Deviant, Disabling, Distressing: Asperger’s

Hello minions! Today I’m going to cover this condition a little differently. You see, I “know” about Asperger’s, but I have less experience than I do with other disorders – I haven’t studied it as much and I’ve never met anyone with the disorder (inasmuch as I even want to truly call it a disorder). I could cover what I know, but I would only be a little better than, say, popular media. I know this is a popular disorder to use, due to said popular media, so I’d like to help you get into the head of one with Asperger’s. This will also help you better understand the condition thereby helping you, hopefully, to be a better person around anyone with the condition.  Even if I’ve never outright stated it, both have always been my goals in posting about mental disorders.

Here’s what I’m going to do instead of posting myself. I’ll remind you about DD&D, and then I’m going to redirect you to a post that will accomplish my stated objectives.

Deviant, disabling, and distressing are the three criteria that psychologists use to define a disorder. If it’s significantly deviant from what’s “normal”, if it causes problems for every day life, and if it is distressing, either to the afflicted or the afflicted’s close associates (y’know, like family), it’s a disorder.

That said, yes. Some mental disorders for some specific people are not book disorders. Maybe you have all the symptoms of some anxiety disorder (deviant), but you cope well enough it doesn’t affect your every day life, and maybe (somehow?) you don’t find your excess anxiety distressing. Technically speaking, you don’t actually have a disorder. But let’s be honest; most disorders are distressing for the afflicted.

And now, the post:

You make me feel disabled. Yes, you.