Should i just ask if i'm autistic?

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20 Comments

I go to Uni which offers mental health counseling as part of tuition so I figured I'd give it a go as it has been suggested here.

I've been to 2 different ones over the corse of a few years and I'm not sure how it's supposed to be helping.

Anyway I've run into some issue that has basically put part of my life at a stand still. Everything I look up points to being on the autistic spectrum, but none of the therapists will just let me know.

They keep giving me advice that i could just read off the Internet and I still dont have the "right" feelings for important things in the world. I can fake these feelings on a superficial level but trying to get close with people still makes no sense emotionally even though I like them. It feels horrible.

Do i really just have to ask specifically for a diagnosis, or can they not give one? is it normal I would feel much better with a straight answer than these people traipsing around the issue with bs like "awww there's nothing 'wrong' with you, you're just different!" and "lots of people have this issue, so don't worry about it!"

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83% Normal
Based on 12 votes (10 yes)
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Comments ( 20 )
  • noid
    6 years ago

    It's ok to share your concerns about autism and ask the counselor what they think.

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  • KiwiWisdom
    6 years ago

    A couple of points: Autism isn't well understood by the general populace. At all. To the point that some people consider it demonic possession. So in short it's on you to find a credible doctor to get diagnosed.

    Secondly you should ask if the mental health professional you're seeing is qualified to make any such diagnosis. Some college counselors and therapists aren't qualified or equipped to do more than refer you to someone who can. Recording your voice to see how much energy it has will tell you how energetically you speak, not whether or not you're on the spectrum. You could say the same thing about someone who was tired or depressed. Correlation is not causation.

    Finally this is literally advice you are reading online. People are filled with misinformation, even I am filled with misinformation. Go look up the hard science and facts if you're convinced you're on the spectrum and work on your own strategies or borrow from others to break the stand still. Sometimes progress is measured in inches, not miles.

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  • avernie
    6 years ago

    i hope my english was clear enough -.-

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  • avernie
    6 years ago

    i feel you, bro. i'm just like you, i even have close friends but they have "the feeling" i'm not the person to look for when for advice. Even though i have a close relationship with them, and i always feel like that "third wheel". Why's that? because i'm sure they feel that superficial closeness with me. These guys in the comments are talking about the voice, when i speak, (recently) i've noticed my voice is flat, but that's because i just want to get to the point and honestly, i'm even tired to speak. But here's the strange thing, (i drink, because i always feel anxious) when i drink, (not lately, tho') i tend to speak my mind and loud. I don't know if this would help you, but i've read about this and this is what squares me the most ( i don't know if this is the same expression in english but it means that "it goes with me (?) ) according to this article it is in some spectrum of autism :/
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avoidant_personality_disorder

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  • bubsy
    6 years ago

    Record your voice and listen to it. A lot of modern-day 'autists' just don't know how to project energy into their voice, and that drains everyone around them.

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    • charli.m
      6 years ago

      ...the fuck? Seriously?

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      6 years ago

      What does this have anything to do with the question tho?
      are you autistic ?

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      • bubsy
        6 years ago

        I'm not going to give you medical advice. I'm going give you something you can actually do. Your phone ought to have a voice recorder on it. Try speaking as you normally would.

        What a lot of folks don't realize is that the key part to interacting is ACTING. That doesn't mean "being fake", it means being able to express yourself as you intend to.

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        • Anonymous Post Author
          6 years ago

          Well yes but I'm a little ahead of you here. it's not the acting I'm having trouble with, as I said I'm good at interacting on a superficial level, and i have plenty of acquaintances. There are much more important things than voice projection when you get to deeper relationships, though.

          And I wasn't really asking for medical advice

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          • bubsy
            6 years ago

            Just humor me and record yourself. Hear how you sound. You've got nothing to lose.

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