Posted by Racer on March 22, 2008, at 10:18:54
In reply to Re: mental feelings, posted by your#1fan on March 22, 2008, at 1:09:12
> racer, thanks for always responding, but this doctor finally dianosed me with the correct disorder.
You're welcome for responding -- in this case, I had to refute the part where you confounded autism and retardation...
And for the first of my two questions:
How do you know?
How do you know that *this* is the correct diagnosis? Could this be part of the problem, with other issues still unexplored? Is it possible that you're focusing on this diagnosis because it's new, and it offers you a sort of Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free card for social awkwardness? I don't deny that it might indeed be correct -- but is it *the* correct diagnosis, or part of a more complex picture, which might include other issues which are harder for you to accept?
>
> *****Autistic difficulties manifest largely in social interactions, and certain sensory quirks.
>
> --someone i know much told me this. After i was diagnosed. I do miss alot of ques and quirks, thats why im so slow, and "special", man i dont want to be special, i want to be normal, but if you read i have to CONTANT LY have emotional support from other....to cope in life, if i dont then my mind will litterly created 2 other people inside my head that have names, they preferable are not personalites, there other "me's" saying "you doing a good job". When i have no one else left...First of all, we *all* need a certain amount of emotional support from others. The specific amount of that support varies from person to person, but we *all* need it. That does not make you special.
What you're describing as other people in your head isn't pathological, either. They're not "other personalities," in the sense of Dissociative Identity Disorder. They're the sort of inner voices we all have -- I joke all the time about my own internal dialogs, about "nurturing my inner spoiled brat," etc. In fact, when I'm distressed over something, I do have internal dialogs -- usually it's the upset voice talking to the voice I use when I write to you. That's a technique for self-soothing, if you can channel it -- your own internal voice helping to calm you, to offer yourself the emotional support you need. We all do it, and it's perfectly normal.
Sometimes it does seem as though having another personality to hand the reins over to would be nice, doesn't it? That's not what you're describing.
> Being autistic and knowing now is going to be hard because im always going to know im "spececial", and know i need to get help for it, but thank GOD i found it out by a good doctor.
Did they explain that Asperger's is a very, very mild deficit in functioning? It's on the autistic spectrum, but so close to "normal" that many, many of those diagnosed with it are considered remitted by the time they hit adulthood? That there are those who suspect that it's not so much an autistic disorder, as a certain awkwardness found in many very bright children? (Ever noticed how many gifted students move awkwardly?) Did they talk to you about what sorts of deficits you, specifically, experience?
Autistic spectrum disorders are very complex. They cover a broad range of functional areas. When an assessment is made of an autistic child, it will cover areas such as fine muscle control, gross motor control, verbal skills, spatial skills, social skills, etc. It's not just a one shot deal -- there are specific areas that have deficits, and the more precise the diagnosis, the better the outcome.
But it's time to ask my second, and -- to my mind, at least -- more important question:
So, uh, now that you have a new diagnosis, what is the treatment plan?
My thinking on this is that diagnosis is a great tool -- gives you a sort of compass reading to get you started on treatment. But it's only the compass reading. What really counts -- unless one is planning to stay exactly where one is at the moment the diagnosis is made -- is where one goes from here? What to do with the diagnosis?
What did the doctor say about a treatment strategy?
Good luck.
poster:Racer
thread:819349
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080316/msgs/819379.html