Comments on: The new breed of self-diagnosed researchers http://www.thatexplainseverything.com/traits/the-new-breed-of-self-diagnosed-researchers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-new-breed-of-self-diagnosed-researchers A personal journey to understand Asperger's Syndrome and myself Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:20:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: James http://www.thatexplainseverything.com/traits/the-new-breed-of-self-diagnosed-researchers/#comment-152 James Sat, 18 Apr 2009 19:23:37 +0000 http://www.thatexplainseverything.com/?p=310#comment-152 Hi AS4L, Whilst I respect your point of view on this, and can easily see how you reach your conclusion, I can't agree with you. I've yet to write on this blog about how I reached my own conclusions - one day I will. Many of us who research the possibility of whether we have Asperger's end up doing it in a very Aspie-typical way. We gather huge amounts of evidence from many sources, and then analyse and pattern match over quite a period of time before reaching a conclusion. This is what I did. In my case this included studying the DSM IV texts that psychologists use to do their diagnosis, reading books by Tony Attwood and the autobiography of Liane Holliday Willey - who was diagnosed with Asperger's in adulthood. I also started to read several AS blogs. One thing was self evident - I had the same traits as described by both the bloggers and in the case studies in Tony Attwoods book. For once in my life people were talking about experiences that were like my own. Frequently passages in Lianne's book left me surprised and empathic as her experiences echoed mine. I could provide relevant examples to fit all of the diagnostic criteria for Asperger's on the DSM IV. I don't think for one minute that my experience in self diagnosis was much different from many others. I was left feeling that it explained everything - hence the title of this blog. And after 35 years of never quite fitting in, and much time spent looking for the answers of why this was, I felt I finally had them. I may well in the end go and get a formal diagnosis. If I do, I'm confident I already know the outcome. When you have spent a many years with undiagnosed Asperger's, it is entirely possible to self-diagnose yourself, I can assure you. I will write up my own experiences in time. James Hi AS4L,

Whilst I respect your point of view on this, and can easily see how you reach your conclusion, I can’t agree with you.

I’ve yet to write on this blog about how I reached my own conclusions – one day I will.

Many of us who research the possibility of whether we have Asperger’s end up doing it in a very Aspie-typical way. We gather huge amounts of evidence from many sources, and then analyse and pattern match over quite a period of time before reaching a conclusion. This is what I did.

In my case this included studying the DSM IV texts that psychologists use to do their diagnosis, reading books by Tony Attwood and the autobiography of Liane Holliday Willey – who was diagnosed with Asperger’s in adulthood. I also started to read several AS blogs.

One thing was self evident – I had the same traits as described by both the bloggers and in the case studies in Tony Attwoods book. For once in my life people were talking about experiences that were like my own. Frequently passages in Lianne’s book left me surprised and empathic as her experiences echoed mine.

I could provide relevant examples to fit all of the diagnostic criteria for Asperger’s on the DSM IV.

I don’t think for one minute that my experience in self diagnosis was much different from many others.

I was left feeling that it explained everything – hence the title of this blog. And after 35 years of never quite fitting in, and much time spent looking for the answers of why this was, I felt I finally had them.

I may well in the end go and get a formal diagnosis. If I do, I’m confident I already know the outcome.

When you have spent a many years with undiagnosed Asperger’s, it is entirely possible to self-diagnose yourself, I can assure you.

I will write up my own experiences in time.

James

]]> By: AS4L http://www.thatexplainseverything.com/traits/the-new-breed-of-self-diagnosed-researchers/#comment-151 AS4L Sat, 18 Apr 2009 16:43:21 +0000 http://www.thatexplainseverything.com/?p=310#comment-151 And how do you know you don't have a condition that has common traits with Asperger's Syndrome? Self-diagnosis is a fallacy as other possible causes of your symptoms have not been eliminated, which is part of the work a professional psychologist will undertake in order to diagnose. And how do you know you don’t have a condition that has common traits with Asperger’s Syndrome? Self-diagnosis is a fallacy as other possible causes of your symptoms have not been eliminated, which is part of the work a professional psychologist will undertake in order to diagnose.

]]> By: James http://www.thatexplainseverything.com/traits/the-new-breed-of-self-diagnosed-researchers/#comment-128 James Tue, 14 Apr 2009 09:10:19 +0000 http://www.thatexplainseverything.com/?p=310#comment-128 Catana, Thanks for your thoughts. I'm with you on not knowing whether various insights are specifically Asperger's or not. Ask me one day and I'll give you a definite yes. Ask me the next day and I won't be so sure. The same seems to apply to lots of things for me. Ask me one day and I'll tell you I've never been more sure that Asperger's has thoroughly shaped my life, and then the next I'll be questioning whether I have it at all. My unsureness about everything is making me keen to look at getting a formal diagnosis. I feel that if I went down that road I could be sure about it. You know what though? I bet it'd end up changing nothing - I suspect I'd still have days where I felt unsure. James Catana,

Thanks for your thoughts.

I’m with you on not knowing whether various insights are specifically Asperger’s or not.

Ask me one day and I’ll give you a definite yes. Ask me the next day and I won’t be so sure. The same seems to apply to lots of things for me. Ask me one day and I’ll tell you I’ve never been more sure that Asperger’s has thoroughly shaped my life, and then the next I’ll be questioning whether I have it at all.

My unsureness about everything is making me keen to look at getting a formal diagnosis. I feel that if I went down that road I could be sure about it. You know what though? I bet it’d end up changing nothing – I suspect I’d still have days where I felt unsure.

James

]]> By: Catana http://www.thatexplainseverything.com/traits/the-new-breed-of-self-diagnosed-researchers/#comment-123 Catana Wed, 08 Apr 2009 20:08:54 +0000 http://www.thatexplainseverything.com/?p=310#comment-123 I also started with the authorities, the research, but I learned most about myself from reading other bloggers, and the articles by those on the spectrum. What's important for me is having aspects of who I am brought into awareness through the experiences of those who are like me in important ways. In some ways, I don't even care if it's called Asperger's, or nothing at all. Yes, there are connections there in the way many of us think, the insights we have about ourselves, and how we are different from the norm. I'm just not ready yet to say for certain whether that particular type of cognition and insight is specific to Asperger's. I also started with the authorities, the research, but I learned most about myself from reading other bloggers, and the articles by those on the spectrum. What’s important for me is having aspects of who I am brought into awareness through the experiences of those who are like me in important ways. In some ways, I don’t even care if it’s called Asperger’s, or nothing at all. Yes, there are connections there in the way many of us think, the insights we have about ourselves, and how we are different from the norm. I’m just not ready yet to say for certain whether that particular type of cognition and insight is specific to Asperger’s.

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