Ranty rant rant...
About once a year this topic comes up SOMEWHERE, provoking me once again to rant my little heart out. The offender in this round is this post in bipolypagangeek. Note PLEASE that I don't have any issues with the OP -- s/he seems relatively well-adjusted. However the post still touched on my personal hot-button topic.
The topic is:
Asperger's Syndrome
Ah yes, once again the old dead horse is dug up and dragged around for every marginally intelligent yet socially inept bandwagon jumper to take a free swing at.
I can't tell you how infuriated I am by people who claim this "disease". Especially, ESPECIALLY people who use it as an excuse for EVERYTHING under the sun. Everything from not having friends to acting like an ass to not bathing. EVERYTHING is blamed on Asperger's.
Most of these entitlement freaks? Self-diagnosed. Most of these socially-inept losers? Members of various subcultures that will pander to their whining because "We all need to be different together!" STFU.
You do not have Asperger's. You have a lack of motivation and personal responsibility. You have a need to be coddled and pandered to instead of facing, exploring, embracing and overcoming your discomfort. You have a need to feel "special" but you can't seem to develop a real disorder, so you pick one that's extremely popular and easy to fake. Plus, double bonus, if your freak out when people call you on your bullshit, it's just another "symptom"! For teh win!
Do I believe Asperger's actually exists? No. I believe some people are a little eccentric. I believe some people have trouble relating and communicating. Hell, I'll even buy that some people just need to be held sometimes. But you will not convince me that this random splatter pattern of symptoms indicates a syndrome worthy of all the fuss and entitlement in generates in those who have been "diagnosed".
In short, build a bridge and get over it. Take a shower, make some friends, immerse yourself and learn how to put on the "socially acceptable to mainstream society" face every now and again. Not too good at talking? Develop that enigmatic smile. Problems with crowds? Look for small, intimate venues to have a cup of coffee and talk existentialist philosophy with a likeminded person.
Quit the whining, quit the entitlement bitching, for FUCK'S SAKE quit complaining that you should be able to get disability because you can't work. I don't want my hard-earned money paying your disability so you can sit on your ass, drink coke and eat snacky cakes while you MUCK and complain about how no one loves you IRL and that your mom wants you to start paying part of the grocery bill.
Is my rage at AS a little over the top? Probably. But we all have our buttons -- the things that just make us irrational with rage. And claiming Asperger's (ESPECIALLY using it as an excuse for not doing some task or honing some life skill) just happens to be mine.
You know what it really boils down to? I don't use my mental problems/history as a crutch. I never have except right around the times I was in and out of the hospital (and if you're sick enough to be hospitalized, you probably need the crutch). I don't use my social phobia, fear of crowds, underdeveloped social skills or emotional sensitivity as an excuse for ANYTHING. I have friends, a social life, a job, relationships and my independence. In my mind, there is NO EXCUSE why anyone else (at least, anyone classified as "high-functioning") can't suck it up and do the same. The only reason (in my mind) that they can't is because they don't want to. And not wanting to face/overcome obstacles for the sake of personal betterment is grounds for derision and most likely abuse in my book.
Honestly, I don't care if you have (or think you have) Asperger's. I only care if you wave it around like a great big fucking flag of Special and expect to be treated differently because of it. You won't get it from me and in a perfect world society wouldn't pander to you either. Well, I can dream, right?
The topic is:
Asperger's Syndrome
Ah yes, once again the old dead horse is dug up and dragged around for every marginally intelligent yet socially inept bandwagon jumper to take a free swing at.
I can't tell you how infuriated I am by people who claim this "disease". Especially, ESPECIALLY people who use it as an excuse for EVERYTHING under the sun. Everything from not having friends to acting like an ass to not bathing. EVERYTHING is blamed on Asperger's.
Most of these entitlement freaks? Self-diagnosed. Most of these socially-inept losers? Members of various subcultures that will pander to their whining because "We all need to be different together!" STFU.
You do not have Asperger's. You have a lack of motivation and personal responsibility. You have a need to be coddled and pandered to instead of facing, exploring, embracing and overcoming your discomfort. You have a need to feel "special" but you can't seem to develop a real disorder, so you pick one that's extremely popular and easy to fake. Plus, double bonus, if your freak out when people call you on your bullshit, it's just another "symptom"! For teh win!
Do I believe Asperger's actually exists? No. I believe some people are a little eccentric. I believe some people have trouble relating and communicating. Hell, I'll even buy that some people just need to be held sometimes. But you will not convince me that this random splatter pattern of symptoms indicates a syndrome worthy of all the fuss and entitlement in generates in those who have been "diagnosed".
In short, build a bridge and get over it. Take a shower, make some friends, immerse yourself and learn how to put on the "socially acceptable to mainstream society" face every now and again. Not too good at talking? Develop that enigmatic smile. Problems with crowds? Look for small, intimate venues to have a cup of coffee and talk existentialist philosophy with a likeminded person.
Quit the whining, quit the entitlement bitching, for FUCK'S SAKE quit complaining that you should be able to get disability because you can't work. I don't want my hard-earned money paying your disability so you can sit on your ass, drink coke and eat snacky cakes while you MUCK and complain about how no one loves you IRL and that your mom wants you to start paying part of the grocery bill.
Is my rage at AS a little over the top? Probably. But we all have our buttons -- the things that just make us irrational with rage. And claiming Asperger's (ESPECIALLY using it as an excuse for not doing some task or honing some life skill) just happens to be mine.
You know what it really boils down to? I don't use my mental problems/history as a crutch. I never have except right around the times I was in and out of the hospital (and if you're sick enough to be hospitalized, you probably need the crutch). I don't use my social phobia, fear of crowds, underdeveloped social skills or emotional sensitivity as an excuse for ANYTHING. I have friends, a social life, a job, relationships and my independence. In my mind, there is NO EXCUSE why anyone else (at least, anyone classified as "high-functioning") can't suck it up and do the same. The only reason (in my mind) that they can't is because they don't want to. And not wanting to face/overcome obstacles for the sake of personal betterment is grounds for derision and most likely abuse in my book.
Honestly, I don't care if you have (or think you have) Asperger's. I only care if you wave it around like a great big fucking flag of Special and expect to be treated differently because of it. You won't get it from me and in a perfect world society wouldn't pander to you either. Well, I can dream, right?