Being Diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome as an Adult

In recent years, many adults who have been misdiagnosed with a host of psychiatric labels are finally being recognized as having Asperger's Syndrome. While AS is not a psychiatric disorder, it can cause other challenges that then threaten overall mental health.

What is Asperger's Syndrome?

AS is "a neurobiological disorder named for a Viennese physician, Hans Asperger, who in 1944 published a paper which described a pattern of behaviors in several young boys who had normal intelligence and language development, but who also exhibited autistic-like behaviors and marked deficiencies in social and communication skills . . . only in the past few years has AS been recognized by professionals and parents." - Barbara L. Kirby, Founder, OASIS Web site.

(For more detailed infomation, see What Is Asperger’s Syndrome.)

The Damaging Effects of Being Misdiagnosed

The greatest sources of damage for misdiagnosed adults are the false hopes given, the unhelpful and often damaging medication they are prescribed, the unrealistic expectations placed upon them for change, and the pathologizing of what is for “normal” for those with AS. Unlike many mental health disorders, Asperger’s, with its etiology in physiology, is more intractable than disorders based in the emotional realm.

Without knowing what was really behind their relational difficulties, adults with AS can feel like failures, unlikable and unlovable. Feeling this way is very alienating, but it can be torturous for them to try and be how society tells them to be. Not being "normal," along with not knowing what others  expected intelligent adults should know can be infuriating.

Connection is just as vital for an adult with Asperger’s as it is for those who are Neuro-Typical (NT), although it may not manifest iteslf in the same way as most NTs. Those with Asperger’s have a wide range of emotions; only their ability to express them is compromised.

The Relief that Comes with Proper Diagnosis

Most adults who are diagnosed with AS find the diagnosis a meaningful revelation in their lives. It can mean the difference between a life of self-recrimination, self-loathing and isolation, and a life of acceptance, self-worth, and self-love.

With this understanding of why socialization, communication and relating are often so challenging, adults with AS can learn to feel less alienated as they learn coping strategies that allow them to compensate for the areas in relating that can make life very difficult and lonely.

 

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