Lovely Sarah
Although Bekibicker's post wasn't very understanding, she does have a point. It is quite dangerous to try and diagnose yourself on the internet. We've all done it, but the problem is, we can identify easily with symptoms without actually displaying them enough to count as having them (if that makes sense?) I've copied and pasted below a host of other lists of symptoms. I bet you (and I) can identify with many of thsese issues. It certainly doesn't mean we suffer from the problem. Please try to remember that you are who you are; a nice person who loves her family and whom others love. That's all you need. :)
And Sarah, PLEASE don't look through the lists below if you are going to start worrying about having each of the issues listed. You simply don't. I just want to show you how easy it is to make a positive self-diagnosis when you don't understand all the facts.
List of Asperger Traits
It is very important to remember: No two people with Aspergers are the same?they all just share some traits.
If you are here because you suspect your loved one has AS, remember that the best thing you can do is arm yourself with information about the syndrome.
If you are here because someone tells you they have AS and you can't believe it, the best thing you can give them is belief. No one knows what a person goes through in their interior life.
I have taken these from various books and websites on AS. They are listed in no particular order. However I have arranged them in three categories: Personal/Physical; Social Interactions; In Relationships.
At the end of the page, I list the oft-overlooked POSITIVE TRAITS of Asperger's Syndrome.
Personal / Physical
* Repetitive routines or rituals
* Can engage in tasks (sometimes mudane ones) for hours and hours
* Flat, or blank expression much of the time
* Doesn't always recognize faces right away (even close loved ones)
* Strong sensitivity to sound, touch, taste, sight, and smell (e.g. fabrics?won?t wear certain things, fluorescent lights)
* Sensitivity to the texture of foods
* Eccentric personality
* Idiosyncratic attachment to inanimate objects
* Being "in their own world" / Preoccupied with their own agenda
* Highly gifted in one or more areas, e.g. math, music, etc
* Single-mindedness
* Likes and dislikes can be very rigid
* Can spend hours in the library researching, loves learning and information
* May have difficulty staying in college despite a high level of intelligence
* Limited interests / Intense focus on one or two subjects
* Unusual preoccupations
* Collects things
* Early in life they often have a speech impediment
* Clumsiness / Uncoordinated motor movements
* Speech and language peculiarities / hyperlexia
* Non-verbal communication problems: difficulty reading body language, facial expression and tone
* Word repetition (they may frequently repeat what you've just said)
* Excellent rote memory
Social Interactions
* Desire for friendships and social contact but difficulty acquiring and maintaining them
* Shuts down in social situations
* Social withdrawal / may avoid social gatherings
* Lack of interest in other people
* Lack of empathy at times
* Difficulty understanding others? feelings
* Can obsess about having friends to prove they?re ?normal?
* Rigid social behavior due to an inability to spontaneously adapt to variations in social situations
* Has an urge to inform that can result in being blunt / insulting
* Preoccupied with their own agenda
* Great difficulty with small-talk and chatter
In Relationships (these mainly pertain to AS men in relationships. Sorry to split along gender lines but there are differences.)
* Can often be distant physically and/or emotionally.
* Often are attracted to another purely because they are attracted to him
* He has a hard time saying I love you, showing physical affection; as a result it is difficult to find out if they do love you
* He can be very critical and takes it personally if she won?t wear something he likes, or wears something he dislikes
* Can stop putting any effort into relationship after a time, and doesn?t understand why she then stops giving too
* Often times they will make no motions to keep a relationship (be it friendship, or something more) going
* They won't call, and you might not see them for days. That doesn't mean they don't care.
* He will do what he thinks is best for the both of them but seldom talks to her about her feelings or opinions
* If she tries to share her love for him, he may find her need to ?connect? smothering
* His attention is narrowly focused on his own interests
* Men with undiagnosed AS often feel as if their partner is being ungrateful or ?bitchy? when she complains he is uncaring or never listens to her
* He can become quite defensive when she asks for clarification or a little sympathy. The defensiveness can turn into verbal abuse (usually not physical abuse) as the man attempts to control the communication to suit his view of the world.
A List of Symptoms - Low self-esteem
* You make negative "I am" statements all the time.
* You don't spend very much time living in the present
* You fear new experiences, change, and you lacks trust.
* You always want something someone else has or something that is beyond your means
* Your responses to defeats or disappointments are exaggerated
* You desire perfection, but see yourself as far from perfect.
* You boast about and exaggerate the nature of your successes to cover up feelings of inadequacy.
* You engage in self sabotage
* You are a 'people pleaser' you have an overwhelming need for approval and support.
* You put down and denigrate yourself, even your self talk reflects this with thoughts like "I don't deserve..." or "I'll never be able to..."
* You neglect your physical appearance
* You have difficulty making eye contact.
* You avoiding real intimacy and deep relationships
* You have a large desire for material possessions.
* You engage in 'busy work' to avoid confronting your personal issues
* You seldom express your ideas and generally don't believe in yourself.
* You feel hopeless.
* You struggle with a lack of energy;
* You are passive
* You see small task as very large and intimidating.
* Job-Hopping
* You have a low level of self-awareness
* You use lots of energy to maintain a false front
* You tend to be anxious.
* You are very sensitive to criticism
* You are overly critical of others putting them down
* You are socially isolated lacking a support network.
* You struggle with addictions
* You focuses on and obsess about the past.
* You are always apologizing
A Checklist for Depression
What's the difference between a bad case of the blues and the painful mental disorder known as depression? According to the experts, impaired functioning is usually a clear-cut indication of a major depression.
Here's a quick checklist of depression symptoms. If the list sounds familiar, you may want to see a counselor or a psychiatrist.
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Depressive mood: Do you suffer from feelings of gloom, helplessness or pessimism for days at a time?
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Sleep disturbance: Do you have trouble falling asleep at night or trouble staying asleep?waking up in the middle of the night or too early in the morning? Are you sleeping too much?
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Chronically fatigued: Do you frequently feel tired or lack energy?
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Isolation: Have you stopped meeting friends for lunch? Increasing isolation and diminished interest or pleasure in activities are major signs of depression.
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Appetite disturbance: Are you eating far less than usual?or far more? Severe and continuing appetite disturbance is often an indication of depression.
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Inability to concentrate: If you can't seem to focus on even routine tasks, it's probably time to get some help.
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Dependence on mood-altering substances: If you depend on alcohol or other drugs to make it through the day, you may be suffering from depression. Often the substance abuse causes symptoms that mimic the appearance of clinical depression, but are in fact due wholly to the drug use.
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Feeling a sense of inappropriate guilt or worthlessness
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*Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide or a suicide attempt
Bipolar Depression Symptom List - Depressive Symptoms*
* Low self-esteem or self-loathing
* Fatigue, lethargy, or feeling slowed down
* Increased need for sleep or the ability to sleep as many as 18 hours without feeling refreshed
* Social withdrawal
* Loss of emotional control; cries easily or for no reason
* Headaches, backaches or digestive problems
* Unable to concentrate, make decisions, or remember details
* Suicidal thoughts
* Inability to feel pleasure or happiness
Bipolar Depression Symptom List - Manic Symptoms
* Delusions of grandeur or inflated self-esteem
* Increased performance of goal directed activities
* Alcohol or drug abuse
* Irritable or angry
* Irresponsible spending
* Engaged in dangerous, unprotected sexual activity, or other dangerous acts
* Hyperactive
* Flight of ideas, racing thoughts
* No need or little need for sleep
* Rapid, pressurize speech that others can't understand