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sithwitch
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22 Jul 2018, 11:14 am

Greetings are so awkward, but here I go:

I'm 33 and do not have an official diagnoses. I'm also transgender. In therapy, perhaps I haven't dove deep enough or communicated effectively enough for any therapist to get past the obvious diagnoses: depression and gender dysphoria. Until recently, I dismissed the suspicion of having ASD/Asperger's simply because I didn't view my experiences as exactly matching the criteria. I think the moment that started changing is when I watched several recordings of Tony Attwood and heard him describe "I don't know"; a phrase that I use on a near daily basis. I always struggle, especially in the moment, to identify, understand and then communicate my thoughts, feelings, and emotions. The last few months I've just been consuming any youtube video I come across and relating a lot to the experiences of other women who are on the spectrum. I've started broaching the topic with my therapist, but she isn't well versed in the area. I'm considering seeing someone that a friend of mine went to to get their diagnosis.

Not sure what else to say, so I'll end it here for now :D



isloth
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22 Jul 2018, 12:05 pm

Welcome Sithwitch!

Keep in mind that you don't have to necessarily perfectly fit all the criteria, that ASD can manifest itself differently in everyone. It seems that in women, specifically, it can often go undiagnosed, perhaps because it is less studied. But there are, nonetheless, some great resources about the experiences of women on the spectrum out there. I know Atwood has a whole section specifically about it, there's also books like Aspergirls, and numerous blogs, and of course this forum.

I believe what you described is called alexithymia, it is indeed a common issue for people on the Spectrum. I personally struggle understanding emotions a lot as well, that can often be the reason why it can be difficult to arrive at a diagnosis.

I think seeing someone who is more specialized in it is the right move, hopefully you will also find some useful info on these forums as well. :) I wish you the best of luck in your journey of self-discovery!


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sithwitch
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Joined: 22 Jul 2018
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Location: Wisconsin

22 Jul 2018, 12:41 pm

Thanks isloth! Aspergirls has been on my list of books I'd like to read, I might need to push it up the queue a bit. I've been finding a lot of great resources. Also, You'd think someone familiar with the gender spectrum would recognize sooner that ASD might be just as diverse, but go figure ¯\_(ツ)_/¯



AnonymousAnonymous
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22 Jul 2018, 2:28 pm

Welcome to Wrong Planet! :D


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LoneLoyalWolf
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31 Jul 2018, 1:09 pm

Welcome sithwitch!

Good thing to go look for someone with more knowledge about autism. Wish you much luck and strength in this journey of discovery.

Hope you enjoy the forum!


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kazanscube
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08 Aug 2018, 12:07 pm

Hello & Welcome sithwitch, may your journey here be a most thoughtful one


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green0star
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10 Aug 2018, 4:09 pm

Welcome to the fun house xD

I remember reading an article about autistic trans folk. And I know someone else from here who is also trans and in process of transitioning (: Good luck with it :P