Page 2 of 2 [ 28 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2

Elian93
Butterfly
Butterfly

Joined: 17 Jan 2019
Age: 32
Gender: Female
Posts: 14
Location: Canada

18 Jan 2019, 3:08 am

SaveFerris wrote:
Have you done the Aspie Quiz , it can be a good indicator - it was for me.

https://rdos.net/eng/Aspie-quiz.php


Thank you! I just did the quiz. It says that i am very likely to be neurodiverse/aspie.



Elian93
Butterfly
Butterfly

Joined: 17 Jan 2019
Age: 32
Gender: Female
Posts: 14
Location: Canada

18 Jan 2019, 3:10 am

BTDT wrote:
I think this forum will allow you to retract a post if you think it is in the wrong spot, so you can cut and paste it somewhere else. And you can edit/retract posts a long time after it has posted if nobody has responded to it.


Thank you very much! I deleted it :)



ASPartOfMe
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 25 Aug 2013
Age: 68
Gender: Male
Posts: 39,637
Location: Long Island, New York

18 Jan 2019, 3:53 am

As has been mentioned you have many of the traits associated with autism. I have noticed that people react in different ways to this realization. Some are content to believe they are or probably are autistic and move on with their life with this new understanding. Others need validation of their suspicions by a professional. If you have not figured out your needs in this regard you probably should.

I am not sure how it works in Canada a professional diagnosis may make you eligible for benifits and possibly accomidations if sometime in the future you go to work.


_________________
“Self Acceptance is a process not a performance”
“You are autistic enough. And you always have been”

Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity.


Elian93
Butterfly
Butterfly

Joined: 17 Jan 2019
Age: 32
Gender: Female
Posts: 14
Location: Canada

18 Jan 2019, 6:18 am

jimmy m wrote:
As someone else on this thread has said "We are not qualified to provide a diagnosis of your condition."

Having said that, it sounds like you have many of the traits of an Aspie (someone with Asperger's Syndrome now called High Functioning Autistic).

If you search the internet, you may find some on-line test to confirm this.

Also female Aspies have different traits than male Aspies, and you might understand the differences.

When you said
Quote:
Also when socializing, or rather after, i will come home and replay conversations in my head, sometimes even out loud (if no one is around) and think about all the things i should've said differently or wondering if i offended someone. I remake the faces i made in conversation and look in the mirror and see if they looked normal or too dramatic. Small talk is the worst. I have a set list of things that i ask if small talk comes up, and if i get to the end of that list... i just go blank.
That is one of the traits of female Aspies. They tend to psychoanalyze themselves to the tenth degree.

Quote:
I just feel like im being fake most of the time. Constantly trying to fit in. i feel so fake.. and just super conscious of everything around me all the time. Its exhausting.
This is called masking. It is very common in female Aspies and some males.

Finding comfort in repeating things (such as watching the same movie over and over again) is another Aspie trait. I like one music CD and I play it all the time when I am driving. My wife hates it, so I switch the channel over to the radio when she is in the car.

Most but not all Aspies are introverts. But that is nothing to be ashamed of - over half the people in the world are introverts and they do just fine.

Quote:
I feel stressed when the things i planned to happen, don't happen.
Aspies like routine and feel great anxiety when routine is broken or plans break down.

Also here is another recommendation. There are a number of YouTube videos on the internet by female Aspies. I suggest you watch a few. They will go into greater detail from an Aspie female perspective.



Thank you so much. This has been so helpful. I really appreciate you taking the time to respond to me with such great detail. It helps me a lot.



Elian93
Butterfly
Butterfly

Joined: 17 Jan 2019
Age: 32
Gender: Female
Posts: 14
Location: Canada

18 Jan 2019, 6:23 am

ASPartOfMe wrote:
As has been mentioned you have many of the traits associated with autism. I have noticed that people react in different ways to this realization. Some are content to believe they are or probably are autistic and move on with their life with this new understanding. Others need validation of their suspicions by a professional. If you have not figured out your needs in this regard you probably should.

I am not sure how it works in Canada a professional diagnosis may make you eligible for benifits and possibly accomidations if sometime in the future you go to work.


Thank you very much! You are right, I need to decide if i want a diagnosis and if that might provide some fort of benefit for me in the future... even if just for the sake of knowing.
And we do have some benefits for ASD, but i believe it depends on the severity of the affects on the individual. I do believe if I am on the spectrum at all that I am fairly high functioning. I do think i could benefit from some counselling perhaps? But couldn't we all? :)



StarThrower
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker

Joined: 22 May 2018
Age: 72
Gender: Male
Posts: 59

18 Jan 2019, 8:12 am

A formal diagnosis can be a very helpful , validating experience for you , it was for me . High functioning is a measure of how well you have adapted your behavior to be acceptable and make others feel comfortable . Don't invalidate yourself by thinking your autism is 'mild ' or less than others . Autism is autism , we all respond to it in our own unique way , that's why it's called a spectrum . Self awareness is vital to living with this neurological condition and if you find a therapist that can help you with this , consider yourself fortunate . For me , the best benefit was simply knowing that I was on the spectrum , not knowing kicked my butt .



ASPartOfMe
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 25 Aug 2013
Age: 68
Gender: Male
Posts: 39,637
Location: Long Island, New York

18 Jan 2019, 11:11 am

StarThrower wrote:
High functioning is a measure of how well you have adapted your behavior to be acceptable and make others feel comfortable . Don't invalidate yourself by thinking your autism is 'mild ' or less than others . Autism is autism , we all respond to it in our own unique way , that's why it's called a spectrum . Self awareness is vital to living with this neurological condition and if you find a therapist that can help you with this , consider yourself fortunate.


^^^^
This


_________________
“Self Acceptance is a process not a performance”
“You are autistic enough. And you always have been”

Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity.


Elian93
Butterfly
Butterfly

Joined: 17 Jan 2019
Age: 32
Gender: Female
Posts: 14
Location: Canada

18 Jan 2019, 2:24 pm

StarThrower wrote:
A formal diagnosis can be a very helpful , validating experience for you , it was for me . High functioning is a measure of how well you have adapted your behavior to be acceptable and make others feel comfortable . Don't invalidate yourself by thinking your autism is 'mild ' or less than others . Autism is autism , we all respond to it in our own unique way , that's why it's called a spectrum . Self awareness is vital to living with this neurological condition and if you find a therapist that can help you with this , consider yourself fortunate . For me , the best benefit was simply knowing that I was on the spectrum , not knowing kicked my butt .


Thank you very much ! This comment is very encouraging and that is how i feel. Like I've just adapted myself to fit in (mostly) with society.
I will start looking into how to proceed with a formal diagnosis. :)



Amity
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 22 Mar 2014
Gender: Female
Posts: 7,714
Location: Meandering

18 Jan 2019, 5:27 pm

There isn't really a way to know from a description, but for what it's worth, the traits you mentioned are ASD-like.
After a few years of considering the idea and researching Autism I decided that I was likely to be somewhere on the spectrum; part of the process was reflecting on self observations and those of people close to me (other people's perception of us is a key aspect of diagnosis), allowing for variables that alter perception e.g. Anxiety, bias etc.
When I had the means, I went to a Psychologist specialising in ASD (in particular female presentation), but that was the decision that was right for me. :)



plokijuh
Toucan
Toucan

Joined: 19 Dec 2017
Gender: Female
Posts: 251

18 Jan 2019, 8:29 pm

I personally think professional diagnosis is important. In saying that, it's not a judgment on those who don't (or can't) get one. I was very lucky to find a psychologist who was knowledgeable about autism and was able to see me for free, and I can definitely understand how your personal history complicates things. BUT if you find a good professional, there should be work arounds, e.g. behavioural and school reports, any other reports from social workers etc. you may have seen along the way. And husbands often have very good insight into their wives. E.g. I answered my psychologist that I thought I understood sarcasm well and that I never flap my hands etc. My husband was like, no way!

For me it was important to have a professional diagnosis as I was teetering on a breakdown and need significant help with life and accommodations in life. I've 'coped' with life until kids but barely participating (working or studying only part time and just living on very little), but having kids has meant I'm pushed beyond my limits and need help, because I want to learn to live a normal life, have a job and balance all the pieces. Now I can see that with help that will be possible.


_________________
Diagnosed ASD

AQ: 42 (Scores in the 33-50 range indicate significant Austistic traits)
RAADS-R: 165
RDOS: Your neurodiverse (Aspie) score: 159 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 44 of 200
You are very likely neurodiverse (Aspie)


Elian93
Butterfly
Butterfly

Joined: 17 Jan 2019
Age: 32
Gender: Female
Posts: 14
Location: Canada

18 Jan 2019, 8:52 pm

Amity wrote:
There isn't really a way to know from a description, but for what it's worth, the traits you mentioned are ASD-like.
After a few years of considering the idea and researching Autism I decided that I was likely to be somewhere on the spectrum; part of the process was reflecting on self observations and those of people close to me (other people's perception of us is a key aspect of diagnosis), allowing for variables that alter perception e.g. Anxiety, bias etc.
When I had the means, I went to a Psychologist specialising in ASD (in particular female presentation), but that was the decision that was right for me. :)


Thank you! The people closest to me agree that there are things about me that they've always thought were "different" and that they agree that i should proceed with getting a proper diagnosis.



Elian93
Butterfly
Butterfly

Joined: 17 Jan 2019
Age: 32
Gender: Female
Posts: 14
Location: Canada

18 Jan 2019, 8:54 pm

plokijuh wrote:
I personally think professional diagnosis is important. In saying that, it's not a judgment on those who don't (or can't) get one. I was very lucky to find a psychologist who was knowledgeable about autism and was able to see me for free, and I can definitely understand how your personal history complicates things. BUT if you find a good professional, there should be work arounds, e.g. behavioural and school reports, any other reports from social workers etc. you may have seen along the way. And husbands often have very good insight into their wives. E.g. I answered my psychologist that I thought I understood sarcasm well and that I never flap my hands etc. My husband was like, no way!

For me it was important to have a professional diagnosis as I was teetering on a breakdown and need significant help with life and accommodations in life. I've 'coped' with life until kids but barely participating (working or studying only part time and just living on very little), but having kids has meant I'm pushed beyond my limits and need help, because I want to learn to live a normal life, have a job and balance all the pieces. Now I can see that with help that will be possible.


Thank you for sharing with me. Seeing thia is encouraging to move forward. And also you are right about asking social workers and schools. That's a good idea.