Do AS adults accumulate multiple/several "obsessions&qu

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I seem to have done so, though a lot of them are really branches from the one root obsession, but now I wonder if the multiplicity of obsessions actually disqualifies them as proper "obsessions" and I wonder what differentiates those from typical NT interests. They certainly all occupy a huge amount of braintime...

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I don't know what the demarcation between interest and obsession is or how many sub-interests are inconsistent with Aspergers. My question is prompted by what I have read seemingly implying that Aspies do only one thing all the time in all their free time. I have about 4 things I spend a lot of time thinking about now, 2 of them are continuing interests from childhood. I'm not sure how this fits my diagnosis.

My impression is that different authors and/or diagnostic criteria have different interpretations.

Lorna Wing wrote about "intensely interested in one or two subjects, such as astronomy, geology, the history of the steam train, the genealogy of royalty, bus time-tables, prehistoric monsters, or the characters in a television serial, to the exclusion of all else" (bold mine).

Gillberg also talks the "one or two" thing, and even stresses that usually the interest in one thing does not generate an interest in related fields (style being interested in the life of Marie Antoniette but not in the History of France).

The ICD and specially the DSM seems to have a broader definition of "narrow interest". Comparing Gillberg, ICD and DSM.

Gillberg:

I'm pretty sure that vast majority of people with AS have wider or more interests than described by Lorna Wing and Gilberg. In my opinion the interests aren't so much as restricted as focused, they go deeper into narrower area.

Bear in mind that the criteria are generally written from a child's perspective. You might have an all encompassing obsession with space, dinosaurs, trains or some other specific thing when you are 7, but as you age the nature and type of interests will change. So your interests at 12 and 24 will look very different. An obsessive interest at 24 could be doctorate level study.

I guess the difference between nt and aspie behaviour might be the extent. I'm still obsessed by computing at age 33, my work is computing, therefore I might spend many more hours than nessassary working. To me it's not work, 15 years into my career and it doesn't feel like a job yet. I don't think it ever will.

Other possible differences are that my social contacts generally revolves around my interests. All my friends - ever - have had some involvement to my interests. If the interest wanes the friendship evaporates.

I do pick up new interests, but it's generally always in phases, some are one-offs, others are cyclical. There is no balance or moderation.

Jason