As someone with a late diagnosis of autism I don’t know if I believe the diagnosis to be true for me. I think it’s just another label rabbit hole. I resonate with what John Hoggett says about ‘identity politics’. I tried to find support on a Facebook autistic community – I found no common ground with anyone there who seem to see their entire existence as refracted through the lens of their autistic condition.
I think it’s late stage capitalism atomisation that leads groups of people to want to form ‘tribes’ where they have something in common – generally some form of support group.
Thanks for your reply – only checked the site now as didn’t get a notification of a reply from the site.
“What once was called passion may now be called obsession or addiction.
What once was called drive and focus and enthusiasm may now be called hypomania or mania.
What once was seen as visions may now be called hallucinations and delusions.
What once were understood to be psychic gifts may now be called psychosis.
The “sins” of despair and sloth may now be called depression.
The “sin of gluttony” may now be called an eating disorder.
“Possession by demons” may now be called anxiety or paranoia; vanity some narcissistic personality disorder; bad luck, “gambling disorder” (thank you, Thomas Szasz), etc., etc., etc.”
Good summation about how the descriptions of emotional states has changed as the Western world moved from a religious worldview to an materialistic one. You might find Dr Iain McGilchrist’s book ‘The Master and his Emissary’ of some interest.
Unfortunately the conditions surrounding the Irish myths and legends have long since passed – pity.
They have the power – they can say whatever they want. I was told that anti depressants work years ago by raising the serotonin levels in the brain.
They can change the goal posts if they want. That’s what comes with having power. Some pope invented the doctrine of papal infallibility i.e. if the pope said or wrote something it was incapable of being ‘wrong’ in 1850. The church got away with that logic in Ireland until the 80’s and now Irish psychiatry will get away with the ‘figure of speech’ defense.
There’s no point in getting upset about it – not in a country whose GDP is being partly financed by the huge number of pharma companies providing employment here. There’s not going to be any critique or blow back in the Irish media no matter what is going on a small distance across the water in the UK where there is dissent against the drug model that is filtering through to the mainstream – even the BBC. It’s not going to happen here. There are no Mary Raftery’s in this country anymore.
As someone with a late diagnosis of autism I don’t know if I believe the diagnosis to be true for me. I think it’s just another label rabbit hole. I resonate with what John Hoggett says about ‘identity politics’. I tried to find support on a Facebook autistic community – I found no common ground with anyone there who seem to see their entire existence as refracted through the lens of their autistic condition.
I think it’s late stage capitalism atomisation that leads groups of people to want to form ‘tribes’ where they have something in common – generally some form of support group.
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Hi Tom
Thanks for your reply – only checked the site now as didn’t get a notification of a reply from the site.
“What once was called passion may now be called obsession or addiction.
What once was called drive and focus and enthusiasm may now be called hypomania or mania.
What once was seen as visions may now be called hallucinations and delusions.
What once were understood to be psychic gifts may now be called psychosis.
The “sins” of despair and sloth may now be called depression.
The “sin of gluttony” may now be called an eating disorder.
“Possession by demons” may now be called anxiety or paranoia; vanity some narcissistic personality disorder; bad luck, “gambling disorder” (thank you, Thomas Szasz), etc., etc., etc.”
Good summation about how the descriptions of emotional states has changed as the Western world moved from a religious worldview to an materialistic one. You might find Dr Iain McGilchrist’s book ‘The Master and his Emissary’ of some interest.
Unfortunately the conditions surrounding the Irish myths and legends have long since passed – pity.
Report comment
They have the power – they can say whatever they want. I was told that anti depressants work years ago by raising the serotonin levels in the brain.
They can change the goal posts if they want. That’s what comes with having power. Some pope invented the doctrine of papal infallibility i.e. if the pope said or wrote something it was incapable of being ‘wrong’ in 1850. The church got away with that logic in Ireland until the 80’s and now Irish psychiatry will get away with the ‘figure of speech’ defense.
There’s no point in getting upset about it – not in a country whose GDP is being partly financed by the huge number of pharma companies providing employment here. There’s not going to be any critique or blow back in the Irish media no matter what is going on a small distance across the water in the UK where there is dissent against the drug model that is filtering through to the mainstream – even the BBC. It’s not going to happen here. There are no Mary Raftery’s in this country anymore.
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