A friend of mine was diagnosed with OCD. Her father has Asperger's Syndrome. After reading about the symptoms of Asperger's, I sometimes wonder if she has that instead. She also is agoraphobic (which could be due to a lack of social skills) so I don't know what she is like in public, as far as socializing goes. Maybe she has both disorders. She has one compulsion: hoarding magazines and newspapers. She won't tell me if she has obsessive thoughts.

Is Asperger's inherited? Are you born with it?

Here are her symptoms:
1. Hates changes in routine. She has very strict routines that she performs during the day such as eating at the same spot at the table, only eating certain foods, needing to use the same plate and cup.
2. Excessive interest in an unusual thing: reading the TV guide cover to cover and searching for words she doesn't know the meaning of. She then asks what a bunch of them mean.
3. She will often say, "What do you mean?" when I talk to her.
4. Sits with a strange posture.
5. Hoarding newspapers and magazines.

So do you think it's Asperger's and not OCD? Or maybe both?

Lots of people I know say "what do you mean?" Don't think it's diagnostic of anything. Could be a learned response from a parent or teacher, etc.


Can't say about a Dx. Not enough info (it is second hand), and we are not doctors.

(No responsible doctor would diagnose over the internet via a second party anyway.)

I do know that Dr. Temple Grandin has Asperger's Syndrome (or, high functioning Autism) and has written a few great books about understanding AS.

It is such a spectrum disorder and we are not doctors. Every symptom you discribe is a characteristic of OCD. We need to worry about our own problems before we create new ones for other people. Even though I am sure you mean well, her Dx is really between her and her doctor. For all we know her father really has OCD not Asperger's.

It sounds like OCD, but a lot of that sounds like Asperger's as well. Hating changes in routine, obsessing about a topic, even hoarding can be (but usually it's related to the obsessive topic).
*shrugs*
It could be one, or both, but that's really for her doc to decide. Is your friend concerned she has received a misdiagnosis?

Yes, sometimes she too wonders if she has got Asperger's.
I just wanted to see if maybe someone here could enlighten me more because some people on these boards have these disorders and know first hand what they are like. I mean well. I just want to help her, that's all.

There have to be two components present for a diagnosis of OCD.

One is the obsession (not proven by what you say) and the other has to be the compulsion (behaviour is present; compulsion to do it and EXTREME AGITATION/ANXIETY resulting when not allowed to do the action/compulsion has not been mentioned.)

Obsession = the Thought
Compulsion = the "Must do or Else I"ll have a full Emotional Meltdown" is the Action.

I was just wondering. I can give you a lot of info on Asperger's (just not right now, no time), if you'd like. Just drop me a PM. :)