Published on 12, July, 2020
Do any other men watch the Aspergers videos on YouTube and hardly relate at all (I was late diagnosed recently, in my 30s)? I seem to have none of the sensory difficulties, I have friends etc. I had to learn social norms later on like when to say 'hello' to people late on and often felt alienated because of this. I have OCD and have had depression and struggled with anxiety and previously had anxious ticks in the form of a neck twitch and quivering lip (They seem to have gone away and were not very frequent and always brought on by anxiety).
I don't know if I mask or not. I don't think I stim. I am just doubting I am autistic, but I have had problems with my speed, perfectionism and strong sense of justice in the workplace. I am actually now quite good with a number of social situations (maybe because I have had to learn), but get anxiety and have gastrointestinal issues which seem to have started to develop in my late 20's. I am just wondering if anyone else feels like an imposter i.e., doubts their Aspergers diagnosis for these or similar reasons?
I was also diagnosed as the attention defecit type of ADHD, but don't believe this either. Vyvanse did nothing except maybe gave me insomnia.
There's the saying, "when you've met one austic person, you've met... one autistic person". I think when I get my diagnosis, this will be my mantra in defence against "you don't seem autistic compared to others I've known".
So I don't think you need to tick every box for the thing to be valid. And don't let others make you feel like you're an imposter!
Thank you. I believe this is true too. I think there is a tendency for people to see autistic people as the same, when it is a spectrum.