how to ask this question

[Lorizael]

Is it me or has it become really popular to diagnose and even self diagnose high functioning autism and asperges syndrome? I swear, I only hear about this stuff from nerds and shut ins on the internet. I'm sure they just use it as a crutch for failures in hygiene and personal relationships.

Failures in hygiene and personal relationships (and other social interactions) are not any different from having some sort of mental illness.

When normal people suck at doing things, it's because they take actions that result in sucky situations. Those actions they take come from their brain, which makes certain decisions based on its makeup. In short, you do the stupid **** you do because your brain tells you to.

People that have mental illnesses are bad at what they do because their brain is dysfunctional or abnormal, which means that its makeup doesn't look quite the same as the makeup of most other brains we've looked at so far. In short, crazy people do the stupid **** they do because their brain tells them to.

The only difference is degree. It's not binary.

[Riesstiu IV]

Everybody has an odd thought once in a while and the solution is to ignore your brain. My brain is constantly sending wacky signals like "you need to set fire to this library" or "beat up this immigrant worker." I just make sure to ignore these thoughts and take out my frustration on stray cats and homeless people.

[Lorizael]

Good, good. It won't be long until you're dumping hooker parts into nearby bodies of water.

[Japher]

I don't believe in Aspergers, I do believe in anti-social nerds. Does it matter that we call it a syndrom or not? Are we giving them drugs?

If so I have a disease, it's called Japher Identity Complex. It's very rare, but soon to be diagnosed in about 30% of the internets population. This complex manifests as a forum troll, sagways into a flame, and then ends with a threadkill... usually by saying the word "nazi"... can I have drugs for this?

Rietsu - ever think about beating up homeless people with stray cats?

[Asher]

I don't believe in Aspergers, I do believe in anti-social nerds.

Aspergers has absolutely nothing to do with being anti-social.

[Naked Gents Rut]

It is highly correlated with being an annoying pedant, though.

[Riesstiu IV]

ever think about beating up homeless people with stray cats?

I like the way you think.

[Kuciwalker]

I see Drake has answered your question in the very first post.

Yes, but apparently it was utterly predictable that I would give the right answer.

You think you're being snarky, but that's actually exactly what I meant.

[Naked Gents Rut]

I'm not being snarky. Snark is a crutch for hipsters who lack to capacity to pull off actual wit.

[Elok]

Uh, guys, aren't autism and Asperger's very different things? She's nothing like any of the (actual, vs self-diagnosed) aspies I've met.

I see Asher has already addressed this, but for emphasis, I was once at a seminar on Autism Spectrum Disorders or some such where Tony Atwood (one of the leading experts on Asperger's, or at least he was at the time) took the question, "What's the difference between Asperger's Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism?" He replied, "The two are spelled entirely differently."

I've only met one girl who I knew was professionally diagnosed as an Aspie. With her it was quite obvious, as she "stimmed" constantly. But AFAIK I don't stim, I don't have a true obsession, and I'm missing a lot of the other signs. And by definition, if it isn't interfering with her quality of life, it's not a disorder

[Wiglaf]

**** it and chuck it

Jindal/palin '12

[Dis]

I don't believe in Aspergers, I do believe in anti-social nerds. Does it matter that we call it a syndrom or not? Are we giving them drugs?

If so I have a disease, it's called Japher Identity Complex. It's very rare, but soon to be diagnosed in about 30% of the internets population. This complex manifests as a forum troll, sagways into a flame, and then ends with a threadkill... usually by saying the word "nazi"... can I have drugs for this?

Rietsu - ever think about beating up homeless people with stray cats?

you mean unsocial, not anti social.

Either way, I once thought I might have it. I suppose I could try to get a diagnoses, but don't think it will help me any. I know what has to be done. I need to get out more and talk with people. And I'm doing that. But sometimes it seems I can't make deep connections with people. oh well. Gotta keep trying.

[Riesstiu IV]

**** it and chuck it

Jindal/palin '12

Jindal? That guy is a secret Hindu.

[Wiglaf]

He looks like Sanjay Gupta

[DirtyMartini]

Good, good. It won't be long until you're dumping hooker parts into nearby bodies of water.

Come on, don't tell me you never seen a baby in a grocery story and thought "man it would be kind of awesome to squeeze that baby's head like I ripe melon". Or been driving across a bridge and had the (nearly) overwhelming desire to swerve into and through the guardrail.