A NEW DIAGNOSIS
“Scottish Catholic singing star Susan Boyle has spoken of her relief at being diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism.
In her childhood, she was told she had ‘brain damage’. However, the 52-year-old singer revealed she was misdiagnosed after complications at birth.
Ms Boyle, who shot to fame on ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ in 2009, received the diagnosis a year ago but has kept it secret. ‘It was the wrong diagnosis when I was a kid,’ she says. ‘I was told I had brain damage. I always knew it was an unfair label. Now I have a clearer understanding of what’s wrong and I feel relieved and a bit more relaxed about myself.’
‘MORE RELAXED ABOUT MYSELF’
Asperger’s affects social interaction and communication skills, and sometimes hinders the ability to form relationships and gauge appropriate behaviour in different social contexts. Ms Boyle, who was called ‘Susie Simple’ while growing up in her home town of Blackburn, West Lothian, was bullied as a child because she was ‘different’ from her classmates. Now she can give that difference a name.
‘I went to seek a diagnosis from a Scottish specialist,’ she says. ‘Nobody told me to. I thought I had a more serious illness and couldn’t function properly.’ Asperger’s often creates anxiety in sufferers because of their inability to deal with situations which others take in their stride, and Ms Boyle was nervous about the consultation.
MY MUM PRAYS FOR ME
However, she coped well with a series of simple tests that showed her intelligence levels were not connected to her condition: ‘I was told my IQ was above average.’
The singer has also suffered from depression and mood swings and acknowledges her own vulnerability and need for support. ‘I am not strong on my own,’ she admits. ‘When I have the support of people around me I am fine. I have a great team.’ Despite building what she calls ‘the posh house’ with her new-found wealth, she moved back to her late mother Bridget’s terraced council house in Blackburn to ‘stay grounded’.
She attributes her success to her mother: ‘I made a promise to my mum that I would do something with my life. Spiritually, she’s with me all the time. She has had a word with someone upstairs because I wouldn’t have had this otherwise.’
Ms Boyle hopes her diagnosis will lead to people showing greater empathy towards her. ‘I think people will treat me better because they will have a much greater understanding of who I am and why I do the things I do.’
A devout Catholic, Ms Boyle sang for Pope Benedict XVI when he visited Glasgow in 2010. She regularly attends Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Blackburn.”
– This article by Declan McSweeney entitled “SuBo’s relief at Asperger’s dignosis” was published in “The Catholic Universe” issue Sunday 15th December, 2013. For subscriptions please visit http://www.thecatholicuniverse.com (external link).
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