Is an undiagnosed broken neck that healed long ago considered a disability when the symptoms have appeared?

Am I considered as having mental retardation? Why do so many people call me retarded?

• I had 2 strokes @ age 5, & speech & hearing problems @ 2 & 3 yrs. old, & seeing a therapist. In kindergarten, they put me in regular classes, but they said that my behavior was bad, & that they suspected that I was @ risk for pervasive developmental disorder, somewhere on the spectrum. I was in special ed from kindergarten-9th grade, but been mainstreamed since 2nd grade. By 7th grade, I had all regular classes but 1. Then, 10th grade, I didn't have any special ed classes. By 11th grade I was put in Honors courses, & in my Sr. yr., I graduated with a 3.7 GPA or something like that. Then, I went to college. But because of my OCD, Tourette's, anxiety, & depression, the medication, the crises I struggled through, dealing with Hurricane Katrina, having hell with family, & the list goes on, I ended up only graduating & getting my BA with an overall 2.3 GPA, but in my major-Spanish, it was 2.8. I know I stand out from society because people don't understand or care about my OCD, anxiety, depression, etc. But is it possible to be mentally retarded with a college degree? I heard that when I was younger, I had mild mental retardation. I was also told that I was developmentally delayed. I have trouble with concentration & focus, & studying because of my mental health symptoms, & the meds don't help. People tell me that the disorders I listed above aren't considered a disability. But it is a struggle day to day with fighting my anxiety, depression, & OCD, which bring on the Tourette's symptoms. I did some research, & I wonder if I have undiagnosed Asperger's Syndrome because I have quite a bit of the symptoms. I also believe I have ADD, too. I'm very clumsy & forgetful, I accidentally do or say things without realizing it, & others are alienated or offended. I find out that I stare off into space or look up in the air, with my mind going blank, & me not realizing it. As I got older, &'ve been more forgetful, & my symptoms of my disorders are worse & stronger. I can't even find a job to accommodate my needs, where I won't be having panic attacks. & I can't stand for over 20 minutes. A lot of jobs, I can't do. I'm 25, with a college degree & STILL no job. Employers refuse to hire me because of my anxiety & Tourette's, which is difficult to hide. My family members, their spouses, & their friends abuse & misuse me & treat me mean & call me retarded, & they bully me & threaten me out of my $$ & lie to their friends, saying I'm a sicko who molested & tried to kill their kids, & all sorts of strange lies, trying to destroy my future. I moved out of my hometown, but everyone in my hometown knows & will forever remember me as crazy & retarded. & I feel bad. Students also treated me like my family, & teens try to boss me around & control me. People think I don't have the mentality to become a parent. They told me I didn't have the mentality to drive a car, but I proved them wrong. But it's really bothersome to me that I get called retarded & treated like a nuisance to society. & then, people become concerned when I'm antisocial & not talking. They choose their days when they want to be friendly or evil. & I'm tired of being talked to like an animal & treated like a child. & even professionals, like social workers & police officers know me to be crazy & retarded-going by what my family says, but I don't have a criminal history, & I'm not dangerous at all. My family abuses me, & when I call the cops, they lie & say I'm crazy & delusional, & that it's all in my head. But if they make me draw blood or give me bruises, they lie & say I did it myself, & the cops believe them over me.

• Answer:

  The people that are abusing you and treating you like crap need to be put away. Get away from them including your "family" and anyone who's toxic to you. Those people are taken advantage of your situation just to abuse you. Don't let them manipulate you or set you up for trouble. Don't listen or care what they think about you. Judging from how you sound, you need a thicker skin. Please don't be emotionally weak. If they abuse you in any way, call the cops. If the cops don't believe, then find some friends and disability advocates to help you. Join group support. Try to look for a group support in your area. Judging from your writing, you're not retarded or delusional at all. You write better than most people on Yahoo! Answers. I'm pretty much like you, but you're much better than me. I was in special ed classes until I graduated high school. Now as a college student, I still need to use the special service in order to do well. I'm almost 24 and I'm not even halfway on getting any degree. Congrats on being in honor classes in your junior year and senior year. I couldn't even handle mainstream courses and I graduated with a 2.5 GPA (I was mostly in sheltered classes). Graduating with a 3.7 GPA and being in some honor classes show that you're smarter than most people. It shows you're an inspiration if you're even disabled in the first place. If you're disabled, then it proves that your accomplishment is a miracle. You would have done a lot better in college if you didn't have personal issues to deal with. You can drive and I'm still struggling to learn. I believe you will be a great mom in the future judging from how you're dealing with life. I know you won't abuse your children in the future because of what you have gone through. We shouldn't let society define who we are and they cannot speak for us. People believe I'm retarded. I was told that I was developmentally delayed based on the test results and my poor performance in school. I have trouble with concentration & focus, too. If the meds aren't helping you, then you should stop taking them. There should be other alternatives. I know you're hurting, but please stay strong. Since you can write and know how to use a computer, why not find a job that has something to do with writing or using a computer? You can become editorial for papers since you can well so well. What about some office job?