Hello fellow forum users. I'm a 23-year old male from the U.S. A few doctors I've been to agree that I have Asperger's Syndrome, but since my parents weren't aware of the disorder when I was a child, I was never diagnosed. I have always been quiet, speaking only when spoken to most of the time unless I am comfortable enough with the person. I've never made many friends and even now I really don't have any. It's not like I don't want any, I just feel like no one is interested and I struggle to communicate well. I tend to feel very awkward after having a conversation with someone, repeating the conversation in my head to see if I said something wrong or to find out what I should of said instead.
I question though if I really do have Asperger's, or if they're just giving it to me as a label to explain why I'm so...."different". I do have some of the characteristics: I can have obsessions with certain parts of objects. I have a routine from day to day (like time to go to sleep) that if I break, it messes up everything. I'm also kind of OCD with clocks; If they're not set at the exact time it bothers me very much.
One question I do have. What exactly does it mean when they say people with Aspergers lack empathy? I like to think that I do have some of it. If someone is telling me a sad story, I can pick that up. If someone's face is red and their eyes are teary, I can detect that are sad. On the flip side, if someone is smiling, they are obviously happy. Is this what they mean, or am I misunderstanding?
Well, I think that's enough for now. Thanks for any comments, and have a good one.
15 Nov 2012, 12:45 am
