Gud, You and yours are in my thoughts.

A Compelling Theory About Introversion, Extroversion, and Autism

In her master's thesis (read it here) Grimes posits that introversion is not the opposite of extroversion, but that they are two different traits altogether. And she proposes something that has come up here from time to time: That introversion actually is on the autism scale.

Grimes' thesis explains that if you take each of the factors this new model proposes and follow it along a continuum to their most extreme expressions, they correlate with the widely used Baron-Cohen Autism Spectrum Quotient.

Depending on how much we have of each factor (and how they interact with other personality traits), we can be simply introverted or, moving along the continuum, have Asperger's syndrome or, moving further yet, have autism.

Huh.

I'm pretty sure most kinds of human behavior are on a spectrum that ends with some kind of disorder. I mean, right? There's being sad today and there's clinical depression. There's being effective and there's being manic.

That's interesting because I heard a theory just the other day (on SGU, so I'm sure you did too) that would remove Aspergets from the autism spectrum and stick it on the extreme end of "normal" introversion. (Leaving the autism spectrum intact, but acknowledging that it's a separate developmental disorder of which introversion is only the most visible symptom.)

Here's hoping that getting the overdose caught before it caused too much damage will be the start of better times for him!

I think I got less than five hours solid sleep last night. Good thing I only work 4-8 today, so I will have the chance to get a nap in. Not at all sleepy now. sigh.

FWIW, I used to think I was introverted, but it was social anxiety holding me back. Chemically corrected, I'm the (happier) mild extrovert I was destined to be.

Very glad to hear that he's okay, Gud. Attempted suicide is very scary for everyone.

Dylan just got invited to his first drop-off birthday party!!! Woo hooooo!! An afternoon off!

Gud, my thoughts are with you and your family. I'm so sorry you've had such a rough week.

Hi everyone. There's no way I could possibly catch up on the two or so months worth of posts I've missed, so I'm not going to try. I have so much gratitude for everyone, I've missed you all, I'm happy to be back, tons of ~ma for everyone that needs it, I hope that Sass is found soon, and I'm just going to skip to the end of all the threads I read.

Waves to amyth.