Age 46 i`ve been diagnosed at the extreme end of Aspergers, I`ve had servere OCD since 19 (symptoms prior) is my OCD a symptom of my Aspergers or a seperate condition?

Hi,
I just read your question, and was more concerned about your suicide attempts, rather than your first question regarding OCD and Asperger's association.

Are you currently under the care of a psychologist or psychiatrist?

Do you have a social support system in place (friends, family, neighbors) whom you can call in an emergency, if you feel that you may want to harm yourself? What treatments are you using right now?

Hello again Anonymous,

I can't stop thinking about your post, and I wanted to add two more things to what I wrote above.

If you believe you might want to harm yourself again, please call a National Suicide Hotline to get help. The number is 1-800-784-2433. I am concerned about you and want to be sure that you have this resource if you are getting those feelings again.

Also, I would like to speak with you directly. If you feel comfortable posting back with your phone number I will call you, or you may private message it to me or send it to the ASK Michelle section.

Please post again to let us know how you are doing. Michelle

Dear Anonymous,

Thank you so much for visiting the website and for sharing your story with us and for asking about the possible connection between OCD and Asperger's. I am so so sorry for all of the things you've experienced and had to deal with in your life. I'm sorry that adults who were supposed to provide love and support for you abused you, and that you have been hurt in so many ways by others. No one should have to go through what you have had to endure. But I admire you so much for getting help and trying to understand what is going on with your health.

To answer your question about your OCD and Asperger's being connected, I researched this online and found some websites with a lot of really interesting information. For example, please check out this link from a British site that discusses Asperger's and OCD (you have to scroll down to the OCD section):

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=128&a=3346

I thought it was really interesting that while many people with Asperger's engage in activities that seem like OCD, it's not true OCD. Since you were diagnosed at 19 with the OCD and just recently with the Asperger's, I'm wondering if you are instead doing what this article is referring to and that you don't have true OCD.

And here is another article that talks about the similarities between Asperger's and OCD:

http://www.ocfoundation.org/UserFiles/File/Differentiating%20between.pdf

Although I'm not an expert in this field, it seems to me that based on these articles that what you are doing that led you to being diagnosed with OCD is actually part of your Asperger's condition. So I wouldn't say you have a double-whammy, but rather that the OCD-like behaviors and thoughts are part of the other.

What really concerns me about your post though is your attempts at suicide and your negative thoughts about yourself. Are these thoughts part of what led to being diagnosed with OCD? I want to be sure you are safe and are receiving proper care. Are you currently under the care of a psychiatrist and/or specialist who specializes in suicidal patients? Are you working with anyone who is helping you with your diagnosis of Asperger's?

Please write again and let me know how you are doing today, and if these thoughts are things you deal with now or if they are from your past. And if you need help, we can be sure that you get it and if you need to find an expert who can help you, we can help you that way as well. Big hugs to you, Michelle