is Aspegers a disease? Your opinion.

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No.
It doesn't meet the criteria of "disease",
and I don't even think high-functioning Autism meets the definition for a "disorder".
It's quite simply someone whose brain is wired differently.
It's not damage or malformation to the brain itself,
nor is it a chemical imbalance which might product a mood disorder,
nor even resultant in severe cognitive deficits.

NT is a disease

NTsm

I feel sorry for the guy who's trying to put his point across, even if he is a bit undereducated on the subject, the other guy is cutting his off because he thinks autistics are supermen, lol

A quite sensible viewpoint.

Only when coupled with epilepsy, in which case the epilepsy is the disease. I had seizures every now and again between the ages of ten and thirteen, but they were minor and I was able to keep them secret [I was scared of hearing that there was something wrong with my brain].

Disease is a bad word. I wouldn't say "difference" interchangeably. It's a communication disorder to be sure, and any depression that comes coupled with it sucks, but other things, such as stimming, focusing on certain [often narrow] topics, heightened senses [usually], willingness to absorb new information, the eidetic memory that some of us have, etc, are not symptoms of a disease and most certainly do not need to be treated.

all disorders are considered diseases

Asperger's isn't a disease and nor do I wish to be cured.

Disorders: a disturbance in physical or mental health or functions; malady or dysfunction:

Disease: a disordered or incorrectly functioning organ, part, structure, or system of the body resulting from the effect of genetic or developmental errors, infection, poisons, nutritional deficiency or imbalance, toxicity, or unfavorable environmental factors;

Disease has disorder in the definition...

I believe this is a case of there being negative connotations to a word when the definition does not have the negative stigma.

Like the words Prostitute and Whore... the definitions are the same... but woe betide the person who calls a prostitute a whore...

Actually, many seem to prefer sex worker over prostitute.

Which really doesn't have anything to do with what I was saying... I am not talking about word preference, but emotional connotations of words... A sex worker can be anything from a sex therapist to a phone sex operator... but call a prostitute a whore, and there will be a lot of hostility...

Really I did not know that but still I don't believe that Asperger syndrome is a disease or a disorder for that matter.

Last edited by c0bo on 30 Mar 2012, 1:39 pm, edited 2 times in total.

I think that aspergers is not a disorder (or autism in general). I think that under the current definition of disease it autism is considered a dis-ease. but I think the definition is to lax. autism makes life harder- social issues, sensory issues, etc. So it is considered a disease right now.

My pride would like to say NO! I do not have a disease, but I am also a realist... I know that the rest of tis post is going to piss some people off, and for that, I am sorry.

I know that my neurolocigal functioning is not within the mean ... I have friends point out to me when My behaviors are... odd... I don't have control of my facial features when I am concentrating, and I do weird things with my hands when agitated or concentrating.

Being in a crowded area can be distressing; the sun is overwhelming; For almost 20 years-i thought people hated me because they were baring their teeth at me (which is aggression in the animal kingdom) when thy were in fact smiling; the average person seems incredibly stupid to me, but I can't wade into a social situation without killing the conversation; my moral compass is decidedly skewed; and due to humiliation in the past, I was able to wrench my own psyche into a mockery of fight or flight that leaves one option... fight...

There is something wrong with me.

We are people... but if there was nothing wrong with us I could make the statement: The world would be a better place if EVERYONE was an Aspie? In some cases, yes... but our relative intolerance for the menial tasks which are not aligned with our special interests would mean that production would not happen, factories would close, food production would halt... I mean, i know I CAN'T work a job I hate and I have heard the same from others.

I wish I could say otherwise, but by the definition, Asperger's is a disorder, a syndrome and a disease...

I guess your right because when I think of the word 'disease' I think of something negative like heart disease and that is why I don't see Asperger Syndrome as a 'disease' because I don't see it as something negative.

Agreed, whole heartedly...

I wish it weren't true, but it is... with society's stigma on the word disease, we're always going to be looked down upon or pittied, too