Faking autism and Faking aspergers

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Ah, but you don't lurk - you post, you bump it, you nourish it. . .
I wish you just lurked. . .

That's a too social approach isn't it.

I've learned about people faking being autistic and faking being aspergers. They are (1) non-autistic and non-aspergers people with (2) other mental illnesses, who then (3) decided that acting autistic or aspergers makes them, for example, (a) happy (is of therapeutic benefit), (b) feel like they have a place and role, (c) get sympathy from others, and so on.

Of the people who do this, they have other mental illnesses. Some unfortunate possibilities are they were subjected to horrible abuse in different forms in their early lives, and/or they have one or more unfortunate personality disorders that also involve extreme difficulties with how they conduct their lives ... the point is they are in general turmoil, and have never been able to live with general consistency and enjoyment.

The artificial adoption of aspergers, or autism, even profound autism (though extremely rare), is of incredible therapeutic value for them. This involves a letting-go of having to fit in, it provides an legitimate excuse for their problems, people have great sympathy for them, people will help them emotionally and financially, and so on. And their obligations to themselves and others are greatly lessened. And they are not held to high standards any longer, and as such do not feel bound by what others expect of them. They retreat into the safety of autism or aspergers, and retreat from the typical social world.

I find this to be a very creative approach by them, to deal with an otherwise horrific situation they are dealing with. The intentional adoption of autism or aspergers, as therapy.

And going so far as to take a vow of silence. A vow of being intentionally non-verbal. And to never look at people's faces again. It eases their burden.

Anyone else here of this type of occurrence?

It would be difficult to keep the appearance of this.
Strangely enough, I was diagnosed with AS at the same time as getting my schizophrenia diagnosis. Apparently the AS was the reason why my "schizophrenia presented in an atypical manner". It sometimes gives people cause to doubt my AS, because they think that my AS is the result of negative symptoms of schizophrenia (http://www.sfnsw.org.au/schizophrenia/symptoms.htm - scroll down to "negative symptoms"). But an educational psychologist cleared that up and I do, in fact, have AS.

Is this an argument?

AutismO, I certainly don't have an answer to your question. But, I did get a PM from someone saying that a person who debated me a lot on this board didn't even have an Asperger diagnosis. That was the first time it ever crossed my mind. I just assumed that all the people here have Aspergers, Autism or a related disorder. You never know with the internet.

I feel if someone needs to fake an illness, what can you say? Nothing really. Ultimately it's their cross to bare.

Not having a diagnosis does not necessarily = not having Asperger's. We don't get AS when we're diagnosed, and not everyone who has it is diagnosed, especially adults. This site makes it possible to access most people's diagnosis status simply by looking at their profile. Everyone is free to decide for themselves how much weight to give self-diagnosis. Openly admitting that one is self-diagnosed when you honestly believe it isn't deceitful to me. Claiming to be officially diagnosed when you're not is deceitful. It's possible that anyone on the Internet is lying, like you said. Scanned copies of diagnostic papers are not required for registration here. I don't see what the big deal about non-diagnosed people posting here. If they receive some benefit from it, who am I to say they shouldn't?

BTW, sorry to nitpick but AS isn't an "illness."

Sorry, myself I don't revere. . .
That "truth" is relative as an official dx guarantees nothing as incompetent shrinks do exist.
We are dealing with chances. . . lower or higher. . . statistics. . . at most.

How can it be not directed at anyone in particular? Those falsehoods must be identifiable in the first place - and so their authors.
. . .so if the purveyed falsehoods are a real problem why don't we just skip to the part where fingers are pointed? At least then the falsehoods will be identified as such and this thread will have accomplished something useful. . .

Not taking this to a falsifiable ground is also allowing the OP and others to just ramble on and on about crab people like a malfuncionting radio. The general possibility of people faking autism does not deserve more than "Yeah, maybe. Who cares?" so let's see what are the falsehoods and who is spreading them.

(I assume that after 8 pages of people going on and on about this then such claim must be backed up by specific facts and observations).

Saying you have it, but without a formal diagnosis, is a lie (i.e., you aren't sure you have it, and you know this for to be sure you must be assessed). How hard is it for you to see the logic in that?

There's no contradiction for professionals are right more than an individual who isn't trained in recognizing the disorder.

My argument is that self-diagnosis doesn't equate to having such a disorder, and objectively, this is correct: you can think you have anything you want, you can believe anything you want, but if there's no objective proof that you have the disorder, or you're in fact a duck, but you're certain you have it or you're a duck, and then say such, then that's a lie.

I'm not thinking in absolutes, I'm thinking in the objective majority, not a subjective opinion. Professionals are objective and their knowledge is based on the majority, and they define these disorders.

There's no contradiction for professionals are right more than an individual who isn't trained in recognizing the disorder.

My argument is that self-diagnosis doesn't equate to having such a disorder, and objectively, this is correct: you can think you have anything you want, you can believe anything you want, but if there's no objective proof that you have the disorder, or you're in fact a duck, but you're certain you have it or you're a duck, and then say such, then that's a lie.

I'm not thinking in absolutes, I'm thinking in the objective majority, not a subjective opinion. Professionals are objective and their knowledge is based on the majority, and they define these disorders.

Not having a diagnosis does not necessarily = not having Asperger's. We don't get AS when we're diagnosed, and not everyone who has it is diagnosed, especially adults. This site makes it possible to access most people's diagnosis status simply by looking at their profile. Everyone is free to decide for themselves how much weight to give self-diagnosis. Openly admitting that one is self-diagnosed when you honestly believe it isn't deceitful to me. Claiming to be officially diagnosed when you're not is deceitful. It's possible that anyone on the Internet is lying, like you said. Scanned copies of diagnostic papers are not required for registration here. I don't see what the big deal about non-diagnosed people posting here. If they receive some benefit from it, who am I to say they shouldn't?

BTW, sorry to nitpick but AS isn't an "illness."

I respect your opinion, but have one of my own. I've read several threads here where Members themselves describe AS as an "illness."

And, self-diagnosis only works for adults. No parent with a "self-diagnosed" child with Asperger would get any help or services anywhere in the United States if they said, "I've diagnosed my kid myself."