Does anyone else have Asperger's Syndrome?

[Famous Rocking Chimes]

For the past few years I've known that I was born with Asperger's Syndrome which is a form of autism. It's nothing too serious.

When I was younger I used to pretend I was EVERYTHING. Wrestlers, toys, video game characters. You name it, I thought I was everything. And it wasn't like I was doing it for a few minutes. I did it all the time. I didn't think I was doing anything wrong. Nowadays I don't act like that in public but it is quite embarrassing when someone mentions that I used to do the Crash Bandicoot dance in public. How am I supposed to respond to that?

It also explains why I know everything about wrestling. Without the use of the internet I could run through all the champions in WWE history (with the exception of the Hardcore title). For anyone who might've heard there was a guy called Gary Mackinnon who was a huge computer fan. He also suffered from Asperger's. He hacked into NASA's database because he wanted to find out stuff about aliens. Now the US government want him extradited to stand trial in the US, and there's loads of controversy about this in the UK. Because of his massive intellect, he's being punished.

So, does anyone else have Asperger's? It's not exactly a common syndrome, and even if there isn't it's nice to actually admit something that means a lot to me.

[Deleted]

I do. and I'm willing to guess there are quite a few more here as well...

[MrBRulzOK]

You can indeed add me to the Asperger's club as well. It's definitely quite the interesting disorder.

[Deleted]

I do!

A blessing and a curse rolled into one.

[jrcz]

Interesting.

Some of the symptoms fit me.

[agent817]

I am a member of the Asperger club. I guess that's why I act odd in public at times. I act normal, but yet I have my own set of quirks.

[Beets by Schrute]

I have it as well. More of a blessing in disguise for me.

[Deleted]

Jun 20, 2011 15:29:41 GMT -5 Beets by Schrute said:

I have it as well. More of a blessing in disguise for me.

Same.

What's more of a bigger issue for me is being bipolar. Now that f***ing sucks.

[James McCloud IS John Godot]

Jun 20, 2011 15:09:07 GMT -5 Famous Rocking Chimes said:

For anyone who might've heard there was a guy called Gary Mackinnon who was a huge computer fan. He also suffered from Asperger's. He hacked into NASA's database because he wanted to find out stuff about aliens. Now the US government want him extradited to stand trial in the US, and there's loads of controversy about this in the UK. Because of his massive intellect, he's being punished.

No, he's being punished for the hacking into NASA's database bit.

[Famous Rocking Chimes]

Jun 20, 2011 15:32:33 GMT -5 James McCloud IS John Godot said:

Jun 20, 2011 15:09:07 GMT -5 Famous Rocking Chimes said:

For anyone who might've heard there was a guy called Gary Mackinnon who was a huge computer fan. He also suffered from Asperger's. He hacked into NASA's database because he wanted to find out stuff about aliens. Now the US government want him extradited to stand trial in the US, and there's loads of controversy about this in the UK. Because of his massive intellect, he's being punished.

No, he's being punished for the hacking into NASA's database bit.

Well that too.

[VenomFang]

I thought I have it but Im not sure. I dont act odd in public so I dont know.

[mattperiolat]

Checking in. Was officially diagnosed over a year ago, but had known about it for quite a while.

The good is good, I'm gifted with a lot of passions, I tend to be very smart and very sensitive. Chicks dig that. Also gifted with a very sharp memory.

The bad can be VERY bad. I can be tempermental, I have my order, which is to say, certain things must be just so. If the order is violated, I will either forget something or I will stress out. Also have sleep issues and procrastinate a bit.

I can also focus to the point of obsession on things. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Also have bouts of depression, which can take some time to come out of. The only BIG problem I have is the bursts of temper which can be vicious for five minutes, then ten minutes later, when I'm calm again, I can act like nothing happened.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I work with a support group and get regular counseling at my college campus, so I can at least give advice.

[VenomFang]

Jun 20, 2011 15:37:20 GMT -5 mattperiolat said:

Checking in. Was officially diagnosed over a year ago, but had known about it for quite a while.

The good is good, I'm gifted with a lot of passions, I tend to be very smart and very sensitive. Chicks dig that. Also gifted with a very sharp memory.

The bad can be VERY bad. I can be tempermental, I have my order, which is to say, certain things must be just so. If the order is violated, I will either forget something or I will stress out. Also have sleep issues and procrastinate a bit.

I can also focus to the point of obsession on things. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Also have bouts of depression, which can take some time to come out of. The only BIG problem I have is the bursts of temper which can be vicious for five minutes, then ten minutes later, when I'm calm again, I can act like nothing happened.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I work with a support group and get regular counseling at my college campus, so I can at least give advice.

Can you talk more about the obsession stuff ?

[biafra]

I have all the symptoms but I don't know if I have a "Syndrome." I am just the way I am.

[Famous Rocking Chimes]

Jun 20, 2011 15:40:03 GMT -5 VenomFang said:

Jun 20, 2011 15:37:20 GMT -5 mattperiolat said:

Checking in. Was officially diagnosed over a year ago, but had known about it for quite a while.

The good is good, I'm gifted with a lot of passions, I tend to be very smart and very sensitive. Chicks dig that. Also gifted with a very sharp memory.

The bad can be VERY bad. I can be tempermental, I have my order, which is to say, certain things must be just so. If the order is violated, I will either forget something or I will stress out. Also have sleep issues and procrastinate a bit.

I can also focus to the point of obsession on things. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Also have bouts of depression, which can take some time to come out of. The only BIG problem I have is the bursts of temper which can be vicious for five minutes, then ten minutes later, when I'm calm again, I can act like nothing happened.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I work with a support group and get regular counseling at my college campus, so I can at least give advice.

Can you talk more about the obsession stuff ?

Well for example, an Asperger's sufferer might only be interested in wrestling. It's the only thing that he watches. He can't go a day without doing something that correlates with wrestling.

Other scenarios include eating your meals in a specific order every time (in my case I eat the meat, then the potatoes, and finally the vegetables in that order every time), biting your finger nails and having to get everything ABSOLUTELY RIGHT every single time, otherwise you feel dirty about it for ages.

[mattperiolat]

Jun 20, 2011 15:40:03 GMT -5 VenomFang said:

Jun 20, 2011 15:37:20 GMT -5 mattperiolat said:

Checking in. Was officially diagnosed over a year ago, but had known about it for quite a while.

The good is good, I'm gifted with a lot of passions, I tend to be very smart and very sensitive. Chicks dig that. Also gifted with a very sharp memory.

The bad can be VERY bad. I can be tempermental, I have my order, which is to say, certain things must be just so. If the order is violated, I will either forget something or I will stress out. Also have sleep issues and procrastinate a bit.

I can also focus to the point of obsession on things. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Also have bouts of depression, which can take some time to come out of. The only BIG problem I have is the bursts of temper which can be vicious for five minutes, then ten minutes later, when I'm calm again, I can act like nothing happened.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I work with a support group and get regular counseling at my college campus, so I can at least give advice.

Can you talk more about the obsession stuff ?

Sure. For me, it is collecting really. Case in point - back in 1992, I was a casual Olympics fan, but after getting the TV Guides that year, the challenge of taping all of the Olympics intrigued me, just to see if I could do it and to keep forever.

Next year will be 20 years I've been trying to do it. I have BOXES of tapes and I love to watch them and some are more complete than others, but wouldn't trade it for anything.

Same with my TV on DVD collection. Most people could get a few shows and be happy. Not me. Got to get them all, one year at a time. The good news: I got my blog out of it. The bad: it is EXPENSIVE.

Comics, movies, games (Zynga and WoW are the big ones), you name it. If I get into something, I get it all. With my love of Star Wars, sure, got the movies, but also books, radio dramas, comics, etc, all filed in a timeline order. Same with WoW.

Does that answer you question? If not, ask some more.

[mattperiolat]

Jun 20, 2011 15:44:33 GMT -5 Famous Rocking Chimes said:

Jun 20, 2011 15:40:03 GMT -5 VenomFang said:

Can you talk more about the obsession stuff ?

Well for example, an Asperger's sufferer might only be interested in wrestling. It's the only thing that he watches. He can't go a day without doing something that correlates with wrestling.

Other scenarios include eating your meals in a specific order every time (in my case I eat the meat, then the potatoes, and finally the vegetables in that order every time), biting your finger nails and having to get everything ABSOLUTELY RIGHT every single time, otherwise you feel dirty about it for ages.

That's a fairly extreme example, but to be honest, Aspies, like all people, function by degrees, some worse than others.

I CAN do stuff out of order, I just do not like to. I can go a day without doing something. I used to be a LOT worse, focusing myopically on certain topics around people, but I've outgrown that. I think.

[biafra]

If I like something, I have to do it to death, and i have to do it in a certain order. Like for example..before I start playing a video game I have to put every mission and side mission or whatever in the order I have to do it in, the do it and mark it off a piece of paper. Like I said, I don't know what I have or do not have..it's just how I've always been.

[biafra]

And yes to me about being a "completist" about stuff I like. I can;'t by one album, I have to get the whole god damn discography.

[mattperiolat]

Jun 20, 2011 15:48:05 GMT -5 biafra said:

If I like something, I have to do it to death, and i have to do it in a certain order. Like for example..before I start playing a video game I have to put every mission and side mission or whatever in the order I have to do it in, the do it and mark it off a piece of paper. Like I said, I don't know what I have or do not have..it's just how I've always been.

Like in WoW? I saw it in your profile and I am the same way. I have notebooks stacked next to my Mac of lists for character builds, leveling professions, you name it. Must be done IN the order written.