New here

[hoeffelt]

Im new here. Hope to meet new people and learn more about aspbergers. I think I have mild aspbergers but am not sure, it seems like the more time passes that i become more convinced. If i were to get a professional diagnosis I would probs be depressed for months. If i don't get a diagnosis it will most likely drive me insane from not knowing for sure and living a life as if I have something that turns out i don't have is probs not a good thing to do. What is you're opinion? Is it beneficial to seek a diagnosis and slap a label on yourself or is it negative and limiting? Don't know any aspies in person.

 

[wyverary]

Welcome! Whether it is useful to seek a diagnosis is dependent on two things:

1) Do you think it will open up services that you could take advantage of? (I know it did for me.)
2) If you are already doing ok, is the price of an evaluation worth simple peace of mind?

As far as labels go, I think you'll find in your stay here that Aspergers can mean many things, and there is at least as much variation amongst the autism population as there is in the population in general.

In any case, I hope you'll find some kindred spirits here.

wyv

 

[hoeffelt]

What do you mean by services? Is there anything that can even be done to help with aspbergers? From the little i have read it isn't curable.

 

[Datura]

Asperger's isn't curable, but depending on where you live there may be supports avaliable to help people with Asperger's get by. This can range from funding, to public housing, counceling, acedmic accomodations, and social skills training. My understanding, however, is that supports for adults are fairly scant unless that individual is significantly impaired by their condition. I would suggest you seek out local austism and Asperger's organizations to find out what programs are avaliable in your area and if they might be of benefit to you.

I might also add that there is no sense in getting depressed over an Asperger's diagnosis. Emotions are irrational things, yes, but whatever difficulties you are experiencing exist regarless of what diagnosis you do or do not have. Aquiring an acurite diagnosis would simply give you more information with which to addapt to your environment.

 

[hoeffelt]

Asperger's isn't curable, but depending on where you live there may be supports avaliable to help people with Asperger's get by. This can range from funding, to public housing, counceling, acedmic accomodations, and social skills training. My understanding, however, is that supports for adults are fairly scant unless that individual is significantly impaired by their condition. I would suggest you seek out local austism and Asperger's organizations to find out what programs are avaliable in your area and if they might be of benefit to you.

I might also add that there is no sense in getting depressed over an Asperger's diagnosis. Emotions are irrational things, yes, but whatever difficulties you are experiencing exist regarless of what diagnosis you do or do not have. Aquiring an acurite diagnosis would simply give you more information with which to addapt to your environment.

i would say these are a few things I noticed through the years, which make me think i may have it. Would you say I have a good reasoning for suspecting it?

1. inability to socialize in groups, anymore than just 1 on 1. Can't really look at people in the eyes when talking. Can't start/keep conversations going very well, unless the other person is hypersocial. Not many friends throughout my life, mainly only 3 close friends at each point of my life. They tend to be younger or older than me. I often would talk to my teachers more than i would talk to my classmates.

2. I have issues with zoning out of the world and like going into my own head and thinking deeply and randomly snapping out of it.

3. Issues with clothing, seams and tags drive me insane, especially the front corners of socks.

4. When nervous, upset, bored I bounce my leg/foot up and down when sitting. I twist my hair and crack my knuckles and each individual finger repetitively. Which i think are what people call stims.... I used to only do the hair twisting but overheard people saying stuff about it when I was in high school "idk why he does that, its so weird, it would be fine if it was a girl doing it but....." so i cut my hair short enough to where i couldn't do it and started the finger cracking and leg bouncing which people don't really pay attention to as much.

5. I have had obsessive interests throughout my life. Right now its plants/nature/gardening. I absorb information about this topic and can just vomit it out onto people. Some people actually think its kool when I first start talking about it but than I can tell they begin to get bored and ignore me. :/ it tends to be the main thing i talk about because i really suck at starting conversations so i default to it.

 

[Cosmophylla]

Hi, hoeffelt, welcome to AC from a fellow nature/gardening/plants obsessive.

 

[hoeffelt]

Hi, hoeffelt, welcome to AC from a fellow nature/gardening/plants obsessive.

ay! Awesome! So what type of gardening do you do? I grow a lot of carrots, lettuce. Garlic and potatoes. I also like growing native plants/wild flowers, and fruits. I graft apple trees and all. Also enjoy foraging for wild edibles.

^ wild sundew plant (carnivorous plant) as well as an apple graft healing up and some pics of carrots i grew.

 

[Cosmophylla]

ay! Awesome! So what type of gardening do you do? I grow a lot of carrots, lettuce. Garlic and potatoes. I also like growing native plants/wild flowers, and fruits. I graft apple trees and all. Also enjoy foraging for wild edibles.
^ wild sundew plant (carnivorous plant) as well as an apple graft healing up and some pics of carrots i grew.

Hey, I love sundews! What species is that? My favourite local one (in the Mount Lofty Ranges, South Australia) is Drosera whittakeri.

I also love productive gardening. This spring I've got bumper harvests of Rainier cherries and redcurrants, and my tomatoes are setting fruit nicely. And I've got so much garlic all over the place.

And I love ornamental gardening with exotic, native and indigenous plants. I really enjoy experimenting with shaping plants, like topiary but not so strictly controlled. I also try to follow the general principles of permaculture in my garden, taking advantage of shade and sun and creating microclimates where I can.

 

[hoeffelt]

Hey, I love sundews! What species is that? My favourite local one (in the Mount Lofty Ranges, South Australia) is Drosera whittakeri.

I also love productive gardening. This spring I've got bumper harvests of Rainier cherries and redcurrants, and my tomatoes are setting fruit nicely. And I've got so much garlic all over the place.

And I love ornamental gardening with exotic, native and indigenous plants. I really enjoy experimenting with shaping plants, like topiary but not so strictly controlled. I also try to follow the general principles of permaculture in my garden, taking advantage of shade and sun and creating microclimates where I can.

(ETA: not sure if the sundew image is showing...it isn't for me right now so I'll check later. )

Drosera intermedia or drosera rotundifolia.

orange fringed orchid

I also am unable to see your photo.

 

[Rocco]

Welcome aboard

When I became aware of
The possibility of actually having Aspergers, it was imperative to me to find out the truth. I don't see it as a label, as much as an accurate assessment and valuable information tool. Knowing oneself enough to recognize strengths and weakness' is quite useful for me. For an analogy, you can't "bake a cake, without all the ingredients and instructions."

Best wishes.

 

[hoeffelt]

Welcome aboard

When I became aware of
The possibility of actually having Aspergers, it was imperative to me to find out the truth. I don't see it as a label, as much as an accurate assessment and valuable information tool. Knowing oneself enough to recognize strengths and weakness' is quite useful for me. For an analogy, you can't "bake a cake, without all the ingredients and instructions."

Best wishes.
View attachment 21990

Rocco, with the above list I mentioned the 5th post from the top, do you think its a possibility. I just don't want to be diagnosing myself and waisting the time to get tested by a professional just to find out that i don't have it.

 

[Rocco]

Rocco, with the above list I mentioned the 5th post from the top, do you think its a possibility. I just don't want to be diagnosing myself and waisting the time to get tested by a professional just to find out that i don't have it.

It could very well be that you have it. Are you in any kind of therapy or counseling? Finding and talking to a professional can be very helpful, Even if these things are just a form of anxiety.

I went a psychiatrist and a psychologist, both of whom did not "see any autism,' but I requested a referral to a specialist anyhow.
He picked up on it right away.

I can honestly say getting the official diagnosis was cause enough for me to celebrate. I was relieved to finally know exactly what is so different about me. And to know it was not something I would consider "worse."

Unless you are prone to hypochondria, your quest for knowledge and understanding has brought you this far, guided you here... Why not go all the way?

It is my opinion that you should NOT feel guilty, bad, or reluctant in any way about getting professional help and or a diagnosis. "Knowledge is power"

 

[Cosmophylla]

Drosera intermedia or drosera rotundifolia. orange fringed orchid

I also am unable to see your photo.

Fixed it. Had a dodgy link.

 

[hoeffelt]

It could very well be that you have it. Are you in any kind of therapy or counseling? Finding and talking to a professional can be very helpful, Even if these things are just a form of anxiety.

I went a psychiatrist and a psychologist, both of whom did not "see any autism,' but I requested a referral to a specialist anyhow.
He picked up on it right away.

I can honestly say getting the official diagnosis was cause enough for me to celebrate. I was relieved to finally know exactly what is so different about me. And to know it was not something I would consider "worse."

Unless you are prone to hypochondria, your quest for knowledge and understanding has brought you this far, guided you here... Why not go all the way?

It is my opinion that you should NOT feel guilty, bad, or reluctant in any way about getting professional help and or a diagnosis. "Knowledge is power"

Nope, never been to any counselor and only therapy that i know of that i went to is speech therapy up to like age 8 or 9 than switched schools and they offered it to me from like 8th to 11th grade. I wouldn't even know where to start. What is the process like? Do they just ask a few questions and say "ya, you have aspergers" or is it drawn out? Is it expensive? I kind of want to keep my family out of it, i still live with my parents and on their insurance. I tend to try to close myself off to the people i know ill be around the rest of my life. I let people into my life whom i know I can just stop being around and dont have to see again because i know when they figure out that im different it wont matter what they think if they reject me or accept me I can just stop being around them if it gets strange. Ya know what i mean. I just kinda want to be normal or treated as normal, ya know and I dont want family treating me different if they found out I went to get tested... :/ Although for all i know my family probs already might know I have it.

 

[hoeffelt]

Hey, I love sundews! What species is that? My favourite local one (in the Mount Lofty Ranges, South Australia) is Drosera whittakeri.

I also love productive gardening. This spring I've got bumper harvests of Rainier cherries and redcurrants, and my tomatoes are setting fruit nicely. And I've got so much garlic all over the place.

And I love ornamental gardening with exotic, native and indigenous plants. I really enjoy experimenting with shaping plants, like topiary but not so strictly controlled. I also try to follow the general principles of permaculture in my garden, taking advantage of shade and sun and creating microclimates where I can.

Wow much bigger flowers than the ones from here in ohio in the united states. I like the red color of the ones here but the flowers of those. Hybridization time haha I probs would try it too if I had both types.