Turns out I don’t have AS

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Whoever you are, your living my dream =/

But after seriously evaluating myself over the last few months, I think that Social Anxiety Disorder could account for 90% of my 'aspergers'(read: Poor social skills that upgrade to normal the instant I become comfortable with the people around me), and the rest, by a subconcious desire 'to create worlds that I can fully control to make up for a lack of control in the real world' (The reason they say so many social misfits become programmers, which has nothing to do with AS), so who knows, perhaps I will be in your shoes one day.

I don't know.

I've met many girls who's brains seemed primed for programming and object orientated stuff. I think it's a "chicken and egg" scenario. Perhaps people bully others for their different style of thinking, that makes the person more reclusive in a vicious cycle.

There were issues such as difficulty with crowds, social anxiety, social difficulties, depression, be perceived unfairly by others as "cold".

Given the fact that I was informally assessed with AS at a young age and I identify so much with these girls, I really can't help but wonder. I was one of the rare ones that acted out, but I can definitely see similarities here even though I'm not an expert, it's not my imagination.

I'd like to stress that I'm thoroughly against shoving people into boxes and I hate labels with a passion.

I have intense interests and match a lot of the criteria.
I'd be burying my head in the sand if I didn't say that I had an object and detail orientated style of thinking, motor coordination issues, or that I didn't have social difficulties.

All the same, whether I've AS or not has been hotly debated by professionals.
Possibly due to the fact that I'm female.

Given the subjective nature of the assessment and the lack of a proper objective test, it really comes as no surprise to me that some people are diagnosed by Doctor X, but these same people would not be diagnosed by specialist Y.

Given there are also possibly NT/AS mixes out there too and anything in between, I'm not surprised people are confused.

Where's the cut off point?
If there is a cut off point, is it a cultural one rather than a physically measurable one?

Maybe we should start to do "peer diagnosis". well documented diagnosed Aspies should be able to do an Olympic style (ice skating) judge where multiple people rate/score you. Do a 90 minute interview or something

The only expets to me are those that have had a life time experience, well the only ones that really seem to get it right, those of us on the autism spectrum, a course does not make an expert and here in NZ they do not even feel a need to diagnose adults says it all really.. it's like sayaing its ok to be kept in the dark, how are we we undestand on how we impact on othes if others do not want, to know, turn there backs or just simply do not understand... I feel we are our own best judges.. listen to yourself and do some of the tests etc... http://asplanet.info/index.php?option=c ... &Itemid=63

If you have are social problems but none of the other symptoms (such as obsessive interests, stimming, hypersensory issues, etc.), you are probably right believing that you don't have AS. However, there is nothing to say that Social Anxiety Disorder is unrelated to AS.

Asperger's is a syndrome, and at its core, a syndrome is "a number of symptoms occurring together" (from the Online Etymology Dictionary). Technically, it follows that, if you have the requisite number and degree of symptoms of AS, you have AS.
It's not at all like diagnosing a disease where there is an objective test. For instance, if you were originally diagnosed with a cold but you actually had strep throat, a culture test would be able to definitively tell you that your original diagnosis was wrong. Long story short: it's not that cut and dry.

I believe that there is a difference between Asperger's as syndrome and Asperger's as disorder. A disorder significantly impairs someone, making it difficult to function on a daily basis. People who have AS may have developed very successful coping strategies that, IMO, no longer have a disorder.

It's further complicated by the fact that ASDs are considered to be developmental disorders. So what happens once you've more-or-less stopped developing (i.e., become an adult)? Maybe this is one reason that so little is known about undiagnosed adults with AS.

I think that many of us in the world (myself and a good chunk of us on this forum included) have (or had) symptoms that are very close to AS but, for whatever reason, likely wouldn't be diagnosed with it today. Maybe we were better at adapting at an early age, or we just didn't have the severity of a disorder. For me, at least, an official diagnosis wouldn't change anything.

Certainly no one is forcing you to stay, but no one is forcing you to go, either. Hang around if you like us. If not, that's fine, too.

I wolud say if you think you have AS then you should look into it perhaps get a dianoses but
it is'nt the end of the matter.
If the psychologist tells I don't have AS I will still class myself as it fits and I know myself.

The upside to the rediagnosis is that if all you have going on is Social Anxiety Disorder and depression, both are treatable - if the symptoms cause you enough distress that you wish to be rid of them, of course. My wife has both Major Depressive Disorder and Anxiety Disorder - the depression has responded well to Paxil, and the anxiety can be kept in check with occasional doses of alprazolam (due to its addictive nature, she prefers not to take it unless she thinks she needs it). An even better medication for anxiety, in her case at least, has been marijuana, but as this is difficult and often illegal to obtain, she doesn't use it often.

Given the dangers inherent in any medications, I'd make sure you've gotten at least two opinions from qualified professionals before starting any treatment regimens - and of course, even if it turns out the new doc is right, you're still welcome here; you've experienced enough of what life is like on the spectrum that you're an insider now.

i love this guy! please come to the UK & talk to my doctors.. well no pressure but i think you know what i mean..?
good stuff.

I love how you put that!

What you can try is whatever this specialists suggests and see if it gets the results you want. If what she suggests doesn't work you can get a second opinion on the diagnosis. My guess if she thinks you are anxious and depressed she is Rxing something for both of those so you can try that and see if it works and if it doesn't get a second opinion.

Click on the fish. It would tell you that I'm not a "guy."
But anyway, I can't get them to listen to me at home. Not much point in taking it on the road. I'm invisible, inaudible...