"The Big Bang Theory" :D

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Agreed. Sheldon wouldn't be as funny if people understood that his eccentricities are the result of a "syndrome" or "disorder". Besides, I like the mystery of why he seems so different (even if it's obvious to us).

But it's not obvious... because the writers state he doesn't have asperger's syndrome...

His wild swings, honestly indicate a more Cyclothymic disorder or mild mixed bipolar...

Frankly... stating that sheldon has asperger's is an insult to us and perpetuates the stereotype that most geeks are actually aspies... which is incorrect. Considering his upbringing and childhood experiences, it is little wonder that there is a lack of empathy and the presence of megalomaniacal tendencies.

Not to mention the almost text book perfect child syndrome, complete with an alcoholic father...

You know, people lie, especialy when there's (a lot of) money involved. It IS obvious that he has asperger's syndrome. He lacks many social skills and has a strong interest in physics.

Which is not enough to make him aspie.

It is OBVIOUS that he has some aspie tendencies... but so do a lot of OTHER mental disorders... That is why many aspies are misdaignosed for years.

But, as I said... Cyclothymic disorder couple with perfect child syndrome and an environment void of peers of the same intellectual level will produce the same results...

It is no more obvious that this character has ASpergers than it is with Sugar from Glee... "Asperger's, self diagnosed."

FURTHER, with the character's penchant and insistence on absolute truth, when he states "No, my mother had me tested." in response to crazy... there would be a qualifier to his statement. We know he was tested, and in several episodes, it is clear that it was multiple times with multiple psychiatric professionals. Were he aspie... he would have been diagnosed (as this is television and black and white about everything) and he would have made it clear...

MORE LIKELY is a mile form of Narcissistic Personality Disorder...

http://psychcentral.com/disorders/sx36.htm
'
Symptoms are
(In order for a person to be diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) they must meet five or more of the following symptoms:)
Has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)

Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love

Believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)

Requires excessive admiration

Has a very strong sense of entitlement, e.g., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations

Is exploitative of others, e.g., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends

Lacks empathy, e.g., is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others

Is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her

Regularly shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes

Perhaps Sheldon is a blend of both Asperger's and Narcissistic disorder?
In all fairness though, Sheldon would not have been diagnosed with Asperger's as a child, as very few mental health professionals would have even known what Asperger's was.
On top of that, the real life person who Sheldon (and to a degree, Raj) was based on almost certainly had Asperger's.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

He displays sympthoms from the following criteria:

A(1) partialy
A(2)
A(4)
So check on criteria A
B(1)
B(2)
So check on criteria B
C
D (as far as we know)
E (as far as we know)
F

He has AS. Narcisism in a non clinical sense is a frequent feature of AS. The personality disorder itself, I don't know if he has it.

I realy don't know why you feel offended by this. It's an exageration of what an aspie is for comedic purposes. Is it realy that bad to laugh at ourselves?

He was not tested by multiple doctors. He was tested by one and his mother regreted that she didn't follow up with a specialist as the doctor recomended.

My point is that the number of people who are in this thread stating that "It is OBVIOUS" that sheldon is an aspie are projecting... It is OBVIOUS that the character has some sever mental problems, but far more likely that it is something else...

There are many different mental issues that present similar symptoms to Aspergers and are FAR more common...

http://www.aoltv.com/2009/08/14/come-up ... aspergers/

Bill Prady - series creator - states he does not have asperger's....

Simply put, there are gloves that fit better and we want a hero for our cause... I don't think we need that

Can you provide with the diagnostic that is more likely and fits better (justifying it)? And what is your basis for saying a diagnostic is more likely than AS when we don't even know the prevalence of AS?

I've read through the differencial diagnosis for AS and it's all there! To me it's obvious.

I'll quote the article you posted so you can read this part twice:

There are good reasons why The Big Bang Theory writers do not want to label Sheldon an Aspie. Number one on the list is that if he's afflicted with a real disease, how can his friends mock him the way they do? Sheldon may be as annoying and fussy as Felix Unger, and it's funny. Turn him into the ABC Movie of the Week and Leonard, Howard and Rajesh become heartless bastards. Not funny.

In short, they write for an exageration of an aspie character without labeling him as an aspie. He's the main character of the show and it would be a fatal mistake to atribute a mental disorder to him. It would lose its magic.

I provided alternatives, and citations in previous posts...

as well as the series creator stating that he absolutely does not have it...

His mom is highly religious.

He does not believe in god.

How is this perfect child syndrome?

Okay, I wasn't expecting this kind of a response to what was, admittedly, a throw-away comment. Perhaps I should change it slightly: "... (even if it seems obvious to a lot of us)". Better?

A couple of points:

No, I wasn't projecting. I came to the conclusion that Sheldon has (or likely has) Aspergers before I even considered that I might have it (which was first proposed last year). Nor would I say that he has "some severe mental problems". Because, as much trouble as he gets into sometimes, Sheldon is still functional. I'd say his behaviour is indicative of a personality disorder, or merely "some mental problems".


The interview that the article references doesn't indicate that Bill Prady has outright denied that Sheldon has Aspergers. According to the interview: "Prady has been asked about this a lot, and the short version is that, while Sheldon's personality - which was based on computer programmers Prady worked with years ago, well before Asperger's (a form of autism) was as common a diagnosis as it is today - certainly has traits in common with people with Asperger's, he would feel uncomfortable labeling Sheldon as such." (emphasis mine). This certainly doesn't mean that Sheldon "does not have Asperger's". The article has misrepresented what Prady actually said.

Yes but you didn't justify why cyclothimic disorder fits better than AS. By the way, good luck with that. I've never seen Sheldon being hypomanic or depressive.

H-e w-a-s l-y-i-n-g! What part of the following don't you get? If Sheldon is labeled with a disorder the show will stop being funny. He's making a ton of money out of this show, so why stop it?

For the record, the character demonstrates manic tendencies constantly... any issue that causes cognitive dissonance causes brief, but potent depressive episodes... Cripky being better than he is one example... but let's discard that one... you ignore the other suggestions... narcissistic personality disorder with textbook perfect child syndrome...

Or... he was telling the truth... how do you know what the writer's intent is... seriously... what makes you psychic? What part of that don't YOU get...

But let me ask you three questions...

1) Are you a psychiatric professional that is qualified to make detailed diagnoses without EVER having talked directly to the person in question? To assume that a diagnosis can be made without that is arrogance and if you answered yes to the question... that makes you a quack... or, again, a psychic...

2) Do you really think that having the arrogant, rude, prick officially or unofficially diagnosed with asperger's syndrome really does US, the diagnosed any good? I believe that would be and is hurtful to our perception and cause... as much, if not worse than that damn glee character, "Sugar"

3) Lastly... if it is so OBVIOUS, why is it that asperger's and other mental issues are OFTEN mistaken by mental health professionals and psychics alike?

Bill Prady based his character off someone he knew in real life. That person may have had asperger's. Since this character is a caricature of a real person. Without researching and intentionally writing the character with accurate aspergian tendencies, he doesn't have it. For the record... trying to look behind what an author says about his work (and series creator is a type of author) is the same behavior that annoys so many aspies when an NT can't accept that we meant what we said, only what we said and nothing more.

Ironically enough: NTs can act in severely quirky and extremely antisocial and strident ways without having anything wrong with them to diagnose.

This should have been lastly... WHO REALLY CARES?

Thank you

And even if the community wants a hero, it shouldn't be an over-the top fictional caricature out of a generic cookie-cutter sitcom.
I mean it's a matter of taste whether you like the show or not. But it's not a great idea to use this character as a poster-boy for HFA. The whole concept of diagnosing people based on youtube clips is downright hilarious.
Didn't some people even give guys like Mozart a diagnosis centuries after their deaths? Why not take someone like Vernon Smith, who is diagnosed with AS and won a Nobel Prize for economics. That's someone to identify with.
But to take a character straight out of a Chuck Lorre sitcom, the lowest common denominator writer of american sitcoms, is pretty much the same thing as supporting feminism and women rights just to name Megan Fox and Lady Gaga as your role models.

I didn't ignore narcisistic personality disorder. I said earlier that narcisism is frequent among aspies and that I didn't know if Sheldon had narcisism. What was bothering me was cyclothimic disorder, which you now dismiss. So I guess Asperger's it is.

I don't know the writer's intent but I can figure it out since it is easy. As soon as he labeled Sheldon with AS the show was ruined and his source of money finished.

1) No, I am not. Are you? Even if you are, you're making a diagnosis without interview. So we're on equal ground here.

2) I don't know. I'm not an activist for autism rights any more than I am an activist for a free education, for example. And I'm not arguing because I think it would make us any good. I'm arguing because it's an interesting question.

3) Just like a chricature drawing makes a person with a big nose have a huge nose, the charicature that is Sheldon makes it obvious that he's an aspie.

You make a good point, but against yourself. NTs say what they don't mean and Bill Prady is an NT, afaik.

You seem to care.

Dont know how its exactly in the english original but "I am not mad! My mother let them test me!" is exactly how I feel. ^^