It doesn't fit me. First of all, I don't have a disorder. I dislike
that word intensely. Another thing is while I have intense, focused
interests, I don't consider it narrow. It feels pretty wide to me. I
have a lot of varied interests, all very intense and focused. Therefore
I have no time to pursue them all. Heehee. Also, I am not reisistant
to change. Change is very hard for me, but I don't consider myself
resistant. What does resistant mean anyways? Maybe I don't understand
the word very well.

I generally don't tell just anyone that I have Asperger Syndrome, and I
don't share it nearly as often as I did when I first got the diagnosis
two years ago. I have a bumper sticker that says "Aspie" on it. An
Aspie friend of mine asked me if I was advertising. I didn't know how
to answer him so I just said yes. But I'm not advertising, I'm just
proud to be who I am. I am who I am and I cannot be any other.

As far as thinking and learning, I never really realized I was so
different from other people until I started trying to interact and
connect with them more in the past few years. I mean, I always knew I
was different, but I wasn't quite sure how. I wasn't even aware of the
lack of social connections that other people had. I wasn't even aware
of how people had close friendships. I talked to just about everyone I
saw and I was never even aware that I was even being abused or taken
advantage of until people started pointing it out to me when I was 25.
I was so clueless. And it still takes me several years to realize that
a person is taking advantage of me or abusing me and by that time I am
so enmeshed in the relationship that it takes the help of a lot of other
people to help me get out of it.

Now I am to the point where I am afraid to trust anyone. People seem so
nice to me and then I find out they are taking advantage and using my
words against me and they are playing the victim role and I find myself
in a stuck situation that it usually takes me a while to figure out how
to get out of. It is really hard being so vulnerable. Sometimes I just
want to run away and hide.

Lisa the Dreamer

zer92781 wrote:

> A writer on another Aspie list shared this description of autism.
> Isn't it great? How do YOU describe autism/Asperger's? Do you
> tell people that you are Aspie? What reaction do you get? -Zer
> -----
>
>>This is an NT description that I use in my diagnostic
>
> reports to explain autism to newly diagnosed people and their
> families. I usually also start with the DSM criteria since the
> reports are often needed for official purposes such as gaining
> services.
>
>>Autism is a developmental disorder defined by disorder (rather
>
> than delay) in the development of social and communication
> skills and thinking patterns characterized by focus on detail,
> intense but narrow interests, and resistance to change.
>
>>These characteristics affect behavior in a variety of ways. It is
>
> important to be aware that autism is a difference in the way
> someone thinks and learns. It means that someone with autism
> is likely to process information and understand events in a
> different way than others, including those of similar IQ..
>
>>Those with autism focus on details and may fail to understand
>
> how those details fit into an overall pattern.
>
>>Another significant deficit is one of social cognition. Difficulty in
>
> interpreting nonverbal cues leads to difficulty in understanding
> their own and others' thoughts and emotions and often limited
> self monitoring. This leads not only to a difficulty in maintaining
> social relationships but makes those with autism very
> vulnerable, as they cannot judge others' intentions.
> -----
> Fits me well, this description. How about you? Good fit? -Zer
>
>
>
>
>
> Thanks for trimming your posts and for updating titles to reflect your
comments. Thanks, also, for capturing enough of a prior post to let a reader
understand what prompted you to write. Don't be shy! Tell us what is on your
mind! Write on!
>
> To adjust your email delivery, send blank email to...
> Aspies-Anon-nomail@yahoogroups.com (for NoMail in your IN box)
> Aspies-Anon-digest@yahoogroups.com (for daily digest delivery)
> Aspies-Anon-normal@yahoogroups.com (individual email; default)
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

--
Lisa the Dreamer
http://www.visi.com/~unique