Hi,

It's good to hear from you, and thanks for joining.

You wrote: "I thought that Asperger's was just Asperger's."

Asperger's can be mild to severe, which is what people mean when they say it is a "spectrum disorder." (People also says that someone is "on the spectrum" to mean that they have Asperger's or autism.) Like the light spectrum, you can be over to one side or the other, or anywhere in between.

I personally think that the spectrum description simplifies things too much, because it implies that the only differences among people with Asperger's is whether they have it mildly or severely. But I think the differences are much more complicated, more multi-dimensional than that. For instance, some people with it don't talk much, but other talk a lot.

Now that you're diagnosed, life will go on as it always has, in many ways. But you'll have a better understanding of yourself, although Asperger's will only be one part of the story of who you are. People are much more complex and interesting than any single label can describe.

I recommend that you visit sites like this if you find them helpful for sharing information. But I also think that in many ways, you should go on living just as you want to live.

Thank you so much AllGoodMan!

I am so excited to have a diagnosis and do realize I am the same person I have always been and will be. I have only one thing that I really enjoy doing and could do all day everyday and that's swimming. I can't do this year round so my life gets pretty boring in the off season. I know I can go get a membership at a gym, but money is an issue. I don't have a job and other bills are first.

I have a few things I like doing, but I loose interest in things very quickly. I have the attention span of about a 5-6 year old. I can focus on something about 5-10 minutes and then I'm done with it. If things get too hard I give up and don't look back. I wish this were something I could change, but I have been this way since I was a kid and don't think it will be something I can come out of easily.

So many people try to help with things to do, but I seriously am either not interested in things at all or loose interest in it very quickly. I have changed jobs very frequently for several reasons one being I don't always get things done in the time I am expected, I loose interest in things very quickly and need something new, my social awkwardness, also social anxiety gets in the way of things.

If anyone has suggestions for me I am up for trying nearly anything if it can help. My psychologist knows exactly how anxious and awkward I am, but will not sign off on disability papers for anyone with this disorder.

I have also been diagnosed as bipolar. I don't understand how someone that would rather jump off a bridge than to be in front of or have to talk to people would not be able to get onto disability. It's stupid! Sorry for my rant.

hi, welcome to the "club". I'm also Bipolar - there are a few of us bipolar aspies - it's a common comorbidity apparently.

You might want to join the bipolar board also - it's alot more active than this one.

Thank you acuriousfish! I will do that now.

Hi, Manda

If your attention span is an issue, you might want to try meditating. I find that it can slow a racing mind: http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/how-to-meditate

All goodman: thanks! I do meditate at times and it does help calm me down. I just wish I could get interested in something enough to do it more than 5-10 minutes at a time. There are only two things I am interested in that keeps my attention all day and both things aren't the best to do all day. One is swim. I could stay in the pool all day everyday and never get bored. My husband hates the water so I haven't swam much since we got married. I actually have missed too many meals because of swimming obsession. My second thing is working out. I could workout all day everyday, but obviously it's not healthy to do this either. As I think I have said before I either am an all or nothing kind of person.