introducing ET syndrome

[zylon]

Hello Aspie Central,
Does anyone here identify with the following?:
I have been officially and consistently diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome or Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) . However, I have also consistently felt that I was totally misunderstood by all therapists, that many answers I give in survey tests are very misleading, and that testing results are very wrong.
All tests are based on certain assumptions, and in my case many of those assumptions do not hold. All that I have read about ASD seemed way off the mark as far as describing me. However, the nature of the DSM causes people like me to be classified ASD by default. ASD is by far the closest category to me which is in the DSM, but it would be very misleading to consider me ASD.
Therefore, I introduce a new classification for people who are very much not NT, but feel misunderstood by ASD.
This is "ET" (extra-terrestrial) syndrome, defined by:
1. profound social incompatibility due to differences in almost every psychological realm,
2.Psychological tests give the wrong results, and
3. The condition is inborn, stable, and represent the person's true self, and
4. When reading about ASD, they react by saying, "no, that's not me at all".
If you feel that ET syndrome applies to you better than ASD, please let me know.
Zylon

 

[King_Oni]

At times I guess I fall under this category more than ASD, heh.

I said it once (not sure if it's on this forum or another one), but I actually think that I ended up with AS because that was the closest they had. As much as I can understand a lot of issues people on this forum have, and can identify with some myself, there is enough where I wonder how much I am like them. But let's not forget that AS is a spectrum.

If I look at tests, even online tests, there is plenty of which I think, yeah, this is me, but I find answers ambiguous and it makes me wonder if AS actually is the outermost "condition" on the spectrum or if we can go past that.

Add in that a lot of tests to diagnose never question why you behave the way you do. I might have totally different reasons why I act the way I do compared to others (even aspies).

I will add that I've had a lot of odd results on psychological tests in the past, leading to many near misdiagnosis. Makes me wonder if they were wrong after all, or if I'm just a bit odd in general and might actually have motivations that make sense to me, but don't make a lick of sense to any professional

 

[zylon]

...But let's not forget that AS is a spectrum....it makes me wonder if AS actually is the outermost "condition" on the spectrum or if we can go past that....or if I'm just a bit odd in general.......

Hello King_Oni,
Even a "spectrum" has limits. I think "spectrum" only refers to variations in the intensity of factors, not the factors themselves.
I am definitely not related to ASD in an "outer" way; my condition is severe and deep. I am not just "a bit odd", I am profoundly odd. My difference from ASD is not one of degree, but one of type. My core defect is one of interface with the world itself, not just the social part. I cannot get involved with the physical environment; I am not oriented to the "doing" part of life, I never had any interest in games or conflict or the "do this then do that" aspect of life. Thus finding what to talk to people about is a problem; we just have different interests. But I cannot get involved in the physical world; I cannot get a job, or go to school (even though I am very intelligent), or drive a car, or live on my own, etc. I can, and very much are willing and able, to get deeply involved in a human relationship, as long as that person does not demand worldly ( or sexual) activities from me, I like that person, and I am allowed to be their friend. I can be a very good friend, but I cannot BECOME a friend.....therefore, I am a stranger, and I don't know how to be a stranger. Being a stranger involves worldly interaction much more than being a friend does. This, to me, seems very anti-Asperger to me, at least how I understand it.
Of the "ET spectrum", I will call myself "Brain in a Jar syndrome".
Zylon