Comments on: Autreat’s “Ask an NT” panel.

By: Justthisguy

Justthisguy — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 02:09:58 +0000

I always knew that I was somewhat weird. Later, and lately, (after I had spent 50+ years here on this planet, I took some on-line Autie-Aspie quizzes. My scores tended to be B+ – A-, where an A is most autistic.

But, I have claimed to be “mostly normal” here and at other Web places. BAPy, maybe? I dunno.

I am pretty sure that I’m off on one end of the bell curve of human brain function, in some ways, at least.

So: I haven’t consulted a shrink. I’ve satisfied myself that my head does not work exactly like the standard head model,or maybe not like most other peoples’ heads, at all. I don’t think I’m thoroughly autistic, but I’m definitely close enough to sympathize.

I hate having to do social work.(hanging out with other humans when I’d rather spend some quiet alone time with my self.) Dammit!

By: J

Mon, 03 Jul 2006 03:17:21 +0000

There are a lot more reasons that I can think of why a person on the pro-cure side would pretend to have been cured of condition X than for someone who’s against enforced treament.

Both sides could use it to bolster the authority of their arguement, using the “I have/had X and I know what it’s really like.” approach.

But someone pretending to have X would also have the opportunity to gain substantial uncritical attention and sympathy from a group that views their condition as tragic. This is very appealing to some people. Alternately, they could make a lot of money for themselves or the organization of their choice as a poster child.

And someone with condition X would have, in addtion to all those other motivations to claim a cure, at least one major one. Fear. Being diagnosed with autism/mental illness/whatever can give others the legal right to control and imprison you. Claiming that the treatment succeeded can be an attempt to escape that control, particularly for people who’s health, safety or freedom are contingent on the approval of others.

But it’s still assumed that the people who object to treatment or simply object to forced treatments and display enough obvious communication to have their objections understood are most likely faking.

Odd.

By: mike

mike — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 03:23:40 +0000

residual schizophrenia…thought disorders…nt neglect…autist neglect…staying awake all night

i don want to “try” to be normal

i am also verbal

i hate mental health…saying such implies illness…i was told to go to autreat a few years (2?) … i was scared … i thought may condition could become disabling if i attended autreat.

i don’t know

By: ballastexistenz

ballastexistenz — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 20:42:04 +0000

I forgot to mention, I guess, that I was once told that unless someone saw my medical records, he wouldn’t believe I was tortured in institutions. Uh…….

By: Berke and Julian^Amorpha

Berke and Julian^Amorpha — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 19:18:17 +0000

I’ve noticed that it’s popular among both professionals and “consumers” who have unquestioningly bought into their ideas to caricature the anti-psychiatry movement as being made up of outsider meddlers who have no personal experience with drugs, institutions, or the problems (real or imagined) they’re supposed to treat. “Clearly, you don’t know what you’re talking about and have no personal experience of mental illness.” Even if what’s being said is that drugs should be available to those who *want* them, but that nobody should be forced or coerced into taking them.

On the other hand, nobody ever questions the credentials of the people who talk about the miraculous effects of drugs, or wonder if maybe at least a few of them aren’t what they say they are, or have some incentive to lie, distort, and outright make things up. No one insists that their medical records be investigated to verify their story. No one ever accuses them of pretending to have a disorder just to promote drugs or to harm others. Their stories always seem to be suspicion-proof.

By: Ettina

Ettina — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 17:59:30 +0000

I think it’s that migraines a) aren’t viewed as affecting a person’s ability to self-advocate and b) aren’t something you’ve said you value.
If you agree with the status quo, people don’t question you. It’s only when you challenge assumptions they don’t want challenged.
But the assumptions they don’t want challenged are usually those that most need challenging.