Narcissism or Asperger's?

We’re always grateful when Lisa from OOMPH Health shares her wisdom with us — and this piece might just be one of her most eye-opening yet. Lisa is not only a brilliant naturopath and medical herbalist, she’s also incredibly insightful and genuinely caring with her clients (I can say that personally, because I’m one of them!).

In this article, she bravely shares part of her own story in the hope that it might help others who are unknowingly navigating a relationship that seems narcissistic, but may actually be something else entirely — like Asperger’s. It’s an important read for anyone who’s ever felt confused, hurt, or stuck in a dynamic that just doesn’t make sense. Lisa’s perspective may be just the “oomph” you need to see things more clearly.

Before I begin: Narcissism or Asperger's?

You’d truly be surprised by the number of people I see at OOMPH who cite a seemingly Narcissistic relationship as one of the top causes of their high stress.

I too believed I had the same problem with my mother — until I knew better! As it turned out, my mother wasn’t a Narcissist at all. My mother has Asperger’s 🫣

Narcissism and Asperger’s are different conditions, but they have similar traits (lack of empathy, preoccupation… motivation…rigidity) and can sometimes be confused with each other.

With her in her 70s, and me in my 40s, we only  discovered in the last few years that she has this condition – and that we have both suffered because of it our whole lives! 😳

However, armed with this knowledge, we’ve rekindled our relationship, and it’s now better than ever. And it’s my hope that by sharing our experience here, I can help others in a similar situation — as I have done by sharing this insight with clients at OOMPH. 

This article is also my way of paying homage to our mother-daughter relationship comeback! I’m actually really proud of the way we’ve finally been able to work through our issues!

Sharron (Mum) has read this article, and she has kindly given me permission to publish it.

That all said, I would like to dedicate this article to my mum:  Mumma, it hasn’t always been easy, but I have always loved you – you little weirdo, you x

PS: She describes herself as weird! It’s her ‘own-noun’ 😋

MY MOTHER HAS ASPERGER'S.

Ya don't say?!

On my 46th birthday it suddenly came to me: Aspergers! My crazy-arse mother has Aspergers! 😳

Up until that pivotal point, I was near convinced that she was actually a narcissistic arsehole…¹

I know. I know! You’re not even supposed to think such things about your mother; let alone say them out loud! 

If you’re currently aghast at me… I’m picking that you probably have one of those nice, normal mums, now don’t you?!

Yeah, I knew you wouldn’t understand. 😒

The Autistic Spectrum has three levels.

Asperger’s Syndrome was previously classified as its own condition. However, the behaviour ascribed to Asperger’s now comes under the umbrella diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Asperger’s syndrome, or rather ASD-1, refers to a high-functioning form of autism, or a mild version if you will. 

It’s a neuro-developmental disorder where the person has difficulty understanding social cues and may struggle to form and maintain personal relationships. They also have restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities.

Please note: I will be referring to ASD-1 as Asperger’s in this article. This is because my mother would have been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome had her condition been ‘picked up’ when she was a child in the 1950s.

To continue reading this fantastic mind opening article click here.