Social Anxiety Disorder
That's wrong, actually. Having problems with social things is a part of Asperger's, but the SA isn't. Most individuals with AS aren't socially conscious at all, they just have problems interacting.
Bandying about the term S.A.D. for social anxiety is somewhat confusing as well as it is used more often to refer to seasonal affective disorder.
But doesn't having problems with the social things cause anxiety? Because if interacting with other people is a problem for us, we may be tempted to do it less and less as we get older, which probably makes us more and more anxious when we do have to interact. Couple that with the fact that being hypersensitive to stimuli and criticism, both of which are often prevalent in social situations, I would say that social anxiety is a big pat of Asperger's.
I very well might have Social Anxiety Disorder. I was never diagnosed with it, though.
Yeah. I'm having trouble finding more and more recent sources that talk about the relationships between anxiety and autism.
Not necessarily. People react very differently to the same situations.
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From the Social Anxiety Institute:
Social anxiety disorder is markedly different than Asperger's Disorder in that Asperger's is a pervasive developmental disorder (also called a milder version of autism) and that people with social anxiety disorder do not display the patterns of behavior expected in definitions A and B. [referring to the first two criteria of AS in the DSM]
http://www.socialanxietyinstitute.org/asperger.html
Someone with SA would not have poor hygiene, which is fairly common among those with AS. They are obsessed with social conventions whereas those with AS are usually oblivious to them. What makes the combination of the two so debilitating is the that the obsessive traits of AS amplify SA to crippling levels.
*edit* Meds have not helped whatsoever and in one case nearly finished me. You never know, though, something might work for you. Just be prepared for some serious side effects.
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"The world is only as deep as we can see. This is why fools think themselves profound." - R. Scott Bakker, The Judging Eye
Last edited by ignisfatuus on 31 Jan 2009, 5:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Does medicine help?
I think certain medications can help with the anxiety aspect, but it won't fix the social problems as a whole.
Even smoking (at first) can help you to be real "chill" around people, but after a while the only reason you will be smoking is to satisfy your addiction, and you won't get anything else from it, so don't smoke.
Social anxiety disorder is markedly different than Asperger's Disorder in that Asperger's is a pervasive developmental disorder (also called a milder version of autism) and that people with social anxiety disorder do not display the patterns of behavior expected in definitions A and B. [referring to the first two criteria of AS in the DSM]
http://www.socialanxietyinstitute.org/asperger.html
That article stresses that anxiety is a crucial part of SAD but not mentioned at all in the AS DSM. Which is a good point, however I really think that the presence of social anxiety should be mentioned in the AS definition. The AS definition is very debatable, after all. Social anxiety is mentioned again and again by people here.
Yes, that's a good example for showing the difference. I do see a difference here, but also a huge overlap.
Seems to me that Social Anxiety is the result of other factors. And undiagnosed AS for a long period, such as for all those who lived most of their lives before the rediscovery (anybody older than about 35), is likely to suffer some form of social anxiety.
I'm guessing that there are other roads that lead to social anxiety. Being physically disfigured, for example. However there is no way of getting AS other than being born with it.
Having said that, when reading about AS, SAD, Schizoid personality, Avoidant personality, introversion etc, sometimes the similarities and overlaps just scream "there must be a missing link between them" to me. I find the idea of a 'unified theory' of the introverted personality disorders appealing. Maybe it is just that we are all introverts born in a time and place where introversion is regarded as a problem.
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Circular logic is correct because it is.
The AS definition is very debatable, after all. Social anxiety is mentioned again and again by people here.
The AS definition was created by NTs and alot of the definition is based off of their external observations of someone with AS. But just because someone does something (something observed) that doesn't mean that what was observed is the same as what the person felt, wanted to do, meant, etc.
What a remarkable discussion.
Reading it has churned up all sorts of dormant memories.
I was (hastily) diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Social Phobia at age 19.
Like so many others, long before I ever heard of Asperger's.
I was prescribed Paxil, and took it for a number of months.
While it didn't do much to quell symptoms of anxiety or fear,
it did reduce some of the OCD symptoms I tend to experience.
I stopped taking it because the side effects made me feel worse than I had originally.
My experience of anxiety and social fear seems to be typical of others' experiences. The "groundless fear of making telephone calls" is a prominent example. I was terrified of that blasted phone until my early 20's. The development of scripts and plain repetition helped me do better with that one.
Another common example might be something like when I go to the grocery store:
I start off feeling OK. Optimistic and interested, perhaps. After walking up and down a few aisles, I start to feel tension all through my chest. I walk faster. My breathing speeds up. I am worried for no reason. I start to look over my shoulder, thinking people are following me. I get frustrated and huffy and sometimes even audibly rude if there are congested areas of people in places I am trying to go. An employee might kindly ask if I need help finding anything. I often am completely taken by surprise upon being spoken to in public, and I either stammer a response or pretend I didn't hear.
I've always had difficulties meeting people. Presently I do not have any friends. Like, none. Distant acquaintances through work, perhaps. But no one close to me. Even immediate family members seem to stay away from me. I always thought that the fact I didn't have many people in my life was due to character traits or choices I've made in life. It seems to be more directly related to a cloud of repulsive anxiety, caused by perpetual AS-induced confusion and misunderstanding.
I think AS is an independent condition from SAD. I've known people who were socially anxious but were not on the spectrum at all. Having AS also does not predispose one to anxiety disorders. But the correlation is pronounced, as far as I can see. My diagnosis of GAD and Social Phobia was one psychiatrist's opinion of me after a 20 minute session. I was demonstrating all these outward symptoms of anxiety and social withdrawal. Those are like the outer shell of the much deeper and pervasive world of AS.
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Last edited by Acacia on 31 Jan 2009, 10:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Does it make it impossible to meet people?
yes, and the more time that goes by and the more interacting i actually do with people (as rarely as that occurs) it gets worse....and just keeps on getting worse no matter what i do. i think my life is going to be a rather short and uninteresting one.
^Have you tried any meds? I have social anxiety/panic disorder with agoraphobia, and meds have helped quite a bit. Suppression mostly, but it is worth it.
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Those who speak, don't know.
Those who know, don't speak.
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