He is 24 years old, 3 years older than me, and rather dysfunctional. I don't want to be presumptuous, but I have friends with Asperger's, my parents have told me they considered that he might when he was younger, and my psychologist says his behavior seems to fit with typical symptoms. I've talked with my parents about getting him to start going to a psychologist (he's been depressed, suicidal, very angry at the world and people and society, has never had a girlfriend even though he has attempted to date and would very much like to/ is basically desperate to the extreme) and hopefully trying to get him to go to one specializing in Asperger's... but my parents aren't exactly proactive.
I've started writing a letter to him. To complicate things, we have a lot of issues between us. He's treated me very badly. I think some of his poor treatment of me (you might call it abuse) has to do with his difficulties figuring out what constitutes appropriate social interaction, how to deal with his emotions especially anger, how to interact with others, his insecurities, etc. So, the letter is mostly to address that, as well as to ask him to get help. But it's such a sensitive situation, and he's the defensive type. I think he sort of needs to start from scratch learning social norms and such, so it seems to me like figuring out whether he has Asperger's and treating him for the sorts of symptoms he exhibits that are associated with it is the most preferable way to go. I can't help but think that, if he does have Asperger's, he wouldn't be nearly as badly off as he is now if it had been diagnosed and he'd been able to figure out how to cope with it at an earlier age.
Hope it doesn't seem like I'm jumping to diagnosis. I'm just concerned. And I don't think we'll be able to fix things between us unless he first figures out himself.
Sorry if I was rambling. There are a lot of factors floating around in my head. I'd appreciate any advice you can give.
21 Mar 2011, 7:24 am
