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Hello everyone

aimosan

Hi,

 

I am a 26 year old female from the North of Scotland.  Been advised I have Asperger's but haven't been officially diagnosed due to lack of adult services at the time Asperger's was mentioned to me.

Being told I had Asperger's was a big thing for me, as my whole life suddenly made sense.  Speech therapy when I was a toddler. Being assessed to be sent to school earlier as I was bored at home. Difficulty making friends with people my own age. Being bullied constantly (by pupils and teachers).  Anxiety problems (from agrophobia, crowded places, and disrupted routines). Hightened senses, sensitive to light, colours,and smell mainly. The list goes on, but I was always trying to be 'fixed', as if there is something wrong with me, but being given the provisional diagnosis meant there is nothing wrong with me, it's just who I am, and I need to use these autistic traits in my favour.  I sometimes think of them as super powers.

My life has definitely not been easy, but I don't regret any of it.  So far.  Everything I've been through, good and bad, has made me who I am today and I wouldn't change that.  Now that I'm focusing on my traits as positives instead of negatives that need 'fixed', I can use them to my advantage.  I now have a job as an IT engineer, who is also in charge of the IT asset database, because of my inane attention to detail.

My granny had Asperger's too so we had a very strong bond, but after losing her and my granfather this year to illness I've found it difficult to cope without her.  Luckily, I've found support with the National Autistic Society.  To keep my mind occupied I have even started fundraising for the NAS, and I know my granny would be very proud I'm raising money for a charity she would approve of.  I loved her for her autistic traits, but not everyone else thought the same.  It got her into trouble a lot (because apparently elderly woman can't be autistic, just rude and horrible apparently), but she was incredibly caring towards things she was passionate about and only people who have, or understand, autism, could've appreciated the person she was.

I hope to become more involved on here and offer advice I've learned over the years.  I completely understand how hard it can be to live with ASD and if I can help even one person feel better it will be worth while, because I know how dark times can get.  I've been there.  My family has been there.  I say this because when I first came on this site it made me feel quite sad because a lot of the posts are about what pain people feel and go through, and I know what that's like, and it reminds me.

Hopefully the more work and fundraising I do, and the more help we can give the NAS, the less people will have to live with these pains, or at least know there is support there for them.

  • Hi

    I am also 26 years old, and was diagnosed with Aspergers almost 5 years ago.

    My Granny died this year, age 90, in August. She did not want to live anymore and took an overdose of her medication. She was battling with health problems anyway (angina and stomach problems), but for an old person she was doing pretty well; she lived independently in her own home and was still pretty head-strong. The over-dose precipitated her death because it wrecked her kidneys, as shown in her autopsy.

    My Granny had had a really troubled life. She arrived in this country age 16 after escaping from the Holocaust (she was Jewish), and both her parents and many of her relatives were murdered by the ***.

    All her life she battled with depression, and even went on a shop-lifting spree when she was around 40, which resulted in a prolonged period of depression.

    My Granny alienated most of her family because of her extreme narcissism and personality problems. She herself talked about 'problems' with her personality, and she did not want to grow up; she was like a child living with adult responsibilities. I reckon that her problems in this area were exacerbated by the Holocaust because she lost her parents at so young an age, and in a sense, missed out on some of her youth. But I also think that some of her issues were due to her own unique way of dealing with things, and I definitely think her empathy issues and self-obsession were genetic. She was like me in so many ways: she would dominate phone conversations, had to always be the centre of attention or would feel insecure, and was still psychologically a child.

    She broke up with my Uncle's side over something really petty, and said some horrid things about them, but I think I can understand her behaviour. Crucially I  can relate to her. despite not going through the hell that she experienced.

    I had not seen her for many years, but recall our phone conversations with affection, and do feel sad over her death. When she was in her better moods, she was so full of love and praise, and I know she loved me.

    I can relate to your situation.