I'm not a professional, and I'm not diagnosing, but I am diagnosed autistic and I share some of what you're talking about here.
I'm sensitive to noise, smells, lights and vibrations (living next to a very busy road, I can feel almost every large non-electric vehicle go by -- makes working from home hard at points).
Worth reading into if you have the energy. I do know folks who are diagnosed with schizophrenia and they seem to have an underlying component of some neurodivergence (arguably schizophrenia should also be considered neurodivergence) and went through an extreme burnout/traumatic event.
I moved twice in the last few years. Immediately after moving I was completely unable to sleep. Too bright. Too loud. What are these noises? What is that vibration? For me, it fades after a few weeks. The train can be rumbling by with the horn going and I'll sleep right through it now. I think maybe for some, that filter never builds up. Not sure how to articulate it but it does seem a significant component of both autism and schizophrenia (which in some ways seem to be almost opposites) is a difficulty in developing that sort of filtering-out of the constant sensory bombardment we're all under.
Acclimitisation can be hard. In some cases I can put things to the back of my mine, but often it's just hard or not possible.
Certainly in my experience and from talking to others who identify or have been diagnosed similarly, in the majority of cases you don't get used to certain things. You can't acclimitise and that's why a load of people who are autistic aren't employed.
I might seem okay in the office, but what isn't seen is my complete inability to function at home if there have been too many inputs and distractions. Lucky I can work from home a couple of times a week and my hours are flexible in that I can start earlier so not to travel into the city when it's busy -- busses are quiet at 05:00/06:00 thankfully!
Having a small office I share with a few people helps. My last place went all in on the open-planned office and it was hell. I can't see how anyone is getting much work done in environments like that, haha.
Schizophrenia is certainly neurodivergence, as far as I know. I've often seen it depicted that autism and schizophrenia are roughly on opposite sides of neurotypical:
- Autism can make one prone to detail-oriented thinking, focusing on small details, requiring logical connections to understand and apply ideas. Constraints are well understood and considered. This can result in stuff like OCD.
- Schizophrenia can make one prone to disconnected thinking, focusing on big pictures, fitting together ideas that may seem entirely unrelated. Even constraints that seem obvious may be completely ignored. This can result in stuff like conspiracy theories and convoluted delusions. Delusions happen because beliefs may not be constrained by what's actually realistic, the big picture could be more prominent.
I don't know how true this analogy is, but it certainly seems interesting to consider.
Very insteresting, my father thinks I'm autistic, while some psychiatrist concluded for "Hebephrenic schizophrenia". In my developer work I tend to rush things a bit, maybe because I don't know how long I'll feel in peace, but if I can really find peace, then I deeply focus like an autist. Also I'm not associal (except the fact I don't like cigarette, so I'll avoid crowd due to that unfortunatly) I usually engage conversations with anyone, helps breaking my loneliness, and that's not really a trait of autists I believe (who are more shy/introvert/associal no?)
> I usually engage conversations with anyone, helps breaking my loneliness, and that's not really a trait of autists I believe (who are more shy/introvert/associal no?)
I think 'autistics' is a better term here; 'autists' can make... not the best impression.
Anyway: no, autistics aren't necessarily more shy/introverted/asocial. I'm autistic and I'm definitely not that way; I usually try to connect to as many people as I can and I have to speak to people essentially every day or else I get extremely lonely/depressed. Part of this is probably due to ADHD and possibly also B(orderline)PD, but it's also because that's just the way I am.
> arguably schizophrenia should also be considered neurodivergence
Isn't it? My understanding of the word is "anyone who experiences the world differently from the social 'normal'", which would certainly include schizophrenia and other kinds of mental disorders.
I'm with you, I thought neurodivergent included any folks whose brain chemistry was different than the 'regular' baseline. Bipolar, schizophrenic, etc.
> arguably schizophrenia should also be considered neurodivergence
Nope never!
I have experience with schizophrenia and it can never be confused with anything else. The person with it is devoid of reality and does not know they are sick. They resist treatment and sometimes would rather go homeless, stop eating or taking care of themselves, in order to avoid treatment. They pull down everyone in their lives trying to help them, and it really takes a toll on family and relationships.
I couldn't agree more with you. I've got a brother who's been diagnosed with schizophrenia. He's in denial and it's a constant worry that he will stop taking his meds again. It's a brutal, life-destroying illness if it's not managed. His lows are truly soul-destroying to witness.
I see where you're coming from, but a prosthetic arm is someone's arm. Mentally it very quickly can become something you identify with, like a prosthetic arm basically being YOUR arm.
When you then have your prosthetic then being an advertisement, it can have an impact on your relationship with the device.
I don't want someone branding my arm and I can see why others would feel the same.
You're right -- I totally misread what you said. Sorry!
I think tattoo does imply more of a permanence and familiarity in regards to the relationship someone would have with a tattoo on a part of their body they're born with, but I do see your point as well.
Speaking as someone who is autistic and has significant hearing loss, open offices are a form of torture. It might sound like hyperbole, but I promise it's not!
I enjoy working in a team, but in more enclosed spaces. In my current job I share a room with two other people and it's just right (apart from when all of us are in remote meetings at the same time, but you win some and you lose some).
I have quite significant hearing loss these days, which has been tied back to having Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, relating to connective tissue development, which in part could impact areas that result in certain types of tinnitus developing.
Worse thing about tinnitus and hearing loss is that the more your hearing goes, the louder the tinnitus gets. Haven't heard proper silence in over a decade. Bit of a nightmare sometimes!
Women tend to not be diagnosed as much as men either, mainly as they're forced to mask more throughout life -- I don't think we'll ever get an accurate representation there, unfortunately.
I feel like there are things not being said in the study that should have been. I could be wrong, but I don't see a mention of whether the parents of the autistic children were themselves autistic or not and feel that could be important criteria to have noted.
Yeah the fact that it's spinning as much as it is would probably dissipate any excess heat that black paint would add. Lots of airflow. My guess, at least.
Does that happen often? When I pass by the wind farm every time I go to visit extended family, I don't think I've ever seen them stopped. Granted that's not often. I really don't know.
I imagine you'd place them in an area where there's almost always wind, otherwise you've planned poorly.
Yeah it's a possibility. The black blade might expand more in the heat, so might become (for example) 10 mm longer than the white blades, which could cause a vibration problem due to being out of balance.
Currently, all the blades are the same color, so should expand and contract equally in the sunlight.
I do it very often because I often walk around my office or play with toys in my hands when I am collecting my thoughts or focusing on listening to people. Also help not feeling the urge to multitask and do other things on the computer.
I'm sensitive to noise, smells, lights and vibrations (living next to a very busy road, I can feel almost every large non-electric vehicle go by -- makes working from home hard at points).
Worth reading into if you have the energy. I do know folks who are diagnosed with schizophrenia and they seem to have an underlying component of some neurodivergence (arguably schizophrenia should also be considered neurodivergence) and went through an extreme burnout/traumatic event.
Hope you're able to get some peace!