Psychologists discover a brand new disorder...

[Guest American Woman]

Again, GostHacked, well said. Your post is hilarious, but the reality is that this shows a sad state of affairs when we have to label every "unusual" behavior being part of some disorder.

Had a friend whose dad went out every Friday after work for one (literally one) beer, and suddenly some New Age pop psychology fanatic said, "Oh, he's an alcoholic."

Like lots of sex? Oh, your a sex addict.

Laugh at your own jokes and it is supposedly the sign of some kind of disorder.

And on and on it goes.

Some layman who doesn't even know your friend's dad calling him an alcoholic is a whole lot different from a person being diagnosed through legitimate testing by educated professionals. So no, it doesn't go on and on. At least not in the true diagnostic sense. If someone has a disorder, such as autism, it's important for them to be diagnosed so the problem can be treated and the right education methods can be used. The earlier the intervention, the better. There is no reason for anyone to struggle more than necessary if they can be diagnosed and helped. There is no reason for someone to not be able to function to the best of their ability if help is available.

Edited August 13, 2008 by American Woman

[Live From China]

But I am incredibly suspect of the so-called legitimate testing. The educated professionals invent a new syndrome or disorder with a whole pile of symptoms. Then they test for the symptoms. But if the disorder is fake to start with ........

[HisSelf]

At least my lack of empathy was not unusual. Having practiced as a psychotherapist for 35 years, LaBier believes that what he calls empathy deficit disorder (EDD) is rampant among Americans.

LaBier says we unlearn whatever empathy skills we've picked up while coming of age in a culture that focuses on acquisition and status more than cooperation and values "moving on" over thoughtful reflection. LaBier is convinced that EDD is at the heart of modernity's most common problems, macro (war) and micro (divorce).

As LaBier explains, virtually everyone learns the basics of empathy in childhood (from our parents comforting us when we're in distress), but my father died when I was 4, and afterward my mother had to be very can-do, juggling three jobs, graduate school, and two kids. When I was upset, she never said, "Oh, I'm sorry. It must be hard to have me away so much after losing your dad."

Instead, on good days, she'd say, "Why are you crying? Nothing is wrong." And on bad days: "You'd better toughen up because life can get a lot worse." Looking back at my 20-something self, I realize that if, as LaBier says, empathy is "the ability or the willingness to experience the world from someone else's point of view," I wasn't brought up to be able to do that.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/personal/06...athy/index.html

So being strict or assertive, instead of being a natural reaction among a great number of people in certain situations, could be a sign of a disorder? I confused.

My guess is that if it exists it just might be a result of overcrowding.

[jbg]

If you had not known or been told they were semi-autistic, would you have known the difference?

I have a son on the high-end of the autistic spectrum, with PDD-NOS or pervasive development disorder not otherwise specified. It is a cousin to Aspergers.

And the answer is, yes you figure out there's something wrong though not immediately. Examples of famous Aspergers people are Bill Gates and Thomas Jefferson, the latter presumably not familiar to Canadians.

[M.Dancer]

I have a son on the high-end of the autistic spectrum, with PDD-NOS or pervasive development disorder not otherwise specified. It is a cousin to Aspergers.

And the answer is, yes you figure out there's something wrong though not immediately. Examples of famous Aspergers people are Bill Gates and Thomas Jefferson, the latter presumably not familiar to Canadians.

Not at all. A fringe band from the 90s

http://www.collectorscum.com/datapanik/tjsa/

[Pliny]

As it happens I've met two kids recently who have asperger's. In all regards they appeared normal except they were non social and somewhat non communicative.

And what it is is a form of autism.

Asperger's syndrome has a definitive physiological marker so does not fall into the category of no physiological marker and thus not just a subjective invention of "disease". If you would care to research it. The person who discovered the physiological marker is neurologist Dr. Fred Baughman. He has a websight you can google.

Edited August 15, 2008 by Pliny