Thank you both so much for doing these hangouts and questions. I don't know what I would do without someone who understands the way I feel like Dr. Tony does.
As a person with ASD 1, I find social distancing and lock downs great. For once my normal lack of socializing is not seen as abnormal or weird. Although I don’t understand it, I feel badly for people whose normal way of living is disrupted causing increased depression/anxiety. I have a lot of problems recognizing emotions. I am ok until I’m not, usually too late to prevent meltdown/shutdown. To warn me early, I wear an Apple Watch which is set to alarm when my (non active) heart rate goes above 120. My watch will vibrate, then prompt me to focus on my breathing to lower my heart rate. It actually works really well!
There's a channel I follow: HealthyGammergg I think? A psychologist(Dr. K) talks with streaming gamers, and he gives meditation techniques too. When Dr. Tony mentioned our inclination toward racing thoughts I remembered a technique Dr. K gave for a mind that does this. He said to sit with eyes closed and pick out one after another every single sound you hear, and label them. That's a phone bell, that's a dog barking, that's an airplane, etc... Do this for a good while, it basically Tucker's out your brain. It exhausts the default thought pattern so that it calms itself by just tiring itself out. I'd never heard of this type of meditation , most meditations don't work for me, but this one was a new idea that intrigued me. I hope it helps someone else with the same issues I have. Take care everyone! I love you all. Stay safe.
Reading your comment two years later and given that I have sound sensitivity, hearing every little tiny sound, this could be a brilliant technique for me. Just wanted to let you know that posting your comment paid this wisdom forward to me - will definitely give it a go. I hope you're still well
I think that sometimes people on the spectrum are encouraged by neurotypical people to take drugs and alcohol, so that neurotypicals can laugh at them under the influence. The dulling effects of the drugs are something that seems to be a plus, but actually isn't, because it makes you vulnerable to further abuse.
I’ve moved from anxiety over the shut down to learning all I can about what’s really going on -nwo. it’s given me a new hobby. Horrifying but really interesting at the same time. Very nasty people you would never expect, this world is not what I thought in the slightest.
I have stopped confronting myself with the news in 2005 and found out I never really needed them. Most things are totally irrelevant for me personally. And concerning the police: I was once stopped in my car, in the middle of the night. I was panicking because I feared they would kill me, completely irrational. But they just checked my papers and then I drove off. I have later on decided that next time I will tell them right away that I'm autistic and that it stresses me that they stopped me. But I live in Germany and the police aren't so paranoid here, because we Germans don't carry around weapons :) And I also found that social distancing is a very good thing :) Could go on like this forever.
I wanted to answer to the woman whose husband bought a bracelet for his co-worker: I personally am not very fixated on possession and when I like a person, they can have my last shirt, like, literally. So it can well be that I make an expensive gift, for example because I like the gift myself and want to express my friendly feelings towards the other person, or because I know the other person will like it because it's part of their special interest or so. That has nothing to do with romantic feelings, let alone sexual interests. but if it bothers you, you should tell your husband about it and talk with him about what might be better options for a gift for his co-worker.
Yes! I think that many of us Aspies have quite a generous streak and there is such a lot of pleasure in showing our appreciation in others by giving them something really nice, expensive or something in their favourite colour, for instance. :)
I have tried EMDR and it felt great. But the therapist simply did not want to work with me. I felt a bit rejected. She did not seem persuaded that EMDR works for what I wanted to use it.. So that was the end of it. It is really hard to find a good therapist who is educated on Autism but also does such unconventional therapies like EMDR or Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. Also as we are discussing this right now in the ASD Village group - when you have DIFFICULTY verbalizing things, (for many autistics talking actually takes a lot more effort than writing or signing) and your therapist does not allow you to write or use a device - things become really hard, when you can't properly express yourself in your preferred way of communication. Sometimes, just to get to the therapist can stress you out, overcrowded train, somebody wearing a strong perfume and what not..stress will influence your ability to talk, at least that's my experience.. You pay for an hour, so if it takes you ages to get the words out properly...that kind of seems unfair.. I am lucky, I can do sessions over skype, that's great. Comfortable in my own home, stress is greatly reduced.. I have found a way to communicate more efficiently, I park notes on Skype in between sessions, and then I can just go through them one by one during session. This helps tremendously..I need notes at least, or it takes me 3x longer to verbalize things. And afterwards I feel exhausted and drained.
@Juliette M cool - meanwhile I started doing NEUROFEEDBACK. this is even cooler. And indirect. You watch a screen most of the time. The brain retrains itself. Not much talking. But electrodes need to be attached to your head, to measure brainwaves properly. But holy moly does that feel good.
@Juliette M Yes, I've been doing lots of research on it lately - BESSEL VAN DER KOLK, author of THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE who mainly focuses on TRAUMA treatment and PTSD writes a lot about NEUROFEEDBACK - here a foreword quote: Quote: How often is an experienced clinician-researcher confronted with a new paradigm that profoundly changes his understanding of what he has done all his professional life? How often does a remarkably novel way of understanding the mind, brain, and body come along, one that has been around for at least three decades yet remains at the periphery of clinical practice and neuroscience? When a calm, curious, confident, and humorous individual engages me into looking at familiar things from an intriguing new angle, my curiosity is piqued. I had the good fortune of meeting Sebern Fisher at an attachment conference in Providence, Rhode Island in the fall of 2007. She showed me a series of family drawings sketched by a very impaired 10-year-old boy who had been treated with neurofeedback. The first drawing consisted of a stick figure, which a 3-year-old could have produced. Twenty sessions later his family portrait had taken on complexity, nuance, and character. Another twenty sessions later the drawing looked like the work of a full-fledged young artist. I was intrigued. I had never encountered a treatment approach that could shift the perceptual system of a human being so dramatically in such a short period of time. My intrigue, combined with Sebern’s thoughtfulness, gentleness, and sharp analytical skills, prompted me to eagerly accept her invitation to spend a weekend with her in Northampton, Massachusetts to become more familiar with what neurofeedback could do, specifically with regard to patients suffering from developmental trauma. One snowy afternoon Sebern hooked me up to a small computer in her home office to display an electroencephalogram (EEG) of my brain waves on the screen in front of me, an EEG that was more sophisticated than what one million dollars worth of equipment could produce in the EEG laboratory in which I had worked in medical school. Nice to see how technological advances had democratized access to brain wave activity. Subsequently, I interviewed one of Sebern’s patients, who had suffered from developmental trauma. She told me that neurofeedback had cured her seizures after numerous medications had failed to do so, and had helped her to become sufficiently focused to attend college and get a degree in journalism. The next young woman had been chronically isolated and out of touch with her environment. After neurofeedback training, she came across as vivacious and inquisitive.
@Juliette M Then there is NORA GEDGAUDAS - a very experienced NEUROFEEDBACK practitioner. She combines this with her PRIMALGENIC approach. It goes hand in hand and I can totally agree to this statement. czcams.com/video/gnGlzg1vzao/video.html - Neurofeedback and dietary intervenions is a great combination. But, as Nora Gedgaudas states: Vegetarians and Vegans have the WORST brains & Nervous Systems, so neurofeedback can't reverse irreparable damage!! And she can't really help those who insist to continue with that vegan depletion diet.. NOTHING is more destabilizing to the brain than wait for it: Dietary intolerances !! So - removing trigger foods actually will also CALM your brain!! As a Neorofeedback practitioner Nora Gedgaudas has a clear view on people's brains and sees the differences.. She sees a lot of Autism, ADHD, Seizure, Bipolar, Headinjury etc brains and for all of them Neurofeedback is great way to optimize brainfunction.. Nothing is more destabilizing to the brain than blood sugar surges Nothing is more STABILIZING to the brain than animal FATs
I am an autistic 47 year old female and am suffering from a very bad depression, i can’t sleep and I have gained 70 pounds. I don't have medical insurance, so it is impossible for me to seek help, i eat to self medicate. I sometimes get upset thinking that I don't want to live the rest of my life suffering like I do. The political strife in America and now the riots have deepened my sadness and I feel everyone else’s pain. I don't understand why people can't all live in the same country and stop fighting. I am unemployed and don't know how to find a job that I will be good at doing and that I can keep. I usually quit after a few days when I have a panic attack or I am bullied, which happens a lot. I am being bullied by my neighbor now and have no one to defend me, I have so many problems I wish I had family or somebody to help me cope.
Have you ever thought about being an in home carer for elderly or intellectually disabled people? I have ASD, CPTSD, OCD, and have had depression most of my life. I have worked as an in home carer for 15 years, on the night shift. It’s lovely. I work by myself (no co workers), it’s calm, quiet, and the ladies I take care of accept me as I am (no masking). It doesn’t pay a lot where I live, but it helps me cope with my life such as it is. I would also suggest joining online support groups for people on the spectrum. I don’t have family except my adult children (they have their own lives), but I find a lot of support through online groups.
I second the online support groups. I recommend joining female-only ones as the general groups often seem to have incels or just really rigid, combative men in them. One group I like is Aspergers & Autism Safe Room: A Safe Haven For Women On The Spectrum.
@@lysagreen2314 i also wanted to ask you about your CPTSD. I just took an online quiz for CPTSD and scored almost a perfect score. It made me wonder if my problems are from my awful childhood, or if it is my ASD? Thank you.
@@frolickinglions Thank you so much! I did not know about these groups and I would prefer an all female group as I find men are either abusive and controlling or sexual, in my experiences with them. I will try to find the groups you suggested.
It's lovely to see you both again. Thank you for all your excellent advice; it really helps to see that there are solutions to problems, even if aren't ones that affect me at the moment. The changes are making me anxious but I do like the fact that I don't have people coming to my door willy-nilly and that even parcels don't require a signature, lol. One thing about addictions. I had an intermittent problem with alcohol throughout my adult life and the reason why was to enable socialising; a few pints was the only way I could chat to people down the pub and the only way I could make friends...or at least a group of drinking buddies, lol. I haven't done that for a good many years now though; I'd rather have a cuppa with a film or a good book! :)
I am having constant problems with airport security. Unfortunately, their training tells them that the exact behavior patterns that are typical for autism are also typical for terrorists.
My stepsister is a 15 year old with Asperger's and people treat her like shit because they don't understand her medical and character struggles. She's mean to me sometimes and displays poor moral development, as well but I dont lash back at her because I relate to being improperly characterized by others to the point of being upset, and, well, like all kids she's a baby until she's 20, then she's an adult who still has to deal with our normal society, made almost completely of retards.
In 2001 it was a quiet year for the world. Until 9/11 that was just one day. 2020 is worse it is like 9/11 everyday since March since UK lockdown. One thing I used as metaphor with 9/11 the world changed from ground zero. That the world before 9/11 and the after 9/11 is different. So now it feels like the world before coronavirus and now the world during coronavirus and after coronavirus adapting to new normal. Like screens, gloves and face mask. With the face mask is the worst because we have used intelligence to read non verbal communication you can't read anything from a shop women wearing a mask. I might as well be speaking to a surgeon or a dentist. Rather than a shop assistant.
I have a question for Dr. Tony Attwood. I'm a self diagnosed female and I am having a hard time differientating between psychological and neurological. For example, what is the difference between autism and a mental health illness, Like ASD and Schizophrenia, bipolar, narcissism, BPD, etc.? How can you tell the difference (for an aspie) if someone is also autistic or are they narcissistic and manipulative? It's hard for me to see when someone is being cruel or when someone is just unaware of their actions? I don't know if that made any sense... Thank you for allowing us this opportunity to ask questions!
I think that people with autistic spectrum disorders are often misdiagnosed with psychiatric illnesses. I have seen quite a few videos about this. You asked about the difference between neurology and psychology. I wrote the following for you. If this was not what you meant by your question, it will be my failure to understand it. Some people with ASD have had brain scans, which show marked differences. Neurologists believe that differences in brain anatomy affect behaviour. Psychologists believe that the way a person thinks and is encouraged to think affects behaviour. Psychiatrists seem to believe that if you act in a way that they don't understand, you need medication. Psychologists think they can explain your behaviour for you, sometimes! Do not assume you have a psychiatric condition, if you have autistic spectrum disorder. I also struggle to know when people are being narcissistic and cruel. The only advice, that I can give you, is that you MUST walk away from people, who are cruel to you. If you would not treat them, the way they treat you, then break away from that person as soon as you are able. I like Dr Tony's approach to autism, because he doesn't see autistic behaviour as unreasonable and seems to be recommending working with patients to improve their lives, through environmental and behavioural change instead of medication. Although not specifically mentioned here, there are plenty of people, who become addicted to prescription medication.
@@scorpiotech123 YES! I agree. I love Dr. Tony Attwood. He was the first person that I felt like "spoke to me" since I self discovered my ASD. "You know when it's truth when you listen and hear peace and understanding." You did explain it thank you, "Some people with ASD have had brain scans, which show marked differences. Neurologists believe that differences in brain anatomy affect behaviour. Psychologists believe that the way a person thinks and is encouraged to think affects behaviour. Psychiatrists seem to believe that if you act in a way that they don't understand, you need medication. Psychologists think they can explain your behaviour for you, sometimes!" I wish there were further research and/or clinical studies about why females (or others, I'm not sure about males just because I've been researching for myself and I"m a female) are misdiagnosed as a mental health illness rather than ASD. I know T. Attwood has spoken about it before that it's societies prior thinking of what a female "should be"... Or something like that. I'm struggling at getting the words out how I want them to come out lol.
@@dailydoseoftabitha6239 I would be very interested in seeing research on why females are so often misdiagnosed. I have a personal theory, that 'power' may be the reason. I have worked with people with mental illness in the past and I think psychiatry and psychology may be used as a form of power to assert importance over the other person. As women have traditionally held less powerful roles in society, they are an easy target for such power plays. I wrote to one person, who told me that he had autism and paranoia, but when he described the symptoms, I didn't think it demonstrated unreasonable paranoia and I told him so. I think, he just did not have enough evidence to rule out his belief in what was causing his anxiety. Personally, I would favour a more understanding approach to mental illness. I was talking to a young psychology student about hallucinations and suggested that, until we develop telepathic powers, we cannot claim that another's experience is not real. For example, my Dad went to assist as a social worker in sectioning someone, who was seeing Roman soldiers marching through his living room. The psychiatrists suggested that the man was schizophrenic, but what if he was just more sensitive to TV broadcasts and a film about Roman soldiers was being shown? What if he could see and decipher those images, even without a television? The man was scared, but I would have been too. However, if someone had told him, that sometimes he could sense TV broadcasts, he would have been a lot less scared and he would have learned to ignore things, which didn't fit with his experience of reality. If you have ever watched the film, "A beautiful mind', you will see John Nash check his perception of reality in a jokey way at the end of the film. I think men and women with Asperger's can be quite persistently outspoken, when they see something wrong. It is my experience that neurotypical individuals will label you as having a psychiatric illness and therefore discredit you, rather than work towards putting things right. I hope this is an appropriate response to your comment. If anything seems unclear in what I have said, please ask me about it. Thank you for engaging in this interesting discussion.
@@scorpiotech123 @Elaine Scott Hi, I'm a self diagnosed Aspie. I'm also a healer and energy worker currently and have also managed a unique life in the adult entertainment professions (quite a feat for an Aspie, some might think, however my unique gifts made me particularly well suited for it! 😁). My unique set of talents and experiences also allows me to definitely concur with your analysis of the situation with female diagnosis. I can also tell you that you have an incredibly gifted and beautiful open mind and that your potential as a healer or seer is great; just due to your innate way of seeing and explaining things🙏 .... thank you.
@@tangledwebs5673 Thank you for your kind comments. I used to be a nurse, which is where I gained my experience of health services. Einstein once wrote that if you carry on doing the same thing in the same way, you will get the same result. I tried to show compassion and use humour to revolutionise the care in my hospital and save a baby from being murdered, but I failed. I approve of Patch Adams, who said, "If you treat the disease, you will win some and you will lose some. If you treat the patient, you will always win." Even when my child patients died, I would continue just to support the family in any way I could. I am not sure if I have any healing powers. My mind got rather broken, after my employer drugged me, hoping that I would die of the overdose, which was administered. They were already telling people, that I was on drugs. Drugs, which my family and employer were covertly administering. I haven't given up entirely, but the murder of a patient is quite debilitating and has attracted quite a few other murder attempts on myself, which were meant to look like accidents. Lockdown has been a small blessing, because no one can get to me now. I do what I can to support Aspies online, but I've been tagged as delusional by the health service. I am not. I don't want anyone to go through what I've been through.
Tony Attwood pretty scared of the thing to. He knew the thing would be here for a while but no vaccine, 5% of UK population had it most be over a year off mass immunity. This virus is part of our life just as much as protecting ourselves from terrorism is part of our life. Stay alert for the virus stay alert for terrorism. If the virus wasn't hear I still will be anxious because of terrorism.
Thank you both so much for doing these hangouts and questions. I don't know what I would do without someone who understands the way I feel like Dr. Tony does.
As a person with ASD 1, I find social distancing and lock downs great. For once my normal lack of socializing is not seen as abnormal or weird. Although I don’t understand it, I feel badly for people whose normal way of living is disrupted causing increased depression/anxiety. I have a lot of problems recognizing emotions. I am ok until I’m not, usually too late to prevent meltdown/shutdown. To warn me early, I wear an Apple Watch which is set to alarm when my (non active) heart rate goes above 120. My watch will vibrate, then prompt me to focus on my breathing to lower my heart rate. It actually works really well!
There's a channel I follow: HealthyGammergg I think? A psychologist(Dr. K) talks with streaming gamers, and he gives meditation techniques too. When Dr. Tony mentioned our inclination toward racing thoughts I remembered a technique Dr. K gave for a mind that does this. He said to sit with eyes closed and pick out one after another every single sound you hear, and label them. That's a phone bell, that's a dog barking, that's an airplane, etc... Do this for a good while, it basically Tucker's out your brain. It exhausts the default thought pattern so that it calms itself by just tiring itself out. I'd never heard of this type of meditation , most meditations don't work for me, but this one was a new idea that intrigued me. I hope it helps someone else with the same issues I have. Take care everyone! I love you all. Stay safe.
Reading your comment two years later and given that I have sound sensitivity, hearing every little tiny sound, this could be a brilliant technique for me. Just wanted to let you know that posting your comment paid this wisdom forward to me - will definitely give it a go.
I hope you're still well
I think that sometimes people on the spectrum are encouraged by neurotypical people to take drugs and alcohol, so that neurotypicals can laugh at them under the influence. The dulling effects of the drugs are something that seems to be a plus, but actually isn't, because it makes you vulnerable to further abuse.
I’ve moved from anxiety over the shut down to learning all I can about what’s really going on -nwo. it’s given me a new hobby. Horrifying but really interesting at the same time. Very nasty people you would never expect, this world is not what I thought in the slightest.
I have stopped confronting myself with the news in 2005 and found out I never really needed them. Most things are totally irrelevant for me personally. And concerning the police: I was once stopped in my car, in the middle of the night. I was panicking because I feared they would kill me, completely irrational. But they just checked my papers and then I drove off. I have later on decided that next time I will tell them right away that I'm autistic and that it stresses me that they stopped me. But I live in Germany and the police aren't so paranoid here, because we Germans don't carry around weapons :) And I also found that social distancing is a very good thing :) Could go on like this forever.
Spot on re the media!! (P-R-O-P-A-G-A-N-D-A!) Brilliant! Thank's to the both of you for all you do! !
I wanted to answer to the woman whose husband bought a bracelet for his co-worker: I personally am not very fixated on possession and when I like a person, they can have my last shirt, like, literally. So it can well be that I make an expensive gift, for example because I like the gift myself and want to express my friendly feelings towards the other person, or because I know the other person will like it because it's part of their special interest or so. That has nothing to do with romantic feelings, let alone sexual interests. but if it bothers you, you should tell your husband about it and talk with him about what might be better options for a gift for his co-worker.
Yes! I think that many of us Aspies have quite a generous streak and there is such a lot of pleasure in showing our appreciation in others by giving them something really nice, expensive or something in their favourite colour, for instance. :)
I have tried EMDR and it felt great. But the therapist simply did not want to work with me. I felt a bit rejected. She did not seem persuaded that EMDR works for what I wanted to use it.. So that was the end of it. It is really hard to find a good therapist who is educated on Autism but also does such unconventional therapies like EMDR or Sensorimotor Psychotherapy.
Also as we are discussing this right now in the ASD Village group - when you have DIFFICULTY verbalizing things, (for many autistics talking actually takes a lot more effort than writing or signing) and your therapist does not allow you to write or use a device - things become really hard, when you can't properly express yourself in your preferred way of communication.
Sometimes, just to get to the therapist can stress you out, overcrowded train, somebody wearing a strong perfume and what not..stress will influence your ability to talk, at least that's my experience..
You pay for an hour, so if it takes you ages to get the words out properly...that kind of seems unfair..
I am lucky, I can do sessions over skype, that's great. Comfortable in my own home, stress is greatly reduced.. I have found a way to communicate more efficiently, I park notes on Skype in between sessions, and then I can just go through them one by one during session.
This helps tremendously..I need notes at least, or it takes me 3x longer to verbalize things. And afterwards I feel exhausted and drained.
@Juliette M cool - meanwhile I started doing NEUROFEEDBACK. this is even cooler. And indirect. You watch a screen most of the time. The brain retrains itself. Not much talking. But electrodes need to be attached to your head, to measure brainwaves properly.
But holy moly does that feel good.
@Juliette M Would you happen to have a few links?
@Juliette M Yes, I've been doing lots of research on it lately - BESSEL VAN DER KOLK, author of THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE who mainly focuses on TRAUMA treatment and PTSD writes a lot about NEUROFEEDBACK - here a foreword quote:
Quote:
How often is an experienced clinician-researcher confronted with a new paradigm that profoundly changes his understanding of what he has done all his professional life?
How often does a remarkably novel way of understanding the mind, brain, and body come along, one that has been around for at least three decades yet remains at the periphery of clinical practice and neuroscience?
When a calm, curious, confident, and humorous individual engages me into looking at familiar things from an intriguing new angle, my curiosity is piqued.
I had the good fortune of meeting Sebern Fisher at an attachment conference in Providence, Rhode Island in the fall of 2007.
She showed me a series of family drawings sketched by a very impaired 10-year-old boy who had been treated with neurofeedback.
The first drawing consisted of a stick figure, which a 3-year-old could have produced.
Twenty sessions later his family portrait had taken on complexity, nuance, and character.
Another twenty sessions later the drawing looked like the work of a full-fledged young artist.
I was intrigued. I had never encountered a treatment approach that could shift the perceptual system of a human being so dramatically in such a short period of time.
My intrigue, combined with Sebern’s thoughtfulness, gentleness, and sharp analytical skills, prompted me to eagerly accept her invitation to spend a weekend with her in Northampton, Massachusetts to become more familiar with what neurofeedback could do, specifically with regard to patients suffering from developmental trauma.
One snowy afternoon Sebern hooked me up to a small computer in her home office to display an electroencephalogram (EEG) of my brain waves on the screen in front of me, an EEG that was more sophisticated than what one million dollars worth of equipment could produce in the EEG laboratory in which I had worked in medical school.
Nice to see how technological advances had democratized access to brain wave activity.
Subsequently, I interviewed one of Sebern’s patients, who had suffered from developmental trauma.
She told me that neurofeedback had cured her seizures after numerous medications had failed to do so, and had helped her to become sufficiently focused to attend college and get a degree in journalism.
The next young woman had been chronically isolated and out of touch with her environment.
After neurofeedback training, she came across as vivacious and inquisitive.
@Juliette M Then there is NORA GEDGAUDAS - a very experienced NEUROFEEDBACK practitioner. She combines this with her PRIMALGENIC approach. It goes hand in hand and I can totally agree to this statement.
czcams.com/video/gnGlzg1vzao/video.html -
Neurofeedback and dietary intervenions is a great combination.
But, as Nora Gedgaudas states:
Vegetarians and Vegans have the WORST brains & Nervous Systems, so neurofeedback can't reverse irreparable damage!!
And she can't really help those who insist to continue with that vegan depletion diet..
NOTHING is more destabilizing to the brain than wait for it:
Dietary intolerances !!
So - removing trigger foods actually will also CALM your brain!!
As a Neorofeedback practitioner Nora Gedgaudas has a clear view on people's brains and sees the differences..
She sees a lot of Autism, ADHD, Seizure, Bipolar, Headinjury etc brains and for all of them Neurofeedback is great way to optimize brainfunction..
Nothing is more destabilizing to the brain than blood sugar surges
Nothing is more STABILIZING to the brain than animal FATs
I am an autistic 47 year old female and am suffering from a very bad depression, i can’t sleep and I have gained 70 pounds. I don't have medical insurance, so it is impossible for me to seek help, i eat to self medicate. I sometimes get upset thinking that I don't want to live the rest of my life suffering like I do. The political strife in America and now the riots have deepened my sadness and I feel everyone else’s pain. I don't understand why people can't all live in the same country and stop fighting. I am unemployed and don't know how to find a job that I will be good at doing and that I can keep. I usually quit after a few days when I have a panic attack or I am bullied, which happens a lot. I am being bullied by my neighbor now and have no one to defend me, I have so many problems I wish I had family or somebody to help me cope.
Have you ever thought about being an in home carer for elderly or intellectually disabled people? I have ASD, CPTSD, OCD, and have had depression most of my life. I have worked as an in home carer for 15 years, on the night shift. It’s lovely. I work by myself (no co workers), it’s calm, quiet, and the ladies I take care of accept me as I am (no masking). It doesn’t pay a lot where I live, but it helps me cope with my life such as it is. I would also suggest joining online support groups for people on the spectrum. I don’t have family except my adult children (they have their own lives), but I find a lot of support through online groups.
I second the online support groups. I recommend joining female-only ones as the general groups often seem to have incels or just really rigid, combative men in them. One group I like is Aspergers & Autism Safe Room: A Safe Haven For Women On The Spectrum.
@@lysagreen2314 thank you very much for the useful ideas. I will look into doing both of your ideas. Thank you!
@@lysagreen2314 i also wanted to ask you about your CPTSD. I just took an online quiz for CPTSD and scored almost a perfect score. It made me wonder if my problems are from my awful childhood, or if it is my ASD? Thank you.
@@frolickinglions Thank you so much! I did not know about these groups and I would prefer an all female group as I find men are either abusive and controlling or sexual, in my experiences with them. I will try to find the groups you suggested.
It's lovely to see you both again. Thank you for all your excellent advice; it really helps to see that there are solutions to problems, even if aren't ones that affect me at the moment. The changes are making me anxious but I do like the fact that I don't have people coming to my door willy-nilly and that even parcels don't require a signature, lol. One thing about addictions. I had an intermittent problem with alcohol throughout my adult life and the reason why was to enable socialising; a few pints was the only way I could chat to people down the pub and the only way I could make friends...or at least a group of drinking buddies, lol. I haven't done that for a good many years now though; I'd rather have a cuppa with a film or a good book! :)
Check. Check. Thank you so much.
I love this videos please never stop
Am learning so much... Now wondering if I an aspie at this junction.
amazing video
Thank you.
Great Video.
Yippee a new episode!
I was having lots of panic attacks I lost all of my NDIS funding and had adverse reactions to the vaccines have not been well since
Thank you
Thank u, this made me feel a little less alone and not understood
The anxiety all around shows that it's not just autistics who are prone to it!
Love it how do you submit questions? Is it through Tony’s website? X
thx
Watch out for some sports heart monitors. One of mine used to pick up the revs from my car and show a heart rate of 240+, which was not accurate.😀
The silver linings...yes! In many ways my life is som much calmer and easier.
can someone recommend a good watch pls? (for monitoring obvs)
I am having constant problems with airport security. Unfortunately, their training tells them that the exact behavior patterns that are typical for autism are also typical for terrorists.
Haven’t been able to get mindfulness training no funding
My stepsister is a 15 year old with Asperger's and people treat her like shit because they don't understand her medical and character struggles. She's mean to me sometimes and displays poor moral development, as well but I dont lash back at her because I relate to being improperly characterized by others to the point of being upset, and, well, like all kids she's a baby until she's 20, then she's an adult who still has to deal with our normal society, made almost completely of retards.
Does Dr. Tony know any psychologists in Saudi Arabia that know how to diagnose Asperger's?
In 2001 it was a quiet year for the world.
Until 9/11 that was just one day.
2020 is worse it is like 9/11 everyday since March since UK lockdown.
One thing I used as metaphor with 9/11 the world changed from ground zero.
That the world before 9/11 and the after 9/11 is different.
So now it feels like the world before coronavirus and now the world during coronavirus and after coronavirus adapting to new normal.
Like screens, gloves and face mask.
With the face mask is the worst because we have used intelligence to read non verbal communication you can't read anything from a shop women wearing a mask.
I might as well be speaking to a surgeon or a dentist.
Rather than a shop assistant.
I have a question for Dr. Tony Attwood.
I'm a self diagnosed female and I am having a hard time differientating between psychological and neurological. For example, what is the difference between autism and a mental health illness, Like ASD and Schizophrenia, bipolar, narcissism, BPD, etc.?
How can you tell the difference (for an aspie) if someone is also autistic or are they narcissistic and manipulative? It's hard for me to see when someone is being cruel or when someone is just unaware of their actions? I don't know if that made any sense...
Thank you for allowing us this opportunity to ask questions!
I think that people with autistic spectrum disorders are often misdiagnosed with psychiatric illnesses. I have seen quite a few videos about this.
You asked about the difference between neurology and psychology. I wrote the following for you. If this was not what you meant by your question, it will be my failure to understand it.
Some people with ASD have had brain scans, which show marked differences. Neurologists believe that differences in brain anatomy affect behaviour. Psychologists believe that the way a person thinks and is encouraged to think affects behaviour. Psychiatrists seem to believe that if you act in a way that they don't understand, you need medication. Psychologists think they can explain your behaviour for you, sometimes!
Do not assume you have a psychiatric condition, if you have autistic spectrum disorder.
I also struggle to know when people are being narcissistic and cruel. The only advice, that I can give you, is that you MUST walk away from people, who are cruel to you. If you would not treat them, the way they treat you, then break away from that person as soon as you are able.
I like Dr Tony's approach to autism, because he doesn't see autistic behaviour as unreasonable and seems to be recommending working with patients to improve their lives, through environmental and behavioural change instead of medication. Although not specifically mentioned here, there are plenty of people, who become addicted to prescription medication.
@@scorpiotech123 YES! I agree. I love Dr. Tony Attwood. He was the first person that I felt like "spoke to me" since I self discovered my ASD.
"You know when it's truth when you listen and hear peace and understanding."
You did explain it thank you, "Some people with ASD have had brain scans, which show marked differences. Neurologists believe that differences in brain anatomy affect behaviour. Psychologists believe that the way a person thinks and is encouraged to think affects behaviour. Psychiatrists seem to believe that if you act in a way that they don't understand, you need medication. Psychologists think they can explain your behaviour for you, sometimes!"
I wish there were further research and/or clinical studies about why females (or others, I'm not sure about males just because I've been researching for myself and I"m a female) are misdiagnosed as a mental health illness rather than ASD. I know T. Attwood has spoken about it before that it's societies prior thinking of what a female "should be"... Or something like that. I'm struggling at getting the words out how I want them to come out lol.
@@dailydoseoftabitha6239 I would be very interested in seeing research on why females are so often misdiagnosed. I have a personal theory, that 'power' may be the reason. I have worked with people with mental illness in the past and I think psychiatry and psychology may be used as a form of power to assert importance over the other person. As women have traditionally held less powerful roles in society, they are an easy target for such power plays. I wrote to one person, who told me that he had autism and paranoia, but when he described the symptoms, I didn't think it demonstrated unreasonable paranoia and I told him so. I think, he just did not have enough evidence to rule out his belief in what was causing his anxiety.
Personally, I would favour a more understanding approach to mental illness. I was talking to a young psychology student about hallucinations and suggested that, until we develop telepathic powers, we cannot claim that another's experience is not real. For example, my Dad went to assist as a social worker in sectioning someone, who was seeing Roman soldiers marching through his living room. The psychiatrists suggested that the man was schizophrenic, but what if he was just more sensitive to TV broadcasts and a film about Roman soldiers was being shown? What if he could see and decipher those images, even without a television? The man was scared, but I would have been too. However, if someone had told him, that sometimes he could sense TV broadcasts, he would have been a lot less scared and he would have learned to ignore things, which didn't fit with his experience of reality. If you have ever watched the film, "A beautiful mind', you will see John Nash check his perception of reality in a jokey way at the end of the film.
I think men and women with Asperger's can be quite persistently outspoken, when they see something wrong. It is my experience that neurotypical individuals will label you as having a psychiatric illness and therefore discredit you, rather than work towards putting things right.
I hope this is an appropriate response to your comment. If anything seems unclear in what I have said, please ask me about it.
Thank you for engaging in this interesting discussion.
@@scorpiotech123 @Elaine Scott Hi, I'm a self diagnosed Aspie. I'm also a healer and energy worker currently and
have also managed a unique life in the adult entertainment professions (quite a feat for an Aspie, some might think, however my unique gifts made me particularly well suited for it! 😁). My unique set of talents and experiences also allows me to definitely concur with your analysis of the situation with female diagnosis. I
can also tell you that you have an incredibly gifted and beautiful open mind and that your potential as a healer or seer is great; just due to your innate way of seeing and explaining things🙏 .... thank you.
@@tangledwebs5673 Thank you for your kind comments. I used to be a nurse, which is where I gained my experience of health services. Einstein once wrote that if you carry on doing the same thing in the same way, you will get the same result. I tried to show compassion and use humour to revolutionise the care in my hospital and save a baby from being murdered, but I failed. I approve of Patch Adams, who said, "If you treat the disease, you will win some and you will lose some. If you treat the patient, you will always win." Even when my child patients died, I would continue just to support the family in any way I could. I am not sure if I have any healing powers. My mind got rather broken, after my employer drugged me, hoping that I would die of the overdose, which was administered. They were already telling people, that I was on drugs. Drugs, which my family and employer were covertly administering. I haven't given up entirely, but the murder of a patient is quite debilitating and has attracted quite a few other murder attempts on myself, which were meant to look like accidents. Lockdown has been a small blessing, because no one can get to me now. I do what I can to support Aspies online, but I've been tagged as delusional by the health service. I am not. I don't want anyone to go through what I've been through.
It’s been horrific
I like you Craig.have a nice evening! :)
Inquiring aspie wants to know, what in the world is that white rectangular object behind Tony’s head?
Looks like a heat pump or air condition
yes, its an air conditioning head unit
It’s heat and conditioned air in one
A reverse cycle heater and cooler
Stress eating
Tony Attwood pretty scared of the thing to.
He knew the thing would be here for a while but no vaccine, 5% of UK population had it most be over a year off mass immunity.
This virus is part of our life just as much as protecting ourselves from terrorism is part of our life.
Stay alert for the virus stay alert for terrorism.
If the virus wasn't hear I still will be anxious because of terrorism.