to tell the psychologist everything like that.

 

[JulianDG]

"Missed the boat" is a somewhat common phrase that NT's understand, but for those that are literal like our oldest son, and as you indicated you had a literal side too, and as many other Aspies relate, it could be harder to understand what such weird phrases meant. For that phrase, I just meant I felt that the doctors were wrong in not diagnosing AS in you based on everything you mentioned about your signs and symptoms. I have to be more watchful in using idioms and phrases like that. But, yes, I recommend an evaluation as you mentioned, and for you to show him or her many of those things you told us. Good luck with that.

LOL, you're fine. I'd just never heard it before. I do enjoy learning new things like that. Only problem is I get carried away at times a keep saying it over and over until I drive someone crazy. Thank you. I'm quite confident that I will get the diagnosis that will be needed in good time. My regular doctor is a PA so all she can do is refer me to someone rather than look herself. She too has recognized the symptoms in me. I've known her since her sister and my sister became friends. Ironically she lives right next to my dad. This forum is beyond amazing, I just can't get over it.

 

[JulianDG]

Yes, lots with AS seem to prefer to be socially isolated. That is a very common sign. The activities you mentioned tend to show that. So, bring that up to the psychologist too. Otherwise he would have no way to know, but just judge unfairly based on your speech and any other signs and symptoms he sees. There are signs and symptoms, preferences, and needs that cannot be seen at office visits, so the need to tell the psychologist everything like that.

Yes indeed, I will. I remember being about 4 or 5 going to a psychologist and they found it odd as to my interests. They watched me like a hawk. I remember playing with some sort of bulldozer type toy in his office but my focus was clearly set on that toy, lol.