Runs in families

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I am an undiagnosed high-functioning Aspie, I've been to see a therapist about 3 times now and after hearing what she said and reading stuff in books and on here I'm fairly sure I'm an Aspie.

My older brother has OCD; is this genetically similar to AS?

My uncle was a 'bit of a head-case' when he was younger and has never really had a job or lived on his own so maybe he suffers from some sort of personality disorder.

Even though it's not my place to critice my parents, my mother is a worrier; no friends and seems reluctant or afraid to go out - social anxiety?

Now I'm wondering if my younger brother possibly has something similar?

I guess the concrete facts are that my older bro definetely has OCD and I'm 90% sure I have AS so that must point to some abnormal genes? I think AS is a developmental brain disorder isn't it - i.e. our brains develop slightly different to NT's? So maybe I have a family or weird brains???

Even if it was true I don't think I'd suggest it to the rest of my family as they seem to have a hard time with my brothers OCD and I haven't told anyone about my AS yet...

Thanks in advance & hope you're well!

I'm sure I have AS and some symptoms, that many others here have, are VERY similar to MONK! SOME here have meltdowns(about as bad as monks worst reaction), though mine are more moderate. But the memory, attention to detail, preferences, etc... are VERY much like MONK!



You have to be careful because, if your family encourages it, etc... it might be taught. People have tried to BREAK my preferences for over 40 years. Outside of my INSISTANCE, tolerance of a few things, and not keeping things spotless and in order, NO CHANGE.

Thanks 2ukenkerl

Quick question though - is MONK the same thing as OCD?

SORRY! I forgot to explain it:

http://www.usanetwork.com/series/monk/video/fullep/

It is a show about a guy with OCD that used to be a detective, but his wife was killed by a bomb meant for him, and he was kicked out. STILL, he was SO good that his friend(the chief of police) keeps asking him back, and he always ends up solving the case. His OCD is SO bad and he is SO bad off that he won't go anywhere without a PERSONAL assistant. So HOW is this like AS?

1. SMART
2. observant
3. odd
4. meltdowns
5. Strong preferences
6. kind of a recluse
7. blunt
8. poor social skills

If you added sensitivities, odd development, stimming, modesty, and interests, it would really start to look like AS.

BTW they bill him as "the defective detective". Anyway, the show they show now IS entertaining, and gets across the idea a bit, so go ahead and watch it.

I always thought that AS traits run in families less because of genes and more just because of learned behaviours. When you are ages 1-5 you learn the most as far as behaviour and such so it would seem true to me that most of the things you learn are going to be from your parents. So would it not be possible if you have a parent with AS traits that you could learn and pick up some of those traits during the time of your life where you are absorbing the most? Im definitely no expert and I'm still new to all of this as well :S

Cheers 2ukenkerl

Might download that

OCD sometimes goes with AS, a lot of people also have OCD. I have it, but it usually isn't too bad.

That's interesting Nights_Like_These

I've often thought the same, but it goes against the whole genetic 'abnormal brain development' idea i.e. nature vs. nurture.

I do often think though that I just happen to have a lot of the same characteristics of Aspergers and maybe it's just Social Anxiety that I have instead. That plus a fairly typical male brain i.e. not good at multi-taking and reading non-verbal cues.

But then again that's what Aspergers is I suppose - social anxiety and things like poor multi-tasking, short-term memory problems, empathising, etc.

Pppfffftttt I dunno....

I need help.

Well that makes sense ShadesOfMe thanks,

I sometimes find myself checking something more than twice, but I usually think that's because I'm off in another world somewhere (or wish I was) and am not concentrating.

Beginning to feel like a can of worms TBH.

But it would make sense about my bro having OCD and me having AS, etc.

Thanks,

The conditions are frequently comorbid, suggesting a connection. I know in my own family we have those with AS, those with OCD, and those with both!

I always thought Monk was more like traditional AS with comorbid OCD than just plain old OCD. He has poor empathy and is so rigid, which are more AS than OCD.

My mother didn't even UNDERSTAND my interests, hyper/hypo sensitivities, etc... SOME claimed that my interests were due to my father. HE was an insurance sales person, and my interest was electronics! Sounds similar, right?(sarc). Well, AFTER he divorced my mother, he went into mainframes(cobol, RPG). I didn't know that. I LATER found cobol manuals, and read them, but was into assembly and machine. I then went into C, PASCAL, BASIC, etc... EVENTUALLY I went to COBOL, but it is a STRETCH to say ANY of my behaviour or stengths were caused, or encouraged, by anything taught! BTW my father was NEVER into electronics. If you asked him what would happen if he held both ends of a primary coil on a large transformer, tapped it to a battery and, feeling NOTHING removed the battery, what would happen, he would probably have NO idea.

My parents never understood me. The SCHOOL asked them for, and tried to give, help in that regard. I saw a psychologist AND psychiatrist. NOTHING! I get along basically because I have my own kind of assistant, like MONK, but that person is basically me as well. I weigh things, and often just ride through it. MAN the flight here was PAINFUL! The person that seemed to want to walk through me, while talking(she was talking to someone on my other side), the touching, the LOUD PA system that seemed to only bother ME. The desire to tell an idiot to SHUT UP! A person asked her about a flight(her job was to say STATUS, location, where to go to resolve problems) The idea was to SAVE TIME! Well, she started to state HISTORY! I wanted to say "SHUT UP!! !! !! !! You just told him he has 12 HOURS to solve this, and I don't have 12 minutes, and there are others behind me!! !! ! Have him wait a few minutes, and solve OUR problems, or have him go where his problem can be taken care of." I finally DID get her to stop.

BTW I had GOOD habits I developed MYSELF before 5. My mother's garbage kind of cured me of that by the time I was perhaps 10 or so. So SHE certainly never taught me. AND, they were also VERY contrary to my father. HECK, my mother and father BOTH drank and smoked, and I DON'T! The idea of learned behaviour just doesn't apply.

Yes, Aspergers is hereditary. I have 2 brothers (one younger, one older) and all of us plus my father have AS - myself and my younger brother officially diagnosed.
We have suspicions that this and other learning disablities in the family stems from genetic damage my paternal Grandfather suffered as a result of being stationed in Japan near Hiroshima after WW2 (part of the occupational force known as J-force). He and others would go digging in the rubble for souvenirs when off duty - those in power who knew about the dangers of radiation failed to mention it to their subordinates (the conspiracy theorist in me wants to think they were used as guinea pigs). He died of cancer in the early 60's. I have also learnt of another AS individual whose father served in J-force. He (her father) died of leukaemia.
I stress that this is only a hypothesis, albeit a pretty strong one in my opinion.

Well, actually, autism far predates those events, besides which, genetic damage by radiation is too erratic to cause something with the "finesse" of Autism, within such a time period.
It is, however, inherited. Likely origins of the mutation are more likely along the lines of excessive interbreeding with other genetic groups.

Cheers guys

I feel like I am slowly getting closer to 'the truth'... it's out there somewhere.

Finding it difficult to come to terms with, being diagnosed as a 30yr adult. What does it mean for my career? What does it mean for my personal life? Relationships? Etc.

But I'm just about holding my own at work and haven't had any friends for years (let alone a girlfriend) so I guess the only way is up from here.

Hope you're all well,

Of course it predates it.
But the fact of the matter is, there is a lot of learning disabilities and mental illness - and not only autism but Downs Syndrome also - in his descendants, with no real suggestion of it in his generation and before. But you're right; its entirely possible its just evolution at work.

Neurologists know what causes OCD and it is not genetic (see Stapp and Schwartz to start) and it is very treatable without drugs and as far as can be determined has nothing to do with Autism or Aspergers even though OCD characteristics may be in association.