Do I have Asperger’s?

I often wonder if I am on the Autism spectrum. I ponder if I have many different conditions, but ASD is something I think about a lot. I think it’s because I struggle to make friends as an adult. I consistently believe that I’m offending people simply by being myself. I don’t know who else to be other than me. Hey, that rhymed! But it’s true, I can only be myself, and sometimes that person doesn’t understand how to act appropriately. It feels like I missed the unknown lecture on how to behave in different adult settings. That’s why I wonder if I’m on the spectrum. The only way to find out is be evaluated, but that frightens me. What if I have autism? Then what? I don’t know the answer to that question, and as someone who struggles with anxiety I don’t like the unknown.

What is Asperger’s?

What is Asperger’s? When I first had my kids, I heard a lot about Autism and the spectrum. Doctors warned me to look out for symptoms of Autism as if it was something “bad.” That’s one thing that really bothers me about society. We characterize people on the spectrum, whether they’re children or adults as if there’s something “wrong” with them. It deters people from getting their kids diagnosed and it deters adults from getting evaluated as well.

Mental illness is real, and so is ASD

It’s like, with mental illness, if you face what’s happening, you’re more likely to get the right treatment. I have learned that through experience. This leads me to what I’ve been wondering about myself lately. I have some social anxiety and sometimes, I don’t realize that what I’m doing might be unintentionally offending people. I don’t want to do that and I know that both of those things can correlate with ASD. So, I just want to know if I might be on the spectrum.

Social anxiety or autism?

Due to the social anxiety component, it’s hard to tell. I also unintentionally offend people with my ADHD and by being politically incorrect, which I find funny because that’s a societal problem. We can’t say what we mean. Plus, I just moved from New York to the pacific northwest, which is a culture shock. People don’t say what they mean and it’s gotten me into trouble because I am very blunt, but people don’t understand that here. I don’t want to change who I am, but I don’t know what else to do.

Evaluation

I’ve been considering getting evaluated for ASD. Asperger’s is now part of the Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis. No longer is Asperger’s separate from ASD, which is confusing for me, because it does seem different. I wonder what the benefit would be in getting evaluated? Would it help me in my life? I’m not sure. I often wonder if one of my kids has ASD because I do see the signs. The therapist that worked with my child for a period of time told me that I should look out for it.

Over-diagnosed or real?

People frequently talk about ASD being “over-diagnosed” these days. However, I wonder if it’s actually just that people are recognizing it more? Maybe they’re just more aware of it after being told what to look out for? In any case, I may choose to get an evaluation and I might choose to have my child evaluated, just for further insight. There’s no harm in looking into this because having a “label” can sometimes be a good thing. A diagnosis helps you learn about yourself and how to navigate the world around you.

What about you? Do you wonder if you have Autism or Asperger’s?