Taking a test tomorrow, serious concerns

[MatthewOU2015]

Hey guys!

For the past month or so I've been thinking about how hard it was for me to make friends, keep them, maintain eye contact sometimes, pick up on social Qs, etc. Also sometimes I would say something I thought was nice but it would really hurt the person I said it to. So I decided to visit a psychologist. We talked for about a month and she recommended I take a test for autism. When she first said that I was a little offended she would say something like that. Then I decided to schedule it. She said she's confident its aspergers. She explained to me it's not a disability and it's a gift. So my question is, if I do have it how do I accept it? Will it hurt me looking for jobs? This is serious for me and scary, I really don't want to be treated differently because I have it.

Thanks!

[MatthewOU2015]

To determine if I have Austism or not.

[Harry Botter]

It's only a detriment if you allow it to be. I am a lot like what you posted in your first sentences. I even had a few doctors tell me I am mildly autistic, but I just lived my life the best way I can. I eventually met a woman and we got married 5 years ago. There is even times where I get nervous around her even now just as when we first met.

[BatteredRose]

There's nothing wrong with being artistic.

[Blueobelisk]

Dammit I wanted to say something that this standardized test will wreck you for the rest of your life.

>I don't wanna be treated differently or get hurt looking for jobs.

You don't have to disclose that information to anyone.

[imabanana]

To determine if I have Austism or not.

It take months to determine that. Years sometimes.

And why would it change anything ?

[Deadmedic]

my brother in law has Aspergers, hes a highschool Senior, hes graduating this year, hes going to be starting an internship at an insurance company while going to a technical college, no one treats him differently because of it, ppl who are new to him might be put off by the anti-social-ness, i guess you can call it, but he still has friends that hes made over the years, i get along with him pretty well. But really, knowing what to label the social issues you have wont change who you are, your the same person despite what any test says, i understand that at times getting along with ppl and having conversations will be difficult, but thats not really anything that i would say is limiting. that wont get worse because you passed a test,

and if that doesn't assuage you, heres Neil Degrasse Tyson talking about how he has other astrophysicist colleagues who have aspergers, as well as other issues

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=77&v=bBD_LTPjYVQ

[MatthewOU2015]

It take months to determine that. Years sometimes.

And why would it change anything ?

My family had their suspicions for years, told to me talk to someone about it, but I refused. Also I hope nothing changes if I have it.

[Independent voter]

Autism can be called "man" disease as a lot of the symptoms are the things that irritate women. I wouldn't worry about it unless it was extreme.

There are autistics who flap their hands like birds and can't function in society at all, you don't sound anything like that.

I'm just saying be careful before you let a label rule your life. Get a second opinion too.

[imabanana]

Hey guys!

For the past month or so I've been thinking about how hard it was for me to make friends, keep them, maintain eye contact sometimes, pick up on social Qs, etc. Also sometimes I would say something I thought was nice but it would really hurt the person I said it to. So I decided to visit a psychologist. We talked for about a month and she recommended I take a test for autism. When she first said that I was a little offended she would say something like that. Then I decided to schedule it. She said she's confident its aspergers. She explained to me it's not a disability and it's a gift. So my question is, if I do have it how do I accept it? Will it hurt me looking for jobs? This is serious for me and scary, I really don't want to be treated differently because I have it.

To reply on a few points:

"When she first said that I was a little offended" -> No reason to be about that.

"Will it hurt me looking for jobs" -> Being autistic will hurt. Knowing you are (if you are) will help you. A lot. You will know what
"mistakes" you are most likely to make, and you'll be able to correct them.

"She said she's confident its aspergers." -> Tell her this is no longer a viable diagnosis in the US since 2013.

"She explained to me it's not a disability and it's a gift" -> Tell her to stop taking drugs.

Personal experience (not Asperger's, but similar), been diagnosed very late, when I was looking for my first job (and failing). Soon after that, I "fixed" what was wrong in my interviews and got my first job, been working 6 years after that, for 2 different companies (one including moving 750km away from where I'd been living for 11 years when I got the occasion), then traveling the world solo mostly by land & sea for a year, and now working on the other side of the planet for one of the best company in the country.

Without diagnosis, I'd probably still be struggling with shit jobs on the other side of the world, without understanding why.

Just take a diagnosis as a way to learn more about yourself, what you do after that is up to you, and you only.

[innouto]

I find aspies and aspy-like people to be far more interesting and easier to get along with than the common meat-head or air-head. If meat-heads and air-heads weren't so common, then maybe they would be visiting a psychiatrist.

Meat-head - Those with overly rigid and simplistic thinking, who lack intellectual curiosity and creativity. They have a high tendency to jump to conclusions, and have a poor grasp of the bigger picture. Due to a lack of intuition and pattern recognition, they have difficulty grappling with the unknown, and instead focus on what they already know. They tend to be hostile towards those who deviate from social norms. Pretty much the average foot-shooting blue-collar Republican.

Air-heads - Those with a tendency for cyclical BS and wishful thinking. They tend to substitute solid facts and sound reasoning, with their feelings. Pretty much the flaky types who practice homeopathy, emotive quote meme sharing, new-ageism, fad-methodologies that are faith based rather than evidence based. Although they tend to be less hostile than meat-heads, air-heads can sometimes have narcissistic emotive outbursts or accuse someone who debunks BS as being insensitive towards the feelings of others.

[imabanana]

Autism can be called "man" disease as a lot of the symptoms are the things that irritate women. I wouldn't worry about it unless it was extreme.

There are autistics who flap their hands like birds and can't function in society at all, you don't sound anything like that.

I'm just saying be careful before you let a label rule your life. Get a second opinion too.

Also because majority of affected people are male. The spectrum is definitely quite large, from people who can't communicate at all to other that will live their whole life without diagnosis.

For the 2nd opinion, depends on how much attention you pay to it. Personally I stopped at the point where that was "yes, diagnosis is certain, but we should keep on doing tests to determine precisely where you stand on the spectrum". If I was having huge troubles "functioning", I would have gone for it without thinking, but I had the impression I had learned enough to keep on going by myself. Wasting time and money (oh wait no, no even money, that was all free in France) on more digging felt unnecessary.

[PACOX]

This is why I say study and review you notes everyday, never wait the night before to study!!!

OP what you need to do is to get off of MMO-Champ and hit the books, now! Don't even finish ready this!

First hit up Wikipedia, then Spark Notes, then go back to Wikipedia and ready through all the sources. Make sure to take a break every 15 min and jot down plenty of note. After every hour review the notes. Go to bed exactly 4 hours before you need to leave for the text, if you miss the 4 hour mark then you might as well stay up and study some more. Get a Bible and say 42 Hail Mary's cause you're going to need a prayer to pass this test. God speed.

[Kanadei]

This is why I say study and review you notes everyday, never wait the night before to study!!!

OP what you need to do is to get off of MMO-Champ and hit the books, now! Don't even finish ready this!

First hit up Wikipedia, then Spark Notes, then go back to Wikipedia and ready through all the sources. Make sure to take a break every 15 min and jot down plenty of note. After every hour review the notes. Go to bed exactly 4 hours before you need to leave for the text, if you miss the 4 hour mark then you might as well stay up and study some more. Get a Bible and say 42 Hail Mary's cause you're going to need a prayer to pass this test. God speed.

And the award for not reading the OP goes to...