Debunking the Myths Perpetuated by Society and Psychiatry

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pyschiatry is absolute quackery. ADHD, bipolar, and AS are being misdiagnosed left and right. i have met so many people who are misdiagnosed with ADHD, bipolar, and even high-functioning forms of autism. It's ridiculous...and the other thing is, a lot of the people whom I've met who were diagnosed with HFA/AS turned out to be misdiagnosed, merely because they happened to be going through an awkward phase during adolescence (and who doesn't, with all the transitions and peer pressure), and they eventually outgrew their symptoms. The other thing that angers me is that there is this website that has so much false information about HFA/AS - saying that people with it are apathetic and that their genius is deceptive - that is NOT TRUE!! People with AS are extremely hard-working, have an enormous work-ethic, and can concentrate for long periods of time without being distracted. They're focus and their work-ethic are incredible. And many are academically gifted; although the ones with more severe autism are thought to be less intelligent, but even this has turned out to be false as studies have proven that people with pronounced cases of autism tend to be extremely gifted in one area, and possess savant-like abilities in one area (such as mathematics or music), and demonstrate less proficiency in other areas - but this doesn't mean that they aren't gifted - they're extremely gifted. And contrary to the conventional belief on the basis of skewed studies linking lack of intelligence with autism, even people with severe autism have been reported to have IQs that are well-above average. I remember seeing a documentary called "Autism is a World" about a girl named Sue Reuben who had severe autism, and was thought to be mentally ret*d. It turns out she has an IQ of 135 - they just could never tell because she couldn't speak. SHe had to use one of those dictaphone devices where she types into a keyboard and it plays what she says. Anywho, I really think that what she might have had was damage to her Broca's area, which is the seat of speech. She could comprehend what people were saying to her, but she literally couldn't speak. And that's thought to be associated with severe forms of autism (but obviously not high-functioning autism, as that's a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT disorder. There's utterly no similarity between severe autism and high-functioning autism, other than repetitive behaviors and ADHD/OCD symptoms, but that's about the only similarity. Other than that, they are in diametrical opposition to each other.

So internet sites are completely misleading, and their data is based largely on biased case studies with skewed data or complete ignorance. Obviously, the people who developed the following website and the author of this data is an ignorant prick who knows absolutely NOTHING about what he's talking about, as he just bases his conclusions on the conventional notions made by BS pop psychologists who have no idea what they're doing. Google search the site Tumasik if you wish to see it, but do not take these things literally. They are perpetuating this myth that people with HFA/AS are "lazy and apathetic". That is completely untrue - they have a much better work ethic than most, and are some of the hardest-working people. It is honestly laughable how erroneous and unresearched their "advice" is. I mean, the thing looks like it was written by Dr. Phil.

Also, there is this disgusting right-wing website called the Volokh Conspiracy that has an entry which discriminates against those with differing neurocognitive dispositions, and physical disabilities. It's called "The Tragedy of the Stupid Nerd", and I honestly think that websites like this should be shut down because they are discriminating against people with differing perceptions on things and differing abilities. There has to be some way that we can shut this thing down - because it is a myth that people with AS are "lazy" or apathetic. The ones that ARE apathetic, in fact, are the neurotypicals. *and I'm saying this as an outsider who utterly has no respect for neurotypicals - they are often the laziest, apathetic, most unmotivated people who cheat their way through the system and profess this "deceptive" genius by pretending to be intelligent when they are in fact dilletantes. They are the ones who are deceptively "intelligent", because they sycophantically posture to companies in order to climb up the corporate ladder - when in fact they are often of normal to subnormal intelligence and merely parrot the ethos of conventional wisdom (which consists of completely flawed generalizations) in order to climb the ladder.

But seriously, websites like those should be shut down as they perpetuate myths about HFA/AS that are spurious, misleading, and complete and utter fallacies with no corroborative basis on empiricism. They are largely based on conventional theory, without regarding substantive statistics to back their claims. And furthermore, they are LIES. People with HFA/AS are some of the hardest workers I've seen, and they care deeply about what they do. And a lot of the ones I've seen are academically-gifted, and many are extremely social (actually, a lot are even hyper-social). Anywho, don't believe any of these myths. I really don't even think there's such a thing as AS. As a clinician who works with people w ADHD and AS, I have seen so many who are fully-functioning people, and many of them tend to outgrow their symptoms overtime. They have some of the characteristics of AS, but without the cognitive aspects of autism. And you can't have the AS without the autism, so in these cases, it's a misdiagnosis. Therefore, if it is strictly behavioral, then it can be outgrown. However if it has the cognitive aspects of autism, then it is HFA, and not AS. This proves that the behavioral confinements of AS are a contrivance of the psychiatric industry in order to increase their clientele by diagnosing as many people as they can so that Big Pharma can make a profit.

And I think it an act of discrimination for the psychiatric industry to marginalize people into designated categories just because they happen to have some features of a diagnosis. It's wrong - and that's why so many syndromes are overdiagnosed.

So not everything called autism IS autism. So many people are being misdiagnosed with various forms of autism such that it's become an epidemic perpetuated by the psych industry (and I apologize for being so long-winded; I am just very manic at the moment and I've gotten about 3 hours of sleep in the last 5 days). People are misdiagnosed because they develop differently and process things differently, and everyone develops differently and has differing perceptions on things. Therefore, people can outgrow these characteristics, and HFA/AS can be outgrown.

Quote psychologist "To have Aspergers would be easy wouldn't it."

Quotes psychologist when told I do not want to see him again, as I have devised my own 'treatment plan' for my exhuasting biological differences, "You have done more than anyone I have seen, can I photocopy that plan, if you don't, then I will think you are paranoid." I didn't stay away from people like that for so long without working extremely hard.

I will never out grow swiping at the person that attempts to hug me, and I am not sure how I would go about outgrowing any other nervous system malfunctions or genetic traits. I tried, I am always trying, sooner or later you accept yourself. I could understand your perceptions until the last part of the final sentence. Go for a run, sniff some Lavender and lay in a blacked out room until your body switches off. Works for me, occasionally

Last edited by Jenk on 07 Oct 2008, 3:12 pm, edited 4 times in total.

HFA and AS can NOT be out grown. Im sorry but you yourself are now "perpetuating" truth. If you actually understood what was different between an autistic SPECTRUM mind and a NT, you'd realize that some things can be covered, but it cant be "cured". And while in social life you may "act your way through", behind the curtains, you're still the same person you always were.

Yes, as we grow older we MATURE. Everyone does, except for the mentally ret*d and those who've suffered brain damage. The world forces your eyes open sooner or later, it just happens later for most of us. Sure many AS/HFA kids have a sense of intelligence that exceeds thier peers, but the deficiency of social skills is detrimental to many of them. Not being able to make friends, or to understand where you went wrong with them is hardly fake. It takes YEARS of experiences for some of us to learn even a simple lesson an nt would have learned the first time.

We all learn life lessons at our own rate and we all change our behavior over time. Its all a matter of perspective. Nt's have the perspective in order to succeed I need to be liked and loved. ASD's have a perspective more or less usually indicating a self reliance neccessity(to do it on their own). We've been told our whole life we cant do what we put our minds too. We're bullied into believing we're incapable of a "normal" life. For you to claim that a person isn't AS/HFA because they we're finally taught what they never knew, is horrendous.

Besides, Just because its your opinion, doesnt mean its always right. Everyone needs to learn that, including myself.

I must wholeheartedly disagree. Especially HFA is, in essence, same plain classical autism as those 'severe' forms of classical autism.

A person with HFA will have a history of language delay, and/or maybe language difficulties, may still have problems with language.

Are you maybe actually specifically talking about Asperger's (=no clinically abnormal early language delays), using HFA as a synonym?

Taking a not very impaired person with a AS and comparing them to a very impaired person with classical may make it appear as if both disorders had next to little in common other than routines and a few social difficulties, but what may people forget:

there are thousands that close the bridge, inch for inch, between these 2 people.

AS and LFA may have no apparent similarities.

But then, AS and HFA look similar. Many agree with this. Some even say they're basically the same.

But you know, HFA and MFA look eerily similar too. And of course, MFA and and LFA have obvious similarities. Suddenly, AS and LFA are obvious related and have the aspects of ASDs in in common.

It's a spectrum for exactly this reason.

And because there are people that have very different strengths and weaknesses, very 'LF' ones and very 'HF' ones.

I read about how a person got worked about AS and HFA being connected and they said about the same as what was said about AS/HFA and 'severe cases' here.



Work ethic is not connected to ASDs. It can be, of course, if a person has a job all about their special interest - I'd not call it 'work' ethic then though, as that's got nothing to do with ethics.

People with autism will have about the same work ethics as everybody else, because that's a matter of opinion, upbringing, and persona resources among other non-ASD related things.



That's very ignorant and rude towards 'NT's.

I don't see how you can think it is wrong to call autistic people all what you called 'NT's, if you apparently think it is okay to think this about any type of people?



Of course you can outgrow symptoms. There are studies about it even. You cannot outgrow autism, but symptoms are apparently variable especially for those with HFA.

Same goes for adults with AD(H)D. There often is a distinct shift in how AD(H)D presents in adulthood as opposed to how it presented in childhood, beyond willing adjustment due to the adaptive skills and understanding of social and cultural expectations.



Didn't you say cognitive traits such as MR are not to be associated with ASDs?

Or are you saying those who're not of superior intelligence and/or good adaptive skills in adulthood are not actually autistic?

Therefore, if it is strictly behavioral, then it can be outgrown. However if it has the cognitive aspects of autism, then it is HFA, and not AS. This proves that the behavioral confinements of AS are a contrivance of the psychiatric industry in order to increase their clientele by diagnosing as many people as they can so that Big Pharma can make a profit.

AS is behavioural and HFA is cognitive?

How did you develop that questionable idea?

And I think it an act of discrimination for the psychiatric industry to marginalize people into designated categories just because they happen to have some features of a diagnosis. It's wrong - and that's why so many syndromes are overdiagnosed.

But you did just attempted to re-define the categories of AS and HFA too...

?


as opposed to the following:




etc...







Either you have a very special definition of maturity, or you may want to reconsider. By some definitions, many autistic people do not mature.

I dislike it how people claim working with those who're learning-disabled or have MR or have a type of brain damage/brain abnormality is the same as working with children. (= immature persons)

I could say that quite some autistic people do not mature. And I DO work with children, so I kinda have a good comparison. (Same could be said about non-autistic people, too.)

Ok, All you quoted me on was my mature line, which kinda makes me happy in way. I only had one disagreement with you.

But let me explain what I meant by "Everyone matures"

As you go through life, and have different experiences, your opinion and your actions change. This is what we call maturation of the brain. It is reaching a new level of perspective and applying it to your life choices. Everyone matures, but I never said everyone BECOMES MATURE. I merely stated that people gain knowledge and apply it to their life as they see fit.

And just because you mature, doesnt mean you'll become mature.

Er Quotidian_Elite, that's somewhat long, and poorly formatted for satire...

Every psychologist I've ever known has been working on some research paper or another, and sooner or later they all start "trying out" a few of their ideas on me. As soon as I realize what they're doing (it gets easier each time) I demand to be monetarily compensated for my time at an hourly rate that is equal to the wage I receive from my employer.

That usually ends the relationship right there.

No freebies from me.