Cats and Adults with Asperger Syndrome

As an adult with Asperger Syndrome, I do believe that cats and people with Autism have very similar traits and characteristics. Like cats, adults with Asperger Syndrome tend to be very protective and possessive of space. Furthermore, cats tend to take time in getting to know someone and interacting with other cats. Adults with Autism are no exception, as they take time in getting to know other people as well.
Cats also respond to affection differently as do dogs and other animals. Cats seem to like to be patted or stroked but this has to be undertaken with caution so as to not over stimulate them. Cats also prefer space and often it takes time to get to know and understand their personality. A lot of adults with Asperger Syndrome seem to have cats or prefer them as pets. In her book “All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome”, Kathy Hoopmann describes the many similar traits that cats share with people who have Autism. The link can be found by visiting the following website http://rgr-static1.tangentlabs.co.uk/images/bau/97818431/9781843104810/0/0/plain/all-cats-have-asperger-syndrome.jpg
I have noticed working with cats that they do demonstrate behaviour and anxiety differently as do other animals. If the room is messed up or changed, the cat seems uncomfortable and needs time to adjust to such change. If the cat is also unsettled, the cat may exhibit behaviours which show anxiety levels at an increased level. For instance, if a new cat enters the confines of other cats, some of the cats may not feel comfortable and show anger by scratching the new cat’s cage and misplacing bedding etc. While I worked with the cats, I noticed this form of behaviour which seemed to me to show discomfort and unhappiness.
I have known of one adult with Asperger Syndrome living with 14 cats. The cats to her were like friends that she could rely upon and trust. The cat is more like a servant, whereas the dog a hunter. The cat does not seem to crave affection but likes routines of knowing when dinner is available and when bedding etc will be complete. The question needs to be asked. Do adults with Asperger Syndrome have or exhibit the same tendencies?
Cats like to explore but they don’t like to be pressured in terms of exploring. When they search and find out their new surrounds, picking them up and placing them in the new area may cause the cat distress. The cat needs a slow adjustment to its new environment just like the adult with Autism, so another interesting parallel. I have also noticed that some toys can over stimulate cats and furthermore some smells and sounds can have the same effect also. Just like cats, people with Autism also share the same characteristics and issues.
In analysis, it seems that both cats and adults with Asperger Syndrome share the same characteristics in that they both require space, take time in getting to know other companions and affection is shown and expressed differently. For adults with Autism, a cat is perhaps the pet of choice as it displays and represents the same characteristics of the cat. Perhaps this is the reason why more adults with Autism have a preference for a cat as an animal than a dog or any other pet. Perhaps both Cats and Autistic People share the same commonalities and it is only with time that we can begin to explore such similarities in finding out more about unlocked behaviours and emotions. My thoughts are of course my own opinion and not everyone is going to agree with them. They are just thoughts as I outlined.

Navigating the social world and the difficulty in obtaining promotion

For any purpose who is unable to play the politics game and suck up the right people, promotion is all but merely impossible. Often because you don't know how to play such games and navigate the social world, you are often over looked or forgotten about in terms of promotion and skills enhancement. What I find difficult is the interview process and being able to convince hierarchical structures that I am keen and enthusiastic to learn new skills. Often such difficulty means that you encounter difficulty when wanting to learn more. I have always used the only mechanism at my disposal which is to not lose hope and to always find a way. Some things in life can be severely crushing and just because you see things a little bit differently to others, you are often isolated and crushed. I know I am an intelligent person and yet I have to rely on my intelligence to understand and make sense of the world around me. I struggle more so in a lot of areas which other people find easy and the only response you get is we all have such struggles. Well that may be true to some people, but you try spending a great deal of your time not being able to read signals, nuicances and body language which 85% or more of the population find easy.

I think from my own personal experience that people with Asperger Syndrome suffer mainly in the point of entry and expectation. By this I mean the job interview process often works against them and furthermore the means by which to demonstrate their abilities within a work environment. As work places become more computerised, a lot of adults with Asperger Syndrome struggle to cope with the absence of routine and predictability in their lives. This very problem creates or more so causes from my own personal experience a rise in anxiety levels. This rise in anxiety levels then causes a physiological affect of the adult with AS not being able to perform in a set task or function because they either experience melt down or an inability to cope. I think negative stereotyping of AS is not helpful. People with Asperger Syndrome do not lack emotion, two way interaction etc. People with Asperger Syndrome just respond and react to situations differently to other people. Wrongful stereotyping creates a great inequality in that adults with Asperger Syndrome greatly miss out on a reasonable quality of life. Being unemployed causes a lack of self esteem which in turn creates a scenario of wanting to withdraw and be left alone. Even within employment a great deal many Aspies are fail within the promotion stakes and spend a lot or great deal of them time in base grade level positions. Often if they are just given a chance to demonstrate their abilities, then employers and Managers may be convinced of the merits of people with Asperger Syndrome. Does equity really work when comparing an adult with Asperger Syndrome and furthermore what if any does this have on their day to days lives? I guess it is up to the individual to decide?

The challenges of being a man

I think it is difficult being a man with Asperger Syndrome for there are so many expectations placed upon you and if you don't meet them you are somehow out of step or lazy. The things which I find difficult are as follows:

1. If you can work only part time you must be lazy
2. If you are not in a relationship, not married nor really interested or cannot handle one then you are either dysfunctional, something wrong with you or you are sometimes branded homosexual
3. You are supposed to not show emotions or reveal your feelings
4. If you show your feelings or tears then you are considered a wimp
5. If you care about others and try and help them then what is wrong with you
6. As a man you have to prove to other men you are better than them and outdo them.
7. Have a career path and a fancy car.
8. Have a macho image and compete with everyone else
9. Bullshit at a job interview or at a date
10. Be self conscious of what everyone thinks about you.

There seems a stereotype that if you do not fit into the "normal" stereotype and unconventional then you are to be avoided at all cost. It seems to me that being on the outer is not common in our "socialised" world and even if you dare to be yourself, women and other men cannot understand you, so you never really win or get anywhere.

From my own experience and beliefs, people with Asperger Syndrome don't really fall into conventional labels and when I say this then the NT will think, then what label can be affixed to the head of a person with Asperger Syndrome. I think in society we tend to label too much and furthermore socialise people the way they are supposed to be and if they break the conventions, then avoid them at all costs.

Adults with Asperger Syndrome tend to think or more so over think a lot more than other people. Our minds are always buzzing a long and our brains have difficulty shutting down. I get sick and tired of people who are critical of you if you don't fit into the so called conventions and social norms. I may not want all the trappings of an NT person so please don't try and force me to want them. I am happy being humble and just getting on with my life.

Looking into the heavens

When you look up at the stars, especially on a clear night, you are amazed at how many stars and how much of space exists before your very eyes. To realise that what you are seeing takes many thousands of light years or indeed more to reach your eyes, you begin to realise how insignificant earth is as a planet in the enormity of space. When I was a student at the University of New England, I became interested in finding out and putting forward the suggestion of establishing and Astronomical Society. Armidale was fortunate being so remote to have a good visibility of a decent night sky around it. You could venture 2 or 3 kilmometres out of the city and see the pitch black night sky before your very eyes with all the stars, planets, and nebulas etc in the heavens. Furthermore, the University had it's own telescope which seemed seldom used. I made contact with a member of the Physics Department about whether or not there existed an Astronomical Society at the University or indeed Armidale, and as one didn't exist, I came up with the help of a few others to suggest the idea and concept of an Astronomical Society.

The first meetings of the club met at the University and then a field night was planned at the nearby telescope. It used to be interesting going out to the telescope for having pitch blackness around you, you certainly needed a torch to find your way around. You could drive your car out to the nearby dirt road where the telescope was located and once you turned off your car headlights there existed nothing but total darkness and above you all the stars above you. Through the telescope you could see Planets and Nebula. One interesting Nebula was the Orion Nebula http://usm.maine.edu/planet/Orion%20Nebula.jpg and also the surface of the moon. You could also see a distant start that not like a star but a small planet. Also a lecturer would often attend and provide the group with some useful information about the Cosmos and explanations of the Nebula and certain constellations. The best time to view the night sky is in winter as there is less moisture and often clearer weather to make viewing better and more possible. It was really an experience to attend observation nights and I have joined an Astronomical Association here in Brisbane but seeing a dark sky is not possible with scattered city light. Anyhow finding out more information and being enlightened by research is always a welcome event.

Memory and how I am able to use it

When I have heard Dr Temple Grandin speak, I recall her mentioning that she sees things in pictures and not words. As an adult, I also visualize the same way, only I have no artistic ability. When I plan activities or organise my day to day appointments, I tend to visualise more pictures than I do words. A word or a series of numbers often means little to me unless it is a birthrate or year of significance. If for instance I visualise the year 1972, it is the year of my birth and I can recall a lot of events that happened that year but rather than see the words of the events, I see a picture of the events themselves and link them to the respective year. When I catch up with friends or organise an event, I see the event in my head as a picture but how the event will unfold is another matter. I respond to colour, certain sounds of music and pictures. When I hear certain songs, I can recall memories from the past and when I was in Pre School and Grade 1, my favourite jumper had a pattern on the front of it and when you pressed the pattern it would make a horn sound. I can recall being in Grade 1 Music Class with a teacher called Mr Straw and when I pressed the pattern on this jumper which was a relaxant to me, I ended up getting into trouble as it disrupted the class. Also I remember visualizing having my legs crossed and floating over the school as I guess was a form of depersonalization at the time.

Often my memory is so sharp that I can recall names of people and events others have forgotten and I am almost able to recall an event from every year from a certain period. History and knowing dates got me through writing assignments and thinking in pictures helps me to get through some other events. When I think of a car I see the car in my head as a picture and have difficulty making sense of the word. I see colours as a means of lifting myself out of the doldrums and see gray as a means of enduing down moods. When I plan events everything is mapped out in my head and I see the month of the oncoming months and years in my head too rather than the dates of the month. One of the difficulties or triggers associated with anxiety and depression is too much focus on the future than on the present. I have learned relaxation techniques of counting in for 4 seconds and exhaling for 8 seconds to control anxiety better. When you are anxious and your mind goes into over drive, focusing on breathing is but one means of bringing you back from the anxiety to be in the present and to induce a calm frame of mind. I wonder how many people with Autism actually think in pictures and not words?

The annoyance of hierarchy and bureaucracy

One of the things that really gets under my skin is annoying bureaucracy and hierarchy. Things that could be done quickly, promptly and efficiently are instead disrupted by endless paper work and deferral to other departments or areas to be improved. For instance why do you need so many people to execute one function and why do some people have to make life difficult for you when you are trying to do the right thing and achieve an end result? Bureaucracy had its foundations from Ancient Rome when the Roman Emperor Claudius needed to rely on others to help with decision making. Since Ancient Rome, bureaucracy has become a common and yet sometimes an annoying feature in our society. Simple decisions and responsibilities take forever to be made and also stupid games are played and politics instead of outcome and result. One of the things that really irritates me is office politics and people who genuinely make life difficult for others.

Hierarchy is no exception either for you have to ask so many people just to get a simple and straight forward answer. Why can't one person simply answer it instead a whole tribe of Indians without a Chief? Also pecking orders seem to have a negative ramification in that certain people can sometimes sit on the buts and not do anything and cause inefficiency to occur. It is important to have people work together but pecking orders can be really annoying for sometimes you can end up with crap decisions or poor direction as a result. Also some people in supervisory or important positions can act in their own interests instead of what their position requires of them and things can be even more difficult. This can be seen in some phone companies, and other businesses. Furthermore you can beat your head against a brick wall with wanting outcomes and finding that nothing happens and you get nowhere. Sometimes you can not intentionally lead a crusade just to get something simple done. Often bureaucracy and hierarchy seem a means of controlling people but sadly they also can be a means of just allowing inefficiency to flourish with no real clear resolution or outcome in sight.

Understanding the Autistic Brain

In 2005, I completed the Dore Program. The Dore Program was a series of exercises which were designed to help improve the performance of the Cerebellum. The Cerebellum is believed to not work properly in people with Asperger Syndrome and undertaking mental exercises were designed to improve its functioning. I was involved in and completed the Dore Program and found it helped me with improved function in some areas, but sadly it did not help me with reading and I still struggle to some extent with reading today.

What then was the Dore Program and did it actually help my Asperger Syndrome? In simply answering this question, the Dore Program assisted with some areas of functioning and opening up some neuro pathways but seeing the program as a cure was totally unrealistic. Despite the negative press that the Dore Program received, it was an attempt at the time to offer some hope in assisting with brain function in adults not only with Asperger Syndrome but other disabilities were also believed to be cured or improved.

Being on the program meant a strict observance and adherence to the cognitive tasks both morning and afternoon. The exercises were usually 10mins each and 3 exercises were assigned to you in the morning and afternoon. What I found difficult as an adult was getting supervision. I often had to undertake the exercises myself and this was done to the best of my ability and what I could manage at the time. Exercises consisted of standing on what was called a Wobble Board which was a circular board with a pivot in the middle and the use of bean bags. Other exercises were recalling numbers and improving on balance. Although the Dore Program was universal in some countries it seems that all that remains of it now is on the following website http://www.dore.co.uk/

In terms of helping with Asperger Syndrome, I found that some mental tasks were easier and less effort but still I think the Cerebellum struggles in certain areas. Sometimes I find I am clumsy and unable to achieve balance in some areas but I do believe parts of my brain which previously did not work have opened up. I do think the program helped but seeing it is as a cure is totally unrealistic. Dore was described prior to it as like driving a car with flat tyres and then pumping the tyres up to make the car and the tyres work together and not autonomously. The program I completed in approximately 18 months with a Doctor's assessment before and prior. It seemed to me that Dore was a means of improving Cerebellum Function to assist in open neuro pathways. Sometimes I still get head cramps and what I call blocks which preclude me from carrying out more tasks or areas of function. The only way to get around these is to try and ride them out and when cramps occur to try and exercise or take magnesium to increase serotonin

Gluten Intolerance, Eating and Indigestion

At times I find my appetite changes as sometimes I like to eat a lot and other times I like to eat less.  Some foods can be really enjoyable and others just bore me to the point of wanting to eat something else.  I have a food anxiety on occasions where I cannot function unless I eat something.  Have you ever had a craving for something to eat and find that what you want to eat cannot be satisfied?  Also do you find lunch annoying at times as you have so much on your plate that finding or preparing something to eat is often an annoyance?  Eating healthy is something I try hard to do but often healthy food is not around when you need it.  For instance when working finding the 15 or so minutes to find something to eat which is healthy is often difficult unless you battle for space in the Staff Room fridge to place your food.

As an adult with Asperger Syndrome I have always suffered from indigestion and I think certain foods do irritate the intestinal regions to cause irritability and poor concentration.  Certain foods can also disrupt necessary sleep as you may encounter intestinal complaints keeping you awake and preventing you from obtaining necessary and vital sleep.  What then does a Gluten Free Diet claim to do and does it really work. I am not really well up to date on Gluten Free but I understand it is removing Gluten, Starch or Wheat from the diet?  Often food that is Gluten Free tends to taste a bit like plastic and I find it not as satisfying as some other dietary supplements.  Anxiety tends to creep in, in many ways and often food anxiety can be a problem when you need to eat something just to keep you going. Often we seem to eat food of all types not realising the health risks and side effects of our culinary requirements.  It would be interesting to research the relationship between Gluten Intolerance and Asperger Syndrome and to discover if any side affects from this.

Wearing many hats in multi tasking

Often modern life can be busy.  There are appointments that need attendance, decisions which need to be made, friends to catch up with and commitments that need to be adhered to as well as try to run events and ensure things are happening.  I have never really struggled with Executive Function but when I multi task, often things can catch up with me.  Like many people, we often wear a lot of hats and undertake certain responsibilities.  I often don't like to be remiss with certain duties or commitments and being at several places at once can often require a lot of energy.  People seem to work a lot harder nowadays and often this creates the "Merry Go Round" affect.  You have to contact this person, help with the running of another duty and ensure that you can try and help where you can.  People often think I am physical but I have a lot of difficulty with multi tasking and co-coordinating myself  in duties that require lifting etc.  Simple tasks often require a great deal of mental energy and thinking more in my head than actually physically carrying it out is another matter.  For instance, I can see a project that needs to be undertaken for instance back shelving within the library but yet I can only do so much and my body is only physically able to do so much.  When another duty is added to one I am already doing, I become confused as I want to finish the first task let alone do another and so I become confused and my routine is broken. 

Multi tasking is not easy for anyone but the only way to deal with it is to tick things off consecutively as  you undertake and complete the duty.  The public service is notorious for jobs which are never completed and you wonder at the end of the day what work you actually performed and executed.  As humans I think we are expected to do more but physically we can only do so much.  Perhaps humans will be digitalised soon like everything else to ensure that productivity and efficiently is kept up to speed. 

The Ark of Covenant

As I sit here 15 mins before I begin work, I ponder over whether The Ark of Covenant actually exists or if it does, will we ever see it.  According to Ancient testimony the Ark was removed or more so stolen by the Ethiopians and is comfortably ensconced within some Ancient Temple under the careful eye and protection of some Ancient Priest.  If the Ark does exist then what do the scrolls look like if written by the hand of God and surely why would God place a curse on them if man is to look at them of being vaporized or burn up etc? 

The Ark of Covenant is one of the biggest mysteries of all time and if indeed it does exist then what does this object look like and are the tablets from Moses within the Ark itself.  I am interested in finding out more about the Ark and hopefully with some more research I can begin to understand the legend more.  If anyone has any information on it please feel happy to provide some links and additional information.

Childhood Memories

As a child growing up on the out skirts of a capital city, I still remember my childhood memories.  I can remember thinking that before the age of 6 that I didn't really live in Brisbane but more so on its northern outskirts in Albany Creek which back then was like stepping out of the city to beyond the city limits.  My earliest recollection was the cupboard in the bathroom which seemed to be the passage to the roof and water below the house after a large deluge of rain. I also distinctly remember falling down the stairs while trying to open a door which was a childhood obsession with one of the legs of the chairs giving way to the opening created by the door and finding myself going down the 12 or so stairs one after the other like a rum barrel being rolled off an old cargo ship.

I knew at the age of 2 or so that something was different about me but I just put up with it as there didn't seem to be any answers to explain my often withdrawn behaviour and childhood obsessions which were to crystallize later.  Although I only attended Albany Creek Pre School and Primary School for 3/4 of Grade 1 in 1978, I do remember walking to school with my brother and a kid running me over with a bicycle. I also remember fearing the school yard and my first day of school to where all the children were given a balloon and basic directions to the school room.  I remember my first teacher as her name was Miss Muir and I remember associating her name with the Ghost and Mrs Muir the television series where the ghost of a Sea Captain dragged his chains in a deserted sea side town.  Also school was the first time that I was around other children and unlike the school children learning word meanings, associations and phonics, I found myself drawing pictures, placing stickers into magazines with coloured balls and other things.  I wondered why I was doing this but just went a long with what was expected of me.  As a child I also feared the school lavatory often holding back to when school was finished with my parents never really knowing why or what I was afraid of.  The big kids scared me but more so the toilet block as I could never understand what the hell a urinal was for and why those things you dried your hands with made so a loud and horrible noise. I also found school sport overwhelming and would not wear shorts and rather long pants as I knew the teachers would cave into the fact that sport could not be participated in with trousers instead of shorts. Furthermore I knew that finding shorts was impossible so my early attempts at manipulating events around me seemed to work.

As a kid I can remember watching black and white television and seeing small news clips of events in the Vietnam War.  I wondered what was meant by Guerrilla Warfare as I thought it either had to be the primate that ate bananas or the thing below the stove you toasted your cheese toast sandwich in.  One particular scene I remember distinctly was "Life Be In It" with this cartoon character called norm who encouraged everyone to contemplate exercise while he sat back on a cheer with a beer in his hand.  In one commercial in the mid 70's, Norm the cartoon character said turn off your television sets and get out and exercise and the television turned off of it's own accord.  Childhood curiosity also was overcome to some extent as to how sugarcane grew and as a 4 year old kid I went outside with a cup of sugar and sprinkled sugar crystals thinking that they would grow, knowing all to well that crystals are unlikely to grow into vegetation. 

My memories of preschool were washing dishes up in coloured water and blowing paint on a hung up piece of butcher's paper to create streaks and patterns etc.  I can remember riding a bicycle and realising that peddle power was required so that the bike would move forward as well as balance.  I never really knew what I wanted to be when I grew up but I do remember small things like seeing the Doctor and having a liking to milk medicine and hearing the horrible sound of the butcher's saw as he grinded through tough meat and bone with his white coat on.  Also my childhood fear was Taylor Mannequins as they had no heads and the way their arms stood out just sent shivers up my spine.  How a mannequin of this description got the name of a tickley bear I do not know.  I think it came from the memory I had of driving in the family car and seeing the Prickley Pair that grew a long the road side and the shape of it was similar to the mannequin and thus the childhood fear grew.

Those of us with good memories still probably remember the one car per family ratio.  My first memory was of an old Falcon with the Ivory looking steering wheel and the extended mileage dashboard.  Bicycles also back then had no hand brakes and you had to reverse the pedals on the bicycle to lock the brakes.  Furthermore I remember climbing tall trees until I could go no further and I remember when I was catching a lift as a kid of how a lift worked as somehow I looked through a crack in the door to see a rope that had to lead to something which after some investigation was a counterweight.  I was often classified as a freak or an outcast in the school system and more often than none was seen as an academic write off.  While kids were playing in the school yard I used to go to the library and read books or look up facts and figures.  I was never really understood as a child but back then nobody knew about Autism so no explanation was apparent.  It was like jumping through hoops but ending up in another obstacle or difficult situation.  My imagination got me through a lot of my childhood as well as living inside my head.  Such are childhood memories.

Interesting programs on the ABC and SBS

Often when you turn on the television you find a lot of dribble on and rather than inform and enlighten, television just seems like a waste of time.  Sometimes, however, there are some good documentaries that do come on especially on the ABC and SBS. Recently there was a show on the ABC and despite my memory being poor, it was about a British Historian who talked about the influence of Ancient Roman and Greek Culture in world cities. For instance some of the buildings in Washington DC were modeled off some Ancient buildings for instance the US Federal Court Building, the Congress Building and some buildings in London being St Pauls Cathedral and some other notable buildings.  What is fascinating about Ancient Buildings is the way the were erected and for what specific purpose?  Under the Roman Emperors a lot of infrastructure was carried out and some influences from the Etruscans and the Ancient Greeks were evident in some Roman infrastructure.  For instance the Parthenon  of Rome was copied by Hadrian as far as I know who built the Pantheon and the list goes on.  The Ancient Greeks built Amphitheaters to host plays and theater and the Romans perhaps expanded on these to build the Circus Maximus where games were hosted.  Some of the Roman Emperors for instance Commodious had a liking of providing the citizens of Ancient Rome  with Bread and Circus.  Commodious had a liking of Lions and would recruit his soldiers to round up Lions in Africa and bring them to Rome for entertainment.  Compared to today, the Romans enjoyed theater sports but unlike the Greeks, the Romans had a strong liking for violence instead of placid theater.  At the Roman games, the Emperor would often be in attendance and not feeding the Lions and intimidating them in their cages, a slave was often released into the theatre and a hungry lion released from its cage.  Gladiatorial games often gave way to man versus hungry beast and often at the Emperor's pleasure such events were hosted and considered entertainment at the time. 

One of the areas of mystery and fascination is the construction of the pyramids at Giza in Egypt.  Why were they built and how was the stone transported to this area and how long did it take for the pyramids to be constructed?  Egyptian history is one of intrigue and interest for how much do we really know about them?  I wonder if evidence of the Pyramids was destroyed in the Library of Alexandria which was accidentally burned to the ground by Julius Caesar?  Sadly a lot of Ancient Material and Scrolls were lost in this fire and unfortunately with such a loss our knowledge also confronts a mighty amount of information also.  With the shows that have been on SBS, I often like to watch shows about History and you get a bit sick and tired of the history of Hitler and the Third Reich so anything that takes your mind off this period is always rewarding.  It is amazing to think that so long ago Ancient people were able to construct such large and mighty edifices.  The Romans had a fascination with the arch and having attended the Ancient History Lecture yesterday also, to learn more about the Roman Emperors Trajan and Augustus was certainly interesting.  Last night I also watched a program on the Great Wall of China and the amount of man power that went into the construction of this ancient structure.  Mud was apparently laid at intervals and straw added to produce vast walls which expanded a great distance across China to keep the Monguls out as I understand. 

Often people seem to be afraid or uninterested to understand history but history is important to us for it show where we came from and how such events have influenced our world.  When you look at the Ancient Romans for instance they are not much different to us and we have learned a lot and obtained a lot from them.  History is important and having informative shows on television is essential also so hopefully more will appear also. 

Sleep Deprivation

Have you ever found yourself unable to sleep as your mind goes over and over and the very thought of sleep makes you anxious as you feel unable to sleep at all?   Some nights I encounter really bad insomnia where falling asleep can be difficult and often relaxation techniques prove useless.  Sometimes sleep difficulty can be due to lack of exercise, poor sleep hygiene or even intestinal upset.  People with Asperger Syndrome have a higher incidence of intestinal upsets which makes them more irritable than others and lack of vital sleep does not help either.  Sometimes medication can be used to assist but the side effects of medications can cause a greater sense of lack of function the next day compared to actual sleep deprivation itself.  Adults on the Autistic Spectrum have a greater difficulty with sleep at times and often the side affects of this affects their state of health and well being.  Often quality of life can be poor and if not dealt with or treated, some adults may also feel a sense of hopeless as can also be found with heightened anxiety and poor executive in regular function. I often find Sunday night is the worst for sleep hygiene as you have to mentally prepare for the week ahead and it is resuming a continual cycle.  Often the worst scenarios to cause anxiety is excessive worry about the past or more so the future.

For sleep deprivation and anxiety I was shown a few techniques which may prove helpful

1. Before going to bed turn off the computer an  hour before bed time or television.
2. Try implementing breathing exercises of breathing in for 4 seconds and slowly exhaling for 8 seconds
3. Make sure your bed is at a reasonable temperature and your room is sufficiently ventilated
4. Try to shut out worries and anxieties that creep into your personal space by not thinking about them which of course is easier said than done
5. If you are unable to sleep don't try to force yourself to sleep, either get up and do something or just see the rest as important for if you are unable to sleep, rest may be seen as just important anyway
6. Try to avoid things that wind you up before bed time
7. Read a book or look through a scenery picture book before going to bed.
8. Write on a piece of paper all the things that are worrying you and try to suggest solutions to get thoughts and looping out of your head
9. Have some warm milk and eat a banana as bananas are a natural sedative
10. Take some magnesium tablets and have a bath in Epsom Salts but don't under any circumstance drink the water
11. If intestinal upsets occur take something to reduce this intestinal upset i.e Alka Selsa etc

Hope these strategies may work for others as they often help for sleep deprivation when an insomnia attack hits me.

The obsession cycle and looping

Often there are times when you can become obsessed with something and this obsession tends to hijack and take over everything else.  In terms of the brain the obsession may be on trains, history or some other interest.  Also there can be obsessions of varying degree and looping thoughts associated with this cycle.  One of the difficulties which can sometimes be encountered is the obsession with wanting to make friends.  Often sadly this obsession can meet with dangers, predators and exploitation.  For women on the Autistic Spectrum this can be a double danger for often they may be looking for friendship when in fact the person whom they encounter may be looking for something else.  For males the friendship obsession can often be misconstrued with wrongful perceptions.  The main difficulty that people encounter with adults on the Autistic Spectrum is intensity.  This tends to drive a person away more so than allow a friendship to begin and flourish.  As people are socialised and adults with Asperger Syndrome are unconventional as mentioned earlier, there can be a major understanding and ignorance in terms of certain situations.  Adults with Asperger Syndrome have a great deal of difficulty multi tasking and sometimes making friends that they are often intense because they concentrate too much on trying to make a friend that the signals can be overwhelming for the non Aspie person concerned.  As adults with Asperger Syndrome have a greater difficulty with understanding social skills and dealing with emotions, the mind and thought process can often loop over and over.  For adults with Asperger Syndrome the mind is more prone to looping thoughts so that if you can imagine the person speaking they may change the subject and then go back to their original topic of discussion or special interest.  Often it is difficult to break loops and many adults on the spectrum are hijacked by looping thoughts and obsessions to the point of not realising the affects this may have on other people. 

For an adult with Asperger Syndrome often the friend has to like the special interest the adult with Asperger Syndrome likes and often annoyance may occur when the non Autistic Adult does not share the special interest.  Also the very concept of a friend obsession can be seen as odd, eccentric or intense to the other person concerned driving the person away rather than developing a friendship.  As many if not all adults with Asperger Syndrome require space more so than non Autistic people, often people perceive this need for space as a means of the AS person not liking them etc..  The main problem also for adults is the relationship obsession for once again a new scenario exists where adults with Asperger Syndrome are so relationship obsessed that the intensity of this again drives people away rather than attracts them.  What needs understanding is that adults on the Autistic Spectrum often are confused by terminology and emotions.  What is a friend? What is involved in friendship and what does a friend do?  Often for adults some emotions feel void or un felt and this can create difficulty in terms of reciprocation and understanding of shared or two way interaction. 

I often find difficulty in having a lot of interests as my mind seems only able to concentrate on one thing rather than a whole lot of things and I tend to think that something has to have a start and a finish.  Why do Neurotypical people have so many interests and are not obsessed with them whereas when I find a special interest, I like to research it to the point of totally becoming consumed by it altogether.  My obsession at the moment is AS awareness and I tend to let this override everything else.  Once the mind is obsessed everything else seems insignificant and on top of this the mind looping that goes on.  Sometimes a thought can go around and around in your head and it is hard to stop it.  Furthermore, anxiety can become a problem and a simple exercise you can try and implement is to breathe in for 4 seconds and out slowly for 8 seconds.  I am constantly working at eliminating as much as I can some of the negative Asperger traits within my brain so that they cause me less trouble and confusion.

Invictus

This morning I attended a movie session of the movie Invictus starring Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela and Matt Damon as the Captain of the Springbok Rugby Team.  I really enjoy Morgan Freeman as an actor for whatever role he is given, he carries it out well and to the best of his ability.  I wont go too much into the movie as I don't want to spoil it for others, but Nelson Mandela is a person I was largely unaware of prior to seeing the movie. I knew he served a prison sentence and became President of South Africa but knew very little about his vision and dreams as president.  The thing I enjoyed about the movie was the overcoming of prejudice and division within a group of people.  I always thought Morgan Freeman would be ideal in the role of Nelson Mandella and this was confirmed when I watched the movie today.  To think that Nelson Mandela was incarcerated in prison for something like 27 years breaking rocks and reading the poem Invictus by William Ernest Henley (1849-1902) as a means of passing times is just incredible.  The movie is very electric when  you watch it on the cinema and furthermore all people from all walks of life come together which is the way things should be.  I would encourage you to see the movie if you haven't already and see also the true work of God in the movie.  Once again I don't want to give too much away but Morgan Freeman gives a commanding performance as usual. 

Do cats have Asperger Syndrome?

On Saturday 20th February I was fortunate to have attended International Asperger Day Conference with D Professor Dr Tony Attwood where I heard him speak, adults with Asperger Syndrome and more importantly Kathy Hooprmann.  As I am working with cats at the moment in the University Vet School and observing their behaviour, it seems that cats do have some autistic tenancies.  Cats seem to show affection differently to other animals, especially dogs and cats seem to get over stimulated very easily.  Cats seem to prefer space more so than dogs and are curious and have some eccentric like tenancies. 

In attempting to pin point with accuracy whether cats do present autistic traits or perhaps are autistic people friendly, it could be said that cats seem to be more preferred to autistic people as they are quiet and tend to respond to emotions and situations around them differently.  Cats like to take their time in getting to know a person and are not full on or problematic like some people can be.  Dogs for instance tend to be more active, full on and demanding in certain ways but also a dog can show affection whereas a cat may not.  I think cats are more curious and when they show responses these tend to be perhaps  unconventional or expressed in different ways.

Aspies prefer cats I think because cats have unique personalities which are manifested and portrayed in each animal differently.  A cat prefers space but yet is social like a person with AS who can be sociable but wired differently to those around them.   I think "All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome" by Kathy Hoopmann would be an interesting read by adults not only on the Autistic Spectrum but by the general public as well.  More research is needed like the previous research on Autistic Children and Dolphins to find out more about cats.  Hopefully in time more can be understood and just why a lot of Asperger Adults tend to prefer cats over other animals.  Perhaps cats have a means of unlocking parts of the Autistic Brain when dealt with by people with Autism.  More research is needed I guess? More about the book by Kathy Hoopermann http://specialchildren.about.com/od/booksonaspergersyndrome/gr/allcatshaveAS.htm

What if anything has humanity learned?

Despite man's existence on the planet, and the many years and centuries of human evolution, what exactly have we learned and what are we striving for?   I was watching a program on television about the Dinosaurs and how these creatures of antiquity were destroyed by a supposed meteorite.  What crossed my mind was how old this planet which we call home and are custodians of is in the scale of things.  If man did climb out of the slime then what did this creature look like if it in fact existed?  Archaeologists have recovered bones from ancient civilizations but are bones of early man or the creature of evolution in existence awaiting to be discovered?  Perhaps we are unable to comprehend what this creature looked like and furthermore the earth is probably way to old for us to find the bones at any rate.  History is a fascinating subject but boring to some.  History is the evolution of the human condition and the repeated mistakes that have either been learned from or just dare say repeated again.  From the early civilizations of the Babylonians, to the Greeks, Romans, through to the birth of Christ and beyond, humanity seems to have evolved but for what and where too?

Despite the many people that have walked the earth we know very few that were never in the spot light.  We know of Socrates and his supposed corruption of the young, we know of Ancient Egypt with the Pharaohs but why were the Pyramids built?  We are aware of the scriptures and the birth of Christ but some are unable to connect with the scriptures or interpret them to their own agenda.  I have at times questioned various passages in the bible and their validity but if Christ did not exist or not perceived in the way he is portrayed, then why was so much written about him?  It is often difficult to some to prove the existence of God but does God really need to be proved to exist any way?  The universe which surrounds us and the very earth we live on are testimony that someone or something put the whole lot together and as humans some of us are curious as to explain or question the world around us.  God doesn't have to prove miracles, be there for times of despair but more so has to be questioned and for us to find a faith while we go about our lives.  If we are to live in a world where everyone enjoys freedom and happiness then surely the path of Christianity is but one path to follow?  You hear arguments that God and Religion created wars when you need to put this question under the microscope.  It was not God who created the wars but man himself.  The human condition is one of the failings of man for ignorance, fear and prejudice have often sparked the seeds of discontent and violence.

I am being very careful and trying to be meticulous as I write this post for often critics will argue that you are bible bashing, lecturing or converting.  This is not my intention but more so just simply state what is on my mind.  As we venture further in our lives we like other civilizations will undoubtedly repeat some of the same mistakes of our ancient forebears.  We think we are advanced as a civilisation when the Romans probably thought the same within their period of history and dominance. All civilisations expand and improve from the previous one but still the human condition remains and this is something that perhaps being ridden with flaws and some success will preclude the opportunity of knowing everything.  We don't need to know everything that abounds us but more so we have the ability to think and question.  If we don't think and we don't learn from our mistakes, then have we improved or do we continue to improve as a society?  As Franklin Roosevelt, President of the United States once said "There's nothing to fear but fear itself". We as a society need to not fear everything but try also to not think we know everything either.  Perhaps the greatest mystery of God is that we will never know everything and this is how God has a place in our world and in every civilisation. Also God is above our understanding and comprehension but those of us willing to follow the journey then perhaps we may be enlightened and encapsulated by a sense of goodness that lies ahead.  If you perhaps think deeply and look around you then you may just find some way of connecting with the journey if you wish to take it. The journey may be or the presence the sound of a gentle breeze through the trees, the rays of the sun as its shows the beautiful autumn colours, the sounds of words as they appear in a poem, or the assistance from a friend in a time of need.  If people look deeper and think more then perhaps an awakening may occur.  I think as people we too often look upon what we don't have or what is expected of us that we are unable to achieve and then take pity on ourselves.  Also we may focus too much on what we don't have or sorrow of something that is lost and begin to feel bitter about our lives.  No matter how tough life can be, there is always a good side to a negative one and if we dwell too much on the negative one then we never really can get ahead or feel happy.  To get myself through tough times, I have had to rely on my strengths and positive situations to see hope and happiness.  I see many people around me who are sad or put themselves down when in fact they don't see what they do have and how they can make the world a better place for themselves and others.  Our tenure on earth is about living and being happy. Life is too short to be worrying too much about what you can't do so people need to focus on what they can do.  Despite the world being a different and more turbulent place, there is also a lot of things to be happy about.  Often I think people simply overlook the simple ingredient in life which is friendship, happiness, imagination, creativity and fun.  If people let evil or negativity get in the way then nothing is ever achieved, so there is always hope in times of despair.