living with asperger’s

Gregg

Oh, good. At least someone else has noticed that the diagnosis of different developmental disorders is on the rise. Seems everybody nowadays has some kind of "disorder".

NintendoDuim

Ah, but might it be that diagnosis of said disorders has improved?
- Aes
  
  NO
Veit

As a student, that's mostly due to how we have defined what is disordered versus what is normative. It's not that everything needs to be treated, but given that there is now a field devoted to studying normative and non-normative behavior, it's that much easier to pinpoint any particular aspect of behavior, development, mood or personality that is disordered. Compare it to research into genetic disorders: a child that would have been just plain old freak a century ago is now genetically disordered in a way that we can medically describe. Similarly, someone with suicidal ideation, or delusions, or even something as difficult to describe as disordered social relationships, can now be described as such. A century ago, they would have been weird, an outcast or maybe just eccentric. There were diagnoses and disorders, but not anywhere near the scale of what modern psychology is capable of describing. It's possible that autism spectrum disorder is on the rise, but given that it's now something described, it can be diagnosed. It's not that "everybody nowadays has some kind of 'disorder'"; rather, every disorder nowadays has a name.

That said, this comic is spot-on, and anyone who is willing to self-diagnose is an idiot.

JStass

I feel like I'm watching a sitcom, like the Fresh Prince or Scrubs…

Fresh Scrubs

Director: Your scrubs are disgusting, irreverent doctor, change them or you're fired!

Irreverent Doctor: (inner monologue) And that's how it all started…

cloudymusic

I've self-diagnosed myself with hipster Asperger's. It's very obscure, you've probably never heard of it.

SO FAHNNE JOEHK

It seems that all you have to do these days to get popular is make jokes about hipsters when even you don't know what the word means due to its application to anything and everything "obscure."
Kris, we demand comics about hipsters. GET ON IT.
- apLundell
  
  All I have to do to be popular is to make jokes about hipsters? Let's test that theory!
  
  So a hipster walks into a club, he takes one glance at the place and he says "This place sucks! It's full of hipsters!"

nocam

I used to have ADD, but then everybody was that, so now I'm this.

krisstraub

i got the diagnosis from a real doctor. i was that doctor.

i found a diploma on tumblr and just shopped my name on there, that's how achievement works, right
- Jimmy Grant
  
  Only if someone reblogs it.
- nocam
  
  My asperger's was cured!…by this behavior altering brain fungus that made me buy these giant glasses.
  - paat
    
    Sorry, the Mary Sue comic was yesterday
    - Robert Bobson
      
      Asperger's is the Mary Sue of diseases.
- Reignleif
  
  Maybe xbox achievements, yeah.

stuff

I've wondered how many budding hypochondriacs have cropped up since Internet. Maybe I'm a hypochondriac. Oh god no!

djublonskopf

Common symptoms of hypochondria (according to WebMD):
– Visiting WebMD

Shoot I've got it too.

Elbasunu

I got punched in the face. Now I'm diag-nosed.

Stranger

BOO!

@gCrusher

Why does it sound like ass-burgers?

Scrotumancer

That's what it means: the character in panel #1 has determined he has one sizzling hot beef patty affixed to each butt cheek.
apLundell

Sometimes words rhyme with other words.
Sassy

Pretty sure it's called asperger's after the surname of whoever discovered it.

tradertimm

"Prank the 'perg"

Its time to admit that the internet just made it easier for anyone to claim they have some < insert syndrome > so they can have some facebook wall drama.

Morze

Really? Let's try…

I have asperger!

No, thats too mainstream, everybody and their mother have it nowdays…

I have cancer!

Too dark, also, demands explanation.

I have rethunolia!

Made up disease, obscure enough, perfect!
- derp
  
  I have pedal transient paresthesia!
Shaurmiath

Well, I have to admit, it was MUCH harder to have Facebook Wall drama before the internet.

Larry N. Martin

Who needs a disease to be wacky and special? You just have to be especially blatant and annoying!

o0o

you get to do all the work building this friendship and/or romance now, ok?

i'm too disabled to be polite or considerate, but a relationship with me is totally worth your efforts because of my unique perspective that you unevolved neurotypical schlubs will never understand.

Milo

As someone who grew up with a sibling with actual-legit-aspergers, let me tell you, Guy On The Internet Who Just Diagnosed Himself: IT'S NOT THE KIND OF THING YOU OVERLOOK FOR THE FIRST FIFTEEN-ODD YEARS OF YOUR LIFE.

MrGuy

As someone who has been personally diagnosed– as BORDERLINE Asperger's, mind you– I can personally testify that I was a horrible child, had basically a maximum of two actual friends at any given time until the latter half of sixth grade, had almost no emotional control whatsoever, and was generally incredibly immature.

This being the case, I either had something wrong with me in addition to Asperger's, or an awareness program needs to be put in place to explain what the condition actually means.

( Also notable is that, disorders or not, I feel incredibly ashamed of my childhood behavior and wish I had known better. Maybe I should have. Either way I'm glad to have mostly grown out of it. )
Caitlin

I'm not sure I agree; I don't think Asperger's Syndrome is the sort of thing everyone knows a lot about, so depending on the "severity", it might be quite easy to overlook. Someone might recognize that they have difficulties in certain areas, but not suspect that there's a neurological reason behind it; parents might look at it the same way, or overlook these difficulties because they don't want to admit that there's anything "wrong" with their child or the way they brought them up (especially with the still-prevalent attitudes of the people who run Autism Speaks – blegh).

Obviously it's easier to spot in some people than others, but there are a lot of people who are diagnosed in their teens or as adults.
- gangler
  
  I got diagnosed in highschool. Everyone definitely knew there was something up with me as a child and heaven knows we'd visited doctors about it before but it wasn't until grade ten that a doctor gave us an actual diagnosis. Certainly nobody was surprised by the revelation. Definitely just assigning a name to something we already knew was going on.
  
  I wouldn't want to paint my experience as typical since I know it's not, but it's certainly how it went down for me. The fact that I'm pretty high-functioning contributed to it.
  
  Either way though it's still not something you'd diagnose yourself with. That's what doctors are for. In fact, let's just not self-diagnose in general. How does that sound?
  - Caitlin
    
    I disagree with your last paragraph. Not everyone has the money or resources to get a proper assessment; self-diagnosis allows people to seek out others with similar experiences and difficulties, and most people who do it do a lot of research and self-assessment first. There's a tiny population of people who will claim the identity without really thinking about it (or so I've heard – I've never met anyone who did this), but there's a far greater number of people who actually need to self-diagnose.
    - gangler
      
      Right. I sometimes forget that not everyone has a functional health-care system. Wouldn't want to vilify anyone who's just doing what they gotta do.
    - lain
      
      I want to live in your world. It sounds pretty there. The world I'm familiar with is filled with lazy people looking for a quick fix, who don't bother to scroll down past the first page of results, whether those sites are legitimately run or not, and rely on Dr. Wikipedia.
    - lain
      
      The DSM isn't a toy. I'm in grad school to be a psychologist, and I STILL run across diagnoses that make me think, "oh shit, that sounds familiar…" but when I stop and think about it, I realize that I'm not being objective looking at my symptoms. If you just flip through the DSM without really knowing how to use it, you can diagnose yourself with multiple disorders, all at once, many of them contradicting.
      
      To some extent, we all have our little neuroses and personality quirks. It's only when they become severe enough to cause distress to ourselves and/or others, or they interfere in our ability to function, that they become something where the DSM gets called in.
      
      Here's the other reason you can't self-diagnose: what if having this "diagnosis" isn't helpful to you? Sometimes there are ethical reasons you simply SHOULDN'T give an official diagnosis- it can become a crutch, a stigma, or you get assholes like in the comic- and a layman just flipping through this book doesn't have that imposed rule of ethics like professionals do (or are supposed to, anyway).
      
      Please, please, please, PLEASE, DON'T SELF-DIAGNOSE. Even if it costs you money- if you really need to seek out the support of others because something is that distressing to you? Spend the money and get the professional help. SO many disorders are overlapping, so many are superfluous, so many haven't even properly been researched and are going to be cut in the new DSM-V… don't you think it would be worth it, then, to spend that extra money and make absolutely sure that the label you're slapping on yourself really applies to you?

Donnyfightworld

Kris, as a self 'nosed aspie (thats what we call ourselves) I would have strong words with you about this strip but I also self diagnosed myself with ADD and I have video games to play and My Little Ponies to Watch and showers not to take.

Steve B.

Is it just me, or is the population of internet comedians poking fun at people self-diagnosing Asperger's syndrome like 10,000 times larger than the population of people with self-diagnosed Asperger's? I've read a huge number of articles and internet jokes making fun of the concept of Asperger's, but I don't think I've read more than a handful of accounts of somebody claiming to have it.

Maybe it's just me.

Reignleif

I'm not sure myself. I wasn't aware of any such phenomenon so I didn't understand the comic until I read the comments.

That's right folks, I saw it in its original dyslexic moonspeak.
I IZ SPESHUL I SWARE

It's just you. It actually happens very often, in certain places on the internet.
Mainly when dumb teenagers collide with Reddit, 9gag or /b/.
Shishu1025

a lot of the times you have to look for it; asperger's communities tend to have them. a lot of people on tumblr who have "social aniexty" claim to have asperger's.
Marcus

Well I'm sure the amount of people who hate nazis or the KKK outnumber the amount of people in those organisations. Grim comparison.

I have Asperger's and ADD. I dont talk about it often since I rarely think about it these days, but I was diagnosed when I was 8 after analysis on my unusual behaviour since birth. It is most definitely a genuine diagnosis, but I steer clear of forums and the like these days. Social interactivity is something I need as much practice of as I can get.

And tbh, I don't mind jokes abot Asperger's cause honestly there's a lot about it that's fair game for good jokes. The symptoms manifest in many different ways and extremities, so don't think we all fit the stereotype.

Annie

Ah, the cheerful selfDX guy. I like this. That's my reaction on the right. Maybe add a face-palm.

I was diagnosed with this condition (by you know, a qualified doctor), and it sucks. You don't want it. Here, you can take mine if you want to be all unique and stuff… I want to be able to relate to other human beings socially and get a better job.

Thanks selfDX guy, and special thanks to Big Bang Theory. You have made the condition a joke, an excuse, a target for trolling, and more misunderstood than it ever was before.

I WISH my ass was made of tasty burgers. Then at least I'd never go hungry. I could sell that shit.

Also, this condition has been overlooked in female children because of the way it manifests itself in the genders… Mine didn't reveal itself to parents or doctors until being socially adept was more important for my age. It's more complex than that of course but this is a long enough comic comment.

@SwiftAusterity

No freaking kidding there on that insipid show.

My wife adores that show and still can't understand why I wont be in the same room as it.
- N3RD TH3RY
  
  My family members all love it. It's gotten to the point where they get angry that I won't watch it with them.
krisstraub

thanks for your thoughts. it is a real disorder and not just a kooky, goofy quirk you can wear like a hat at parties
- The Drunkard Kid
  
  …But enough about The Big Bang Theory, let's talk about Aaperger's.

Lizardbeth

I've found that the quicker someone is to tell you they have Aspergers, the less likely they are to actually have it. I could just have bad luck with meeting a lot of self-diagnosed people who expect an immediate pass on everything they do and demand special treatment because they think they have a condition. More than once I've had the "Hi, nice to meet you! I have Aspergers" conversation, quickly followed by ridiculous & unrealistic demands, overly intrusive questions, and an insistence that I cater to their every whim because they "have a condition".

Those that I've met who have had it legitimately diagnosed by a doctor act nothing like that, though I can imagine they probably get a lot of mistrust because of all these social rejects insisting they have Aspergers when they really just have no desire to learn how to deal with people.

Damn shame too, as it makes things that much harder for people who ACTUALLY have it. :P

Phoenix

I know somebody who actually has minor Aspergers (and kind of obviously so), but as soon as he was diagnosed, he started acting like the "self-diagnosed" guys you refer to, trying to get people (especially teachers) to cater to his wants and just being an outright jerk at times. He started wondering why teachers were punishing him for this when he used the excuse "You can't do that, I have Aspergers."

bagelboats

i'm someone who is always accused of some kind of disorder or disease…but never takes it seriously.

if i feel i need a doctor, i'll go to the doctors. i'm not going to listen to some schmuck who read a few articles on wikipedia.

Concerned

Sounds like you have phenomalosis. You should see a doctor about that.

kafziel

Pfft, welcome to three years ago, man.

The new thing in self-diagnosis is PTSD.

LadyMacDuff

That's… odd. As someone with actual, diagnosed PTSD, I can't even imagine why someone would claim to have it. There's nothing sexy or cool about being irritable, sleepless, and scared.
- MrGuy
  
  They're probably trying to project some mysterious brooding Edward Cullen bullshit, just like Asperger's/ADD self-diagnoses are trying to project "ho boy what wackies"
  
  Either way it's pretty fucking stupid
@jhohcable

I noticed this too, I keep seeing a ton of people "from the military" who tell me they have PTSD and are trying to deal with it. I ask about their military experience, they don't tell me much past boot camp, which means they dropped out after maybe a week or less.

Bobboberson

I accidently got Super Double Asperger’s twice…now I'm……oh wait that joke was in the comments section yesterday…ummm

<insert witty chainsawsuit reference from 2011> + Aspergers = hilarious comment for those in the know

Timtimpson

I accidently got Super Double Asperger’s twice… now I'm…collecting Fantastic Four comics/memorabilia/trivia.

Fayili

I have a group of friends who are actual Aspies who were actually diagnosed and go to an actual school for Aspies and functional autistics. The self-diagnosers piss us all off so much.

Wicked 4 Life

I have Wandering Cognition Disorder (we WCDers call it 'wicked')

It's a real medical condition that causes me to stare off with a blank look on my face. I also forget things and have trouble staying organized. It also prevents me from recognizing personal repsonsibilities.

The only known treatment methods are cognitive focusing therapy (playing video games, watching TV, reading webcomics…). Diets high in caffeine and sodium also seem to be beneficial.

asdasd

Andy?
- Andy
  
  What?

Ted

Did anyone ever eat those potato smileys in school?

That guy's head…

LadyMacDuff

Oh my goodness, you're right! What were those things, even?
Annie

Can… never… unsee…!

Backstage

I can't wait until the next hot disease to hit the airwaves.

"This fall, meet Jennifer. She's plagued with psoriasis, AND she works with reptiles! Watch the humor hit the fan when people confuse her with the animals! WACKY! ZANY! KRAZY WITH A K!

'Path-o-Jen' hitting CBS this fall!"

RoboGoofers

I self-diagnosed myself with a broken heart after my girl left me, but the "Doctor", with his fancy degree and expensive machines, said the knife was really in my lung.

SWV

As someone who was actually diagnosed with this by a doctor at a young age, fuck those people who say they have it and use it as some sort of get out of jail free card. I've been fighting it all my life and the last thing I want is a medical condition used as an excuse. When you're sick you try to get better, not wave it around and use it to be a selfish jerk.

My childhood was miserable and I wouldn't wish the disorder on anyone.

david_wc

ASS-Burger Syndrome – someone who uses the actual Aspergers syndrome to explain away their poor tact, bad manners and short temper.

Asperger's Syndrome – what my son has. Simply put:

• most emotions (even the positive ones) are too big for them to process.

• Changes in routine eff up their flow big time.

• for them, most sensory input (touch, sound, taste, visual cues and facial expressions) are either cranked to 11 or off the radar completely.

• Watch the movie Temple Grandin

Socran

As someone who actually has the condition, as diagnosed by an actual doctor, and has been dealing with it his whole life, I have one thing to say that has sadly not been said even by the people who have said the part of the thing that I'm saying that I already said:

I don't give a damn about people misdiagnosing themselves with Asperger's. Seriously, whatever. They're wrong, they're just being selfish, no big deal. It's the people who jump to accuse anybody who claims to have Asperger's of being a liar that I can't stand. I would rather have 10 people incorrectly assume they have this condition than have one person reject a legitimate claim and use it as an excuse to further torment that person.

I mean, seriously, there's no harm in treating a false diagnosis the same as an actual case. You should remain respectful no matter what, and if it's a genuine case of Asperger's, they should be aware that it's something that should be fought and overcome (at least the individual symptoms and things that create a burden on others). Let them know that it's not a free pass, and put up with/help them regardless. It's the same way you should treat everyone, the only difference is that people with Asperger's need it more.

That said, I have no issues with this comic in particular, just with people who assume that any given person is the character from this comic.

Caitlin

THANK YOU.

People forget that a lot of people don't have the money or the resources to get a proper assessment (especially in the States), so self-diagnosis is the next-best thing they can do. I always hear about people claiming that they're autistic just so they can be jerks, or something, but I'm not sure I've ever encountered someone like that. Most self-diagnosed autistic people diagnose themselves because they find it helpful to give themselves an identity label, and to connect with other people who have had similar experiences and difficulties.

I myself am self-diagnosed (sort of – I'm still thinking about it, and may try for a proper assessment when I can). I've done years of research and self-assessment to come to this point. I certainly did more than an OKCupid test. Maybe a handful of people decide that they're on the spectrum based on one quiz like that, and use it as an excuse to be annoying, but as I said, I've never met anyone like that.
- apLundell
  
  That stuff is very self-fulfilling. It's a natural human tendency to self-evaluate poorly. There is a natural human tendency for our memory to be colored simply by the act of looking for these sorts of patterns.
  
  You write : "they find it helpful to give themselves an identity label"
  Yes. And that's part of what causes a problem. It feels good to give yourself an identity label regardless of whether the label has any scientific merit.
  
  Think of all the million of people who use their star sign to give themselves an "identity label". They've done all kinds of research to find out how a Leo is supposed to act, and mentally they've emphasized the stuff that matches, deemphasized the stuff that doesn't, until they're absolutely convinced that their personality exactly matches a "textbook Leo".
  
  It really is important to get an informed third party evaluation of these things. Not only because only a third party can be objective about your own mental state, but also because you may have some other (but less trendy) disorder that a trained professional would be able to recognize but a well-read amateur would not.
  - apLundell
    
    Anyway, from the final panel, I assume that the "feels good to get an identity label" aspect is what this comic is about.
  - sum1won
    
    This is why I hired an astrologist to ID me as a virgo. Turns out that I really WAS born between august and september 22nd.
  - Caitlin
    
    One CAN self-evaluate poorly, but that doesn't mean that one always does. Most people who get diagnosed by a doctor when they're older were self-diagnosed before that. Very few people self-identify as autistic without a lot of prior thought.
    
    And as I said before, a lot of people just don't have the option of getting a proper diagnosis. I don't think it's fair to treat anyone who self-diagnosis as though they're talking about their "aura" or whatever. Come on.
@Zorkinian

It's akin to rape victims. A lot of MRA's and such tend to jump to the conclusion that female rape victims are always lying. And while it's certainly the case that they could be lying, always being suspicious simply reinforces a culture in which rape is not considered to be serious. The same could be applied to assuming people who claim to have Aspergers are self-diagnosed idiots. That just leads to a culture where people with Aspergers are ridiculed and always assumed to be faking.
apLundell

But aren't those flip sides of the same issue?

If ten thousand people claim to be Jesus, how could you blame anyone for being skeptical when the real guy finally shows up?

Still no excuse to be rude, though. If someone makes it a point to tell me that they've got ADD or Aspergers or any other currently 'trendy' disorder, I usually interrupt them to verify that we're talking about an actual doctor-diagnosed condition. If the answer is "yes" they usually don't mind that I asked, and if the answer is "no" I just do my best to ignore the entire thing like I would someone telling me that they have a "bad aura" and need "crystal therapy".
Annie

I don't believe the cheerful selfDX guy in the comic is representing the people who think they have it but either can't or don't want to see a doctor.

I can understand your feelings as I also used to not care, but that changed when I've needed help on certain occasions and couldn't get it because people thought it was a fake condition, that I was faking, or had a skewed idea of what aspergers really was.

If you say you have aspergers in public, you're automatically a representative. If you don't actually have the condition, you could potentially be perpetuating a stereotype or false image that might hurt others who actually need help. People talk. It's already hard enough to explain to people what a spectrum is. Now I have to be afraid that I'm a walking (rocking, flapping) joke that people won't take seriously (and I won't be able to tell, either, which is the real funny part).

And yeah, also possible that some of them are telling the truth. I've met super obnoxious officially diagnosed asperger people, and I'm sure I annoy people as well.
Clay

Whenever someone tells me that they think ADD is overdiagnosed, I want to choke them.

Extreme? It was that sort of attitude that kept me from getting the help I needed for the first 20 years of my life. I am so much happier and self-confident now that I know what's wrong with me and can treat it effectively, instead of stumbling around blind. The thought of how many years of heartache and frustration I could have been spared if only attitudes were different… well, let's just say all of the frustration, disappointment, and humiliation of those first 20 years bubble to the surface all at once whenever I hear the words "I think ADD is overdiagnosed."

Woe betide he who spoke them.

JJJ

ho boi, wot asboigas!

Jor-El

What I love most about this post is that it comes right after the intelligent discussion on the subject of the comic. If JJJ had managed to post it even 2 hours earlier I would not have found it quite as funny. I'm not sure if his timing was intentional or accidental, but either way, thumbs up.
Romelu Lukaku

good work JJJ

Patrick

I'm a self-diagnosed leper. Now I have an excuse for why my skin is so blotchy and uneven!

Shishu1025

asperger's has such vague diagnostic qualifications. people think that all aspies are nerds, like videos games and anime, etc. the only thing that people diagnosed with asperger's have in common is that THEY HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH ASPERGER'S.

i really, really, do not like people who are self-diagnosed. whether or not they actually have it, they are ALWAYS using it as a crutch. all it is for them is another "identifier" that they can use to legitimize their internet argument.

Pomf

But the craziest thing is that on the internet, using asperger's as an identifier automatically illegitimizes your argument in most circles.

Wild.

Michael Corley

My wife has OCD and gets so tired of everyone saying "I'm so OCD". Yeah, when you have stayed up for two days in stark terror that something you thought four years ago will condemn you to hell, let's chat. Double checking if your door is locked once in a while is not OCD.

NintendoDuim

Same problem with "I'm so depressed today" and "I had Insomnia last night". Bugs the hell out of me too

Wedge

Tune in this fall to Aspergin', the hot new wacky buddy cop comedy/drama on FX.

Zack

There are rumors that Asperger's is being removed from the DSM V. Perhaps to be replaced by something else. (The DSM or Diagnostic Statistical Manual is what psychologists and psychiatrists use to diagnose disorders)

FangsFirst

No, the talk is of removing Asperger's as a distinct condition and placing it wholly within the spectrum of "autism." But not removing it.

Some others are being considered for removal, like narcissistic personality disorder.
- MrGuy
  
  But then Huntyr Chase will be down a disorder :c
  - morphoid
    
    Damn, that was like Pickup Plan #43 in his manual.

Stranger

Welcome to the Internet! Everyone is either actually mentally unbalanced, and not the funny, quirky kind, I mean the Unabomber kind, or so desperate to feel special and unique that they'll pretend they are.

@SwiftAusterity

I wonder if Assy McGee ever did an episode on ass burgers.

duncan

I know of parents who have bullied doctors into diagnosing their perfectly normal children as having aspergers. Probably to absolve them of the responsibility of dealing with regular 4-to-6-year-old behaviour.

Gammafighter

Convincing someone they don't have asperger's is the most frustrating thing there is. You start listing off some of the actual real symptoms that they simply DO NOT HAVE and you get awesome gems like this:
"Well, SOMETIMES i don't make eye contact with people when i talk to them." And then they avert their gaze and refuse to make eye contact with you for the rest of the conversation. The next time you see them, they look you in the eye in a perfectly normal way.

@WisdomThumbs

Years of being on the internet have rendered me more socially awkward than my mild aspergers ever could.

@jhohcable

I have double assburgers with cheese.

It makes me more creative and better than all of you stupid functional people, heh. 8) *crossing my sexy arms and looking down at you from my lofty perch of disorder superiority*

Kecen

I was diagnosed with Aspergers by a doctor. Really official.
But the thing is, not everyone can afford to go to the doctor. Considering that many people cannot even get health insurance.

Pram Maven

I can't speak for every instance of a true, blue Aspie or Self-Diagnoser, but in what seems like most cases, anyone who is not wanted on a forum is quickly saddled with the stigmatic "Asperger's" tag to make them instantly appear mentally inferior and unable to stack up with the other posters in political debate. Until recently, the favored term was "Hitler", as in "you are Hitler" but this had the undesired effect of attracting Neo-Nazis who would then flood the board to worship their new Hitler.

The former is often broken out as a defensive measure when the forum mods feel they have been shown up by a n00b in his or her first week of posting on a site that took them over a decade to manufacture self-reliant credibility. Making themselves, or others, believe that their latest target has Aspergers makes them feel better about themselves, and others feel better about their others (or, in the case of Furries, udders).

I suspect, in the future when all forms of humor are outlawed, the latest and greatest way to scarlet-letter someone will be to call them a "Comedian".

Delusion

Please let's not be insensitive. The proper title for people who have self-diagnosed themselves with Asperger's Syndrome is ASSBURGERS.

Pram Maven

I appreciate your point of view, but I don't think it's possible for someone to self-diagnose themselves. They can self-diagnose, but self-diagnosing oneself sounds kind of redundant.. It's like saying "the man's self-inflicted gunshots were self inflictedf" Or, "he is on life-supporting life support". . I am just teasing, of course, but it is important to use the proper terminology when splitting ass burg hairs.

derp

But "self-diagnosed myself" was the same terminology as was used in the comic, so he's complaining about the terminology used to refer to someone who ACTUALLY self-diagnosed themselves, and as a result it's not a mistake.

Phasma Felis

I've never seen anyone claiming to have Asperger's to get attention.

I do know several people with legitimate psychological diagnoses who've been mocked and abused because of this goddamn meme. So, y'know, fuck that shit.

lolykosgu

lol .. good

tremevstarid

:)LOVE LOVE LOVE!

Sassy

I'm pretty sure I I have asperger's, and it infuriates me to think people claim to have it when they don't. I haven't been officially diagnosed, because I don't want a learning disorder to limit my options in life, but I don't run around telling people I know in person for the same reason. It's a.. a flaw, a weakness, something you shouldn't -want- to have. It makes my life harder.

Sassy

Also? Maybe I just don't meet as many new people as the rest of you, but I've never met anyone claiming to have it who didn't.
- archive digger
  
  1. getting a diagnosis does not limit your options in life. it's a developmental disability, not simply a learning disorder. it can only help you to get the help you might need, whether it might be in school or your employment situation, or with people in general.
  
  2. it's mostly people on the internet who claim to have it and don't really have it.

Violet

Why in the world would I talk to a doctor? I can't even talk to all the regular folks who WON'T lock me up in an institution. o_0

Nope

This is 1. disrespectful to people such as myself who have Asperger's, 2. Classist in assuming that everybody has the money to go visit a doctor if they think they have a disorder, and 3. Did you ever think that professional diagnoses can also be wrong?

Don Carlson

I once went to a doctor with anxiety and left with a prescription for Aspergers. I didn't even know they could prescribe Aspergers…

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