Prevalence of Asperger's Syndrome Among Gun Nuts

[JohnBT]

Maybe the folks I've worked with over the years have had the more severe forms of AS, but I just haven't seen the evidence of any members here having AS.

Obsessive and compulsuve tendencies maybe, and a few personality disorders, but not AS. Oh, there are regular outbreaks of foot in mouth disease.

John

 

[bogie]

Well, I gotta tell you that more than a few points of those descriptions clicked pretty hard here...

"Hi, I'm Bogie, and I'm a Gun Nerd."

I work in an R&D environment, and I think I know several of the "highly brilliant in their field but needs to have someone dress them in the morning" variety - Our campus security does a swing around the parking lots in the mornings, because on more than one occasion, they've found a car wth the lights on, engine running, door open, and the owner happily at work in his/her lab...

 

[jamz]

That's the problem with Mental Health and the diagnoses thereof- it's like trying to pin down a dot of mercury with your thumb- it keeps skittering away.

You can't positively say that a person has anything, you can only say that on a sliding scale, a person has "x" number of symptoms that either interfere with life, or do not. If they interfere enough, that person gets labeled with a diagnoses.

To make it more confusing, what is considered a mental illness today is not what was considered a mental illness 20 years ago, and will probably be different 20 years from now. So you can see that threre is no "universal yardstick" for mental issues.

Aspergers Syndrome, like ADD, like various Personality Disorders, are very nebulous diagnoses, but they do serve to describe certain behaviors that are on the smaller side of the behavioral bell curve. I know a few people whom I would say have Aspergers Syndrome to a greater or lesser degree. I don't know anyone, nor do I think it is even possible, for Asperger's Syndrome to be severe enough to actually interfere with a life in the way that, say, chronic schizophrenia does, instead those with Asperger's Syndrome sort of find their own level in life, and end up doing things that fit their lifestyle. So by Definition, it's not really a mental disorder.

I can generally tell someone who has Asperger's Syndrome within a minute or so of conversation.

There are quite a few of us who believe that pretty much all of these diagnoses are a waste of time, but to them I say, what is better- looking at someone and saying "there's just something about that guy that Ain't Quite Right", or actually finding out what the common symptoms are so that the sufferer sort of know what to expect?

As someone who was diagnosed with adult ADD, after a solid week's worth of testing at Mass General Hospital in order to test some new ADD drug, I get a little annoyed at people who write off these diagnoses, but at the same time I certainly see and agree with their point that you can't label everything as an excuse or just to categorize someone. We just have to find a balance between ignoring it and making mental health a catch-all excuse.

Overall, I'd prefer to hang out with someone with Aspergers than, say, someone on the manic phase of bipolar disorder.

edit: I scored a 12 on that test.

-James

 

[cgv69]

I scored a 25 so I guess I have a touch of it but I'm not too bad? (When I read the questions I thought I was going to score higher so it was some relief!)

 

[Ham Hock]

I have to agree with DigMe and El Rojo on this one.

Asperger's Syndrome is a very serous disease. If you had it you would not need to take an internet test to tell you. As has been pointed out, it is closely related to autism, which is a terrible thing to have. It boggles my mind that anyone would evn want to make a connection between being a "gun nut" and asperger's syndrome.

 

[U.F.O.]

Scored a 16, same as the control group. I guess I'm normal? Or not.

U.F.O.

 

[JohnBT]

"So by Definition, it's not really a mental disorder."

????? By definition it is. From what I've seen over the years, and I have a report to write by next week on a young man I evaluated last week, I can say that it causes major problems socially, educationally, emotionally and vocationally. I've worked with some folks who were unsuccessful in supported work environments such as enclaves. Maybe they'll eventually succeed, but to say that AS can not be as disruptive to a person's life as, say, schizophrenia is flat wrong.

Please refer to the American Psychiatric Association DSM-IV - Asperger's Syndrome - 299.80

I just don't see how anyone can say that's it not a mental disorder? They might not think that it should be classified as one, but the diagnosis is right there in black and white in the DSM.

Of particular interest is "C. The disturbance causes clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning."

And "F. Criteria are not met for another specific Pervasive Developmental Disorder or Schizophrenia."

Also from the DSM-IV "The proper use of these criteria requires specialized clinical training that provides both a body of knowledge and clinical skills."

More info at:

www.aspergerinfo.org/whatisas.htm

 

[Tom Servo]

I scored a 33, which didn't surprise me. I was diagnosed with this a few years ago, among other things. It's a complete load of horse-puckey.

In this day and age, it's convenient for the medical field to diagnose EVERYBODY with something, and preferably to medicate them, whether it's ADD or whatever the trendy ailment is that week.

I had some real problems in my early 20s, and I ended up going to several counselors. Three different doctors diagnosed me with three different things, and I refused medication each time. Finally found a doctor who observed that I was a bit neurotic, seemed to have a degree of social anxiety, focused more on intellectual than social activities, tended to take things too seriously, but was otherwise fine. Turns out I'm just a geek, and I had been pushing myself too hard for awhile.

Basically, we're reaching a point where it's easier for people to accept a pat diagnosis and go on mood-altering drugs than it is to accept their differences. Everything's a "syndrome" nowadays. There's a history of autism in my family, and there was some concern that I was mute or non-verbal as a kid since I apparently didn't bother talking at all until I was almost four, but apparently I was waiting until I could say something coherent before I opened my mouth

If I'd been born ten years later, I don't doubt that I would have been on some sort of medication all my life from then on, and that really irks me. I've seen people deadened by things like Prozac, and I've known several who have gone off and learned to live with their "symptoms."

(I'm not saying that there aren't some folks who DO need these, just that a large percentage of people on these probably don't)

 

[jamz]

????? By definition it is. From what I've seen over the years, and I have a report to write by next week on a young man I evaluated last week, I can say that it causes major problems socially, educationally, emotionally and vocationally. I've worked with some folks who were unsuccessful in supported work environments such as enclaves. Maybe they'll eventually succeed, but to say that AS can not be as disruptive to a person's life as, say, schizophrenia is flat wrong.

Please refer to the American Psychiatric Association DSM-IV - Asperger's Syndrome - 299.80

I just don't see how anyone can say that's it not a mental disorder? They might not think that it should be classified as one, but the diagnosis is right there in black and white in the DSM.

I know it's a diagnosis in the DSM-IV, and I'm not saying that it's not a disorder. What I was trying to say is that if it does not interfere with daily life as you choose, it's not a disorder. Doesn't it have to have significant impact in order to qualify as a disorder?

Anyway, you are probably right about there being people that have it severely enough to require treatment because it interferes with their lives. Of course, what constitutes a "normal life of your choosing" is a whole 'nother discussion.

-James

 

[mtnbkr]

I scored a 39.

I was diagnosed "hyperactive" when I was a kid in the mid 70s (and put on Ritalin).

About 10 years ago, I finally realized I wasn't wired quite like others and started to play "the game" in order to appear more in line with what people expect. I feel like a complete phony at times, but it works.

Chris

 

[BryanP]

mtnbkr,

I haven't taken the test yet but what you posted makes me suspect I'll score high. I was diagnosed hyperactive in 78 as a kid as well. They put me on ritalin, but it didn't work as hoped - they had to peel me off the ceiling.

My wife's specialty was mental retardation before she went into nursing (yes, I've heard all the jokes) and she's half convinced that my semi-constant high intake of caffeine is an unconscious form of self-medication.

 

[SiG Lady]

Whatever...!

15. Whatever that means.

We all took Introvert/Extrovert tests on another forum and only a handful of us tested out as 'extroverted'... despite the articulate and obviously outgoing nature of virtually every participant. Go figure.

"I feel like a complete phony at times, but it works."

Perhaps we all do.

 

[Old NFO]

I agree with Sig Lady...

We all took Introvert/Extrovert tests on another forum and only a handful of us tested out as 'extroverted'... despite the articulate and obviously outgoing nature of virtually every participant. Go figure.

All of these things are "shaded" in one direction or the other... 20+ years in the Navy, I saw a lot of these things. Every new management style had a new "personality" test that invalidated the last one we took :banghead:

OBTW, i got an 11... Guess I'm wierd in the OTHER direction...
jim

 

[cslinger]

Well on that super scientific high tech test I scored an 11.

This to the best of my knowledge means that I have indeed kissed girls, am capable of social interaction with actual human beings, do not live in my parent's basement and have diverse interests and abilities.

For anybody out there who got offended by the parent's basement crack........I secretly wish I could live in my parents basement.

 

[mtnbkr]

I secretly wish I could live in my parents basement.

Same here. Would save me mucho bucks each month and I'd have built in babysitters for my little girl.

Chris

 

[R.H. Lee]

Would AS qualify under the American's with Disabilities Act??? Maybe I can get my employer to make concessions to accomodate my "disorder"?

 

[kfranz]

Overall, I'd prefer to hang out with someone with Aspergers than, say, someone on the manic phase of bipolar disorder.

Manic bipolar can be fun for short periods(until they approach psychoses), but I wouldn't want to live there. Same with Aspergers. I've worked with a few Aspergers kids, and lemme tell you, Paxil made a HUGE difference for one of them. Went from to , and is much more willing to participate and interact. It really has improved his life.

I scored a 23, but I toned things down 'cause I knew what they were looking for.....

 

[pignock]

I scored a 28 but I think it has less to with me having AS than being a cranky old AH.

 

[JohnBT]

"Would AS qualify under the American's with Disabilities Act???"

Yes.

JT

 

[Andrew Rothman]

I remember reading that there was a strangely high percentage of autistic kids in Silicon Valley.

First they looked for environmental causes (mercury in the groundwater, etc.) but then, looking further, found that a lot of the kiddies had parents who seemed to have AS to some degree.

Tentative conclusions reached:
* AS tends to lead one into geek professions.
* Silicon Valley has a lot of geek professions.
* People tend to marry people they meet at work.

so...

AS people marry AS people, concentrating the AS/autism genes, leading to a higher rate of autism.

As far as I know, it's just a theory, but it seems to make sense.

 

[DRZinn]

The problem with all these "disorders" is that the symptoms are perfectly normal traits, greatly magnified. Thus anyone can recognize some amount of a 'disorder" in themselves, and think they have one, and doctors and/or lawyers (depending on who's going after the money) can see one in anybody.

BTW:

Hmm. First time I've seen Mozilla really biff it. On Wired's website no less.

It worked fine for me, in FireFox.

 

[The_Antibubba]

I thought I might be AS

Then I scored a 19.

So I guess I'm just antisocial.










Why are you all still here?

 

[Smokey Joe]

Cranky old ...

I'm with you, Pignock and Antibubba! I've been a cranky old AH all my life. Now that I'm actually old, I'm just cranky.

 

[GigaBuist]

The problem with all these "disorders" is that the symptoms are perfectly normal traits, greatly magnified.

Agreed.

It is normal to be nervous around a group of people that you don't know.

It is not normal to have to keep your hands in your pockets so nobody seems them shaking, when meeting people that you worked with for two years, just because you're in a strange building.

Scored a 43.

I make a habit of making sure I have my cellphone and wallet on me when I leave my apartment. By always doing this I was able to discover that I forgot to put on MY PANTS one morning just a few feet from the apartment door.

 

[Werewolf]

There is a lot of debate on what exactly Asperger's is, but a general consensus is that it is a high functioning type of autism. Basically someone with Asperger's has a specific interests that they spend a lot of time obsessing on. They have very poor social skills. They attempt to interact with their peers, but they are just not capable. They often get frustrated and upset over their inability to properly interact with others. They can range all over the inteligence spectrum.

Obsessing is a little strong but the rest of the description above pretty much describes me to a tee...

Those folks who actually like me - there are a few - just call me a curmudgeon. The rest - including myself - just call me an @sshole.

Gee - I wonder if the Americans With Disabilities act covers that? I can see it now.

Judge - I am 100% disabled because I'm an @sshole. You should order the Social Security Administration to pay me disability for the rest of my life.

OR

You can't fire me for being an @sshole - I'm disabled! The American Psychiatric Association says so

On a more serious note just because the DSM defines something as a disorder doesn't necessarily make it so. 40 years ago it defined homosexuality as a mental disorder. Now I don't know if it is or isn't but if the shrinks can't make up their minds about that why should we assume they're right about any other defined disorder.

Who knows? The way things are going 100 years from now being an @sshole will be the norm and all you nice guy socialy extroverted BMOC studly types will be the nutjobs.