Need some help

[Ryan Dickey]

I have been having feelings like I may be on the spectrum and after doing some research I feel like I check a lot of the boxes. I don’t want to be disrespectful to anyone that has been diagnosed and I have not been seen or talked with a professional. I took a ton of quizzes and this one I’ve heard is one of the better ones. Can someone better explain to me what my results mean? I know it’s not a diagnosis but just curious. Thank you!

I’ve resonated with certain traits like having only a few intense hobbies or special interests and only talking about those few things with ppl, having strict routines that I follow everyday and get really upset if they change at all, have a hard time making small talk, eye contact, don’t like social situations, would prefer to be by myself, don’t have a lot of friends but wish I did

 

[Nitro]

 

[Richelle-H]

Welcome Ryan.

There is a suggestion in your results that you might be on the spectrum to some degree, but a lot more goes into an evaluation than the questionnaire is capable of uncovering. Part of it delves into your childhood, which this questionnaire does not address directly. Are these new feelings you are having or have you had them as far back as you can recall? Were you the odd one out when your were in school? Do you have any repetitive physical behaviors when you are stressed? Do you have meltdowns more often in stressful social situations.

Symptomology may diminish with age but never entirely goes away.

What you describe in words says more to me than the results. You might well benefit from looking into how others on the forums describe their experiences. I was diagnosed with Asperger's in my early forties, but only sought a diagnosis at the urging of a friend. That diagnosis did not really change anything about how I viewed myself or the world at large, but it did result in a prescription for an anti-anxiety medication.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

You may be on the spectrum; the real question is does it matter which may depend on where you are in meeting life goals you set for yourself. have you obtained educational objectives is your career going in the direction you want.
I was never diagnosed figured it out for myself. now retired, never concerned myself with what other thought of me just lived my life got married had kids overcame obstacles, just considered it part of life, even though looking back it may not have been fair, but then nobody guaranteed life should be fair. I Made the most of what I was given
being on the spectrum to me is a gift. Could have would have does not really matter. Keep in mind the real purpose in life is to obtain as much happiness as possible, within your means. You can do it Alone or as part of a group, personal choice.

 

[WhitewaterWoman]

Welcome. Sounds like you fit right in.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

My oldest son is the kid in school who organized the big skiing trips, planned the big popular parties. Attracts the opposite sex like flies to a corpse. Goes to job interview for a plating technician, leaves the interview a few hours later as manager. when he is alone, I can see how he is not comfortable we both have the same education he took the same program I took. do I envy him, no, life went well for me it's going well for him. In many ways he is my opposite in others we are very similar. He was given gifts, different from mine. but obviously equally useful.

 

[Ryan Dickey]

That’s where I struggle. I’ve had a traumatic experience of being sexually abused when I was 5. I felt like ever since then the feelings I described started. So I’m not sure if it’s a response to my trauma or not. The smallest thing that I can’t control or have an answer to at the moment can send me in a downward spiral. If my routine gets interrupted I can not be the nicest person. I’ve always struggled with making and maintaining friendships and the friends I did or do have are shallow and on the surface. I never seemed to be able to shoot the **** or make small talk. I tend to not know when it’s my turn to talk and end up over talking or not letting the other person talk bc I feel the need to get out what I need to say. I go down rabbit holes of interests that I find and get all consumed. I like to be alone and at the same time wish I had the necessary skills to make friends. I just chalked it up to having social anxiety but the more I read about the spectrum it seems like other traits I have too. I’ve just always felt different. Sorry if that was a ramble. Thank you guys for listening! Also what steps should I take if I wanted to seek professional help? Seems like it’s kind of tricky to get help

 

[Outdated]

You sound like you could well be on the spectrum, but be very wary of what sort of "help" doctors offer you.

When I was trying to get on the pension I needed a report from a GP, regardless of the fact that I already had a six page summary of my condition by a specialised team of psychiatrists and psychologists. The first doctor I went to see was a religious sicko that told me "There's no such thing as autism, you're just depressed." and prescribed me anti-anxiety medication.

I wasn't depressed at that time, in fact I was in quite a good place in my mind, but I felt that I had to take that medication or damage my chances of getting the pension. That medication mucked up my sleep patterns which in turn interrupted all of my other routines and completely ruined my life.

That was 18 months ago, I took the medication for 3 months, it took another 6 months before my mind began to settle back down to normal and I'm still struggling to reestablish my old routines.

So if you do seek help I suggest that you completely avoid general practitioners and regular psychiatrists and go directly to places that specialise in autism. It might cost you a bit of money but that's better than having your life ruined by a bunch of amateur clowns.

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

I think better assessment is required, but until then, WELCOME. Some behaviors may be associated with other dysfunction, like, crippling social anxiety, but the impact to the person is the same.

 

[VictorR]

Welcome! I agree with the prior suggestions that reaching out to a specialist would likely be helpful in getting clarifications, since part of an evaluation is finding out if there's other co-occuring conditions, or if it may be other conditions that happen to have some overlap.

 

[GypsyMoth]

Hi @Ryan Dickey! Welcome!

I'm very much in the same boat as you. So, how do you read that annoying spread of numbers? On the Aspie Quiz, as I understand it, any NT/ND score with a spread of greater than 35 points is a possible indicator of autism.

For myself, if I am very anxious I end up with a spread kind of like yours--pretty even. But when I'm relaxed and not anxious, I end up with a spread of over 100 points. Eeee....

Here's one you might like. It tests how well you've learned to blend in -- or not.

https://embrace-autism.com/cat-q/

I camouflage better than the average Aspie. And you know what I found particularly condemning?

NT's don't camouflage at all.

That was the point when I thought I'd better start taking this a bit more seriously.

My next question after stumbling upon this was, 'now that you have this suspicion that you might be, what do you do with this newfound self-knowledge?' Well, I'm using it to try and learn some better communication skills.

So far, what I've been learning has been helping.


I hope you find your exploration helpful, too.

 

[Suzanne]

Hi Ryan.

I joined some year's back as a self diagnosed aspie, for the sole reason to see for once and for all if there is a good possibilty that I am on the spectrum, as my research showed it swang two ways and that was frustrating.

Was made welcome and not once judged and thus, I give the same courtesy to you.

It will be easier for you to get diagnosed, since you are male.

When I was being assessed for being on the spectrum, it was vastly amusing to see that I had to take the aspie quiz, which I had done many times lol

After four visits with two specialists, I received my diagnosis of ASD ( Autism spectrum disorder) as they prefer these days, but was told that I do not have autism; I have aspergers.

It is well forth pursuing, because neurotypicals ( those who are not on the spectrum) do love proper diagnosis and I do not get the derisive comments now; It is just a forgone conclusion that I have, because of that formal diagnosis.

Welcome aboard, so to speak.

 

[SusanLR]

An autism specialist for diagnosis is a good idea.
You are welcome here with or without the dx.
We are a mixed group and it's a very casual place to hang out and enjoy the company of others.