Label Fear?

[Progster]

The media's vision and portrayal of ASD is often very much based on outmoded stereotypes, so I wouldn't pay any attention to what the media say. Look around here, you will see a whole bunch of people in all walks of life, with different skills, abilities, life experiences, personalities - yes, we have difficulties and challenges, but our label needn't define or limit us. Personally, I was glad of the diagnosis, it came as a relief to have an explanation for the social, relationship and employment difficulties that dogged me through my life. I'm a different kind of human being, but still a human being. To quote Temple Grandin, different, but not less.

 

[Major Tom]

Welcome to the forums. No label will change who you are by the way, you are the same person before and after diagnosis.

 

[Xerces Blue]

I was first introduced to the idea of me having aspergers was when my mom was doing research about my nephew who is also on the spectrum with a much more extreme case than me.
I knew my experiences, feelings and perception was different from most kids
When my mom told me she thought I might have aspergers I was hurt and angry.
But I know my mom is not a stupid woman so I looked into it more and saw how symptoms and my experiences matched up.
I fell into depression for several years
What finally brought me out of it was talking to my best friend about it - I didn't want to talk to him about it until then because I was worried about appearing weak, This perception was a huge mistake, If I had done something like this sooner I could have cut out years of pain from my life.
My friend helped me look at things from another perspective and how we complement each other, This helped me see the value in my life.
I looked into it more thinking about how the typical applied to me and how it worked for and against me, I no longer looked at it in a negative view, but as just something I needed to account for in my planning. (I am an evil overlord after all )

 

[ImSensing]

Hi, I see you've had lots of great responses and I can't top them but I can tell you that I am self-diagnosed as of a year ago and on a waiting list to be assessed formally. It was a friend who is diagnosed as Aspergers (before it was removed from the DSM) who told me she thought I probably was too and she could recognise a lot of familiar traits in me. At first I just dismissed it and she had been worried I would be offended but I realised fairly quickly that I wasn't offended; I didn't think I could be so lucky as to actually qualify. I began to research the subject intently and most especially the concept of how it can manifest differently in females and the more I learned the more I understood myself and felt relief. I am not broken, but I have certainly had many difficulties in life which it seemed I should not have had. Now I understand why and have a whole new framework for who I am, my challenges and my strengths.

I hope my story can help in some way, even just to make you feel less alone.

Thank you, I do feel less lonely with your response. I’m trying to discover the strengths that come from this. I’m glad you had such a great friend that helped you discover something about yourself that ultimately pointed towards clarity and relief. Thanks for your input.

 

[ImSensing]

Welcome to the forums. No label will change who you are by the way, you are the same person before and after diagnosis.

Thanks Major Tom- maybe that’s what I’m afraid of! .

 

[ImSensing]

I was first introduced to the idea of me having aspergers was when my mom was doing research about my nephew who is also on the spectrum with a much more extreme case than me.
I knew my experiences, feelings and perception was different from most kids
When my mom told me she thought I might have aspergers I was hurt and angry.
But I know my mom is not a stupid woman so I looked into it more and saw how symptoms and my experiences matched up.
I fell into depression for several years
What finally brought me out of it was talking to my best friend about it - I didn't want to talk to him about it until then because I was worried about appearing weak, This perception was a huge mistake, If I had done something like this sooner I could have cut out years of pain from my life.
My friend helped me look at things from another perspective and how we complement each other, This helped me see the value in my life.
I looked into it more thinking about how the typical applied to me and how it worked for and against me, I no longer looked at it in a negative view, but as just something I needed to account for in my planning. (I am an evil overlord after all )

I can feel you on being upset about the suggestion... when it was mentioned to me about being on the spectrum I felt a sense of doom. Sort of still do to be honest because it is all very recent. But people like you in the forum are positive and encouraging about the ways that a spectrum diagnosis can mean less suffering by giving yourself permission to design new customized life strategies for yourself.