I read a post recently where someone said their partner seemed to "see the world in black and white", but I can't recall what forum it was in. This may not be the appropriate one, but as it classes as a symptom, this seemed the most reasonable place to put this post ... I'm happy that admin will move it if required, or delete it if inappropriate. I'm not at all sure it will help the original poster at all, but maybe it will help others who actually feel this themselves.
My eldest daughter sees the world this way. She's 29, born 2 years before Asperger described this Syndrome, and was 14 before she was diagnosed. It's hereditary, and now that I know more about it, it's pretty obvious that my brother has it too, and quite possibily my father had it. It would also explain some life-difficulties I've had, and still have on occasion. My psychiatrist recently confirmed my suspicions and agreed that I too *do* in fact have some Asperger characteristics - I would guess in my case it amounts to an overly-logical view of life, perfectionism and an inability at times to recognise when someone's ribbing me and not being serious or a failure to see or understand just where someone's coming from. When I told my younger, 'normal' (what a horrible word!) daughter this, she said "But of course you are! I've known it for years!"
In my case, it's not severe, but I have seen in my eldest the emotional problems the Syndrome brings with it. You start off by trusting everyone implicitly - after all, there's no logical reason why people should lie to you, con you, bully you etc etc. Then gradually, you get to a point where you've been so badly let down, suffered so much teasing you did not understand and took seriously, been taken advantage of in various ways so often, that you end up trusting no-one, not even those closest to you. You effectively approach the world with a barge-pole in hand, poking it gently from a distance to see if it bites before allowing it closer. And so you end up without the one thing you really need - someone you can trust, who can explain to you why the world is as it is, why people react this way or that way, how to recognise others' behaviours for what they are, and not laugh at you or think you're an idiot for not knowing.
My daughter's lucky ... she's found just such a person, and I have high hopes it will be a permanent relationship. I, it seems, was not so lucky. I did not trust my husband in this way for years before I realised I could not, in fact, trust him in other ways either and divorced him. I don't trust my siblings; I don't even dare trust my 'friends' too much, just in case. I guess the only person I can *really* trust is my younger daughter - having grown up with an Aperger's sister, she understands the limitations very well - but I'm reluctant to effectively steal her life from her in order to prop me up. Even my psychiatrist said at one point that getting any information from me was like getting blood from a stone! ... trusting someone enough to confide in them is poking your head above the parapet and risking getting it shot off. Again.
I hope someone out there finds this useful ... I've certainly found the writing of it theraputic!
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