Oznog: Julie Cochrane: Jebus Slaves: Can't we just go back to nerds, geeks and spazzes?

You know, that soooo sucked. Being called a spaz in school and then being diagnosed as bipolar as an adult. One day you wake up and put the two together and you pop yourself on the forehead and go, "Well shiat!"

Then you get a sense of humor about it and you think back to long-gone annoying tormentor, mentally send back the bird, and a, "Yeah, whatever. Fark you, too, buddy," and go on with your life.

And then you Google them and find their Facebook and LinkedIn profile and either go "huh looks like he moved on from picking on nerds, as he works as a Java coder" or "LOL what a loser!!! Zomg now he's using Facebook to rant about Obama's birth certificate? Seriously? Why was I EVER worried about what this person said to me?"

Generally things said were not the problem. It was the imminent violence that was the problem.

Teknowaffle: No, Morgellons disease is the new one.

/Not enough cuckoo clocks in the world to properly illustrate how crazy those people are.

That sounds a lot like Meth.

I was an aspie, and then I smoked weed and drank booze. It's amazing how a little bit of social lubricant allows you to finally figure out social skills.

For instance, when people ask you "How you doing?" Now I know that they really don't care.

"Asperger's Syndrome" annoyed me in that they basically expanded the definition to potentially include every behavior outside some "ideal" person. I might say Beaver Cleaver or Richie Cunningham, but no, you could easily say Cunningham is Asperger because he's

Asperger's DID start out with some specific cases, but without a genetic basis, physical test, or really even a working theory to define it, it just went all over the place. Once you do that, it's no longer a "thing", because its definition is compromised.

I'm not saying these symptoms aren't "real", but they're different things. But there's a resistance to differentiating it into specific problems because of this strangely fashionable mystique of "Asperger's Syndrome". And then someone decided it was the same as autism, just a "lite" version, which was really just conjecture.

It's like this- in the old days, pneumonia, tuberculosis, lung cancer, even Bubonic Plague were essentially lumped into "lung spectrum disorder". With this sort of conflation, research into diagnosis and treatment is impossible, science cannot be applied until they're separated. Of course with physical diseases, science can come up with objective evidence of microorganisms and observable results of treatment. Psych... not so much.

Fark.com healthcare plan - absolutely free because no one really has any problem, they're all just money-grubbing attention whores.

Oh, the psychological hysteria!

reillan: daisiem: My son is an Aspie, and I am grateful that he fits under the Autism diagnosis. His IQ if off the charts, but he has the social skills of a potato. There I said, it, I'm a bad mom, but it's the truth. Without that diagnosis, he wouldn't have an IEP at school. Without that IEP, there is no way he would survive high school.

I'm an aspie.

In my childhood, I was undiagnosed, forced to endure school without an IEP and without the social protections against bullying that have been since put in place. My life was a living hell for many years.

But you know what? I turned out pretty OK, for all of that. Other aspies I know today are total assholes, because they expect everyone to cater to their condition. They continue to lack social skills and continue to believe that the world is strictly black & white. I have been able to learn that the world doesn't conform neatly to the strict lines in my head...

This. I rarely mention my diagnosis, except when people insist that Asperger's is a made-up condition or a self-diagnosis. I was diagnosed by a psychologist and a neurologist. I read an article about it before it became fashionable. It described me to a T, so I sought proefssional diagnosis.

Just knowing there's a word for it was a huge relief.

gaslight: Good. We call these people engineers and software developers. It's not a flipping disease.

Go stand in a room full of people speaking ASL and maintain eye contact for about two hours. Far as I can tell, that's pretty much what makes neurotypicals feel like Aspies--severely painful eye contact, no ability to understand what the hell is going on, and completely missing half the signals.

Yeah, there was virtually no medical basis for this, and I have no idea what the fark these people are thinking. They need to release some of their thought processes here, because AS is a very real disorder that has medical science backing it, and just saying 'we don't think it'll hit too many people' isn't an answer.

Travis_Bickle: Buffco: Travis_Bickle: Wow, the fretful mothers are outraged by this.

I'm a fretful father. You, can go fark yourself.

I have a severely Autistic relative who's 40 and still lives at home. Not saying your child doesn't have some unusual traits and I wouldn't because i don't know your child.

Just saying that maybe you shouldn't cling to a particular diagnosis so much.

'K.

And she's not diagnosed with Aspergers. That's just it, she doesn't have a clear cut diagnosis. And I couldn't give two farks about what it says on paper about her condition. I just want to know that we, her parents, are going in the right direction as far as allowing her the best possible care so she can achieve the highest level of function that she is capable of.

She gets what we're saying to her, but communicating it back is hard. Still only speaking in 2 or 3 word sentences and even then, the words are garbled so that only those of us close to her actually understand her.

She also doesn't "get" positive vs. negative attention. It's all attention to her.

Buffco: As a parent of a high-functioning ......... we don't know what yet, I am NOT getting a kick. Her IEP is a lifesaver.

/Doctors here suck. She's 6, and they can't agree as to whether she has mild CP, Autism, or ADHD. We've heard it all.
//Love her to death

I don't think you'll have a problem. From what I've read elsewhere on this the changes will continue to cover those who actually need this sort of help. The people who will get dropped are those of us who can function reasonably well in a school or work situation but we fail badly on the social things (which will have work repercussions.) People that would benefit from help as a child but which will be functional without it.

cptjeff: From a clinical standpoint, this categorization may be useful. From a real world standpoint, it's going to be disastrous. All of a sudden, the mild cases that used to be called various degrees of aspergers are not going to be called autisim, and lumping people who can function in society to various degrees with people who very often can't will cause massive headaches. The distinction of asbergers and autisim is necessary, and will survive, even if just used informally.

The DSM IV definitions aren't good in this regard as the dividing line between Asperger's and autism has little to do with how well they function.

Rent Party: Which is just about what aught to happen. I'm so sick of standing in line behind spoiled brat "aspies" to get services for my perfectly well behaved full blown autistic son I could kick someone.

You're not autistic, kid, you're just an asshole.

You've got the wrong target here. The asshole behavior is due to coddling disabilities.

docmattic: bmwericus: Ah, the good old DSM.

Electroshock cures homosexuality!

Electroshock cures Everything!

[see Version one....]

Ahh, good old science.

The Sun revolves around the earth!

The human body consists of four humours!

And also perhaps an imp or small gnome living in the stomach.

It's redundancy is being acknowledged and disorders that were diagnosed sometimes under Asperger's , sometimes under Autism will now all fall under "Autism Spectrum Disorders".

In short, Subby is more blind than the "Aspies" he's fumbling to mock.

my eldest son (12), is also an aspie/adhd (professionally diagnosed, by 3 different shrinks). he's another off the charts smart with no social skills. but spend 10 minutes with the guy, and you will walk (some run) away, saying "there's something wrong with that kid". on the other hand, he read the first 2 harry potter books, in 5 hours (in the car from rock springs wy to denver) when he was 8. he reads even faster now. there's no stopping him. he reads constantly, we can't get him to do anything else (except lego). so unless we lean on him hard, he will not do any homework. ever. its a constant struggle, and he only just barely crosses the line into 'autism spectrum disorders'. i can't imagine how it would be for someone further up the scale. the boy needs more help than i can give him, and without the diagnosis, the school couldn't help him either. without the diagnosis, my insurance would not cover his treatment or anything, and i cannot afford these things on my own. if asperger's goes away, i have no doubt that he will drop out of school, and become a burden to society. given proper treatment ( which if i can't afford it, i will sell my house and business, so i can afford it), i am convinced he will be a great boon to society.

so there you go. the choice is simple:

no asperger's in dsmv,

no beer for you.

asperger's in dsmv,

the beer continues to flow.

your choice.

AssAsInAssassin Smartest
Funniest
2012-05-10 02:09:58 PM


reillan: daisiem: My son is an Aspie, and I am grateful that he fits under the Autism diagnosis. His IQ if off the charts, but he has the social skills of a potato. There I said, it, I'm a bad mom, but it's the truth. Without that diagnosis, he wouldn't have an IEP at school. Without that IEP, there is no way he would survive high school.

I'm an aspie.

In my childhood, I was undiagnosed, forced to endure school without an IEP and without the social protections against bullying that have been since put in place. My life was a living hell for many years.

But you know what? I turned out pretty OK, for all of that. Other aspies I know today are total assholes, because they expect everyone to cater to their condition. They continue to lack social skills and continue to believe that the world is strictly black & white. I have been able to learn that the world doesn't conform neatly to the strict lines in my head...

This. I rarely mention my diagnosis, except when people insist that Asperger's is a made-up condition or a self-diagnosis. I was diagnosed by a psychologist and a neurologist. I read an article about it before it became fashionable. It described me to a T, so I sought proefssional diagnosis.

Just knowing there's a word for it was a huge relief.



...aaand there you have it! Aptly sums up half the reason for the existence of many of these "disorders".

Yeah, my Dad who is a genuine Asperger's sufferer and to tell you the truth it takes quite a long time to really figure out that someone is Asperger's IF they are high functioning as many of the obvious clues are simply NOT there. But, if you pay attention within I imagine 2-3 years of knowing that person very well, you'd be able to figure out if they had it or not (or if it was something else that you have no idea what it could be...). When we found out my Dad had it it was an immediate, "...well, NO shiat...", moment. Not only for him, but my brother as well. So many problems that both had gone through in their lives, especially certain problems my brother had absolutely started to make it very clear that this is what they had. BUT, here's the thing, since my Dad and brother are both high functioning Asperger's they did a lot of research, not the "Wikipedia expenditure" that I think many do use and come up with some information, but they also don't come up with a lot of the more truthful information. Asperger's has always been sitting in the Autism Spectrum Zone of disorders; it's typically a much more "deal-able" version of most of Autism, but you do still have issues when it comes to understanding and participating in their social lives without creating problems, over and over again. Only experience helps to stop these harsh conditions. My brother was still learning and it was too hard for him. If his supervisor told him to do better on something, instead of taking the conversation as a reminder--something he has to do, to some degree; it's his job--realizing that supervisors almost always have something negative to say to you as that is their defined nature and your relationship with them... That doesn't happen in my brother's mind, to him it is a direct threat; an insult to ALL the work he has done and it literally upsets him to no end. He doesn't see the world like you or I.

He ended up killing himself and in his note he was assured that everyone hated him, thus showing that his Asperger's (or Autism) got the better of him... It's VERY hard to tell people that they suffer from this condition, but in reality most people have very little introspection into what that really means. He was a terrible loss; one that I never would wish on anyone. So if you learn a little from me in here, good, you should, it may save lives.

You can laugh and pretend that the subject matter is false, but trust me it VERY much isn't. Changing it from a more classified diagnosis (Asperger's) to the more general Autism Spectrum, is good and bad. I say this because even within Asperger's people can very GREATLY in condition AND from what exact ailment hits them the hardest. It is more of a psychiatrist's job to slowly chip away at it and find all of the various nooks and crannies, the weak points and your strong suits and then coordinate a treatment that for your individual's merits to take care of what needs to be looked after and helps nourish the strengths already there. This way I think you'll find a more honest solution to a problem rather than stamping a "takes-care-of-all" medical treatment, which I'm sure the major pharmaceuticals were in favor of "finding".

As to whether this is the right thing to do, I don't know. Only time can tell us if we are right there. BUT, if it truly does get "once" Asperger's patients to become a more neutral patient; one in which the doctor must truly devise a different method of treatment and development for every person... Then I truly do think they made the right decision, and I hope this IS why they are making the decision they are--plus autism gets fairly poor treatment, perhaps they're trying to bring more doctors into the game.

kceaton 2012-05-10 03:22:38 PM

Yeah, my Dad who is a genuine Asperger's sufferer and to tell you the truth it takes quite a long time to really figure out that someone is Asperger's IF they are high functioning as many of the obvious clues are simply NOT there. But, if you pay attention within I imagine 2-3 years of knowing that person very well, you'd be able to figure out if they had it or not (or if it was something else that you have no idea what it could be...). When we found out my Dad had it it was an immediate, "...well, NO shiat...", moment. Not only for him, but my brother as well. So many problems that both had gone through in their lives, especially certain problems my brother had absolutely started to make it very clear that this is what they had. BUT, here's the thing, since my Dad and brother are both high functioning Asperger's they did a lot of research, not the "Wikipedia expenditure" that I think many do use and come up with some information, but they also don't come up with a lot of the more truthful information. Asperger's has always been sitting in the Autism Spectrum Zone of disorders; it's typically a much more "deal-able" version of most of Autism, but you do still have issues when it comes to understanding and participating in their social lives without creating problems, over and over again. Only experience helps to stop these harsh conditions. My brother was still learning and it was too hard for him. If his supervisor told him to do better on something, instead of taking the conversation as a reminder--something he has to do, to some degree; it's his job--realizing that supervisors almost always have something negative to say to you as that is their defined nature and your relationship with them... That doesn't happen in my brother's mind, to him it is a direct threat; an insult to ALL the work he has done and it literally upsets him to no end. He doesn't see the world like you or I.

He ended up killing himself and in his note he was assured that everyone hated him, thus showing that his Asperger's (or Autism) got the better of him... It's VERY hard to tell people that they suffer from this condition, but in reality most people have very little introspection into what that really means. He was a terrible loss; one that I never would wish on anyone. So if you learn a little from me in here, good, you should, it may save lives.

You can laugh and pretend that the subject matter is false, but trust me it VERY much isn't. Changing it from a more classified diagnosis (Asperger's) to the more general Autism Spectrum, is good and bad. I say this because even within Asperger's people can very GREATLY in condition AND from what exact ailment hits them the hardest. It is more of a psychiatrist's job to slowly chip away at it and find all of the various nooks and crannies, the weak points and your strong suits and then coordinate a treatment that for your individual's merits to take care of what needs to be looked after and helps nourish the strengths already there. This way I think you'll find a more honest solution to a problem rather than stamping a "takes-care-of-all" medical treatment, which I'm sure the major pharmaceuticals were in favor of "finding".

As to whether this is the right thing to do, I don't know. Only time can tell us if we are right there. BUT, if it truly does get "once" Asperger's patients to become a more neutral patient; one in which the doctor must truly devise a different method of treatment and development for every person... Then I truly do think they made the right decision, and I hope this IS why they are making the decision they are--plus autism gets fairly poor treatment, perhaps they're trying to bring more doctors into the game.

The human mind is exremely complicated, with thousands of variations even for people diagnosed with the same disorder.
Sometimes overly simplified diagnoses hurt more than help

Both the study and the newly announced reversals are being debated this week at the psychiatric association's annual meeting in Philadelphia...

Ain't no party like a psychiatric association party, cuz a psychiatric association party is ill defined and based entirely on pseudo-scientific research.

cgraves67: Just call it what it is: Anti-social Reclusive Internet Hermit.

Clinically, antisocial doesn't mean what you think it means.

/pet peave

If being a social retard deserves a diagnosis, why doesn't being ugly?

I have Asperger's and I approve of this message.

All it did for me was give me a name for why I'm "quirky".

Whatever. A change like this just means I'm cured. Who can be mad about that?

Ok, so the APA is getting rid of one name and lumping it in with a broader condition. Big deal. I was getting a medical screening last Saturday at work, and I considered telling the provider that I would like to be screened for HFA, but I didn't because I don't like dealing with people. I suppose that's part of my problem. Not that I expect special treatment, but knowing that I may experience feelings and situations differently than most of the population helps me get over anxiety that feel in situations that shouldn't be there.

K-6 and 9-12 were fine for me at school. In junior high, I was hazed in gym class almost continuously. Luckily that all got left behind when we graduated to high school. I didn't have any diagnosis then, nor were there IEPs (I had to look that one up) back in the dark ages of the 1970s and '80s, and aside from the wedgies, things were taken care of by normal teachers and the principal. Shocking, I know, that teachers might be able to devote attention to each and every student individually when they didn't have to worry about some national metric that probably measures very little anyway.

daisiem: My son is an Aspie, and I am grateful that he fits under the Autism diagnosis. His IQ if off the charts, but he has the social skills of a potato. There I said, it, I'm a bad mom, but it's the truth. Without that diagnosis, he wouldn't have an IEP at school. Without that IEP, there is no way he would survive high school.

Seconded. The Boy's in Community College right now, but Jr High still weighs heavily on my conscience. I made him go to Special Day classes up to 9th grade. On the other hand, The Boy was determined to go Regular Ed in HS and he did quite well there with people. I can't wait to hear what he has to say about this. It will be exhaustive.

Anonymocoso: Being a moody, antisocial loner isn't a bug. It's a feature.

Until less compassionate, more demanding, more greedy folks decide to overrun the folks who haven't learned to fend.

Confused, uncertain folks (who know pi to 50 places) can only get so far until the less intelligent bullies decide to take what they want.

BTW - my unproven fear is that it's due to ultrasounding little tiny developing brains.

Ultrasound is radiation. Low frequency, to be sure, but it's radiation. To a developing brain.

Think that "benign" interventions can't really be tragic? Stevie Wonder is an example of how we can think we're helping when we're not.

Are we doing something similar with prenatal ultrasounds? Is my first child's specialness a result of me being too anxious to see him wriggling before he was born? So far, studies say no. This is one time that I'm not listening to reason, but wish I could.

People are farked up, or not, without regard for an accepted label.

Just something to think about.

Also to those who read the headline and think "ha, I'm proven right" I would point out that if you didn't respect the views of psychologists with the dsm four, then you can hardly appeal to their views with the dsm five as a final authority.

No doubt....the vaccine industry has their hands on this one.

Fewer autism and Asperger diagnosis....less threats of lawsuits

Never heard of such a change in diagnosis...especially for a condition that continues to grow.

Of course, for the ones who attack Autism and its relation to vaccines....you do have noted psychiatric doctor Michael Savage on your side. Nothing like getting derp liberals and derp GOPers together on an issue

Ghastly: Now what will socially inept people on the internet self diagnose themselves as?

I got the ADD diagnosis to fall back on. Good way to scam the university into giving extended time during exams.

It didn't need that label anyways. People need to label things so they can think they actually understand it. It's real name is the inventor's mind.

Living in two worlds at the same time both within the mind and out here with everyone else, isn't exactly something typical people have to deal with so why should we expect you to understand it? You have things like celebrities, television and other useless crap to keep yourself occupied with. But then again most of you are just placeholders for they very few people who really make a difference in keeping human progress going through creative thought and invention. People like Nikola Tesla, Albert Einstein and Sir Isaac Newton being some of the greatest in modern history.

Anyways, lets get back to watching Friends and seeing what's new @ TMZ.

Yoyo: Ok, so the APA is getting rid of one name and lumping it in with a broader condition. Big deal.

it is a big deal. not because they are getting rid of the asperger's label, but they are changing the definition. the new definition gets rid of the spectrum. using words like 'must meet all three' and 'complete lack of facial expression' my son's lack of facial expression is not total, but its not what anyone would call animated either. most of the time there is not real facial expression, but get him on the subject of lego, and he's a different kid. so my son being 'high functioning' is closer to normal than the new definition, but that doesn't
mean he functions at the same level as everyone else.

Got a big wake up call earlier this year. My young daughter was crying and being held by my wife who thought she may have yet another ear infection. I took a look at her and said: "I think she's fine. She looks like she's smiling.". To which my wife gave me the what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-look and said flatly: "She's not smiling, she's grimicing in pain!" It killed me that I was blind to my daughter being in such pain. I had to confess that I've been unable to read body language/facial expressions for as long as I can remember. I could see the light bulb going off in my wifes head as it all came together.

I've been able to play off my "quirks" for a long time, but people around me are finally taking notice. How does one get diagnosed as an adult anyway? My fear is that I'll go in and they'll simply think I'm some moron. I'm not looking to use aspergers as a crutch. More like a foundation to build upon for better social interaction.

Not having any children, this thread is so much more fun if you think IEP is just how dyslexics spell EIP.

/BIE?

Yoyo: Ok, so the APA is getting rid of one name and lumping it in with a broader condition. Big deal. I was getting a medical screening last Saturday at work, and I considered telling the provider that I would like to be screened for HFA, but I didn't because I don't like dealing with people. I suppose that's part of my problem. Not that I expect special treatment, but knowing that I may experience feelings and situations differently than most of the population helps me get over anxiety that feel in situations that shouldn't be there.

The big deal is that in doing so they are removing those at the lower end of the spectrum--the people that would benefit from help but for whom help isn't essential to leading a functional life.

Loren: The big deal is that in doing so they are removing those at the lower end of the spectrum--the people that would benefit from help but for whom help isn't essential to leading a functional life.

I'll admit that I only skimmed the article, but I read that the new criteria would not reduce the number of diagnoses. IANADoctor. YDiagnosisMV.

The true issue is that it is being used to help people that don't really need the help. All of it is just another abused system for people to fall back on and not do what they should be doing. Don't want to go out and get a real job and work a 9-5er, get welfare, food stamps, WIC, medicaid...just make sure you squirt another kid out before your benefit expires. Don't want to work anymore? get yourself fired and go get unemployment, some offices are even paying you more and/or extending benefits to return to college on someone else's dime. Don't want to parent your child? get them diagnosed with ADD/ADHD or Aspberger's.
Don't get me wrong, i'm not saying that there are not needs for these programs or diagnoses. They are just so abused that the abuse overshadows the true potential of it all. people and children need this help and diagnosis to really take care of the situation(s) they are in. And so many horrible people take advantage of it.

That's one hell of a bullshiat headline job there, Subby. They are saying they need to streamline the definition of autism, because there's really no clear consensus on it right now. They are correct about that. The diagnoses they're getting rid of are the ones they proposed a while back, which, the way they were phrased, would have essentially pathologized things like grief and "having a bad day." Ditching these ideas is a good thing. So what's the problem?

meddleRPI: reillan: daisiem: My son is an Aspie, and I am grateful that he fits under the Autism diagnosis. His IQ if off the charts, but he has the social skills of a potato. There I said, it, I'm a bad mom, but it's the truth. Without that diagnosis, he wouldn't have an IEP at school. Without that IEP, there is no way he would survive high school.

I'm an aspie.

In my childhood, I was undiagnosed, forced to endure school without an IEP and without the social protections against bullying that have been since put in place. My life was a living hell for many years.

But you know what? I turned out pretty OK, for all of that. Other aspies I know today are total assholes, because they expect everyone to cater to their condition. They continue to lack social skills and continue to believe that the world is strictly black & white. I have been able to learn that the world doesn't conform neatly to the strict lines in my head...

/btw, I fell off the scale a few years ago. Guess I should clarify that...

So what you're saying is that when confronted by an environment in which your success and happiness was predicated on your ability to deal with it according to rules that weren't your own... the disorder disappeared.

Everyone draws lines in the sand on how they think the world does/should work. That's not a disorder. The disorder is our social unwillingness to tell these people that they're wrong and need to suck it up.

As psychologists, we are just as susceptible to the same mental traps and pitfalls as everyone else. Therefore psychologists/psychiatrists love to claim "certainty" in their diagnosis... like we tell our clients, doctors always have to be the smartest person in the room. Fact is though that the DSM is merely a way for us to streamline the things we know, but it's still highly subjective. I've had clients go through about 7 diagnoses before they found one for which the treatment actually helped them. Sometimes we know SOMETHING isn't right, but putting a name to it is the hard part. But what people seem to be forgetting these days is that what makes a disorder a disorder isn't what you read under the guidelines of the test or some internet evaluation. All of us have eccentricities and quirks that could be looked at as symptoms of SOME mental disorder, but what makes something a disorder is that it interferes with your ability to live your life - meaning the people, who I know exist, who say "I HAVE ADHD I CAN'T WORK" need to be asked 1. what symptoms are interfering with your ability, 2. how are they interfering. I know lots of peole who DO have ADHD and live perfectly "normal" lives, including working and supporting themselves. Mental illness is an obstacle, it's not a reason to stop trying (which is why I push personal responsibility harder than anything on my clients - when your mental illness symptoms are in check, you aren't done, you have to start working on the skills that have been beyond your grasp while you were still trying to cope with your symptoms).

gglibertine: chaddsfarkprefect: It is curious that now we have our new health care system, DSM V will be limiting diagnoses to be considered as actual medical problems (i.e. covered by insurance).

Works for me. My diagnosis *is* an actual medical problem, and I look forward to that being differentiated from people who just want an excuse to claim victimhood and garner sympathy. I don't give a rat's ass whether you're sympathetic, I just want people to know the difference between "whiny slacker" and "chronic, treatment-resistant major depression."

You're asking them to draw on experiences they do not have, though. A person who has never experienced the chemical imbalance that causes major depressive episodes cannot fathom not being able to even get out of bed in the morning, much less "cheer up." Most people honestly do not understand psychological conditions or how they are affected by the environment, nor do they understand neurological predisposition or neurogenesis. The emotional experiential knowledge the average joe has to go on is not an effective tool on empathizing with someone with a mental illness. They literally don't get it. Believe me, I have the same problem as a psychologist - the example I always use is battered women. I mean I get the "what" of their thought process, but believe me, I still don't get the "why." I try my best, but I don't think I ever will fully understand it because it's outside the realm of my real experiences. We psychologists dedicate ourselves to understanding the human mind and in many cases helping people cope with the short-comings thereof, but even we as trained professionals don't have all the answers, and there are plenty of psychologists that I know personally that need a kick in the empathy-balls. I guess what I'm really saying is, you can't expect too much from people, nor can you control how they act or think. All you can do is decide how YOU'RE going to deal with the situation - get mad when they tell you your depression is made up? Or roll your eyes and laugh at them and say "YEAH, AND VACCINES CAUSE AUTISM! RIGHT ON MAN!" and move on?

CSB: Some of the clients at the group home where I work went out for a domestic violence awareness walk a few weeks ago and afterward we stopped by Burger King. There had been some sort of ugliness earlier that day on the street where the residence is located, though none of our clients were involved. While waiting in line, a nicely dressed man in a suit was making small talk with a few of the clients and the incident from earlier was mentioned. He said "yeah, it's terrible what those mentally ill people do, isn't it?" Now, obviously a terrible, stupid thing to say, and factually inaccurate (statistically the mentally ill are more likely to be victims of crimes than perpetrators)... but how did the clients react? They laughed. HYSTERICALLY. They kept him talking so they could hear more of his stupid views and enjoyed every bit of his stupidity. When they got home, they were laughing and joking about it all night and every one of them was in a good mood. They didn't let it get to them - we teach them that ignorant people are everywhere, and you can't control them, only how you deal with them. I think they made the right choice in this case. They never did tell the moron he'd been standing there talking to those mentally ill people for 20 minutes.

Vaneshi: Teknowaffle:
No, Morgellons disease is the new one.

/Not enough cuckoo clocks in the world to properly illustrate how crazy those people are.

Sounds like some form of paranoid schizophrenia, I seem to remember something about them often getting infestation delusions. Assuming that's correct, why you'd go to great lengths to make up a new condition... this "Morgellons" rather than just call it what it is I've no real idea.

I suppose getting a paper published about a 'wonderful' new disease might make for an even happier bank account... maybe.

Morgellons is merely a type of formication that EVERYONE experiences in one way or the other, but the "sufferers" have decided that the term "psychosomatic" is offensive to them and they'd rather fake the science to create a new disease than admit that it's just delusional parasitosis like everyone else gets from time to time. What pisses me off isn't the people pushing for it, it's the scientists/doctors supporting them. They need a kick in the teeth. I even remember reading an article where some of the "sufferers" sent in the "mysterious fibers sprouting from their skin" to be analyzed. They were fibers from their clothing.

shinton: Got a big wake up call earlier this year. My young daughter was crying and being held by my wife who thought she may have yet another ear infection. I took a look at her and said: "I think she's fine. She looks like she's smiling.". To which my wife gave me the what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-look and said flatly: "She's not smiling, she's grimicing in pain!" It killed me that I was blind to my daughter being in such pain. I had to confess that I've been unable to read body language/facial expressions for as long as I can remember. I could see the light bulb going off in my wifes head as it all came together.

I've been able to play off my "quirks" for a long time, but people around me are finally taking notice. How does one get diagnosed as an adult anyway? My fear is that I'll go in and they'll simply think I'm some moron. I'm not looking to use aspergers as a crutch. More like a foundation to build upon for better social interaction.

See a mental health professional. Get a recommendation/referral from your doctor, if you have to.

Have you tried any of the tools they use with asperger's/autistic children, like identifying and mimicking emotion flashcards? I know it sounds kinda silly, believe me, but it helps some people. Actually, not just mimicking emotional expressions, but mimicking people in general may help you (though don't go annoying people till they punch you... arrange to do it with a friend or something). See, one of the prime suspects in the cause of autism is some sort of dysfunction in the workings of your mirror neurons (those fun little brain cells primed to recognize/react to other humans' behavior.... you know, the ones that make yawning 'contagious'), so by exercising those by consciously trying to mimic people, you may see some improvement.