How to approach undiagnosed partner with Asperger traits

Hi everyone, 

I've been having serious relationship issues with my partner for the last few years now. To the point where we are both pretty depressed. When describing my partner to my therapist, she suggested he may have Aspergers. I looked it up and there is a lot of overlap with the traits described. It all seems so obvious now. I feel very lonely in our relationship, but want to give it one last shot for our daughters sake. 

What advice would you give as to how to tackle this topic with my partner? I'm worried he will flip out, get very offended and I can even conceive that he will admit to it (he is generally very self-aware).

What would you say the benefit of me bringing it up would be?

At the moment I'm just trying to make things as bearable as possible so don't want to stoke a fire.

Thanks,

Parents
  • I do not believe that your man will consent to attending an autism assessment because he would want to avoid being diagnosed in order to keep and maintain the relationship.

    There are so many horror stories when a relationship ends just after the man is diagnosed with autism.

  • Thanks a lot for your comment. The thing is...he keeps saying we're incompatible and he wants to leave, but I usually beg him not to, and he stays. So I don't think he is worried about keeping the relationship because it couldn't be worse at the moment... He hates the idea that there's something "wrong" with him that I can "use" to blame him for everything that goes wrong in the relationship. Also, he says he's happy with who he is and what's the point of an assessment at his age (he's 60). For me the point is to improve our relationship... But it seems he doesn't care about it anyway... Disappointed

  • either confront him or leave him 

    A relationship takes 2 people to work at it ,,,,not one person.

    sorry 

  • Don't take any advice from Aidie - confrontations will end badly - if we are caught unprepared you will likely get a blunt self-defence mode response - which will escalate - you will not get anything useful from the confrontation.

    It's actually better to have him in a low-stress mode and calmly discuss things without emotion - like a business meeting.        That way, there's no emotions blurring anyone's responses.

    Choose your time too - not at the end of the day when we are at maximum stress and needing to unwind-  you'll get maximum attention at other times.

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  • Don't take any advice from Aidie - confrontations will end badly - if we are caught unprepared you will likely get a blunt self-defence mode response - which will escalate - you will not get anything useful from the confrontation.

    It's actually better to have him in a low-stress mode and calmly discuss things without emotion - like a business meeting.        That way, there's no emotions blurring anyone's responses.

    Choose your time too - not at the end of the day when we are at maximum stress and needing to unwind-  you'll get maximum attention at other times.

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