ADD - AS?

Post Reply New Topic

Hi,

I am diagnosed with ADD, but think I might have aspergers also or instead.
I have some traits that seem to be more aspergers than ADD.


These are some of my traits that seem a bit aspie-like:

stimming: I have some stimming things, like drumming fingers, fidgeting, pulling off skin and examining it (I'm very spotty because of that. I am trying to give it up), pressure-seeking.

difficulty multitasking: E.g. when washing the dishes, I can either wash the dishes or talk, but find it hard to do both at the same time. I do house-work things very slowly and tend to get into a trance-like state, where I will be staring intently at whatever I'm working with.

very slow-moving in general

bad social skills. I feel compassion for people but am not good with expressing it. I have odd reactions to things. For example, if someone says to me that they have a new boyfriend or some other exciting news, I have no idea what to say in reply - I have a tendancy to just take it on board as a new fact about the person, even though I want to be supportive of them, caring, etc. But I do feel compassion for people who are treated unfairly.

I have lots of phobias, e.g. of the phone. I don't like answering it unless I know who is on the other end. If I need to ring someone, I will spend an hour or two going over the possible directions the conversation might take. Then I need to have a rest afterwards.

I am very cut off from society at the moment. I used to go out more, but I tended to be silent most of the time and to be trying to figure out what I was meant to be doing or saying. I would often have a comfort item that I would take with me and sort of hide behind, or use it as my means of communicating with others.

I find it hard to converse with others because I lose focus very quickly and don't take in what others are saying. I seem to have this default setting of honing in on the inanimate things in the environment, so it takes a lot of energy to stay connected with other people in a conversation.

I don't have all that many emotional outbursts, but I do get sensory overload - mostly only if I'm in crowds though, or if people are trying to hurry me.

I usually don't like to make eye-contact because I find it uncomfortable. When I do make eye-contact, I will be thinking so much about it that I can't take anything else in (unless the person is someone I know well, then it is easier).

-am very indecissive

-poor social memory: can't remember birthdays, names, what I've already said to certain people, what they've already said to me.

-tend to be repetitive: repeat the same question without taking in the answer and over-use certain words.

-I don't like surprises. I do like Christmas, but am a bit scared of it, because of opening presents when I don't know what is inside of them.

-bad at organisation

-I tend to organise things in excessive detail, making me very slow. When I don't have time to do that, I get very disorganised, lose things, arrive late, get extremely stressed, etc.

-I like making tables of information, and cataloguing things.

-am OCD-prone and have anxiety and depression




Although, I don't have:

-routines: I find it too hard to set them up.

-difficulties with metaphores. I do take things more literally than most people do, I don't get the social meaning of things and have difficulty with sarcasm, but I don't have difficulties with metaphor.

-scrupulous honesty: I am capable of lying (though am not good at it, and I can be overly honest sometimes)

I do have some obsessive interests, but I also have lots of different interests: I like learning information on practically anything (as long as it isn't to do with maths). I have a few very intense interests which seem to be alternate (like I'll focus on one for a few months, then will switch to another).

If you got down this far, thanks for reading.
Do you think I might have AS or is this ADD, or neither?

-Cheers,
msekko

there was another poll option that said "not enough information" but it got cut off.

i dunno,

but i was diagnosed as ADD and put on ritalin for ages, before they come to the AS idea...

jammie

i was DX'ed ADD... changed to aspergers.........

whatever.......

you sound like both

you don't need everything... I understand sarcasm most of the time. My dad is a very sarcastic person and i would have to understand to grow up with him.

I can lie, too. but it makes me feel horrible.

if you had all the AS traits.....

I've always been an Aspie, never been any doubt!

you're both I think because AS and be in combintion with other condictions like ADD.

I got a diagnosis ADD (without hyperactivity) first, then it changed to AS. But I may have both. I don't know. My sister has ADHD. I think I might have looked like ADD because I probably have mild depressions.