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Interesting comment from my therapist

Iamarock

Iamarock

Well-Known Member
In a previous thread of mine I stated that I just got my confirmation diagnosis of ASD. I got the sense from him that he is not totally in favor of the elimination of Aspergers as a diagnosis. His comment to me was this: (and I am paraphrasing)

An autistic lives in his/her own world, separate from the world that NTs live in. Aspergers live in this world but see it and react to it in a completely different way than NTs.

How do you feel about his statement?
 
I agree for the most part. I can go through periods, or times of the day where I am in my own world, but I am definitely living in this world and trying to cope the best I can, however baffling and confusing it might be. I've been happiest and most functional when I've set up my life to allow me to avoid as much of the mainstream life as possible.
 
I like the quote. It rings very true for me, but I do think it is still an over-generalization. For one thing, it excludes high-functioning autistics.

My own psychiatrist is dead against the conflation of all four ASDs into one diagnosis. I'm going to give her your quote at my next visit. She'll appreciate it. Thanks.

On the Inside said:
I agree for the most part. I can go through periods, or times of the day where I am in my own world
Click to expand...


In fairness, I think NTs have times like that, too.
 
I like the quote. :)


Indeed, it is very, very general, but good enough. I have my "Aspie days" and I have my "Alli days". Sometimes I'm very grounded in reality and can easily pass myself off as normal, other days not so much. Here recently I had a wonderful and refreshing binge where my mind pretty much disconnected from reality and went on vacation for two weeks. Still performed all my duties and it didn't really interfere with daily life (not counting my absence from AC for those two weeks), but it was awesome to be daydreaming nearly 24/7 like that again. Got a lot of drawing done too!
 
Iamarock said:
In a previous thread of mine I stated that I just got my confirmation diagnosis of ASD. I got the sense from him that he is not totally in favor of the elimination of Aspergers as a diagnosis. His comment to me was this: (and I am paraphrasing)

An autistic lives in his/her own world, separate from the world that NTs live in. Aspergers live in this world but see it and react to it in a completely different way than NTs.

How do you feel about his statement?
Click to expand...

It's supported in the Asperger Syndrome in Adulthood: A Comprehensive Guide for Clinicians by Stoddart, Burke, and King. I keep threatening to post it in Resources and maybe I should "get a round tuit" but I'm taking a deep dive into something else.
 
I disagree. Aspies may not have had a speech delay, but the incredibly powerful pull of the dominant default of the autistic mindscape is a separate issue altogether.

I am nearly always in my own world, unless I work to struggle free to focus on things. The powerful pull of this complex, kaleidoscopic mindscape draws me back, often without my being aware of it. I am surprised to miss much of a conversation, song, or program. Staying aware in this world is a continual challenge. It really takes effort to be clear of this dominant default mindscape.

Gosh, er, am I alone in this? o_O
 
It's the most common way to explain it. It's like NTs are a flock of sheep, each of them in a different position and different perspective but belonging to the same flock and not far from the others. On the other hand, we are black explorer sheep looking at things from outside the broad vision.
 
Warmheart said:
The powerful pull of this complex, kaleidoscopic mindscape draws me back, often without my being aware of it. I am surprised to miss much of a conversation, song, or program. Staying aware in this world is a continual challenge. It really takes effort to be clear of this dominant default mindscape.
Click to expand...

Not alone, but our struggles may differ in intensity. What you describe so well is largely what caused my first therapist to suggest that I only have ADD-inattentive, and left it at that. Testing confirmed that, though it was narrowly focused on attention.

When I was later evaluated for ASD, my difficulty with focus (ADD-I) was also confirmed in the diagnosis. Sometimes I'm confused by whether I see and process reality differently (ASD), or am just not paying attention.
 
I've been and continue to be perpexed about whether I meander off into my own world due mainly to stress, or because it's the over-riding way I am.

Lately it seems that change and stress send me into what I call the safe zone. I want to care more about certain things and certain people. But it's not important to me like it is for normal folks. Except in the case of an emergency, then I focus in, usually in an unbalanced way.

Warmheart, if it's okay I am curious whether you're in your own world when doing the reiki, or does your interest hold you there?
 
Iamarock said:
An autistic lives in his/her own world, separate from the world that NTs live in. Aspergers live in this world but see it and react to it in a completely different way than NTs.

How do you feel about his statement?
Click to expand...

It is contradictory. Do we live in a separate world, or the same one?

Maybe your therapist should think his ideas through before he goes and tells his patients.
 
Kestrel, when I am doing reiki, I am mentally drifting a bit, softly neither here nor there. I'm "listening" with my hands for indications of inflammation, stagnation, blockages, energetic need, so I can direct the treatment where and how it needs to go for the person being treated. Mentally, it is a very soft twilight state. I can drift a bit, but must monitor patient's breathing and responses.

Kestrel, what a wonderful and insightful term-- the safe zone. Love it! :)
 
^ :) I am hoping to find a balance point and your description gives insight to me. thank you and Iamarock, too. I was diagnosed last month, and now, slowly questions are coming into focus.
 
i agree with him for the most part but we do have to live in an NT world. It does contradict itself in a way too as we live in but not part of the NT world.
My psychiatrist told me there is no drugs to treat my Autism but the best way I can treat it myself is to start a support group for those with Autism and deal with my social anxiety head on. This using what I have and use it to help others.
I have no mental health or intellectual disability and an IQ of 130. He has no drugs available to give to me as I have aspie plus blindness which together without any form of mental illness is very rare. There is no research into it as it is so arare.
No one has any written guidelines or practice to work with us so I keep trail blazing on my own.
 
Warmheart said:
I disagree. Aspies may not have had a speech delay, but the incredibly powerful pull of the dominant default of the autistic mindscape is a separate issue altogether.

I am nearly always in my own world, unless I work to struggle free to focus on things. The powerful pull of this complex, kaleidoscopic mindscape draws me back, often without my being aware of it. I am surprised to miss much of a conversation, song, or program. Staying aware in this world is a continual challenge. It really takes effort to be clear of this dominant default mindscape.

Gosh, er, am I alone in this? o_O
Click to expand...
Nah, you're not alone. I guess I got so used to compensating and adjusting for it, I forgot it's not normal. My mind trails off constantly, especially when I'm doing something boring. Like taking a shower. Thank goodness for autopilot, no?
 
Ylva said:
It is contradictory. Do we live in a separate world, or the same one?

Maybe your therapist should think his ideas through before he goes and tells his patients.
Click to expand...
When I first read it, I had trouble with the ambiguity of reference of "this". I thought "this world" meant the autistic world of the previous sentence rather than pointing to the "real world" we're sharing.

Not sure if you read it the same way I did...
 
That's a really good way of putting it, I could use it to explain AS to others. I've always felt that, that I'm in the world but at the same time outside it looking in, not part of it.
 
I was talking to a psychologist and I discussed feeling at one end of a spectrum felt like it was not serious, or not as serious/important/I shouldn't be affected as much someone with autism. She said something similar to the quote, but also validated that Aspergers is important. She explained that it can be just as painful and difficult. Some (not all) people with autism are in their own world and happy in it. With Aspergers, especially undiagnosed you are part of and want to be successful in NT world and it is very painful when things go wrong and you can't understand why.
 
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