Hello all! New to everything!

[Jdeisher]

Hello everyone, my name is Jarett. I am 29 years old. I am married and have a 1 year old son. I really am not sure how to start this or explain everything but here goes. As of today I am self diagnosed Since I can remember, I was a troubled child. I was violent(towards animals and my own family). I was in therapy for years and years. I had a lot of issues but I could never figure them out(and neither could professionals). I was diagnosed with bipolar, depression, anxiety and a bunch of other things. My medications changed and got stronger, but I felt the same. I couldn’t express my feelings or emotions. When I got yelled at, I shut down, and I had a blank stare, I just didn’t understand.

My mom just told me about a lot of things I struggled with when I was young. She told me how I always lined up all of my toys; army men, matchbox cars, etc. she also said that I would always bang my head on the floor. She is actually compiling a full list for me tomorrow.

All through school, I struggled with everything, I didn’t know how to make friends, I didn’t know how to be social. I was bullied and knew I didn’t fit in but didn’t know why. In order to make people like me, I did things That were bad, or illegal. I fought, stole, and cheated to fit in. And even then I still couldn’t “hang out”. I never thought anything except that I was just weird.

I prefer to avoid social situations even to this day. I have hurt a lot of people emotionally and I didn’t understand how or why.

All of the things I did: hearing things like light sounds that no one else heard, or hearing people talk from another room; being weird about textures with food, heightened smells, having to wear T-shirt’s inside out so the seams and tags weren’t touching my skin, my sensitivity to sunlight, having to rub my feet together in bed at night to calm me to sleep, the repetitive things I do on a daily basis, everything has to be in the order I expect, I get very agitated when my routine is changed or adjusted, I cannot express my feelings towards my wife or son, I don’t know how, I have learned to adapt slightly, kissing quickly and hugging, but I get weird about it, I don’t know how to show my affection to my wife, I tell her I love her everyday, but that has also built into being a routine....these are just a few things that I’ve done my entire life and have NEVER noticed, my wife is reaching her breaking point with me, and I’m not sure how to act, or react.

This past Wednesday 10/18/17 is the first time someone told me about autism and that I should ask my psychiatrist to be checked out for it. In may 2017 I was diagnosed with ADHD also. And advice or guidance with this would be well appreciated.

 

[Streetwise]

It Sounds like high functioning autism to me

Hello everyone, my name is Jarett. I am 29 years old. I am married and have a 1 year old son. I really am not sure how to start this or explain everything but here goes. As of today I am self diagnosed Since I can remember, I was a troubled child. I was violent(towards animals and my own family). I was in therapy for years and years. I had a lot of issues but I could never figure them out(and neither could professionals). I was diagnosed with bipolar, depression, anxiety and a bunch of other things. My medications changed and got stronger, but I felt the same. I couldn’t express my feelings or emotions. When I got yelled at, I shut down, and I had a blank stare, I just didn’t understand. My mom just told me about a lot of things I struggled with when I was young. She told me how I always lined up all of my toys; army men, matchbox cars, etc. she also said that I would always bang my head on the floor. She is actually compiling a full list for me tomorrow. All through school, I struggled with everything, I didn’t know how to make friends, I didn’t know how to be social. I was bullied and knew I didn’t fit in but didn’t know why. In order to make people like me, I did things That were bad, or illegal. I fought, stole, and cheated to fit in. And even then I still couldn’t “hang out”. I never thought anything except that I was just weird. I prefer to avoid social situations even to this day. I have hurt a lot of people emotionally and I didn’t understand how or why. All of the things I did: hearing things like light sounds that no one else heard, or hearing people talk from another room; being weird about textures with food, heightened smells, having to wear T-shirt’s inside out so the seams and tags weren’t touching my skin, my sensitivity to sunlight, having to rub my feet together in bed at night to calm me to sleep, the repetitive things I do on a daily basis, everything has to be in the order I expect, I get very agitated when my routine is changed or adjusted, I cannot express my feelings towards my wife or son, I don’t know how, I have learned to adapt slightly, kissing quickly and hugging, but I get weird about it, I don’t know how to show my affection to my wife, I tell her I love her everyday, but that has also built into being a routine....these are just a few things that I’ve done my entire life and have NEVER noticed, my wife is reaching her breaking point with me, and I’m not sure how to act, or react. This past Wednesday 10/18/17 is the first time someone told me about autism and that I should ask my psychiatrist to be checked out for it. In may 2017 I was diagnosed with ADHD also. And advice or guidance with this would be well appreciated.

 

[Jdeisher]

I did call my therapist and let her know about what I came up with, she was very quick to tell me that it could be multiple other things and that I could be overthinking, which also happened my entire life, I will be seeing her on October 30th and I am bringing my wife along so she can tell them the things I do

 

[Streetwise]

I did call my therapist and let her know about what I came up with, she was very quick to tell me that it could be multiple other things and that I could be overthinking, which also happened my entire life, I will be seeing her on October 30th and I am bringing my wife along so she can tell them the things I do

Take the post with you that you made on Aspies Central and ask your mother to go one thing therapists can be arrogant if there are more people there they are less likely to be arrogant

 

[Jdeisher]

Take the post with you that you made on Aspies Central and ask your mother to go one thing therapists can be arrogant if there are more people there they are less likely to be arrogant

Ok Great I will take this and I’m not sure if I should bring my mother, she has been struggling recently with quite a few things, but do you know if there is something I am able to print out somewhere that she can fill out?

 

[Streetwise]

Ok Great I will take this and I’m not sure if I should bring my mother, she has been struggling recently with quite a few things, but do you know if there is something I am able to print out somewhere that she can fill out?

She doesn't need to print it out,all she needs to do is just write it down , that's all I had one sheet of paper and I think she knows a lot more than the person who wrote on that one sheet of paper for me did .
If she can't write and you can take dictation do that

 

[tree]

 

[Beguiling Orbit]

 

[Dadwith2Autisticsons]

Hello everyone, my name is Jarett. I am 29 years old. I am married and have a 1 year old son. I really am not sure how to start this or explain everything but here goes. As of today I am self diagnosed Since I can remember, I was a troubled child. I was violent(towards animals and my own family). I was in therapy for years and years. I had a lot of issues but I could never figure them out(and neither could professionals). I was diagnosed with bipolar, depression, anxiety and a bunch of other things. My medications changed and got stronger, but I felt the same. I couldn’t express my feelings or emotions. When I got yelled at, I shut down, and I had a blank stare, I just didn’t understand.

My mom just told me about a lot of things I struggled with when I was young. She told me how I always lined up all of my toys; army men, matchbox cars, etc. she also said that I would always bang my head on the floor. She is actually compiling a full list for me tomorrow.

All through school, I struggled with everything, I didn’t know how to make friends, I didn’t know how to be social. I was bullied and knew I didn’t fit in but didn’t know why. In order to make people like me, I did things That were bad, or illegal. I fought, stole, and cheated to fit in. And even then I still couldn’t “hang out”. I never thought anything except that I was just weird.

I prefer to avoid social situations even to this day. I have hurt a lot of people emotionally and I didn’t understand how or why.

All of the things I did: hearing things like light sounds that no one else heard, or hearing people talk from another room; being weird about textures with food, heightened smells, having to wear T-shirt’s inside out so the seams and tags weren’t touching my skin, my sensitivity to sunlight, having to rub my feet together in bed at night to calm me to sleep, the repetitive things I do on a daily basis, everything has to be in the order I expect, I get very agitated when my routine is changed or adjusted, I cannot express my feelings towards my wife or son, I don’t know how, I have learned to adapt slightly, kissing quickly and hugging, but I get weird about it, I don’t know how to show my affection to my wife, I tell her I love her everyday, but that has also built into being a routine....these are just a few things that I’ve done my entire life and have NEVER noticed, my wife is reaching her breaking point with me, and I’m not sure how to act, or react.

This past Wednesday 10/18/17 is the first time someone told me about autism and that I should ask my psychiatrist to be checked out for it. In may 2017 I was diagnosed with ADHD also. And advice or guidance with this would be well appreciated.

From the sounds of it, ASD should be very seriously considered by your therapist, too, as the lining up things and banging head as a child, many typical sensory issues you stated and found often in those with ASD, the rigid routines, difficulties in expressing emotional feelings, shutting down, behavioral issues, social difficulties, lack of friendships, etc, sound very much a part of that condition. So, I tend to agree with @Streetwise that it sounds like higher functioning ASD. Of course it is just our opinion, but if doctors are so great at diagnosing, why have they not considered that diagnosis yet? Seems pretty obvious to me at least to suspect it, then test for it.

Your signs and symptoms sound like a mix of our two sons with diagnosed ASD. Aaron is eight year old and high functioning, but had or has all the issues you talked about, except the violent tendencies, and Dylan our nonverbal five year old has all the many sensory sensitivity issues you talked about and a bit more behavioral issues, in terms of biting and mood swings. Both liked lining up all types of objects when young too. Aaron was the headbanger. Dylan, also was diagnosed with ADHD, and he has poor concentration, hyperactive and impulsivity issues. Anyway, the therapist needs to take your beliefs seriously, as from how you stated things, I would be more shocked if you did not have ASD.

Bring a detailed list of how your signs and symptoms showed up when a very small child, and as a teen and adult, from any witness statements especially, too, as medical professionals absolutely hate the patients looking smarter than them by diagnosing correctly before them. If they are competent and unconcerned with being wrong, they will put two and two together and have a hard time not saying ASD, as it seems like most if not all of the core symptoms are there. Yes, ADHD
and ASD often gets confused with each other. I know about ADHD well, as my wife has it besides our younger son, too. She certainly never lined up things, nor liked routines, or much structure. She appears more extroverted too. So, if the ADHD is correct for you, which I am uncertain, it would seem like ASD must be suspected too, as it explains more of those things not usually present in one with ADHD alone.

You said the therapist said you may be overthinking. Well, I think she is underthinking.

 

[Jdeisher]

From the sounds of it, ASD should be very seriously considered by your therapist, too, as the lining up things and banging head as a child, many typical sensory issues you stated and found often in those with ASD, the rigid routines, difficulties in expressing emotional feelings, shutting down, behavioral issues, social difficulties, lack of friendships, etc, sound very much a part of that condition. So, I tend to agree with @Streetwise that it sounds like higher functioning ASD. Of course it is just our opinion, but if doctors are so great at diagnosing, why have they not considered that diagnosis yet? Seems pretty obvious to me at least to suspect it, then test for it.

Your signs and symptoms sound like a mix of our two sons with diagnosed ASD. Aaron is eight year old and high functioning, but had or has all the issues you talked about, except the violent tendencies, and Dylan our nonverbal five year old has all the many sensory sensitivity issues you talked about and a bit more behavioral issues, in terms of biting and mood swings. Both liked lining up all types of objects when young too. Aaron was the headbanger. Dylan, also was diagnosed with ADHD, and he has poor concentration, hyperactive and impulsivity issues. Anyway, the therapist needs to take your beliefs seriously, as from how you stated things, I would be more shocked if you did not have ASD.

Bring a detailed list of how your signs and symptoms showed up when a very small child, and as a teen and adult, from any witness statements especially, too, as medical professionals absolutely hate the patients looking smarter than them by diagnosing correctly before them. If they are competent and unconcerned with being wrong, they will put two and two together and have a hard time not saying ASD, as it seems like most if not all of the core symptoms are there. Yes, ADHD
and ASD often gets confused with each other. I know about ADHD well, as my wife has it besides our younger son, too. She certainly never lined up things, nor liked routines, or much structure. She appears more extroverted too. So, if the ADHD is correct for you, which I am uncertain, it would seem like ASD must be suspected too, as it explains more of those things not usually present in one with ADHD alone.

You said the therapist said you may be overthinking. Well, I think she is underthinking.

Thank you so much for your support, I do believe I may be at fault just a little bit, because the things I was doing at such a young age, I actually cannot remember any of them, I spoke with my mother last night and today and she has confirmed all of those things, but at that time she said she thought it was just me being a kid, and the therapist then said I just had anger issues, I have an amazing memory and I can remember almost everything, but I cannot for the life of me remember any of those things. So thank you so much for your input and understanding. I am just looking for the answer to why I am the way I am today. And I do hope my therapist and psychiatrist do rethink and reevaluate me with all of this new information. The answers to my struggles my whole life with give me peace, and then I can accept that I cannot help how I’ve acted that I really tried to be normal. But I was incapable, instead of thinking I’m just crazy.

 

[Dadwith2Autisticsons]

You are welcome. Aaron never remembered those things he said or did between age one and a half and age four, like banging his head on the wall, lining up things, his severe eating difficulties, certain rigid routines at that time and other sensory issues then. He has an excellent memory now, and remembers things mostly that occurred after the age of four to five or so.

To test this theory, we asked him several questions now to test his memory recall before age four, and he did not remember any of those ASD things he did before then. Aaron outgrew some of those things over time, so more of a reason to not remember those. He replaced certain interests and fixations with others as he aged.

So, it is not unusual at all to not remember those things when you were a young child. Some here though will remember very far back to a a couple years of age, from what I remember, but our son could not recall that far back, despite his great memory now, but just remember things mostly after age five especially.

You are certainly not crazy, but are acting how you were meant to be because of genetics. We see our sons as special, because of their differences. Of course we do not encourage violence from them, but try to reduce meltdowns through understanding them better, listening to them better, accepting and appreciating their uniqueness, and by communicating to them in the ways they need.

Good luck with your upcoming meeting with the therapist!