how do you know if you're mentally challenged?

Question

i wasn't ever curious about anything as a kid and i was kind of slow. i'm still kind of slow but i got good grades in school and was even in honors classes in middle school. but thats just cause i memorize everything for tests. i feel like i haven't learned anything in life. and i have no friends because i'm socially inept. i still like to get pampered by people and when i fight with family i just keep telling them i hate them. erm also i didn't leave my house much ever in my life (and i would never wear my glasses in the car) so um i still dont know how to get around in my city so now i can't drive and it's pathetic cause i'm 19 and can't even take care of myself. i've been diagnosed with GAD. i'm stupid aren't i? seriously there is never anything of substance going on in my head. and i'm on a waiting list to see a therapist but i don't know how to bring this up.

in kindergarten they thought i was stupid cause i never talked and my only friend was this boy who had down syndrome. do kids with down syndrome seek out kids like them? maybe he knew

Answer 1

I am convinced that as time passes and good health habits are used the mind of all humans reaches very much the same learning ability . I was slow at the first three grades... at college I was okay. I have seen slower ones able to do much twenty years later. I know if I was slow in school until grade ten then there is much I failed to learn. That is the big difference . As an adult few take advantage of the good mind that has grown in for them. After serious mental treatments there was damage to me but later the brain was able to grow back the same abilities. Keep on trying but don't give up and become welfare person and lose all you have gained.

Answer 2

Just because you have GAD does not mean that you're stupid. I should know I have it also and I had problem in school. I'm old enough to be your mother but I can tell you that i had an undiagnosed learning disability. I was not diagnosed until my youngest daughter was and she's 15. I could not read well until the end of 5 grade and I still have serious problems with math. I was diagnosed with dyslexia when my youngest was, That was when I realized that that was the reason that I had so much trouble learning how to read in school and why reading a lot of text books are difficult for me. I am an audio learner which means that I learn best by listening to either some one talking in class or to tapes. You may want to be tested for learning disabilities and to see if there are any other issues. If it's taking to long for you to get your therapist, than I would try to find some place with a shorter waiting list.

Answer 3

You don't sound stupid at all, actually you sound like a smart person. You're clear and organized in your writing and have a good vocabulary. Memorizing is perfectly ok for your age (you'll see later in life that most of what they teach you before a college is just based on faith in your teachers and textbooks), trying to really understand it is not a good choice for now -one needs more knowledge to understand even what seem like the simplest things-. You do seem very paranoid and probably your friends have called you stupid because you can't do what they can ("like, uhh, you know, talk to each other and just.. hang out"), but what did you expect of such lowlifes, praise? recognition? This might sound mean to girls but most of them can't find their way around, guys do that better while girls are better communicating. Just find a recipe to know your way around the city (study the maps and have a small compass with you). About the therapy, just show up and the therapist will help you find the problem, you can start by saying this same thing ot him, that will give him material on where to start.

Answer 4

First of all, never tell yourself that you are stupid because you're different from everyone else. Without variety, the human race wouldn't exist. That's a fact.

It sounds like you have more of a social challenge than a mental one. All of the problems that you've described above show me that you have a problem with people, over your actual thoughts, and logical abilities. Asperger's Syndrome is a possibility.

Also, a side note... If a therapist has you on a waiting list, they probably don't have a lot of time on their hands to dedicate to the patient, meaning they won't care about you as much. I suggest finding a small psychiatrist's practice, who has a lot of time to dedicate to his/her patients.

Best of luck and god bless.

Answer 5

Having Generalized Anxiety Disorder has nothing to do with intelligence. If you can get good grades because you "memorize everything for tests" it's very unlikely that you could be "mentally challenged."

Maybe the therapist can help you work on your self esteem. There's no special way to bring it up, just tell the therapist what you said here. I think you're just seeing things as bad because you feel bad.

Answer 6

you sound more smart than stupid. Hang on till u see therapist u might have some disorder that can easily be treated... just be honest with ur therapist.
Down kids are the greatest they love unconditionally they are usually a really good judge if character also.and want have much to do with anyone shady. take it as a compliment.
I am speaking from my own personal experiences as substitute for life skills class.

Answer 7

I even have in no way concept-approximately myself as mentally challenged, a minimum of no longer interior the experience i want help with artwork and issues y'understand? i understand I even have rigidity and character issues inspite of the undeniable fact that.. I additionally do no longer think of every physique has heavily concept i grow to be dumb or something like that. truthfully a number of of my friends have dubbed me the walking glossary and understand-it-all lol.

Answer 8

Yikes!! Well I can tell you one thing... by reading your well thought-out and nicely verbalized question it is clear that you are not mentally challenged or stupid, and neither is "nothing going on in your head"!

Here is an idea on how to bring this up with the therapist - just print out your question and hand it to him! Voila! Good luck!

Answer 9

No, not challenged, you just have GAD. Thats all. You are just as smart as I am.
If it makes you feel any better, my younger brother doesn't speak much at all, and he never really has, but he is a genius when it comes to building.

Answer 10

I'm sure you are fine! Some people just develop faster and slower than others. Did you know Albert Einstein was Autistic? He was a genius but just thought differently and communicate differently than others. Heads up! You'll be fine!