Sister - I suspect she may be an 'aspie', 24 yrs. Should I say something? How do I do that?

Hi there, I'm messaging because I suspect my sister may be an 'aspie'.

I'd love to hear more from other women who have it about a) if this sounds like aspergers to you and b) what you think I should do. 

My dad has self diagnosed aspergers and his side of the family has other autistic and aspie members. My sister is 24 years old. She was bullied a lot as a teenager and has always had trouble making and keeping friends. She is very intelligent. We had a lot of family tension with her because she was often rude and we didn't understand why, we felt hurt by her behaviour in the past. Now I suspect it is aspergers it all makes a lot more sense. She attempted suicide two years ago following difficulties with her relationships. She has been on anti depressants since but has not had any therapy or counselling beyond 6 CBT sessions, which she found helpful (she says she doesn't want more). She is in a pretty good place now, but I worry about some of the decisions she makes which in my mind are making her very vulnerable and exposed, however I do not want to pass judgement on her choices. But I feel as though she doesn't have a good sense of personal boundaries, privacy, and so on. I really worry that she is putting herself at risk in certain situations. She's also very high functioning and has a very good social 'mask' on the whole. 

I think on the one hand that an aspergers diagnosis could really help her - to understand some of her relationship challenges with family and friends, and to understand herself better. But on the other hand I can see that some people may be hurt by a family member suggesting that they have it. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? 

Finally, any tips on what is the best way to support her, as a sister? 

Thank you for your help.

Parents
  • To amend the second sentence, I'd like to hear from women and men, though I am especially interested in the views of other women who were diagnosed as adults, and from people whose families may have lead them towards diagnosis. Thank you. This is a great forum. 

Reply
  • To amend the second sentence, I'd like to hear from women and men, though I am especially interested in the views of other women who were diagnosed as adults, and from people whose families may have lead them towards diagnosis. Thank you. This is a great forum. 

Children
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