Aspergers but not Aspergers?

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hi - some of you may have seen me posting a month or 2 back, and i was trying to figure out if i have Asperger's Syndrome or not - because fact of the matter is that i've never been normal.

Intellectually im not impaired in any way, shape or form.

However socially im not completely normal. i can ramble about one subject for too long, i don't take clues or hints, i sometimes suck with body language and facial expressions. im often described as socially awkward. Additionally, i have a few other possible symptoms. i have narrow interests (a girl that i knew last year, Wrestling, Computers and TV series). i have a poor sense of balance and poor handwriting - showing poor motor dexterity, im sensitive to light (was sensitive to sound as a child before i partly deafened myself with loud music), sensitive to touch, etc. Somebody has mentioned speech to me, saying that i always talk the same way (apparently im very mono-tone and talk loudly) and im prone to explosive anger (which has been linked to AS apparently) and i have some trouble describing emotions (possible Alexithymia - linked to AS)

The weird part about all of this is though - im very, very high functioning. i like going out with my friends down the pub for a few drinks and a laugh, i like meeting new people (if theyre nice) despite being anxious, etc. i can hold a conversation (even though i do most of the talking).

Some of my friends say i could have a mild case of AS since its a spectrum disorder, but i feel that maybe its too mild for it to actually BE Aspergers, since technically im not affected enough to get a diagnosis for it (according to the criteria)

is there anyone else here who thinks / thought this at some point or maybe has any ideas?

Holding a conversation and being socially capable are two entirely different things. I can hold a conversation and have held conversations for hours, which bored people to tears and completely turned off dates.

I've got a question for you:

How many relationships have you been in?

As a man, that's a very good litmus test of how truly good your social skills are, since NT women judge men highly on how good their social skills are.

While we think we look in the mirror, many of us don't have a realistic picture, for one reason or another.

I'd say you sound similar to me, but I'm very critical of myself. And, yes, I was diagnosed.

Dude, get yourself a diagnosis. That sounds exactly like aspergers. I'm very similar in that I am somewhat of a social giant in regards to the friends I hang out with.

But there's a huge factor that could help us figure this out. How superficial would you consider yourself, the friends around you, the people around you, and so on? How do you take superficiality? Is blatancy a relief to you, or do you enjoy hiding behind a social mask?

And...

When you know your wrong in an argument, do you feel compelled to either take up a different point of view, jumble the different points of view together to understand how you're wrong, admit defeat, -OR- do you continue using the same position for the duration of the argument, despite the fact your wrong, just for the sake of having an emotional victory?

Answer honestly, there is no right answer, and neither will reflect on your character.

You might have very mild AS, or you might be BAP (some AS qualities without actually being on the spectrum).

It sounds like you're on the spectrum. Maybe PDD (Pervasive Developmental Disorder. It's a diagnosis for cases in which the full criteria for AS is not met)

I can relate...I'm sure I've come across to some people as perfectly socially acceptable for brief moments before my mental battery runs out and I need to escape for a recharge. I think of it this way: if I know a conversation is going to be brief (talking to a cashier, saying 'hi' in passing), I can easily keep a convincingly normal appearance but subject me to an all day family reunion or three hour long band practice session and I eventually run out of generic sayings, relevant facial expressions and common sense, only to degrade into a babbling, stimming, quack. Once I bring up the weather, you're in trouble

Hei,

exactly the same thing for me. I like meeting people. Though the right ones. I do have problems with things like irony, non verbal clues, sometimes sarcasm, other not really literal stuff, literally interpretation. Such things.

And, sad but true, women or girls. Not that I have difficulties to be with them in a relationship, just the how to get it started is really difficult.


And then, lately, depressed and anxious. And some OCD:ish things

I dont score really high in online aspie tests. But quite badly in emotion recognition tests from faces.

Coping. Yes. Thinking a lot. Get the coping from thinking, quick thinking. And analysing situations later on if required. Finding workarounds
Still a lot can go wrong. Especially if this anxiety OCD:ish combination things hit.

This having to release pressure by directing things to a wrong direction, but getting the stress or anxiety related to that sorted out like that. Ending up in meltdowns.
Reset the situations to zero with negative consequences, because not being able to stand the situation.
Damn, this is sooo frustrating.
I think you can learn it to get along with it (once you know what it is, OC(D) related stuff)

well and then obsessions on its own. Being trapped into something nice or interesting.
These are though much easier to handle. You can pursue it for a while and then realise, no, now stop it! for Christ's sake.
Still interesting things can destruct me quite a lot from work.
But rather doing longer working days than to cut down too much on obsessions.
And there are quite many obsessions that are within my job area, so, not really bad, though usually quite deeply going thoughts that take time. Lots of ideas, lots of ideas I will never be able to try out. Although I know that they would be awesome and really useful.
Economics and science. Bad combination! But thats how the world nowadays is. Robots. No thinking, or quite reduced thinking,mostly doing.

So I would say I am definetely on the spectrum, though I might not quite fullfill the aspergers or now soon ASD (autism spectral disorder) criteria
(Depending on how high the level of affection has to be to get it recognized as disorder)

Also now, the last year, the symptoms got quite much worse. And even some symptoms came that I had no idea of before. Scary!

All in all, even with my otherwise good intellect, I was quite quite lost. Now better, though not really with ease (I hope yet, or that it will get much easier sometime)

Well maybe age is interesting. 35. and about 1/2 year now I have some deeper experience with autism spectrum or aspergers. Suspected it before, though, about 1 or 2 years. Wikipedias articles just did not quite fit. Though better than ADHD.
Anyway, I think, I have that, too.

This website though is such a good place to exchange thoughts and get ideas, develop your getting along with it!

I can do nights out but sometimes can become very uncomfortable if somewhere busy and often need to sneak away to a toilet cubicle or out for a smoke to allow my anxiety to die down. I would classify myself as socially ambitious but unskilled. Actually, I used to be socially ambitious in my early 20s but I am much more of a recluse seeing friends once in a blue moon.