That girl from America's next top model.

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My insurance does not pay for any Autism/Asperger's Syndrome ANYTHING, as they do not see it as a mental health issue. Actual mental health issues are covered for benefits.
They see it as completely different issues.

Why should ANTM do any different?


Merle

PS I am not saying YOU don't have mental health issues as well as AS, but I don't see that if you are AS you also have MH issues.

Really cool... Now we're going to get a million girls trying to get either prescriptions for Adderall or get it illegally...
I took some anxiety meds for a time that made me loose appetite, but I was really careful with eating even if I had no appetite.

Most ectomorphic people are thin whether they want it or not.

Many people with AS have mental health issues, unfortunately, but AS itself doesn't have to be a mental health problem. I think Heather seems quite well-adapted. Goodness knows I would not be able to handle such a situation as well as she has.

There are so many other girls who were supposedely "normal" who had more "mental health issues" than Heather. Think... Jade.

AS is not a mental health problem. That post struck me as insulting, frankly. Just being an Aspie doesn't make you mentally ill.

[quote="earthmom"]There are so many other girls who were supposedely "normal" who had more "mental health issues" than Heather. Think... Jade.

AS is not a mental health problem. That post struck me as insulting, frankly. Just being an Aspie doesn't make you mentally ill.[/quote

Jade was an anarchist that was dissing the whole 'Top Model' thing, I don't think she was mental, unless that Borderline Personality Disorder thingie was working for her.

Merle

Yeah, sometimes I have to take a grain of salt with MW99 writes.

I personally believe that one can have AS and excellent mental health - AS is not a mental illness - it is a condition which has nothing to do with good or bad mental health. It means we think differently, not incompetently.

And Heather is holding up incredibly well under all that stress. She is showing a great capacity to bounce back mentally/emotionally after being mocked repeatedly by her peers on top of the stresses they all endure in this competition. When subject to harsh critiques, the NT's reactions were to A) quit (Ebony), B) lose self-confidence and wilt under pressure (Lisa), or C) fail to improve (Ambreal). Heather uses the critiques to get better. I wish I could have handled critiques half so well as her at her age!

I also don't consider myself to have a mental illness or a disorder in any way. I see that any issues I experience with my AS as symptoms of being in the wrong environment or hanging with the wrong sort of people. My AS is not disorder or something I am 'afflicted' with. Your attitude dictates whether you see yourself as gifted or afflicted.

I do not believe a person can have AS and still have excellent mental health, because of the many comorbid conditions that come along with Asperger's. I'd like to know how you define "excellent mental health," as it's extremely likely that your own personal definition of "excellent mental health" is not the same as mine.



That's true, and if you carefully reread my previous post, you'll find that I never said that Asperger's Syndrome itself is a mental illness. No need to repeat what's already written on this page!



That's the way I saw my issues prior to learning it's very likely I have Asperger's.

Last edited by Mw99 on 25 Nov 2007, 9:16 pm, edited 2 times in total.

In this context, though, "excellent mental health" is just a meaningless BS standard on an application. All they really care about is whether the girl is well enough to do the job without having a major breakdown and hurting someone. Or, more accurately, getting the girl to sign saying that she's okay, so that if something happens, they're not held accountable. They don't actually care if she's in excellent mental health.

oooh, I just had to repeat what was already written on the page!!

there, I feel better now!


Merle

The "excellent mental health" criteria is not exactly about getting the girls to sign a contract saying they are okay so the producers can't be held accountable if something bad happens. According to point 15, "if selected for interviews, you must also submit to physical and mental examinations by medical professional(s) in Los Angeles selected by the Producers and meet all physical and psychological requirements." Passing the "excellent mental health" standard is clearly not as easy as signing a contract saying you are "okay." At least not in theory, anyway.

Well, obviously we have different definitions, which is understandable since neither of us precisely defined what we mean by excellent mental health in our original posts on the matter. Nor for that matter, did the quoted eligibility requirements.

I did provide an example of her mental fitness in terms of using critiques to better her job performance as opposed to what 3 other girls in the competition did; whereas you elaborated on what you mean by excellent mental health not at all in your OP, and in your last one only pointed out that comorbid conditions, not Asperger's itself, contraindicate "excellent mental health" if they are present, without giving an example or your definition of the same.

Anyway, especially seeing as the game itself does not define the term, can we just agree to disagree?

(edited to fix quote brackets)

What about the mental health conditions comorbid with being a model? Anorexia and bulimia come to mind. The industry encourages those.

Okay, so the doctor asks the girl some questions about her mental health, and he signs. I'm familiar with that sort of exam. Anybody who wants to pass and isn't totally out of touch with reality can do so with ease. I still think that they simply want contestants who aren't going to freak out and ruin the season, not necessarily contestants who have never popped a Prozac.

They want a precise amount of drama. Plenty of it- to get ratings; not so much that the producers get sued.