I am 25 years old and was diagnosed with Aspergers (or autism spectrum disorder) last summer. I was sitting in my psychiatrist's office and I felt the need to address a lifelong lacking of "common sense", particularly in a social context. He asked me if I have ever been tested for Asperger's and I said no; he then referred me to therapist who specializes in Aspergers. Following that appointment, I read a little of Tony Attwood's book and the symptoms were similar to my childhood experiences; I can remember my mom saying telling me "eye contact", "you can't keep thinking black and white", "you're obsessing" and "communication is 80% nonverbal." I grew up with typical aspergian social deficits, and a single track mind that worked like a big ship: once it gets going in a certain direction, it is hard to move into a different direction. The diagnosis was filled with self reflection and anxiety, and after 3 appointments and some questionnaires, I received the positive diagnosis, and it felt like a weight was lifted off of my shoulders although it has taken a while for me to completely accept; I tested well above the line in the cognitive and social area, and am borderline NT emotionally. This therapist works with me using CBT, and we have been addressing some life long struggles with people, perfectionism, black or white thinking, approach to goals, and risk taking. I would never have had this amount of self awareness and helpful resources without the diagnosis. Today I am a student in computer networks and am interning in the IT department of a community college, I hope to find a niche in the IT world for me and build up my social life which was somewhat put on "reset" after graduation from 4 year college. My special interests are sports and psychology: I closely follow the NBA and the Charlotte Bobcats, and Europeans soccer, my favorite club being Swansea City. I love personality psychology and am constantly educating myself on the autistic mind. Thanks for reading my post and look forward to reading yours.
Last edited by PaulHubert on 29 Mar 2014, 5:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
29 Mar 2014, 5:00 pm
Welcome ashore, fellow alien! 
