Telling my boyfriend about having aspergers.

Page 1 of 2 [ 19 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next

DeathbyMonkeys
Blue Jay
Blue Jay

User avatar

Joined: 24 Jul 2012
Age: 31
Gender: Female
Posts: 86

25 Jul 2012, 8:49 pm

I've been dating this guy for four months. We are super close (yadda yadda blah). My mom told me the other day she has always thought I have aspergers, and when I told my bf that I might have it (I didn't know enough about it until today when I discovered that I am) and asked what he would do, he said he didn't know.
So now that I know (I am unable to contact him via phone or the interweb) how should I go about telling him. His younger brother has autism but his 'I don't know' reply makes me ask if their is a certain way I should bring it up.

Thanks.



AardvarkGoodSwimmer
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 26 Apr 2009
Age: 63
Gender: Male
Posts: 7,665
Location: Houston, Texas

25 Jul 2012, 9:01 pm

Maybe start with, "You might have heard that autism and asperger's is a pretty broad spectrum, right?"



AardvarkGoodSwimmer
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 26 Apr 2009
Age: 63
Gender: Male
Posts: 7,665
Location: Houston, Texas

25 Jul 2012, 9:24 pm

For me personally, I tend to have patchy skills. Which is actually good news, because it means if I don't pick up on something it's not intentionally. (and one thing I learn is that I often need to try less hard in a more zen like fashion)

And I need a fair amount of alone time to emotionally process.

=============

Hopefully, your boyfriend will be open to growing with you, as well as you being open to grow with him. And I think knowing about Asperger's is a good thing since it kind of provides a conceptual whole to better understand oneself, although it may take your boyfriend a while to wrap his mind around the idea.



Northeastern292
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 16 Sep 2008
Age: 35
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,159
Location: Brooklyn, NY/Catskills

25 Jul 2012, 11:34 pm

If he loves you for who you are he should love you despite having Asperger's. There's a certain level of unconditional love in a boyfriend/girfriend relationship, and I think part of that is accepting someone's biological flaws (of course, a BF/GF relationship by no means is remotely unconditional). *storms off to rant about Kristen Stewart*



John_Browning
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 22 Mar 2009
Age: 44
Gender: Male
Posts: 4,456
Location: The shooting range

26 Jul 2012, 12:15 am

DeathbyMonkeys wrote:
I've been dating this guy for four months. We are super close (yadda yadda blah). My mom told me the other day she has always thought I have aspergers, and when I told my bf that I might have it (I didn't know enough about it until today when I discovered that I am) and asked what he would do, he said he didn't know.
So now that I know (I am unable to contact him via phone or the interweb) how should I go about telling him. His younger brother has autism but his 'I don't know' reply makes me ask if their is a certain way I should bring it up.

Thanks.

First off be careful not to sound like the neurodiversity people or focus on debilitating aspects. Some of the down side will show up in the dialogue eventually, but focus on the positives and that you are still the same person even if you are having a rough time lately. Consider getting advice from a professional counselor as well.

In the event that all goes badly (God forbid) and you can't reconcile it, be prepared to let him go and move on. If this comes between you like that, the relationship is doomed to fail anyway.


_________________
"Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it tougher for sober people to own cars."
- Unknown

"A fear of weapons is a sign of ret*d sexual and emotional maturity."
-Sigmund Freud


Aspiedude2011
Tufted Titmouse
Tufted Titmouse

User avatar

Joined: 16 Jul 2012
Age: 33
Gender: Male
Posts: 46

26 Jul 2012, 12:54 am

Just tell him the basic facts about it. Nothing has changed your still the same person he met and started dating. If he truly loves you then he'll be fine with it and nothing will change except that he might have a better understanding of you. Just go for it.



MyFutureSelfnMe
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 26 Feb 2010
Age: 47
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,385

26 Jul 2012, 1:33 am

If I were him I'd be like "hell yeah".



thewhitrbbit
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 30 May 2012
Age: 40
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,124

26 Jul 2012, 9:46 am

Aspiedude2011 wrote:
Just tell him the basic facts about it. Nothing has changed your still the same person he met and started dating. If he truly loves you then he'll be fine with it and nothing will change except that he might have a better understanding of you. Just go for it.


Exactly.



nick007
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 4 May 2010
Gender: Male
Posts: 28,552
Location: was Louisiana but now Vermont in capitalistic military dictatorship called USA

26 Jul 2012, 10:53 pm

DeathbyMonkeys wrote:
My mom told me the other day she has always thought I have aspergers, and when I told my bf that I might have it (I didn't know enough about it until today when I discovered that I am) and asked what he would do, he said he didn't know.

He may of seemed to have the I don't know attitude because of the wording of the question. Asking him what he would do when your telling him your an Aspie may of sounded like you were expecting or wanting or thought he might do something now that he has that knowledge. I don't think there is really anything he should be doing except to listen to you talk about it if you want & be willing to try to consider the Aspie side when there is a problem within your relationship. Instead of telling him about Aspergers in general; tell him about the way you are like what you like, dislike, the way you communicate, way you think ect


_________________
"I don't have an anger problem, I have an idiot problem!"
~King Of The Hill


"Hear all, trust nothing"
~Ferengi Rule Of Acquisition #190
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Ru ... cquisition


DeathbyMonkeys
Blue Jay
Blue Jay

User avatar

Joined: 24 Jul 2012
Age: 31
Gender: Female
Posts: 86

05 Sep 2012, 11:54 pm

I litterally had to type it in on the search bar to find this after I wrote it, thanks for replying.



Delphiki
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 14 Apr 2012
Age: 183
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,415
Location: My own version of reality

05 Sep 2012, 11:58 pm

DeathbyMonkeys wrote:
I litterally had to type it in on the search bar to find this after I wrote it, thanks for replying.
There is a view your posts button. Or you could click on your account, and look through your post history.


_________________
Well you can go with that if you want.


DeathbyMonkeys
Blue Jay
Blue Jay

User avatar

Joined: 24 Jul 2012
Age: 31
Gender: Female
Posts: 86

06 Sep 2012, 12:01 am

Well because I couldn't find my question, I told him but not very well.

He thinks I mention it too much and letting it... I got a bunch of books on having and dealing Asperger's and he thinks this is going overboard with it.

I feel like this means he doesn't believe I have it.



nick007
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 4 May 2010
Gender: Male
Posts: 28,552
Location: was Louisiana but now Vermont in capitalistic military dictatorship called USA

06 Sep 2012, 12:14 am

DeathbyMonkeys wrote:
I feel like this means he doesn't believe I have it.

Maybe he thinks your letting the diagnoses define you; like maybe your focusing on your Aspieness more than other things like your individuality or nonAspie things


_________________
"I don't have an anger problem, I have an idiot problem!"
~King Of The Hill


"Hear all, trust nothing"
~Ferengi Rule Of Acquisition #190
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Ru ... cquisition


DeathbyMonkeys
Blue Jay
Blue Jay

User avatar

Joined: 24 Jul 2012
Age: 31
Gender: Female
Posts: 86

19 Sep 2012, 9:23 pm

nick007 wrote:
DeathbyMonkeys wrote:
I feel like this means he doesn't believe I have it.

Maybe he thinks your letting the diagnoses define you; like maybe your focusing on your Aspieness more than other things like your individuality or nonAspie things


That's it. He gets mad when I mention it though. I do not think that should be the case.



Wolfheart
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 17 Feb 2011
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,971
Location: Kent, England

19 Sep 2012, 11:02 pm

Exactly, you can't change who you are and you shouldn't compromise yourself if he doesn't love you for who you are. It is what it is and relationships aren't everything, if he doesn't make you feel confident or comfortable about your diagnosis and coming to place of self-acceptance, he really isn't worth it.



thewhitrbbit
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 30 May 2012
Age: 40
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,124

19 Sep 2012, 11:04 pm

When I read your post, I thought at first your question was "What should you do about your aspergers"

It's possible that he truly does not see it in you. That is probably a very good thing if it's true.

I agree, don't let your diagnosis define you or become a special interest, especially if your already having a productive life.