Re: CHAT: OT CHAT: Asperger's syndrome

Roger Mills wrote:

> Frankly, I saw a lot of myself in the article.  [...].  But,
> so what?  One does survive.
For every psychopathology there's a "normal" relative; the difference is
basically "Is your life under your control, or are *you* being controlled?"

My daughter (age 13) and I were watching a program about dissociative identity
disorder (aka multiple personality disorder) two nights ago.  I explained
DID as the state in which you pretend to be lots of different people in order
to get away from very painful situations, and then lose track of the fact
that your pretends aren't real.

Irene has dozens of personalities herself: Sherlock Holmes, Henrietta the dog,
a cat, an "invisible bug", Rosa Maria Lopez (the name she would have had if
she had grown up with her birthparents), etc. etc.  But she *knows* they
are pretends.  That is what separates her from people with DID.  (I know
this is a simplistic explanation: it's intended for a child, after all!)

> For that matter, perhaps all "odd" or "excessive" ability could be due to
> chemical/hormonal/whatever imbalances--   great athletic ability, political,
> business acumen (any comments, Mr. Jordan, FDR/LBJ/RMN/WJC, Mr Gates, Mr
> Jobs?)
Winston Churchill was a classic manic-depressive who was able to mobilize his
manic periods for nothing less than saving civilization.  Most manics just spin
their wheels by spending lots of money, driving like lunatics, and having massive
amounts of meaningless sex....  which sounds fine until the bills come in.

--

Schlingt dreifach einen Kreis um dies! || John Cowan <jcowan@...>
Schliesst euer Aug vor heiliger Schau,  || http://www.reutershealth.com
Denn er genoss vom Honig-Tau,           || http://www.ccil.org/~cowan
Und trank die Milch vom Paradies.            -- Coleridge (tr. Politzer)