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physicians with Asperger Disorder

T

Triton

New Member
I'm 45 years old, and just now figuring out that I have Asperger Disorder. I'm in a very customer service oriented specialty. I would like to learn how to connect better. Anybody have any thoughts, ideas, or advice?
 
Most people in customer service positions don't connect anyway. At least that's what I find.
It's like it's just their job and want to get through it.

I see the title of the post is physicians with Aspergers.
Two of the people I connect with the most are chiropractors that both have Aspergers.
One is very quiet and reserved around his patients.
The other is the opposite and get's into trouble for wanting to talk too much to everyone about his special interests.
He's learned he can talk all he wants with me as we share the same special interest.
The quiet, reserved one is totally at ease with me.
Both having Aspergers we are open and comfortable together.

Other doctors I know are just aloof and spend as little time with patients as they can get by with.
 
I self-diagnosed about a year ago. Before that, for decades, I puzzled out the symptoms and tried to work on those - social anxiety, depression, anxiety, dealing with past emotional traumas, all of this other stuff - and I think it did me good to try to learn about those things and deal with them better, as all of that hard work has paid off somewhat in helping me come of a little better with others and in making me feel a bit more comfortable with others - the fact is, it just got me over a set of railroad tracks, I'm still very much on the border, so the social struggle is still very strong and I am barely making it. Once I found that Aspergers explained everything for me....then I just started reading books and watching videos by other adults with Aspergers. It has helped me understand my own user's manual better and that is helping me come to a realistic expectation of how to operate myself in this world. It's all been "heavy lifting" for me, though - nothing I could give as a bulleted list. You may have to learn more about how Asperger's affects you, then address the symptoms. For myself, before addressing any of the substance of connecting better based on what I was saying or doing, the fastest way to jump forward in that direction was through my physical appearance. Looking as good and as appropriate as possible has been indispensable for setting people at ease. Trying to filter what I say to sound as appropriate as possible is harder, but also sets people at ease - may not forge a connection, but helps take away any unintended barriers (same for the physical appearance). Sorry I can't offer more specific advice.
 
Triton said:
I'm 45 years old, and just now figuring out that I have Asperger Disorder. I'm in a very customer service oriented specialty. I would like to learn how to connect better. Anybody have any thoughts, ideas, or advice?
Click to expand...
My mam said to me people like to talk about theirselves, it's true ,if you do the autism thing of just talking about yourself you see you them get irritated.
 
Hi & Welcome
But I don't understand what you mean by the title. (?)
 
I would go to a Dr with Aspergers. Many have it, you know. It must be hard because they HAVE to put on a certain face and act a certain way or they are kicked out. Unless they have their own practice.
Personally, I think they should tell so that people will respect it. I am not for telling generally but pts now fill out forms and rate the Drs and those rating actually matter. So for the poor guy with Asp who cannot look people in the eye, imagine some dummy who may not realize that is the smartest dr on the floor and COMPLAIN!
Now, if they are rude, they gotta go. I had a dr so rude once that when I complained to my PCP she said EVERY pt she sent to him came out running. BUT he was BRILLIANT. Still, I switched. It was just too much. I still think Aspies are not rude. They are people, to be sure. SOme rude, some not. He was!!!
 
Welcome to this site- it's a great one and you can get a lot of helpful information here as well as acceptance and understanding.
 
As for advice about connecting with your patients, I'm afraid I can't help you there. Connecting with my patients is something that comes to me naturally, because I know what my role is. I'm just hopeless at connecting with my peers on any subject that's not work-related.
 
What may help is just letting the other party speak. If they don't speak much and you need to say something, try to make the conversation about them if you don't know what to say. What are your hobbies? Is that an activity I should try? Keep it positive. Easier said than done, right?
 
welcome.webp
 
I did a lot of customer and technical support, in the IT industry tho, not healthcare. You can't go wrong with technical competence, because that's exactly what they're looking for.

But of course there's establishing a rapport so you can question properly and establish the problem space, which the customer often does not understand. I always felt this was an extension of technical circumstance tho, not "figuring a person out". Medical situations will likely differ tho.

Welcome.
 
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