Ask HN: How do you deal with mental illness?

Re:Ask HN: How do you deal with mental illness? by pragmatic on Tuesday December 23, 2008 @10:52AM (#407655)

Have you been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome (AS)? Many of these problems sound like symptoms of AS. Many, many programmers have AS (it seems computers were made by and for people with AS (see the book below)). I've worked with several whom I suspected but weren't formally diagnosed. They were miserable because the couldn't understand how to deal with people on a functional level.

The key is to understand the root of the problem. Some of the coworkers would be diagnosed with general anxiety disorder and the like while AS was the painfully obvious condition (though anxiety, etc are very common in those with AS).

Read this book ASAP: The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome by Tony Attwood http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843104957

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Re:Ask HN: How do you deal with mental illness? by time_management on Tuesday December 23, 2008 @11:36AM (#407726)

Quite possibly a mild case of AS. I was socially awkward as a kid, most of my friends in high school were IM/online friends, and I didn't have a serious girlfriend until after college. I'm "class of 23" although that could have been earlier if I were an unscrupulous person.

I had a social growth spurt recently (girlfriend dumped me, health problems went away, much better job, developed the will to learn social skills previously neglected) which has been wonderful, but also a huge spiritual challenge for reasons that are too personal to get into.

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