Greetings from the North

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Hello

I suppose I should begin my journey here with an introduction- easier said than done. My name is Stefanie, and I am from Britain but live in Canada. I'm sixteen years old and have been formally diagnosed with agoraphobia, anxiety disorders and depression, but I have come to believe that at the base of my 'problems' lies Asperger's Syndrome. The psychiatrist I have dealt with in the past was very brash, and I very timid- I feel misdiagnosis was likely in said situation. As such, I would like to hear the opinions of others on this board regarding my symptoms.

As said, I am 16 years old and in the middle (or rather a standstill) of my high school years. I've been forced by my anxiety to arrange part-time, homeschooling classes at the moment. I am quite intelligent, as recognized since I was young, and have always excelled in my school work- up til now. My anxiety has overpowered my life since I began high school, and as a result, I've fallen into a depression. The only light in my life at the moment is my animals.

I am also completely consumed by what has come to be known as my 'obsession'- my 'special topic', if you will. For me, this is breeds of horses and dogs. By the time I was three, I could, alphabetically, recite the names, standards and typical traits of over 100 different breeds of dogs. It has since progressed to horses and additional work in colour-genetics.

I have no one (besides my parents) whom I would consider friends. I have a strong distaste towards social gatherings and the responsibility that comes with relationships. I am completely asexual and aromantic. Even as a child, I would lose myself in a fantasy world rather than play with other children. I have terrible motor skills when it comes to sports, and am not the least bit athletic. I also despise competitive activities such as games or contests. I am routine based to the minute- I wake up at 6:18 am and have my daily preparations planned out just as precisely. I become a wreck when my schedule is disrupted without notice, and I hate having spontaneous activities/day-trips planned for me.

I also have some odd habits which I have picked up over the years- I obsessively chew items such as plastic bottle tops, straws and the necklines of shirts. I also tend to be extremely sensitive to loud noises and bright colours.

...So, does this sound anything like AS to anyone? Or is it perhaps something else? Either way, I appreciate the time and effort everyone puts into their posts here. I'm certain I will enjoy my stay here in the Wrong Planet online community.

Welcome to WrongPlanet!

Welcome!

Welcome!

You sound like you might very well have AS. I am undiagnosed myself, but I strongly suspect I have it, as my dad does. Similar to your knowledge of horses, I was obsessed with dinosaurs as a kid, and I had all of the species and their traits all memorized as a kid. I can relate to you on the anxiety part- I had it pretty bad as a kid, but I've noticed it has started to lessen as I've learned various coping mechanisms, though mine is mainly related to social anxiety. Anxiety is no fun.

There's a pretty decent online quiz that takes an inventory of your aspie traits and NT traits and gives you a score:

http://www.rdos.net/eng/Aspie-quiz.php

There's also a thread in the members only discussion where people have been posting their scores. I found it very interesting to read through them. I myself got 136 aspie and 77 NT.

Welcome to Wrong Planet!

To WrongPlanet!! !

Welkome to WrongPlanet.

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