New here....new to this forum and was hoping to get a proper education from whoever should feel inclined to teach a muggle like me . I have 10 million questions, but for now, i'll start with a few.
My 2 main questions are the following:
BTW, I'm not an aspie, but have a recently diagnosed aspie boyfriend. Can't say i'm an NT either, since i have Bipolar disorder and recently discovered i'm dyslexic. So, don't know what category that would put me in for you guys. Maybe someone here could find a creative in between label to differentiate me. Or perhaps, non-aspie will do for now.
As i said: I'm completely new to AS and before i plunge into book world, i thought it would be easier and faster to first get info from real live humans. Thanx to some memory loss caused by my bpd, i really forgot what i once knew/learned about the inner workings of the brain in terms of what part is responsible for this ability/that behavior/speech etc...blah blah blah. Sigh....now i gotta start all over and overwhelm myself with that mount everest of basic neurology.
For bipolars, there is no real "measurable" test other than the exhibition of symptoms and PET scans which shows what the clinically depressed and manic brain looks like comparatively. The depressed state image looks like a dead dark abyss with a few fire fly lights here and there and the manic brain state is lit up like xmas lights about to super nova. Either way, that's still not satisfactory quantifiable "proof" of anything and still open to debate since much of it entails chemicals, hormones and teeny tiny brain stuff we still know little about. The only way I subjectively know these episodes have occurred is in retrospect i.e when I get sober from a manic bender or resurrect from an acute depression and see color again. So what about you guys? This is not something you can come in and out of like a mood disorder, so how do you know what is what?
I hate that there isn't a simple blood test that reveals solid tangible results like they have for, say, diabetes etc. (the lower organs)
Don't get me wrong, i'm convinced bpd exists, convinced i have classic bipolar symptoms and will always be compliant with my meds, but i still can't help in wanting more concrete understanding...i want measurement, test results, tangible "evidence", deeper understanding, more advancement in this infant field. It [wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth]es me off that mental illness in general is taken least seriously and always on the back burner.
I guess the nagging questions still persists: (especially for me as a Christian). Questions like determinism vs. free will. Which came first? How much power do we actually have in managing and/or choosing certain behaviors that are seemingly dictated by our wiring? How does God factor into the picture? When is a certain sinful behavior a choice and when is a wired-driven behavior with a sinful outcome not to be held accountable? How can we be held accountable, if its all wiring? Even worse, how can we be held accountable when we are not even aware of the very notion of the wiring itself? So where does the wiring begin and where does free will begin? Where is that line? Is it even possible to still retain the mis-wired brain and yet attain enough free will control, where we can predict and choose to stop a behavior that would otherwise be deemed immoral?
[FONT="]For the xian, just how much do we have at our disposal? In other words, has your prayer life/communion with god helped to change certain symptoms, such as the empathy, self-absorption symptoms etc?
Do I believe in Healing? Yes, of course anything is possible, but for those god has not chosen to heal for particular greater good reasons, how then shall we live with this affliction/blessing? (depending on your perspective). To me its both.
So that is why Im starting with understanding the actual physical organic part of the brain then work my way into all other aspects that play a factor: nurture, environment, individual personality, trauma, cycles, triggers, spiritual growth, treatment, support networks, self-actualization, church life, close/trusted Godly friends etc.
Ok, I know I threw a
lot out there, but what are your thoughts regarding these issues?[/FONT]
My 2 main questions are the following:
- Do we have brain imaging technology that actually shows a physical difference in the AS brain when compared to the NT brain? PET scans perhaps?
- What kinds of official tests exist, where can I find them, who gives them and how are they measured in terms of severity? In order to be officially diagnosed are there a battery of tests? must they be taken under supervision with dr.?
BTW, I'm not an aspie, but have a recently diagnosed aspie boyfriend. Can't say i'm an NT either, since i have Bipolar disorder and recently discovered i'm dyslexic. So, don't know what category that would put me in for you guys. Maybe someone here could find a creative in between label to differentiate me. Or perhaps, non-aspie will do for now.
As i said: I'm completely new to AS and before i plunge into book world, i thought it would be easier and faster to first get info from real live humans. Thanx to some memory loss caused by my bpd, i really forgot what i once knew/learned about the inner workings of the brain in terms of what part is responsible for this ability/that behavior/speech etc...blah blah blah. Sigh....now i gotta start all over and overwhelm myself with that mount everest of basic neurology.
For bipolars, there is no real "measurable" test other than the exhibition of symptoms and PET scans which shows what the clinically depressed and manic brain looks like comparatively. The depressed state image looks like a dead dark abyss with a few fire fly lights here and there and the manic brain state is lit up like xmas lights about to super nova. Either way, that's still not satisfactory quantifiable "proof" of anything and still open to debate since much of it entails chemicals, hormones and teeny tiny brain stuff we still know little about. The only way I subjectively know these episodes have occurred is in retrospect i.e when I get sober from a manic bender or resurrect from an acute depression and see color again. So what about you guys? This is not something you can come in and out of like a mood disorder, so how do you know what is what?
I hate that there isn't a simple blood test that reveals solid tangible results like they have for, say, diabetes etc. (the lower organs)
Don't get me wrong, i'm convinced bpd exists, convinced i have classic bipolar symptoms and will always be compliant with my meds, but i still can't help in wanting more concrete understanding...i want measurement, test results, tangible "evidence", deeper understanding, more advancement in this infant field. It [wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth]es me off that mental illness in general is taken least seriously and always on the back burner.
I guess the nagging questions still persists: (especially for me as a Christian). Questions like determinism vs. free will. Which came first? How much power do we actually have in managing and/or choosing certain behaviors that are seemingly dictated by our wiring? How does God factor into the picture? When is a certain sinful behavior a choice and when is a wired-driven behavior with a sinful outcome not to be held accountable? How can we be held accountable, if its all wiring? Even worse, how can we be held accountable when we are not even aware of the very notion of the wiring itself? So where does the wiring begin and where does free will begin? Where is that line? Is it even possible to still retain the mis-wired brain and yet attain enough free will control, where we can predict and choose to stop a behavior that would otherwise be deemed immoral?
[FONT="]For the xian, just how much do we have at our disposal? In other words, has your prayer life/communion with god helped to change certain symptoms, such as the empathy, self-absorption symptoms etc?
Do I believe in Healing? Yes, of course anything is possible, but for those god has not chosen to heal for particular greater good reasons, how then shall we live with this affliction/blessing? (depending on your perspective). To me its both.
So that is why Im starting with understanding the actual physical organic part of the brain then work my way into all other aspects that play a factor: nurture, environment, individual personality, trauma, cycles, triggers, spiritual growth, treatment, support networks, self-actualization, church life, close/trusted Godly friends etc.
Ok, I know I threw a
lot out there, but what are your thoughts regarding these issues?[/FONT]