ASD v Narcissm

This must have come as a big shock. Is the counsellor you are seeing qualified to recognise or diagnose either ASD or NPD? Unlike psychology and psychiatry counselling is not a regulated profession so practitioners may not always have accredited training or operate according to appropriate professional standards. Suggesting a diagnosis for your husband strikes me as somewhat unethical. The most I would have expected a counsellor to say is that it might be worth seeking formal assessment in order to determine the most appropriate diagnosis as there may be more than one possibility. 

Many of us here on this forum who ended up being diagnosed with ASD agonised at one point or another over whether we might actually be narcissistic. I doubt that actual narcissists would have lost any sleep over this! There are similarities, but as Tom has pointed out there are profound differences too. I would try very hard to keep an open mind about your husband and your marriage until such time as there is clear evidence. Even with supposedly 'untreatable' conditions, such as some personality disorders, in my experience as a former social worker people often can, and do, change.

I doubt that a thorough assessment by an experienced and qualified clinical psychologist would result in a misdiagnosis of ASD or NPD. The questions they ask, the tests they do, and the observations they make are focused and specific. Reading first hand accounts of autistic/neurotypical relationships and marriages might help you to work out if what is happening in your marriage is likely to be due to an autism spectrum disorder. Autistic people often get other inappropriate labels attached to them before they are recognised as being autistic. Sadly insights into autism are still very limited and myths abound. 

Thank you sunflower for your reply and for all those as well that showed the clear definition between autism and narcissism .

your words had meaning to me, I haven’t yet been diagnosed but when I truly accepted within myself I was, I too battled with the notion I was narcissistic!

I question everything in my life, but when suddenly seeing many similarities leaning towards narcissism  it hurt me to even consider it possible. It was a member who posted a link which I have shared here in the past that gave me the understanding.

Sunflower said

“Many of us here on this forum who ended up being diagnosed with ASD agonised at one point or another over whether we might actually be narcissistic. I doubt that actual narcissists would have lost any sleep over this! There are similarities, but as Tom has pointed out there are profound differences too.”

To the OP please read up on it, don’t begin to believe for one moment he will change his ways if he is, the person saying he is and who wants to try and help him has no idea what he is talking about.

He needs to be seen by a true professional who can tell the difference. If he is autistic it will easily been noticed as in the differences pointed out by others on here, 

if he is indeed diagnosed then as narcissistic take others advice before it’s to late, run away,don’t ever stop to think your wrong, 

please look after yourself.

Thank you sunflower for your reply and for all those as well that showed the clear definition between autism and narcissism .

your words had meaning to me, I haven’t yet been diagnosed but when I truly accepted within myself I was, I too battled with the notion I was narcissistic!

I question everything in my life, but when suddenly seeing many similarities leaning towards narcissism  it hurt me to even consider it possible. It was a member who posted a link which I have shared here in the past that gave me the understanding.

Sunflower said

“Many of us here on this forum who ended up being diagnosed with ASD agonised at one point or another over whether we might actually be narcissistic. I doubt that actual narcissists would have lost any sleep over this! There are similarities, but as Tom has pointed out there are profound differences too.”

To the OP please read up on it, don’t begin to believe for one moment he will change his ways if he is, the person saying he is and who wants to try and help him has no idea what he is talking about.

He needs to be seen by a true professional who can tell the difference. If he is autistic it will easily been noticed as in the differences pointed out by others on here, 

if he is indeed diagnosed then as narcissistic take others advice before it’s to late, run away,don’t ever stop to think your wrong, 

please look after yourself.