how does it feel to have asperger ?

[unsurewhattoname]

But isn't the brain overloaded? I feel like it is and that it is unhealthy and likely reducing my lifespan.

As far as I know our lifespan is the same as the general population.

 

[Suzanne]

I am not officially diagnosed, but really it would be for others ie for me to become officially, since it is rather obvious when ones get to know me and when I say I have it, I do not get any negative responses now.

As has already been noticed and can't think of a better way of saying it, but yes: feel trapped inside myself. Can't run away and become normal and the more I interact with others, the worse I feel about myself. It is like two different languages and in truth, feel sure my language is the right one, but am told that this applies to everyone ie thinking they are right. But the difference is that they insist and I am the one floundering and end up questioning myself.

My biggest challenge is social gatherings and being independent and thus, suffer from chronic social anxiety.

It is like being in a dark room that is pitch black and knowing there are obsticles but hands are tied and you are too afraid to move.

I find I do not get "better" as I grow older. Most of the time, I find it a hard concept that I am a woman and have an urge to look behind, feeling sure that the woman is behind me.

I encountered a situation today that I found myself shielding away from. When there is a group of people close in conversation, I am lost. I can just about go up to two people now, but with sheer panic.

I wish I did not care quite so much what others think of me

 

[tfwo]

For myself, it is like living vicariously through the life of my body. I experience my interactions with the world around me almost as if I was watching in happen to someone else, and I empathize with that person.

 

[Jimbo]

Hey does anyone know if being a asperger is unhealthy?

Aspergers can be really hard on your digestive system due to the constant stress and anxiety. There was a poll awhile back on here about digestive problems and the majority had some problems. I have diverticulitis myself that was no doubt caused by the anxiety. When I was in school every day was nonstop stress. There was always that feeling of knots in my stomach.

Stress causes all kinds of health problems, so I would say that yes, aspieism is bad for your health.

 

[Hopeless_Aspie_Guy]

But isn't the brain overloaded? I feel like it is and that it is unhealthy and likely reducing my lifespan.

So how much longer can we expect to see you on here for then before your weee aspie brain explodes and kicks the bucket lol.

For every detrimental thing that being an aspie could do to your life expectancy (and I hardly believe it does), there's probably an equal and opposite thing it does that's conducive to it too I reckon.

 

[unsurewhattoname]

For every detrimental thing that being an aspie could do to your life expectancy (and I hardly believe it does), there's probably an equal and opposite thing it does that's conducive to it too I reckon.

What would be a positive influence on life expectancy?

 

[Southern Discomfort]

For me it revolves around the obsessions, where other people's time would perhaps being using that to socialise, I spend it on my passions, thinking about them hundreds of times a day and usually being the topic of conversation.

It is also severe problems with executive functions, planning and initiating tasks. I find this leads to depression so I tend to distract myself with my passions. Of course the tasks never get complete and the depression snowballs.

For socialising, it's a maturity level one might expect from a 16 year old, I'm extremely sarcastic and I joke around a lot. This gets on people's nerves and I'm not always too sure when enough is enough and it's time to be serious for a moment. I like to think I'm getting better at judging though with experience.

Often people say it's the people with the most bubbly demeanours who are drowning inside. In my case this is exactly true.

 

[Goatscoat]

Frequent feelings of absolute exhaustion and meltdowns every so often are the parts of asperger's I would say it "feels" like, mostly due to feeling misunderstood and like you can't understand others either. Very often it feels like I'm just confused by what some people propose when they say certain things (that automatically imply other things they don't even remember themselves to be implying). It's like having a log of the interactions you have with everyone (as well as logs of nearly everything else) and feeling like you can't keep up with the amount of crap most people tries to get away with everyday, even though you have a perfect memory of them saying (for example) the exact opposite thing.

 

[Hopeless_Aspie_Guy]

What would be a positive influence on life expectancy?

More problems to solve means more personal rewards as you continue to solve them. An aspie may also obsess over living healthier perhaps. Also I would imagine aspies are merely susceptible to different problems than NT's (perhaps less trivial ones) but ultimately a similar amount, it's just that an aspie will show more signs.

Some aspies admitedly won't make it past age 55 and for those we bow our heads in silence and pray for their eternal happiness in the heavens above.

 

[Abe1]

To the OP I would ask the question what makes you think you have Aspergers. Firstly I would recommend taking tests on the interest, and from there you can get a good indication.

If this indicates that you have Asperger's you should start the process to determine if you have it officially.

Don't be afraid to ask questions, we are here to help.

Frequent feelings of absolute exhaustion and meltdowns every so often are the parts of asperger's I would say it "feels" like, mostly due to feeling misunderstood and like you can't understand others either. Very often it feels like I'm just confused by what some people propose when they say certain things (that automatically imply other things they don't even remember themselves to be implying). It's like having a log of the interactions you have with everyone (as well as logs of nearly everything else) and feeling like you can't keep up with the amount of crap most people tries to get away with everyday, even though you have a perfect memory of them saying (for example) the exact opposite thing.

Sometimes after working hard, I feel extremely tired/shattered/burnt out for days after, it is almost as if I have run a marathon.

 

[clg114]

interesting , what are the positive traits of Asperger ? Where can I take advantage of it ? I think it hinders me more than it does good.

What are the positive traits of Asperger's? Well, you have to remember that we are all different and that every case is different. All that I can do is tell you how it is for me. In the old DSM-4, a person could have some or all of symptoms of autism, EXCEPT delays in linguist and cognitive abilities. To be diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome a person has to be at least normal in these abilities. Further more, it is not unusual for a person with Asperger's to be advanced in these areas. The ability to be able to focus, learn and retain large amounts or information on subjects that have your attention is certainly a positive trait. Then there is that inborn sense of principles that keep you on the straight and narrow. Having a logical mind might not be very interesting, but in the long run will serve you well. As you grow older, the ability understand and do things that others can not become more common. When I was a young adult, I did not like the way my life was, but it got better as I got older. You may think that it hinders you now, but when you get older, you may think of it as a gift.

 

[Southern Discomfort]

Hey does anyone know if being a asperger is unhealthy?

Interesting question. I think in the same sense as anything in life no matter who you are, too much of one thing can be damaging, and it's isolating oneself that the majority of people with autism tend to do. It's not healthy for your mental health. My psychiatrist said that along with drinking and drugs, isolation is one key point that needs to be warded against when it comes to good mental health as it can bring around problems such as social anxiety and agoraphobia as well as some very serious ill mental health conditions. Yes, isolation is very damaging to your health.

 

[Beverly]

Well, obviously the short answer is Normal. I don't know anything different so, it is normal for me.

I know that is not the answer you want, you want an analysis. Each Aspie is different, we process and interpret things in our individual ways so, my explanation may be the same as another but, I process my experiences differently or, interpret them differently so, my description sounds different.

And there is your answer - see how I analyzed the potential of my response before responding and, compared it to every detail of every other person's possible response? That's how my mind works 24/7. I note, analyze and compare every social detail, as if I am an AI (Artificial Intelligence) program trying to learn to be human. I do it with thoughts, actions, emotions and, appearances of everyone.

The difference between me and others that do the same is that I have had professional advisors in my life that have taught me how to respond to every situation properly, acceptably and, I have learned how to interact properly in social situations and, respond before my mind is done mulling it all over. Send me to a party and, I'll appear normal, act fine but, three days later, at home, my brain is still processing and cataloguing everything and everyone that was at the party. I'll quit when I've got them all in the right boxes and, gotten those boxes of things and people stacked in the right order, in the right place in my mental storage closets. A party with 400-500 people might take me a week to get sorted before I can relax about it and shuffle it off to the nothing but a memory corner.

When I listen to music, I pick out each instrument and each voice, and critique each one, I enjoy that, music is my life and, I love hearing and knowing every detail of it.

When I eat, I taste carefully and figure out the recipe for the dish I'm eating. I like that too, I like to cook and try new foods so, that's a good thing.

Unfortunately I also try to do it with every part of my car and, I'm not mechanically inclined at all so, it frustrates me that I don't know which part makes which tone or sound or makes the car feel like this or that when I do that or this. Nothing I can do about that, my brain just sort of goes "fizzle fart on that" when I attempt something mechanical but, it still annoys me.

 

[AsperDragon]

I feel like a normal man living in a world of illogical morlocks.

 

[AsperDragon]

As far as I know our lifespan is the same as the general population.

My life span is about 25 years longer than the average. I still get carded at age 39....

 

[clg114]

Well, obviously the short answer is Normal. I don't know anything different so, it is normal for me.

I know that is not the answer you want, you want an analysis. Each Aspie is different, we process and interpret things in our individual ways so, my explanation may be the same as another but, I process my experiences differently or, interpret them differently so, my description sounds different.

And there is your answer - see how I analyzed the potential of my response before responding and, compared it to every detail of every other person's possible response? That's how my mind works 24/7. I note, analyze and compare every social detail, as if I am an AI (Artificial Intelligence) program trying to learn to be human. I do it with thoughts, actions, emotions and, appearances of everyone.

The difference between me and others that do the same is that I have had professional advisors in my life that have taught me how to respond to every situation properly, acceptably and, I have learned how to interact properly in social situations and, respond before my mind is done mulling it all over. Send me to a party and, I'll appear normal, act fine but, three days later, at home, my brain is still processing and cataloguing everything and everyone that was at the party. I'll quit when I've got them all in the right boxes and, gotten those boxes of things and people stacked in the right order, in the right place in my mental storage closets. A party with 400-500 people might take me a week to get sorted before I can relax about it and shuffle it off to the nothing but a memory corner.

When I listen to music, I pick out each instrument and each voice, and critique each one, I enjoy that, music is my life and, I love hearing and knowing every detail of it.

When I eat, I taste carefully and figure out the recipe for the dish I'm eating. I like that too, I like to cook and try new foods so, that's a good thing.

Unfortunately I also try to do it with every part of my car and, I'm not mechanically inclined at all so, it frustrates me that I don't know which part makes which tone or sound or makes the car feel like this or that when I do that or this. Nothing I can do about that, my brain just sort of goes "fizzle fart on that" when I attempt something mechanical but, it still annoys me.

And that is how it feels to have Asperger's. Well put, Beverly

 

[Progster]

I've always felt very disconnected from others, as if a screen was place between myself and others, and being at a social event is like watching TV... I sit and hear what they are saying but I'm never able to repond and interact the way they do. Separate, on the outside looking in, not able to connect. Constant tendency to withdraw into myself, and not focus on other people, which I have to fight against when I talk to people. Everything distracts me: music, sounds, things, smells. And yet, I can focus on my special interests for hours

 

[NovaScotia Aspie]

So how much longer can we expect to see you on here for then before your weee aspie brain explodes and kicks the bucket lol.

For every detrimental thing that being an aspie could do to your life expectancy (and I hardly believe it does), there's probably an equal and opposite thing it does that's conducive to it too I reckon.

Aspies can have incredible determination . Properly harnessed they can achieve a lot . I just lost 30 pounds in only about 3 months or so . Have I improved my life expectancy by dropping the weight ? I certainly hope so .

 

[Jones]

One positive is that I noticed the smoke before our smoke detector when our candle went wrong, meaning that we could put it out while it was small and nothing got damaged. My mum, not Asperger's, was in the room as well but didn't notice what was happening. I've also noticed the gas being left on. I can tell if something isn't right. I consider that an advantage. I'm also a sponge for information, especially numbers. My parents have used me as a number storage system as I can remember huge strings. I know both their number plates which is useful for staying in hotels. That's all I can think of. The positives with it vary.

I get the gas thing, i can walk around the streets and notice gas leeks, it is strangely quit common, noone i am round seams to notice unless i stand them still where i smell it for a good few minuits" super smell

 

[Jones]

Frequent feelings of absolute exhaustion and meltdowns every so often are the parts of asperger's I would say it "feels" like, mostly due to feeling misunderstood and like you can't understand others either. Very often it feels like I'm just confused by what some people propose when they say certain things (that automatically imply other things they don't even remember themselves to be implying). It's like having a log of the interactions you have with everyone (as well as logs of nearly everything else) and feeling like you can't keep up with the amount of crap most people tries to get away with everyday, even though you have a perfect memory of them saying (for example) the exact opposite thing.

I am new to this and went the majority of my life not knowing i had aspergers, my family suspected it and put me through alot of medical tests yet i never knew why. I always knew i was different though and feeling misunderstood and not quit knowing the intensions of others when they can contradict themselves are things i have really struggled with. i find it amaizing to be on this and see others i can actually understand, alot of feelings i feel im screeming at people and they just see me as the crazy one