Escapist Users and Aspergers

[Malikaw]

Why is that about 20-30% of Escapist users say they have the mental illness Aspergers Syndrome? When in reality only about 1.5% percent of people in this world are actually born with the syndrome. Reading the Wikipedia article and deciding that it sounds a lot like you doesn't diagnose you, in fact it probably just means you're a bit of a dick. A smart dick maybe, but still a dick. I know the Escapist is a website for people that are interested in 1 specific topic and some people on here have bad social skills but these numbers seem a little bit inflated. Has the internet made it "cool" to have a mental illness or are people just saying they have it to have an excuse for being awkward? Why is that so many people on the internet these days are claiming mental illnesses?

(YES, I KNOW SOME PEOPLE ON HERE REALLY DO HAVE ASPERGERS. PLEASE DON'T FLAME ME FOR TRYING TO GET SOME OPINIONS ON THE SUBJECT)

 

[Vault101]

this isnt just an escapist thing, it seems to be an internet thing....its jsut a thing really

 

[Kae]

Wait? Where are the numbers, I think it may just be because when the topic comes up the guys that have it are more likely to contribute to it, for example I do not have it so therefore I don't contribute to those threads, except maybe this one, though it may also be that some people do come up with excuses for they're social awkwardness, for example I'm socially awkward so I could convince myself that it was because I had that, instead of accepting the real reason for it, obviously this is hypothetical as I don't actually think I have the thing, but again it's probably more a matter of perception than people lying.

 

[DustyDrB]

Keep in mind that whatever poll you saw, it wasn't that 20-30% of Escapist users have Aspergers. It was that 20-30% of the Escapist users who voted in that poll had Aspergers.

That's a colossal difference. People tend gravitate towards what is relevant to them. So that's how you get such an inflated number. I'm also willing to bet that the number of people who voted was about 200 at best. I don't know how many active registered users there are here, but I doubt enough people responded to the people to garner a statistically significant sample size.

And judging by the majority of polls I see around here, I doubt it was well-constructed to begin with.

 

[lRookiel]

I have never seen anyone ever say they have aspergers.

I have seen many people claim they are cynical, which is probably true since there is a lot of hate in the world.

 

[Kae]

I have never seen anyone ever say they have aspergers.

I have seen many people claim they are cynical, which is probably true since there is a lot of hate in the world.

Well they actually have in that thread about autism [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.374530-Calling-all-Autistics-of-the-Escapist], and they are a lot, but as I said before I think it's more a matter of perspective, since most people that don't have anything like that just didn't say anything, the topic was obviously more relevant to autistic people and people with other dissorders.

 

[PsychedelicDiamond]

I was diagnosed with Aspergers, you know. Like, by a doctor. It doesn't mean i'm a dick. And, to be honest, it doesn't mean i'm smart either. It just means i'm a really boring person and... well, could be worse.

 

[Jonluw]

There are two main factors involved:
1) This site attracts a demographic where aspergers syndrome is over-represented.
2) Many socially awkward people (who are also over-represented on the site) will self-diagnose with the syndrome to feel like they have an excuse.

 

[Doclector]

Because humans are hypochondriacs by nature, they hear of a condition and automatically conclude they suffer from it because they possibly display some symptoms of it. There are a lot of socially defective people on this forum, so it's only natural they would hear about aspergers and presume they have it.

If you haven't been diagnosed with aspergers, shut up, you don't have aspergers.

If you have been diagnosed with it, shut up and get a second opinion, you probably don't have aspergers.

Heh, I was really young at the time, but with my experience of britain's mental health care, it probably took long enough to get a first opinion, and besides, I really don't give a cr**. I have aspergers, then according to dumb people I'm a complete shut in who needs help at everything, I don't have it then according to people who are quick to judge without knowing the whole story, I've been exploiting the diagnosis and I'm just wierd.

And a bit of a dick? Yeah, at some points I've probably been like that, but everyone has something that makes them a bit of a dick, and everyone has a responsibility to manage that, and I have attempted to, and judging by my current good social situation, I've succeeded.

Honestly, the self diagnosers annoy me enough, but y'know what's becoming more annoying? People judging somebody for something of which they have only read a wikipedia article about.

 

[Cavan]

This comes suspiciously soon after somebody made a thread asking for people with aspergers to come forward.

*see thread about mental health issues*
*reads thread*
"omg 30% of the escapist claim them have aspgergers"
*make thread*

sound close to how things are?

If you want a slightly less trolly option maybe because gaming and internet forums in general encourage certain demographics of people, such as those with aspergers who are going to by nature be less social than most.

 

[bobmus]

The answer is on a thread asking about mental illness, most people aren't going to comment, because they don't have it. Glad I could clear that up, move along people.

 

[OmniscientOstrich]

Keep in mind that whatever poll you saw, it wasn't that 20-30% of Escapist users have Aspergers. It was that 20-30% of the Escapist users who voted in that poll had Aspergers.

Thank you, people never really seem to think this through before jumping on the 'you're faking it' bandwagon. I'd postulate that in reality there's only about 10-15% of people at most on this site claiming to have the condition (how many of them are telling the truth, I couldn't say, but thankfully I don't see too many people doing the self-diagnosis thing >.>) and perhaps the reason they more frequently crop up stems from having both an international audience and an environemnt which allures those of us who are more socially maladroit. Hopefully these are things people will take into consideration before this devolves into a flame war, though I wouldn't get my hopes up. >.>

 

[Thaluikhain]

Keep in mind that whatever poll you saw, it wasn't that 20-30% of Escapist users have Aspergers. It was that 20-30% of the Escapist users who voted in that poll had Aspergers.

That's a colossal difference. People tend gravitate towards what is relevant to them. So that's how you get such an inflated number. I'm willing to bet that the number of people who voted was about 200 at best. I don't know how many active registered users there are here, but I doubt enough people responded to the people to garner a statistically significant sample size.

And judging by the majority of polls I see around here, I doubt it was well-constructed to begin with.

I was going to say that perhaps the Escapist attracted a disproportionate number of people with Aspergers, but that seems more likely, yeah.

 

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

Because Aspergers means (to someone who doesn't really know the condition) that you can be an arsehole and not have to apologise for it.

More people are arseholes than have aspergers, many more people on the internet are arseholes, and since none of them can be easily found they can pretend whatever they want.

So in answer to your question, 20-30% of the Escapist are unpleasant human beings. Kinda like how 100% of 4Chan are the absolute scum of the earth.

 

[Pat8u]

Well I don't have aspergers but I have PDD-NOS (doctors spent two years diagnosing me, twas annoying and they still didn't get the specifics)

I honestly don't know why anyone wants the disorder, its not like it makes you smarter(the social problems in turn also affect how smart you are, and they usually make school harder and other crap like that, most people I know with a disorder simillar to aspergers me included are embaresssed about it.

also whats up with this aspergers= arsehole thing, my friend with aspergers is the nicest guy I know

 

[Chairman Miaow]

I was diagnosed with it, but to be honest, that diagnosis seems pretty irrelevant. I am who I am because I am me, not because I have asperger's. I never use it as an excuse for anything.

Spent all of 3 years getting a proper diagnosis though because somebody insisted, and get fuck all help for it, all I get is invited to a pointless support group.

 

[AmayaOnnaOtaku]

My son and I were both given the diagnosis by a physician.