Cassandra Affective Disorder

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As far as I can tell from the website, this disorder is completely made up by the "psychologist". There is no recognised medical condition of CAD. If a registered medical practitioner started making up diseases or syndromes to explain their patients' symptoms, they would probably be struck off the medical register.

Of course, the "practitioner" in question is not a qualified medical practitioner. In addition she does not even have a post-graduate qualification, let alone a PhD. She is basically NOT an academic researcher. I can see nothing amongst her publications that looks like a peer-reviewed paper, though I might be wrong. Of course she has got a counselling certificate Wow!

Hey, I've got a First Aid certificate - I must be a surgeon !

It is like me selling myself as a world expert in quantum mechanics because I got a BSc in Chemistry. I work in the academic world, and I can assure you that even Professors with 20 or 30 years experience are not always as expert as you might think. Certainly, a Batchelors Degree does not an expert make.

Sorry, I'm a bit sarcastic tonight - it must be a case of MAD (Moaning Asperger Disorder). Hey wow, I've just discovered a new disease - must publish it in the Lancet.

I didn't say I have CAS I just asked if anyone is studying this beside Aston. I have a daughter who has aspergers as well as my husband so your feelings are not unexpected just different then NT. I feel that through dialogue we may all learn something new. I also know that most aspies are not violent in deed but can be very angry in word. Just knocks NT off balance when it's not expected. And frustrating when therapists, doctor's don't recognize autism. I understand the spectrum of autism and know not all responses will be alike. Hopefully I will learn more on here and be able to pass it on to other social workers, doctors etc so that we can foster a better understanding of this and improve everyone's lifestyle. Certainly did not mean to stir up anyone and and did not assume everyone was alike. Sorry.

My guess is that this person is just going after publicity, and a book offer.

Liza -

I didn't mean to attack you personally. I just think that the theory is absolutely absurd as it attempts to portray all people with ASD as fitting a certain "profile" and all of their spouses as fitting another "profile".

well i say f**k that s**t!! ! it doesn't mean that all people with as can't live a full life.

Why does Maxine Aston not just set up a support group for people who have been in tough relationships? "Emotional deprivation" can happen in all kinds of relationships for different reasons. What has AS got to do with this? How on earth do you get a specific disorder just by knowing someone who has AS?

You can compare this kind of thing to racism.

Just as you cannot blame one group of people for all the murders in the world you cannot blame people with AS for causing emotional deprivation.

This kind of thing is really insulting to people who have AS.

It is important to recognize that it is not always easy for NT’s who know people who have AS. But in the same way it is not always for people who have AS to know NT’s!

Where this disorder comes from I really don’t know. :S

I think that "Cassandra Affective Disorder" is responsible for making misunderstandings about people who have AS.

Effort to understand the human experience is nothing new.

That there is a focus on those living with individuals in the relatively newly identified 'spectrum' of autism/aspergers is a natural outgrowth of this.

Yes, there is alanon, narcanon, etc. These are not new, but not ancient either. People with all sorts of issues be they emotional, physical, psychological, etc are all here as are those who love them or are in some level of relationship with them.

We are all affected by each other, we are all part of this human experience. There is no reason to disregard the consequences of autistic/asperger behavior on those in their lives; of those that love them, who are committed to them.

Labels are just that - labels. They at one point provide a wondrous help, an "Aha!" moment, or a series of "Aha!" moments. The work involved behind these labels, the research is hopefully helpful to people. Labels can also be a double edged issue whereas at one moment they offer a hand up, help, support, insight, shed light on issues for people, etc., but conversely and very quickly can become restrictive and limiting. HOW people respond to labels is varied, as individual as the person. A caveat to labels includes limiting oneself to the textbook descriptions, not allowing for individual differences.

I'm firmly supportive of identifying aspects of how we as people affect each other, how reciprocal all relationships are. Relationships and people with labels or no labels are still what we are are.

Cassandra phenomenon is a concept worthy of discussion and research. Those that would deny this would deny that we, as humans, are a community. Systems theory or simple basic interpersonal/family relationships - we're all connected.

Those who find themselves in the spectrum of Autism/Asperger's need not be fearful of efforts to understand more fully the effects of this spectrum. All of humanity is a spectrum ! We all affect each other, have an effect on each other.

There should be no need for arguments about this. Kindness would be more the order of the day.


'(someone lumped alcoholism and Alzheimers in the same sentence. ?! what is that? These conditions are real, yet are different. Regardless of this error, it still supports the fact that we are human, with human frailties all in need of seeking help in understanding and bettering the quality of everyone's experience of life. )

I live with an autistic person and it is a horror. They never let up, obsessive, does not care about anything, and I need a support group!

I live alone.

I went to the bar, told the lovey lady I needed a pint, for my wife had left me, and took my pickup and my dog. She brought me a pint, and said, you are single, you do not have a pickup, or any pets. You should not listen to country and western music.

It was all so true, and a great first pint.

So I wrote a book, and everything I discovered is available to you for only $29.95.

I have heard of this and there are web sites who support people who have to live with aspies/auties... I did ask them what I could do to make their lives easier and they never replied talk about not only ignoring our invisible difference, they blame us for everyone else's problems as well.. I do feel its a bit of an NT control thing, rather than really understanding us which takes time, they want to change us and when we are unable to conform then want to blame us.... one of the biggest reasons for our frustration and meltdowns is the lack of emotionally understanding, quite often zero.... at least NTs know how it should be and what to expect, of course we affect those around us, as everyone is affected by their environments etc... but we are often not even understood or allowed from birth... and often go out of our way to meet the needs of others, at far to often our own expense.... the best support your get if an NT is forums like this one, because without understanding from the NT e have no chance!

Aspires is a good online support group for those who live with people with AS, including singles like inventer.
We have a friend who is suffering from emotional deprivation by her asperger's husband.
I'm glad my husband can usually cope with the occasional lack of emotional support. He misses me when I'm gone half a day. I miss him maybe after a week of his absence has gone by. After Christmas, I'll be going to Rwanda for a whole month. When I leave for two weeks, he copes by painting the house. I don't know what he's going to do for a whole month.

I was always the tolerator of bad behaviors and the empathic giver in my NT relationships, it definately did wear me down and I definately do need a support group to try and recover from it. I may never recover from it however. Doesn't add up and sounds like another case of AS scapegoating to me.

I wasn't in any way responding your post asplanet. I'm only speaking for myself, which is all I can do.

BTW, I think my judgement is reasonable and fair concerning what bad behavior is or is not and I have done more than my share with regard to being tolerant of it, as well. I'm the one who went through it and know what I'm talking about with regard to my own experiences. If anything, I have tended to give too much of a break to those around me and have tended to tolerate too much as well.