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Autism Associated With Shorter Lifespan, According To UK Charity Study
Cognitive Dissident writes: It's only one study, but the results are disturbing. An article in The Guardian describes a study by the UK charity Autistica showing that all people on the autism spectrum, not just the profoundly autistic, seem to be dying much younger than the average. There is no single definable cause, though a higher rate of suicide is one problem, but the aggregate result is a much higher mortality rate than the general population. There is no single cause, but a higher rate of suicide is noted. "Autistic people with no learning disabilities are nine times more likely to die from suicide compared to the rest of the population, the report states." Looks like something that needs more attention and research, which the charity is trying to organize.
"There is no single definable cause, though a higher rate of suicide is one problem, but the aggregate result is a much higher mortality rate than the general population. There is no single cause, but a higher rate of suicide is noted."
I want to kill myself after reading the same sentence over and over, albeit worded slightly different.
With a suicide rate that much higher than average, is it possible that people on the autism spectrum choose to end their life because of the complications that come with being autistic versus the suicide rate being driven by autism as a mental illness?
... are made for suicide and for well-known highly-correlated conditions like epilepsy?
In other words, do an Apples-to-Apples comparison, and answer these questions:
* What is the decrease in age attributable to suicide among those without other correlated conditions, compared to those in the general, non-Autism-spectrum population without correlated conditions.
* For each correlated condition, is there an increase in suicide compared to those not on the Autism spectrum who have the same correlated condition? If so, how much does this decrease the overall lifespan for those on the Autism spectrum?
* For each correlated condition, is there a non-suicide-caused decrease in lifespan compared to non-autistic-spectrum-disorder people with the same correlated condition, and if so, how big is it?
* For those who have neither a correlated condition nor who take their own life, is there a decrease in lifespan compared to the general population, and if so, how big is it?
Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
We're social creatures. Autistic people have a hard time forming and sustaining friendships, a process that 'normal' people find so easy and second nature they don't even consider others could have problems in that area. And without a strong social circle, suicide risk goes way up, and I imagine susceptibility to other diseases (from weakened immune response due to the stress of loneliness) and lack of anyone to 'make an effort' with regards to personal health and fitness increases risk from lifestyle-related illnesses.
On another note, they state that mortality rates are increased for those on the autism spectrum.
Mortality rates for the general public without autism is precisely 100%.
What is the mortality rate for those with autism?
Are they also less likely to marry? Because it turns out people die a lot quicker if there isn't someone there to realize they tripped, for example.
They seem to specifically be pushing the suicide part of the story, perhaps because it plays well in the media and elicits the most sympathy. But the article also says people on the autism spectrum are 20 to 40 times more likely to suffer from other brain disorders such as epilepsy - and people affected by that have a life expectancy of only 39 years.
#DeleteChrome
You have problems.
I always knew it, those evil people at the suicide hotline are responsible for the raising incidence of Autism. Something should definitely be done about it!
If programs would be read like poetry, most programmers would be Vogons.
I consider myself extremely lucky to have succeeded in raising my boy, who suffers from a mild type of autism (Aspberger's syndrome), past his 18th year.
At age 6, this boy ran on the frail gutter of a roof, 15 meters from the ground. He escalated a radiator, opened the window and just took a walk on the gutter, and he foresaw absolutely no danger in doing it..
Ten years later, after having narrowly escaped a dozen of such 'accidents', he did it again.
He walked on the roof border from the bathroom window to the room where is computer was locked out.
And again, he did not feel any sense of danger. He told me he just wanted his computer.
There is a reason why autism, even in it's mildest forms, is still regarded as a disorder. It might help you wrap your mind with better intensity around some problems. But that comes at the cost of your awareness to... well, pretty much everything else.
And that doesn't help you to survive, that's for sure.
Communication is the cornerstone of medical diagnosis.
While "normal" only includes one way of looking at the world you are always going to have others who will be made to feel like outsiders, and if they feel like that it will be harder for them to reach out to others when they do need help.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
This is why we have such a challenge getting over the hurdle of doing good science, getting it published, and the understanding of the condition and it's implications becoming well understood enough that we have any hope of doing anything about it to improve the lives of future generations.
The challenge I am speaking of is that of science results being judged as sexist or victim shaming or otherwise prejudicial when nature does not operate that way.
In order to understand complex developmental illnesses and conditions, evidence based approaches need to be implemented and used and yes the truth hurts.
Autism is a developmental disorder and it is not fair, but in order to do something about it we need to accept that those with the condition have certain stresses and unique miseries that need to be examined, addressed and understood in order to have any hope of creating a better life for future generations on this front. That is the truth as plainly as it can be laid out at this point.
This is why people on the spectrum, get so pissed off when normals show up and start throwing around the "oh you poor unique snowflake" shit. Those types are not compatible with progress and they would do well to shut their mouths and stop trying to victim shame, and rather learn to be better people.
Call me a SJW, but this article has been very enlightening on what needs to happen in terms of social change and scientific progress for the world that is coming where cures and treatments for this kind of thing can become real.
Have you considered the possibility that you may just need a new bed mattress?
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
... they did not diagnose it back then.
He missed his hundreds birthday by a couple months.
A very prominent person on the spectrum Paul Dirac died at the ripe age of 82.
The wide spread diagnosis of Aspergers and Autism disorder only gained traction well into the second half of the 20th century. This makes the data basis inherently skewed.
Autistica are the British name for Autism Speaks. They are a 'charity' staffed almost entirely by NTs. (they currently have two token autistic board members (out of 40)) They hoover up all the donations from well meaning people but spend only 3% of the money they get on actually helping autistic people. Of the rest, over 40% goes on eugenics research intended to wipe us out and most of the rest on advertising and fat salaries ($400K+ in some cases) for their directors. They also make dehumanising videos about autism which completely misrepresent what it is (for example portraying meltdowns as the norm of autistic behaviour when in reality they're anything but) and are proponents of ABA, an abusive therapy which involves training children like dogs and results in depression, PTSD and worse. Do not believe a damn word they say and ffs, don't give them any money. Give it to ASAN if you're in America or Autistic UK if you're in Britain, both organisations actually run by autistic people.
No, he's been shunned by the community.
"So long and thanks for all the fish."
Chronic stress is known to shorten the life-span of humans. Living in a world that you find confusing, difficult and alien is very stressful, this I know from personal experience.
"Autistic people with no learning disabilities are nine times more likely to die from suicide compared to the rest of the population, the report states."
That's hardly surprising. Unlike 'normal' people, they concentrate all the attention to the job at hand, even if it's the job to killing yourself, so it's normal if they have higher 'success' rates.
Please! Don't give them idiots any ideas!
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Disturbed in knowing that while the aspergers you know have well paid jobs you have to flip burgers for a living? Poor snowflake ;-)
Religion: The greatest weapon of mass destruction of all time
There is another interesting and potentially very important observation: People with ASD appear to have a gut flora that differs significantly from the average population.
Bingo!
This! A thousand times this!
Nutrition is the most overlooked factor in the wider ADHD / Autism spectrum. I'm a sugar addict and would subscribe a lot of my solopsistic behaviour that might be classified as sort-of "aspergerish" or adhd to diet. Whenever I make an effort to eat healthy the difference is very notable. I'm more awake, more aware, my mood is better and I'm way better at social interaction.
Excercise is another big factor, as is - for heterosexual men - interaction with women. It's a proven scientific fact that social interaction with women improves mens mental health across the board, autism or not. ... I'm basically addicted to Tango for that exact reason - one of the rare opportunities where interaction of the sexes is still formalised, similar to ye 'olde days. Testosterone goes up, cortisol and other stress-hormones go down. Again, that's scientifically proven. Mood and mental well-being improves measurably. If you're a nerd or geek like me and suffer from the usual social interaction problems, especially with the other gender, you should try it.
We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
You seem to have problems. Have you considered professional assistance?
I have friends who are autistic and most have food issues. Some only eat white food, some won't mix food colors on the plate, etc.
As they get diabetes, it's very hard for those who only eat carbs to manage it. And what they eat isn't really a choice for them. There may be some tricky way to educate them but short of that it's the only way they can eat.
She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
That's bad for the medical industry profits so it will remain illegal.
love is just extroverted narcissism
"Autistic people with no learning disabilities are nine times more likely to die from suicide compared to the rest of the population"
It's because the main part of society doesn't understand us. They treat us like crap, walk all over us, they apply their motives to us and treat us as liars even when we're more honest. We're bullied from our childhood because "we're different".
Not bad, 8 out of 4,000,000+ users. You show 'em tiger. ;-)
'Snot my fault you got shunned. You're the goober that kept posting the same thing over and over again and stalking people. I can't say that people haven't warned you enough times - you should have known it was coming.
Did you figure out what they filtered you on/with or what? It'd be funnier than hell if you figured out a way past the filter. I must confess, I'm kind of rooting for it to happen. I'd be systematically figuring out what was filtered and what wasn't but I'm a bit tedious like that. Actually, got a link to one of your older posts with all the words in it? (From before the shunning.) I might get bored and sit down and figure out what words they put into the lameness filter.
"So long and thanks for all the fish."
Because they are worn down by a society that refuses to make a place for them and allow them to earn a decent living and become productive members of society. And you get to a point where you're just tired of constantly being on the outside looking in, as the lives of everyone you know evolves and grows and you're stuck in the same place you've been for 25+ years, with absolutely no hope of things getting any better.
"I'm taking AP Math and Chemistry, I plan to graduate college at 20, med school by 23 and have my own practice at 25."
"That's nothing, I plan to be dead by 30."
I know you probably thought your post made a sensible point. It does, just not the one you intended, namely "I don't understand feminism".
I doubt s/he was trying to make any point...I think that the post was meant to be a joke. You know, those things people laugh at because they are so absurd that they are obviously not true?
APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
Given that autism is currently recognized much more often in boys than in girls (whether or not this reflects actual incidence is unclear), and that men are much more likely to succeed at committing suicide, I wonder how much of that "nine times more likely" is simply because it has more men and how much is genuine risk.
Examine even your most deeply held beliefs. Nobody is always right.