What Aspergers syndrom actualy is (no trolls and keep it PG13)

[Selkit]

Rei, I am going to choose cautiously, to ignore your statement that I am "a troll", and that I am unwelcome from posting here. I am going to be neutral, and I am going to play devil's advocate on both sides of the fence, starting with answers to your original questions, based on my personal experiences as a high-functioning autistic individual, diagnosed in my pre-teenage years. And yes, there will even be helpful advice you can glean out of it, but there will likewise be comments you may not want to hear.

A) What you've heard about aspergers.

I've heard many things about it; It's been something of a blanket label in psychiatry, evolving over the years into more precise definitions. Most psychiatrists are somewhat reluctant to apply 'Aspergers' itself as a label (Usually it means they haven't found an appropriate point on the autism spectrum to assign, as a more precise diagnosis). There are many misconceptions about what Aspergers actually is (Places like 4Chan use the unflattering label 'asspies' as a blanket term). What I've experienced, under that umbrella, is disconnection from strong emotional understanding. I do not quite grasp emotional states the way that others tend to innately, and often find myself relying on rote learning to determine what others are feeling, or even what I myself am subconsciously feeling. The perception I've seen is that Aspergers sufferers are socially awkward, high-intelligence individuals with severe difficulties fitting into society, owing to difficulties in understanding others. I would say that for the most part, the popular perception based on personal experience, is mostly true.

Unfortunately, as mentioned (The example of 4Chan), there are individuals who have been soured by the stereotypes, or those who they've encountered who have genuinely used an autism spectrum disorder as an excuse. These are people that you will need to understand. More importantly, you will need to avoid playing into the stereotype they believe you fall into, and it will not be easy to do so. It is absolutely crucial that you maintain an open mind, an open ear, and if necessary, rather than aggravation, sufficient willpower to be detached but observant.

B) What you think are the main facts of the condition .

High inclination towards more introverted activities (A side-effect of being somewhat emotionally detached), difficulty in understanding the emotions of others (And frequently even oneself), impatience and attention-span deficit. Most of us tend to be inclined towards mathematics and science as a result, or creative pursuits outside of social contact. You can use this to your advantage, if you learn to harness it; I have yet to meet an autism-spectrum individual that did not possess greater than average analytical skills. From time to time, step back, evaluate your situation, the people around you, and spend some time quietly parsing the data. People are something you and I are at a disadvantage with, subtle emotional nuances and facial cues will go unnoticed. With time and observation, though, you can consciously understand these states, and find even deeper understanding of others.

The condition is not curable, but the symptoms can be managed. May I suggest strangely, that you pick up a light coffee habit? Small amounts of caffeine have been shown in studies, to be beneficial to low-level autism sufferers of all strokes. Nicotine has similar effects, though you do not want to start smoking, for fairly obvious reasons. It acts upon the brain in a similar fashion to Ritalin (Stimulating centers of the brain that in an autistic mind, are normally at a low level of function). Just don't overdo it; It's something of a bathtub effect. Sleep at more regular hours, and if possible, take a regular Omega complex supplement alongside slightly elevated B-vitamin levels in your diet. Regular exposure to sunlight will likewise help. Unrelated to your condition, if you have been chiefly spending time indoors, you will likely have low vitamin D levels, essential for calcium processing and by proxy, overall energy levels (Calcium is not only skeletally vital, it's vital to your cells ability to process glucose. No calcium, no calcium rotor function).

C) A question about aspergers.

Only related on a tangent; Have you tried activities that involve spatial relations and physics? Darts, archery, billiards, bowling and similar? You may find that complex focus-based games and sports will help you build your ability to focus and analyze further. They're also a perfect means to go out and be sociable.

D) What you think we are like.
Or
E) ask how its been for me, all aspies are different.

You've already summarized in short, how it's been for you. Someday, I may explain it in full to you how it's been for me, when there's a stronger basis of trust and interpersonal knowledge to operate on.

Please understand, Rei, that I do not have any reason to adopt any measure of hate for you. I disapprove of your social behavior, but believe that you still have growing and maturation to do. No mind remains sixteen forever. I am quite sure there are members of this forum who have known me long enough to point out changes in my own personality. Some of them have had nearly a decade to observe the shifts. With guidance and advice, you will do fine, provided you listen with an open mind. Work to intentionally cultivate a sense of calm and patience. Seek self-improvement and understanding; There are aspects of yourself that even you will not fully understand without spending time in research and self evaluation. And move to understand others. Do not seek to push something away solely because you dislike it, or do not understand it. Your reaction and theirs are something to learn from, valuable points of data on which to build a web of understanding. Should you have any further questions, please feel free to ask them.

[Lt ReiStark]

Rei, I am going to choose cautiously, to ignore your statement that I am "a troll", and that I am unwelcome from posting here. I am going to be neutral, and I am going to play devil's advocate on both sides of the fence, starting with answers to your original questions, based on my personal experiences as a high-functioning autistic individual, diagnosed in my pre-teenage years. And yes, there will even be helpful advice you can glean out of it, but there will likewise be comments you may not want to hear.

A) What you've heard about aspergers.

I've heard many things about it; It's been something of a blanket label in psychiatry, evolving over the years into more precise definitions. Most psychiatrists are somewhat reluctant to apply 'Aspergers' itself as a label (Usually it means they haven't found an appropriate point on the autism spectrum to assign, as a more precise diagnosis). There are many misconceptions about what Aspergers actually is (Places like 4Chan use the unflattering label 'asspies' as a blanket term). What I've experienced, under that umbrella, is disconnection from strong emotional understanding. I do not quite grasp emotional states the way that others tend to innately, and often find myself relying on rote learning to determine what others are feeling, or even what I myself am subconsciously feeling. The perception I've seen is that Aspergers sufferers are socially awkward, high-intelligence individuals with severe difficulties fitting into society, owing to difficulties in understanding others. I would say that for the most part, the popular perception based on personal experience, is mostly true.

Unfortunately, as mentioned (The example of 4Chan), there are individuals who have been soured by the stereotypes, or those who they've encountered who have genuinely used an autism spectrum disorder as an excuse. These are people that you will need to understand. More importantly, you will need to avoid playing into the stereotype they believe you fall into, and it will not be easy to do so. It is absolutely crucial that you maintain an open mind, an open ear, and if necessary, rather than aggravation, sufficient willpower to be detached but observant.

B) What you think are the main facts of the condition .

High inclination towards more introverted activities (A side-effect of being somewhat emotionally detached), difficulty in understanding the emotions of others (And frequently even oneself), impatience and attention-span deficit. Most of us tend to be inclined towards mathematics and science as a result, or creative pursuits outside of social contact. You can use this to your advantage, if you learn to harness it; I have yet to meet an autism-spectrum individual that did not possess greater than average analytical skills. From time to time, step back, evaluate your situation, the people around you, and spend some time quietly parsing the data. People are something you and I are at a disadvantage with, subtle emotional nuances and facial cues will go unnoticed. With time and observation, though, you can consciously understand these states, and find even deeper understanding of others.

The condition is not curable, but the symptoms can be managed. May I suggest strangely, that you pick up a light coffee habit? Small amounts of caffeine have been shown in studies, to be beneficial to low-level autism sufferers of all strokes. Nicotine has similar effects, though you do not want to start smoking, for fairly obvious reasons. It acts upon the brain in a similar fashion to Ritalin (Stimulating centers of the brain that in an autistic mind, are normally at a low level of function). Just don't overdo it; It's something of a bathtub effect. Sleep at more regular hours, and if possible, take a regular Omega complex supplement alongside slightly elevated B-vitamin levels in your diet. Regular exposure to sunlight will likewise help. Unrelated to your condition, if you have been chiefly spending time indoors, you will likely have low vitamin D levels, essential for calcium processing and by proxy, overall energy levels (Calcium is not only skeletally vital, it's vital to your cells ability to process glucose. No calcium, no calcium rotor function).

C) A question about aspergers.

Only related on a tangent; Have you tried activities that involve spatial relations and physics? Darts, archery, billiards, bowling and similar? You may find that complex focus-based games and sports will help you build your ability to focus and analyze further. They're also a perfect means to go out and be sociable.

D) What you think we are like.
Or
E) ask how its been for me, all aspies are different.

You've already summarized in short, how it's been for you. Someday, I may explain it in full to you how it's been for me, when there's a stronger basis of trust and interpersonal knowledge to operate on.

Please understand, Rei, that I do not have any reason to adopt any measure of hate for you. I disapprove of your social behavior, but believe that you still have growing and maturation to do. No mind remains sixteen forever. I am quite sure there are members of this forum who have known me long enough to point out changes in my own personality. Some of them have had nearly a decade to observe the shifts. With guidance and advice, you will do fine, provided you listen with an open mind. Work to intentionally cultivate a sense of calm and patience. Seek self-improvement and understanding; There are aspects of yourself that even you will not fully understand without spending time in research and self evaluation. And move to understand others. Do not seek to push something away solely because you dislike it, or do not understand it. Your reaction and theirs are something to learn from, valuable points of data on which to build a web of understanding. Should you have any further questions, please feel free to ask them.

thats very nice of you :)

i do Kenjustsu and play piano to train my focus, my reading of facal expressions is much better and i worked through some huge anger issus so i've come a ways too, not to say im anywhere near done woking on my like or aspergers LOL. if i met you in real life i would so want to talk over a coffee, forums are so detatched from real conversations because all you see is text, no inflection, no emotion, no facial cues, and no tone of voice, so i don't realy see these bits of text as actual people at times, if you're ever in ladysmith let me know so i can get you a hot drink. and im sorry that i was such an arse about all that stuff  ;D :hug: :hug: :hug: ;D

[Selkit]

Quite alright, Rei. I'm afraid it's been well over a decade since I was last on Vancouver Island, but I will keep that in mind. Likewise, if you are ever on the mainland, do let me know, and we can see about arranging a sit-down over coffee.

[PurpleVeggie]

It's so beautiful when everyone gets along.  :'(

[EmoFox]

It's so beautiful when everyone gets along.  :'(

Indeed :3
And now, we party. XD

[Zythren]

What was the point in posting this thread?
I know you meant well, but I really don't think anyone cares. At all.
It's only turning into a pitiful hate-fest now.

What was the point of that post? there hasn't been a lot of hateful comments. There was the initial "We think you're a dick because of how you behave, and that you're hiding behind aspergers" but other than that its been fine. Did you even read it? Mostly, i believe there's been support and a general "good for you for trying to help people understand".

Normally I'm the one to stir the shit pot, but really? come on.

I did read it, and I stand by my comment. Don't like it? Come at me bra. :roll:
Oh, and I'm sorry that I'm, you know, totally not entitled to my own opinion on a forum.
I'm not the one being an asshole to someone everyone is "claiming" to be an asshole. That's just hypocritical.

[RainRat]

[admin]I said no personal attacks. Implying or saying other people are a**holes is a personal attack. Something that someone said earlier in the thread or a different thread is not a justification. It ends now.[/admin]

[Lt ReiStark]

I said no personal attacks. Implying or saying other people are a**holes is a personal attack. Something that someone said earlier in the thread or a different thread is not a justification. It ends now.

thank you Rain  :)  :hug:

[OryxFox]

I guess this is as good a time as any to come out of the closet on this matter. I was diagnosed early in my life with a high functioning varient of autism.

I'm not going to hide behind my diagnosis like so many others I have met, but it certainly makes communication outside the web and IRC rather difficult, for the very reasons Selkit mentioned. 

I am paranoid in bursts, and afraid that every eyes is on me and is judging me, even if it's on a crowded bus or skytrain or even out in the sidewalk.

I stay in my room for days reading/playing/watching/lurking on the net because I feel sometimes there is no point to going outside, or that I'll forget what I was doing.

If you see me in public, say hi at least. I'm trying to move past this problem, but as much as I try to fix my problems myself, things don't always go according to how I thought they would.

Yes. Caffeine helps me, It's why I offer to meet someone for coffee everyso often. It hardens my focus into a single point and makes tasks involving rote and repetition easier.

So,
If I'm doing something wrong here on out, feel free to correct me, as I'm still learning how to act.

[FurryJackman]

Well, now that more than one person has said it. I'll say it too.

I also have this condition. However, I always treat people the way I want to be treated. Sometimes it's loved, sometimes it's respected...

The fact I have gone out 3 times for bowling is an amazing feat for me. (all my family friends are also amazed that I was able to tackle it) But there are still mistakes to be made... the most recent example most people here should know about.

Passiveness keeps me in check. Routine keeps me in check. Confidence is like a potent jolt, if you have too much, it gets you to do crazy things you'll regret later. And the only way I can be creative: Lots and lots of caffeine.

I'm in the same boat as OryxFox for the "learn as you go" thing. My current problem is that my feeling for love is nearly instantaneous. I've given up on searching as I assume it will always end badly to keep myself in check with reality and with my Diploma still to be completed. And I'm willing to bet that my assumptions are all going to be correct when it comes to the search -> instant love equation.

Anyone willing to continue a discussion about me is more than free to PM me about it. I would love a mentor from within the community.

[Ember]

I would like to note that Oryx has earned the respect of a number of people for recognizing the problems he has and taking active steps at fixing them.

He had a rough entry into the local fandom, but I've heard from many people that he's gotten a lot better- my opinion as well.

[Owl]

I've always had Asperger's syndrome and it hasn't really effect me,
also hi I'm new.

Why bump a 7 year old thread the OP hasn't even signed in for 2 years.