How many japanese hikikomori are aspies?

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I don't think the medical science is anywhere near finished researching AS and related conditions.

I am indeed hyper empathic and can understand and read people intuitively but I also have a sort of block which prevents me from responding in the appropriate way. So when someone smiles at me I sometimes don't smile back even though I know exactly what it means. I make a blank face many times or react with a facial expression people would interpret as disgust or arrogance when I in fact am just not able to intuitively mimic. I can read emotions and social cues better than most, I just can't mimic properly. But when doing theatrical one man things, I'm very expressive and can reach out to a lot of people. It's the interaction that's a problem.
This is not always the case though, especially when drunk this block is removed but also with people I feel totally comfortable with I can communicate easily just through body language.

I had a japanese teacher in school once, she was mentally a very strong person but I found it was easy to reach her with my more fine tuned way of communicating. I knew how to make her laugh with minimal effort. Small gestures, sometimes I would overact a bit but I always managed to break her professional ice woman phasade and get a laugh if I aimed for it. Sometimes by just making a particular face which to most people would have looked totally blank and meant nothing. She would notice this and look down in her notes and giggle with her hand before her mouth before collecting herself and resuming.

In Japan, visual interaction is limited to a minimum. It's repressed and held back and people even refer to themselves and others in third person sometimes as a way of being formal but on the inside, people are very emotional and read even small things in a blank face. This is exactly how I am myself so I find it easy to relate to. Hyper empathic/hyper perceptive is the only word I can come up with for it.

Aspies are a different kind of cut off though, usually not intimidating or threatening to me. I don't think of myself as a cold person even if I'm shy and reserved.

I agree, Zoonic, I don't think we're anywhere near understanding the range of Aspie experience. I'm also a bit of a clown; it's the more subtle stuff I don't get. Or when I'm being inappropriate in my response. Like regarding saying some things as information sharing which I have just learned is received as put downs and correction. {sigh} Here I was intending to be kind, generous and helpful and all the NTs think I'm a witch.

I think hyper-empathic is a very good descriptive term. I can relate to not being able to pull up the correct response, though I wouldn't call it mimicry. Intellectually I can know what needs to happen, but emotionally nothing moves. I smile in the wrong places (to me it means 'you're OK), I frown at the wrong times (thinking, thinking, thinking) and I blank-face when I'm waiting for the dust to settle...

Marshall, I think some Aspies are cold and distant... I've certainly run across a few here on these boards. Emotion is just too much to deal with so they erase it? "The facts, ma'am, just the facts." 'Member that show... ooops, I think I just dated myself... Dragnet, the lead I can now see was a total Aspie cop.

The Japanese half of my family all exhibit AS traits.
Not sure if it's because our culture is different or if it's because they're carriers.

i'm not familiar with hikikomori unfortunately, i'm an "orientalist" & love learning about eastern culture.
There are indeed hermits in Japan. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamabushi
apparently many Yamabushi devote themselves to Fudo too

Yea, I can tell they are very scrutinizing compared to westerners. Thanks for confirming that I'm not just being overly self-conscious in thinking that.

I don't mind the formalism/professionalism in most cases. It's just that in a therapy setting the asymmetry of the interaction is far too great for me to handle. I get uncomfortable when I attempt talking about my problems and just get that intense/gears-turning look in response. I either completely close up or get into this mode where I get really defensive/angry/nasty, perhaps subconsciously trying to rattle him out of his professional demeanor. One time I succeeded when I exploded and stormed out of the room. Now in hindsight I feel bad about it but I don't know how to apologize or explain what was going on with me.

Well, reasonably enough I think you're looking for a little empathy and you're not getting it. Personally I'd feel like I was being observed like a rat... wouldn't work for me.

Couldn't you get another therapist? There oughta be some kind of simpatico feeling. Some warmth and kindly feeling towards each other without getting sloppy.

I know I feel very comfortable [in general] with my therapist who does have the capacity to emote a bit, show a little kindness and empathy without getting roped into some of my pity parties.

Your not trying to suck someone into a pity party, are you?

Well, reasonably enough I think you're looking for a little empathy and you're not getting it. Personally I'd feel like I was being observed like a rat... wouldn't work for me.

Couldn't you get another therapist? There oughta be some kind of simpatico feeling. Some warmth and kindly feeling towards each other without getting sloppy.

I know I feel very comfortable [in general] with my therapist who does have the capacity to emote a bit, show a little kindness and empathy without getting roped into some of my pity parties.

You're not trying to suck someone into a pity party, are you?

Not really. I can be negative but I have a fairly analytical style of communicating. I try to tell it like it is. I don't get too emotional until I reach some kind of breaking point. It's the asymmetry of the interaction that does it.

He asks me how I'm doing and I attempt to tell the truth. He then sits and thinks then gives me advice that I don't feel is realistic for me. I can't help it that I'm not an easy fix. I feel really uncomfortable and scrutinized. The last couple appointments I made a concerted effort at being composed and matter-of-fact. I have to sort of prep myself beforehand rather than just walking in. Things go more smoothly that way but I'm still not completely communicative and he can tell that I'm not telling him everything. I get a little hesitent and it's awkward for both of us.

Yeah, I didn't think you were.

Get another therapist. You two are not a good fit. Above all else, an Aspie has to feel comfortable... the idea is to warm up a bit, not to become an automaton. We learn in part by example and that's not the example I'd wish for anyone, frankly.

If you don't feel the advice this guy gives is appropriate, find someone who does give you useful advice.

What are you hoping to gain from counseling?

He isn't a counselor. He's just a psychiatrist, sorry for the confusion. I still feel like I need to talk to him before he can prescribe medication though. I'm more interested in discussing medication options but he seems to want me to work with a counselor as well. He's the opposite of most psychiatrists who I've had in the past. Most are kind of nonchalant, don't ask any questions, just hand you whatever pills you ask for (basically billing me for something I could do yourself). In a way I respect him more than those types of psychiatrists. He's at least attempting to earn his pay but I'm just not sure that what he wants for me is realistic. I feel bad for being a jerk to him and want to make amends.

I think the profession as a whole is kind of a sham though. The younger ones want to be more proactive aside from signing prescriptions but aren't actually that helpful. The older ones just accept that it's a sham, do nothing but shell out the pills while lining their pockets.

Ah, my bad. You did say he was a psych, I was just too lazy to check.

OK, so you feel like a jerk and want to make amends. Of course, from his side you may not have anything to apologize for. So that leaves us... mmm... maybe just trying to clarify where things stand? How you feel about the interaction, how he feels, and where to go from there?

If that seems like a useful direction... then how about writing in a note saying basically what you've said here, that you find his manner cool and distancing and the impact that has on you. Concisely. Ask what he intends his manner to convey... you know, those NT think different ( )... make sure he answers that. Maybe take notes while he does, so that you can refer to them during the replay period (I'm assuming you do the Aspie replay thing).

He may find the whole thing very educational and useful in the disjunction between what he means to convey and what he is actually conveying to you.

Maybe he'll even confess he's actually HFA and can't really relate to what you're feeling and has been role-playing. Then you both can just drop the whole sham and discuss the various aspects of pharmacologicals on numerous fascinating conditions... OK, maybe that's fantasy.

I think you'd find counselling helpful and enjoyable... I certainly have (provided you get the right one, of course). I have a therapist that appreciates AS as a difference, not a pathology or disease, because her brother is AS. She is helping me with the things I want to adjust, not telling me. As I am a visual thinker, we are doing some visualizations... such as trying to find in my 'film banks' a picture of someone sitting quiet and composed during a group discussion... one of those situations where I tend to say the wrong thing. Anyway, I do value the opportunity to talk with someone from 'the other side' that gets me.

Thanks. I guess I've derailed this topic enough.

Ooops. Did I just mess up? Is it something I said that made you duck out all of a sudden?

Nope. Nothing you said. It's just that I've gone way off on a tangent. Besides me and you the thread seems like it's dying. We can continue but I'm not sure if I have anything left to add.

No, that's OK. Just checking. We did kinda highjack things.
Sorry Zoonic.