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Jatruthforever
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19 Mar 2013, 11:55 am

I dont have any empathy anymore, Idk whats going on with me.People are starting to notice, im cold and distant, yes I had a bad childhood and poor relationship with my family and peers from elementary school to high school. Yes I was isolated in my room for many months due to depression and anxiety but many people had it worse. I just saw this short film with Nick Vujicic in it, the guy with no limbs, I couldn't feel any sadness even though I know I should, If I met him id be very kind but only because I know that's the right thing to do. When I hear about thousands of children being murdered in the middle east and millions from starvation in third world countries I care only because I know right and wrong, not because of empathy, but I would give my own life to end their suffering in a heart beat. My dad is an as*hole when 2years ago he said I fit the FBI profile for a serial killer/psycopath/sociopath and that pissed me off. I interpret emotions differently from everyone else, wtf can I do? This guy I work with made a great effort in trying to befriend me he said I could come over and play xbox with his friends but I just said "ok cool" in a dry tone, when im talking to girls its sooo hard to act like im interested in what were talking about truth be told I dont give a fck what she named her cat or drama etc. Is there any cure for my apathy?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p98KAEif3bI
This is the short film...



Triple__B
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19 Mar 2013, 12:35 pm

This sounds just like me. I too know that I should care about things that make typical people sad and emotional, but it does not come natural to me either. My wife would often refer to me in the past as thinking like a serial killer, even though she knew that I would never hurt her. I believe that this might have something to do with not being able to see the other person's perspective more than not caring. No matter how hard I try, I cannot put myself in someone elses shoes, it's impossible for me.

I believe those of us that are not NT will have a tough time EVER being interested in the small talk conversations of those that are NT. I find myself pretending to be interested if I have the mental energy, or I just find a way out if I don't have the energy. I will personally never understand why it is important to talk about non-important things like the name of a cat. It seems that NT folks feel the need to fill in the silence with pointless chit chat so the room is not quiet, it's just the way they operate.

I personally don't believe that there is a "cure" for your apathy, it's just a matter of finding the right type of people to be around that don't bore us. <-- Seems very impossible most often though.


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Ettina
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19 Mar 2013, 12:46 pm

Generally, people who are worried about having psychopathic traits usually don't have them. The very things that make you think being a psychopath is a bad thing are things psychopaths lack.

My guess? You're probably either alexithymic, depressed, or both.



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19 Mar 2013, 2:14 pm

I don't think NT's necessarily always feel empathy for people on TV or far away. They just pretend to because it's expected. As for the guy at work, if you don't want to go for whatever reason, you probably won't be great at faking it (as an aspie). I probably wouldn't either, because hanging out with people isn't necessarily fun.

One other thing that comes to mind, though, if you feel less emotion in general: are you taking any medication? Sometimes antidepressants, for instance, can make you emotionally numb. Either that or you're burned out on being with people and need more time alone, perhaps.



Mmuffinn
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19 Mar 2013, 2:25 pm

I experience a similar lack of emotion and the neuropsychologist said it was alexithymia. I do have emotions sometimes, but it is difficult for me to recognize them and experience them. I do feel sad or angry or anxious at times, but the feelings always have to do with something that directly affects me. I can feel generically 'bad' about global atrocities, but I don't really feel emotion. I, too, would give my life in a second to end the suffering, even though I don't feel much emotion about the situation. I'm not a psychopath, though, and I very much doubt you are either.


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Mmuffinn
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19 Mar 2013, 2:25 pm

Double post.


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Last edited by Mmuffinn on 20 Mar 2013, 7:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Jatruthforever
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19 Mar 2013, 9:48 pm

Mmuffinn wrote:
I experience a similar lack of emotion and the neuropsychologist said it was alexithymia. I do have emotions sometimes, but it is difficult for me to recognize them and experience them. I do feel sad or angry or anxious at times, but the feelings always have to do with something that directly affects me. I can feel generically 'bad' about global atrocities, but I don't really feel emotion. I, too, would give my life in a second to end the suffering, even though I don't feel much emotion about the situation. I'm not a psychopath, though, and I very much doubt you are either.


Im 90% sure I have that Alexithymia also, I have all the symptoms. It sucks so f*****g bad, sometimes if im in a good mood I can be "normal" but just reserved and other times I can ruin a casual conversation. I stick out like a sore thumb amongst NT's it sucks so bad.



rapidroy
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19 Mar 2013, 10:44 pm

Alot of what you say sounds like desensitising(sp?), after watching day after day, story after story of children being murdered in the middle east as an example you just grow numb to it, happens to NTs aswell. Thats how some people can play and enjoy gorey video games and others feel sick playing them.



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20 Mar 2013, 3:05 am

Apparently alexithymia and Aspergers / autism have quite an overlap. I'm a newbie here so I can't post links yet, but if you Google 'alexithymia Aspergers overlap' then I'm sure it will come up.
Don't beat yourself up over it, it's just part of the package. And you know what is 'supposed' to be sad, it's just that some of us don't 'feel' it like NT's. Doesn't make you a serial killer :roll:



Jatruthforever
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20 Mar 2013, 2:59 pm

Moomingirl wrote:
Apparently alexithymia and Aspergers / autism have quite an overlap. I'm a newbie here so I can't post links yet, but if you Google 'alexithymia Aspergers overlap' then I'm sure it will come up.
Don't beat yourself up over it, it's just part of the package. And you know what is 'supposed' to be sad, it's just that some of us don't 'feel' it like NT's. Doesn't make you a serial killer :roll:

I know im not a psycopath but I actually looked up what my dad was talking about and the description matched exactly with Introverted people. Many tv shows portray sociopaths and murderers as people who keep to themselves and dont fit in society which is scary. I like the way I am I dont want to be like the sheepish masses.



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20 Mar 2013, 4:15 pm

Quote:
Many tv shows portray sociopaths and murderers as people who keep to themselves and dont fit in society which is scary.


TV shows are wrong. Extroverts are actually more likely to commit crimes than introverts, and most psychopaths are highly extroverted.

Ted Bundy was liked by pretty much everyone who met him. It came as a complete shock to most of the people who knew him when it turned out that he liked to rape and murder women.



Moomingirl
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22 Mar 2013, 1:43 am

Jatruthforever wrote:
Many tv shows portray sociopaths and murderers as people who keep to themselves and dont fit in society


Hmm, I'm pretty sure that most Aspie's wouldn't want to murder anyone, because that would involve far too much human interaction 8O

As usual, NT's are scared of anything that is a bit different to them, and portray us as a bunch of dangerous beasts. Don't let the b*stards get you down...you have people who understand you here :)



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22 Mar 2013, 3:13 pm

Things that I see happening to people don't bother me much, whether it's on tv, or even seeing them take someone in an ambulance after a crash on the freeway. TV is tv, and I'm furious when people do something stupid like crash and hold up traffic. However, I am close to tears if not actually crying when seeing a rhino calf next to his mother who had been murdered and dehorned by poachers, and trying to ask her to get up, although she's dead. I'm always upset when I see or hear about animals hurt.


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22 Mar 2013, 3:46 pm

^^^^ Yes, Persian, I'm exactly the same. I always said from a child that I was 'wired differently' when it came to my empathy for humans v animals. Since my diagnosis I've found out how right I was about the wiring :D