I need help!

Post Reply New Topic

I am not sure if I have as or not. I am very dyslexic, I have alot of sensory inagration problems,stims,I don't make eye to eye contact(ever),bad short term memory, love scedules and have a very narrow fields of interest. I have been diagnoised with as, but I am able to feel empathatic. My phychatrist doesn't think I have it because i'm able to feel empathy(He thinks I have very bad aniexity). I told the doctor that diaganosed me I'm am able to feel empathy. I'm wondering what you think?

sorry about my grammar and spelling!

I think all of us are able to feel empathy to a certain extent, the question is how much do we feel it and how do we react to it.

A good example of this would be would bugs and insects. I don't know how old you are, but as a young kid, did you squish or do other not-so-nice things to bugs, worms, or frogs just for the fun of it?

If you did, and didn't feel any different for doing so, then I would say your empathy skills are lacking because most NT people would throw a fit if they saw someone doing that.

As a little kid I used to kill ants and cut up worms. I don't any more.

This is the point I was trying to make in my empathy thread: People with AS can feel it. Spiderman, I don't know you and I certainly can't tell you whether you have AS or not, but don't assume you don't have it just because you feel empathy. This is one of the things about psychiatrists that make me so mad. They often make the mistake of thinking psychology is an exact science. NOT EVEN CLOSE! If I may be blunt, I think your psychiatrist is full of it.

(Sorry if this comes of like a rant, but I have plenty of reasons to be bitter towards psychiatrists and the mental health system, so I vent when I get the chance! )

It's a huge misconception that AS people can't feel empathy, they feel the same as anyone else.. some people have trouble expressing empathy, which is more of a communication skills problem.. I can't say whether you have AS or not but your psychiatrist doesn't seem to have all his facts..

Also, lots of little kids are cruel to insects and bugs and grow out of it, many children and adults kill bugs but they still have empathy for other people and animals.. it doesn't mean anything really.

This is how I see empathy in NT's...

1. An event occurs...
2. Event triggers a feeling of empathy
3. Feeling of empathy triggers and empathetic response

This is how I see empathy in myself...

1. An event occurs...
2. Event triggers a feeling of empathy
3. Feeling of empathy is unable to trigger a(n) (appropriate) response.

Having read the thread previously on empathy, I garner that this is the general model for people who have milder forms of autisim.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

sounds about right, scoots and dunc.

as i said on the empathy thread - make sure everyone knows the definition of empathy commonly used by psychologists.

V

Feeling of empathy is unable to trigger a(n) (appropriate) response.
Does this include over reacting or just under reacting?

I think it involves both, depending on the situation and how much empathy you feel. In some situations I feel empathy quite strongly and overreact in comparison to other people. But at other times, especially if it's a situation I can't relate to, I will underreact because I won't really know what to say or how to say it.

Does not caring about style have any thing to do with empathy? I was thinking it could since empathy is relatting to other people.