Hi,

I may as well just come out and say it: I have Apserger's Syndrome. I hate it. It's hard enough to be crap at relationships and just social interaction in general, but the very way it causes me to think causes me to hate myself. Is there anyone out there that has been or is in this same position? It seems like there are two parts to me; even when I am basically bawling my eyes out there will be something saying "doesn't that cloud up there look strange" or something else completely irrelevant. I've confided in two people; I think one have them has it (she shows basically all the same characteristics as me) and I don't wan't to talk about it as she might get in the same situation is me, and the other one has enough problems of her own without mine as well.

Is there anyone who's gone through this and come out well?

hey.

i dont have Apserger's Syndrome and i'm very sorry that you have it. but although i dont have it, i can understand that it is very hard for you. but you dont have to hate yourself just because you have this illness. this illness could happen to everyone. you said that you confided in two persons. one has enough problems and what about the other one? you dont want to talk about it with this person because you are afraid that she might get in the same situation as you? i think if two persons, who have the same illness, understand each other and help each other. because they know exactley how hard it is living with an illness.

i wish you good luck,
nadine

What is Apserger's Syndrome??

Darkraven - this link should answer your question --> http://www.udel.edu/bkirby/asperger/aswhatisit.html It is useful for everyone to look at this page actually, especially the part about 'a down to earth explanation'.

I don't have it but I have worked with some people who do. Also, my cousin has autism - but it's at the other end of the spectrum to Asperger's syndrome. He is now studying part time at uni and dreams of being a politician and helping disabled children one day when he graduates. He is well on the way to achieving those dreams. I mentioned that to show you that you can succeed in whatever you want to do.

I will never be able to understand exactly what it's like for you having not experienced it for myself, however I imagine it must be very frustrating. I'm well aware that there is a great deal of misunderstanding and misconception in society about Aspergers/Autism and that must be difficult to deal with as well.

I could be that you have depression but on the other hand it could just be the way Aspergers affects you. I believe it operates on a spectrum and has various severities and effects most people differently. However, I think you should speak to a doctor or medical person you trust to establish whether or not you have depression. If you do they can help you to sort it out and make you feel better. If not, I'm sure they can suggest some ways to deal with the negative thoughts that you seem to be having.

Have you thought about seeing a counsellor? Maybe you and your friend could go together, at least the first few times. That way it wouldn't be so intimidating. Also, I think you should speak to your friends. The one who has problems of her own may be glad of a chance to get away from them and try to help someone else instead. I think you should definatly speak to the friend you suspect has aspergers syndrome - but take it slowly. Tell her you've been having some problems lately and ask if she ever feels down or anything and whether she minds talking about it.

You ask 'is there anyone who's gone through this and come out well?' The answer to that is yes. These are just some of the famous people who have some autistic or asperger traits. Many of these are incredibly talented in their chosen field. :)

Historical famous people

Jane Austen, 1775-1817, English novelist, author of Pride and Prejudice
Ludwig van Beethoven, 1770-1827, German/Viennese composer
Alexander Graham Bell, 1847-1922, Scottish/Canadian/American inventor of the telephone
Anton Bruckner, 1824-1896, Austrian composer
Henry Cavendish, 1731-1810, English/French scientist, discovered the composition of air and water
Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, US poet
Thomas Edison, 1847-1931, US inventor
Albert Einstein, 1879-1955, German/American theoretical physicist
Henry Ford, 1863-1947, US industrialist
Oliver Heaviside, 1850-1925, English physicist
Thomas Jefferson, 1743-1826, US politician
Carl Jung, 1875-1961, Swiss psychoanalyst
Franz Kafka, 1883-1924, Czech writer
Wassily Kandinsky, 1866-1944, Russian/French painter
H P Lovecraft, 1890-1937, US writer
Gustav Mahler, 1860-1911, Czech/Austrian composer
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1756-1791, Austrian composer
Isaac Newton, 1642-1727, English mathematician and physicist
Friedrich Nietzsche, 1844-1900, German philosopher
Bertrand Russell, 1872-1970, British logician
George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950, Irish playwright, writer of Pygmalion, critic and Socialist
Richard Strauss, 1864-1949, German composer
Nikola Tesla, 1856-1943, Serbian/American scientist, engineer, inventor of electric motors
Henry Thoreau, 1817-1862, US writer
Alan Turing, 1912-1954, English mathematician, computer scientist and cryptographer
Mark Twain, 1835-1910, US humorist
Vincent Van Gogh, 1853-1890, Dutch painter
Ludwig Wittgenstein, 1889-1951, Viennese/English logician and philosopher


Historical people prominent in the late twentieth century (died after 1975)

Isaac Asimov, 1920-1992, Russian/US writer on science and of science fiction
Hans Asperger, 1906-1980, Austrian paediatric doctor after whom Asperger's Syndrom is named
John Denver, 1943-1997, US musician
Glenn Gould, 1932-1982, Canadian pianist
Jim Henson, 1936-1990, creator of the Muppets, US puppeteer, writer, producer, director, composer
Alfred Hitchcock, 1899-1980, English/American film director
Howard Hughes, 1905-1976, US billionaire
Andy Kaufman, 1949-1984, US comedian, subject of the film Man on the Moon
L S Lowry, 1887-1976, English painter of "matchstick men"
Charles Schulz, 1922-2000, US cartoonist and creator of Peanuts and Charlie Brown
Andy Warhol, 1928-1987, US artist


Contemporary famous people

Woody Allen, 1935-, US comedian, actor, writer, director, producer, jazz clarinettist
Bob Dylan, 1941-, US singer-songwriter
Joseph Erber (No Sites In English Found), 1985-, young English composer/musician who has Asperger's Syndrome and subject of a BBC TV documentary.
Bobby Fischer, 1943-, US chess champion
Bill Gates, 1955-, US global monopolist
Al Gore, 1948-, former US Vice President and presidential candidate
David Helfgott, 1947-, Australian pianist, subject of the film Shine
Garrison Keillor, 1942-, US writer, humorist and host of Prairie Home Companion
Kevin Mitnick, 1963-, US "hacker"
John Nash, 1928-, US mathematician (portrayed by Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind)
Craig Nichols, 1977-, Lead singer of the Australian band The Vines
Keith Olbermann, 1959-, US sportscaster
Michael Palin, 1943-, English comedian and presenter
Oliver Sacks, 1933-, UK/US neurologist, author of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat
James Taylor, 1948-, US singer/songwriter
Thom Yorke, 1968-, Lead singer in the band Radiohead
Neil Young, 1945-, Canadian singer, song writer, musician

Source: http://www.myautis.com/famousaspies.html

Sorry if this advice isn't very helpful - although I know a bit about Aspergers it is difficult to know what to do for you as everyone's situation is slightly different. I do think that you need to tell someone how you feel. Good luck. :)

I also have Asperger's Syndrome, and it does feel strange, though given that I find many of the males I know to be moronic, I would prefer to be the way I am than crude idiots like them, who love to make others uncomfortable for the fun of it.

I've never had a girlfriend (the few girls I have asked out have already been with someone), although I do get along with girls much better than I do with other guys. I've only been to 2 parties in my life, and I don't drink or smoke. I love TV and games (both card and video), but I'm not much for sport. I've been picked on all my life, and as such I find it hard to trust people. Do you ever feel like people are always making fun of you? Whenever someone says something nice to me, I always feel like they're laughing at me on the inside - it takes a lot to gain my trust. Whenever I listen to Where Will You Go, I always feel like Amy is speaking to me.

Push through it. Most AS 'sufferers' have a speciality - find yours. What it comes down to is that AS is much less a disability than a different way of thinking, but giving that our way of thinking is less common, 'normal' people persecute us for it. Flip the bird to 'em, and move on. You're stonger than them.

Thanks for replying, Heartstrinz and SOS, just having someone listening to you is incredibly comforting, let alone give you advice. :)

I had no idea most of the people in those list had symptoms - I'm assuming that most of them haven't been diagnosed with it, but at least show a few of the symptoms.

I don't know if I'll feel down again in a week, year, whatever. The only way I can think of dealing with it is just pretending it's not there and doing something I enjoy - listening to music or screwing around on the piano (I think the only good side to it is the fact I have extra-sensitive hearing), or surfing the web... pointlessly blowing up aliens is great therapy too. :rolleyes:

Again, thanks heaps. :D

Sorry, camdbz, I made some post about Origin and now all my posts are being monitored before being submitted. Deus Ex, anyone? Anyway, I replied before you had posted, sorry.

Yeah, it's a hell of a lot easier to get along with girls; sorry to be stereotypical, but teenage guys are dumb. I hang out with some guys, sometimes, but seeing as they rarely talk about anything other than sex, porn, and cars I don't make a habit of it.

I'd guess my specialties are computers and music - both just seem to come naturally to me. Unfortunately, I live in rural Australia, and the most our school offers in the way of I.T. is Business Managment. No programming to speak of.

Australia sucks.

Thanks for the reply, and sorry I didn't catch it before. :)