Haven for the Human Amoeba

In my case, a more politically correct term for Asperger's Syndrome might be to simply say that I'm a "Social Retard". The term is simple, easy to understand and fits me like a glove.

Dennis.

On 16 Aug 2005, 15:58 +00:00, Dennis Hawkins said:

I found several online autism tests and scored as autistic on all of them. According to what I've been reading, there is a type of autism called Asperger's Autism that affects seemingly normal people. Its also called high functioning autism.

Like I said, there is a definite link between asexuality and autism. Or more precisely, many autistics are also asexuals. I'm pretty sure that I'm not the only asexual on this list looking for answers.

I would encourage everyone here to take the following test which I think was the best:

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html

Post the results. I'd be curious.

I got a 34. Just from my habits though, I would say I'm a moderately good candidate for Asperger's. I'm not really interested in making it "official" though as I don't know how my family would feel about it.

Besides, what good would it do to have one more "label"? I feel I have too many already!

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Therese Shellabarger - Civis Mundi - tlshell@...

Yahoo! Groups Links

I don't need to take the test. I was diagnosed autistic/aspergers nearly 10 years ago. Now the doctors are saying that perhaps the diagnosis was incorrect, though I display a wide variety of symptoms. I don't know what I am anymore. I am a *confirmed* asexual, though.

I also qualify for Mensa, but my mother convinced me not to join.

I got a 28. I have some social anxiety, but generally like to be around people...only on my terms though. Never, ever touch me without knowing me very well. Then you must know what kind of touch. I will take a hug from somebody I know well, and like/love. Cuddling, kissing, etc., no way, no how. Not interested...and you better not try.

Karin

My results are: Agree: 2,4,5,6,7,12,16,18,22,23,33,39,41,46: 1 point Disagree: 1,14,15,17,38,44,47: 1 point Score: 21

Mine was 35. I guess I forgot to mention that.

I think you have to be at least 32 to be autistic.

Dennis.

Hey all,

I have recently discovered a link between autism and asexuality.

I never considered myself to be autistic. In fact, I qualified for mensa when I was in high school, but didn't join. Turns out I'm kind of anti-social.

I found several online autism tests and scored as autistic on all of them. According to what I've been reading, there is a type of autism called Asperger's Autism that affects seemingly normal people. Its also called high functioning autism.

Like I said, there is a definite link between asexuality and autism. Or more precisely, many autistics are also asexuals. I'm pretty sure that I'm not the only asexual on this list looking for answers.

I would encourage everyone here to take the following test which I think was the best:

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html

Post the results. I'd be curious.

Dennis.

Yahoo! Groups Links

Ah oh....mine was 15. Crap! another test that says I am 'normal.' I hate that! :)

J

Mine was 35. I guess I forgot to mention that.

I think you have to be at least 32 to be autistic.

Dennis.

On 16 Aug 2005, 11:58 +00:00, Dennis Hawkins said:

Hey all,

I have recently discovered a link between autism and asexuality.

I never considered myself to be autistic. In fact, I qualified for mensa when I was in high school, but didn't join. Turns out I'm kind of anti-social.

I found several online autism tests and scored as autistic on all of them. According to what I've been reading, there is a type of autism called Asperger's Autism that affects seemingly normal people. Its also called high functioning autism.

Like I said, there is a definite link between asexuality and autism. Or more precisely, many autistics are also asexuals. I'm pretty sure that I'm not the only asexual on this list looking for answers.

I would encourage everyone here to take the following test which I think was the best:

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html

Post the results. I'd be curious.

Dennis.

Yahoo! Groups Links

Try this google I found on it: http://add.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=add&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amenclinic.com%2Fac%2Ftests%2F

Mary

I had an opportunity to see Dr. Daniel Amen about 2 years ago. As his website says Dr. Amen brings you news from the frontiers of neuroscience and behavioral psychiatry. His organization uses Brain SPECT Imaging Can Tell Clinicians and Patients That Cannot Be Obtained Through History, Mental Status Examinations, Physical Examinations or Neuropsychological Testing It is still controversial. I believe in it.

Karin

Try this google I found on it: http://add.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=add&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amenclinic.com%2Fac%2Ftests%2F

Started it, but my ADD tendencies made it too boring. Both tests are too long and the test layout is poorly designed. If they really want to get everyone, they're gonna have to put the labels on each and every box, not just have a list at the top of the page.

Therese Shellabarger - Civis Mundi - tlshell@...

HIHI! I scored 23 in the autism-test, but it was just for fun, because I de- finitely know that I`m not autistic, since I already have my label and it´s called: eccentric !!! There`s a wonderful book by David Weeks and Jamie James ( " ECCENTRICS") and it was like coming home when I read it. I meet about 98% of the criterias connected with eccentricity and and more than 70% of our lot are single - and very often not REALLY interested in sex.( Although eccentrics can have a very , very eccentric sexuality/ way to live relationships). Some scientists suspect that eccentric brains aren`t ( working) neurotypical(ly), but I`m very sceptical when it comes to brainscanning and the like - nobody has to tell me that my brain is or isn`t working "eccentric"- me and everybody who has ever known me is a hundred percent convinced that I am the real thing. But after all( reading all the messages) it seems that asexual people often ARE "not neurotypical" - I believe we can agree on that, can`t we ? GUNHILD

Gunhild I'd be curious to know more about eccentricity. Can you elaborate a little? I am a teacher and school starts today. Don't have time at the moment for another book in my life. Thanks

Mary

After surviving eleven years, four academic advisers, three program chairs, two department chairs, four computers (and an unknown number of hard drives), two vocational rehabilitation case managers, three internships, and at least nine Incompletes--due to an uncountable number of computer crashes--when I got home from Michigan last week, my diploma was in my mailbox. And yesterday I got an official copy of my transcript, showing that I have a Master of Science degree.

J8

Congratulations Jim! May I ask what you majored in?

Dennis.

After surviving eleven years, four academic advisers, three program chairs, two department chairs, four computers (and an unknown number of hard drives), two vocational rehabilitation case managers, three internships, and at least nine Incompletes--due to an uncountable number of computer crashes--when I got home from Michigan last week, my diploma was in my mailbox. And yesterday I got an official copy of my transcript, showing that I have a Master of Science degree.

J8

Yahoo! Groups Links

After surviving eleven years, four academic advisers, three program chairs, two department chairs, four computers (and an unknown number of hard drives), two vocational rehabilitation case managers, three internships, and at least nine Incompletes--due to an uncountable number of computer crashes--when I got home from Michigan last week, my diploma was in my mailbox. And yesterday I got an official copy of my transcript, showing that I have a Master of Science degree.

J8

Hi Jim ! That`s great and wonderful for you, but on the other hand it`s really sad that someone of your ability, intelligence, courage, persistence, clarity, toughness, devotion and so on and so on has to become 44 years before he/she/it finally is accepted in the academic world. Autism is my newest special interest (I`m eccentric and special interests are a a trait that eccies and auties have in common) ,and during the last few weeks I`ve read everything I`ve found in our local library and second-hand-bookstores ( and this and that in the net, of course) about autism and in this case sooner or later you can`t get around a human beeing named Jim Sinclair. Blah, blah, blah, time for confession: I think you are one of the most admi- rable, precious and important human beeings of our time. THANK godess this is a asex-room, so nobody get`s wrong ideas! GUNHILD

yesterday I got an official copy of my transcript, showing that I have a Master of Science degree.

Hey! High Five! Congratulations!

Therese Shellabarger - Civis Mundi - tlshell@...

Hi,

I'm new to this group and just trying to figure things out at this point. I got a 26 on the test. I think I've learned how to socialize well enough but would prefer not to in general. About the same feeling for having sex.

Kat

Mine was 35. I guess I forgot to mention that.

I think you have to be at least 32 to be autistic.

Dennis.

On 16 Aug 2005, 11:58 +00:00, Dennis Hawkins said:

Hey all,

I have recently discovered a link between autism and asexuality.

I never considered myself to be autistic. In fact, I qualified for mensa when I was in high school, but didn't join. Turns out I'm kind of anti-social.

I found several online autism tests and scored as autistic on all of them. According to what I've been reading, there is a type of autism called Asperger's Autism that affects seemingly normal people. Its also called high functioning autism.

Like I said, there is a definite link between asexuality and autism. Or more precisely, many autistics are also asexuals. I'm pretty sure that I'm not the only asexual on this list looking for answers.

I would encourage everyone here to take the following test which I think was the best:

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html

Post the results. I'd be curious.

Dennis.

Yahoo! Groups Links

Hello,

Just joined this group and just learning about asexuality as an orientation. I think I may be asexual but I'm not sure. I definitely don't have desire to have sex and haven't had sex with my husband since sometime in 2003. At that time I really didn't enjoy it - more for him than me. I've been concerned from a sexual dysfunction view point and thinking this may not be healthy for my marriage. I mentioned the asexual concept to my husband and whether I or we may be asexual. He doesn't seem that in to sex either, but he's not clear if it is because of me or it is his preference. He's seems to be okay with our lack of sex. Guess I'm just wondering if things would be better if we had a sexual relationship or not.

So that brought me here - sounds like many here have similar concerns and experiences. When I heard about being asexual I could really relate and feel like it's the closest thing that identifies my non-sex life.

If anyone can relate to my story or have some input, etc. please respond. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Kat

Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

Gunhild I'd be curious to know more about eccentricity. Can you elaborate a little? I am a teacher and school starts today. Don't have time at the moment for another book in my life. Thanks

Mary

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. Mahatma Gandhi 1869-1948

Dear Mary ! I haven`t forgotten your request, but it`s been a long time since I`ve read the book in question, and I don`t own it myself. Now I`ve found it in our library, but I have to read it again - it`s a little bit chaotic, so it`s bit tricky to boil it down to email-size. So it`s going to take at least a few days, I`m afraid. Gunhild

Congratulations

After surviving eleven years, four academic advisers, three program chairs, two department chairs, four computers (and an unknown number of hard drives), two vocational rehabilitation case managers, three internships, and at least nine Incompletes--due to an uncountable number of computer crashes--when I got home from Michigan last week, my diploma was in my mailbox. And yesterday I got an official copy of my transcript, showing that I have a Master of Science degree.

J8

'He created his own universe and became its star'

Director David Cronenberg explains the debt he owes to Andy Warhol's bizarre and chillingly prophetic work

Monday September 11, 2006 The Guardian

Unrelenting gaze: a still from Andy Warhol's Empire. Photo: BFI Stills Empire is the classic. It was outrageous - yet somehow it worked. An eight-hour shot of the Empire State Building, it was high concept, not in the Hollywood sense, but the art sense. It's got potency, resonance. Andy even said the Empire State Building was a star. It's so New York, which was the centre of the artistic universe at the time, the 1960s. That's why I decided to begin the Andy Warhol show I am curating with Empire....

Andy was very shy. He didn't like to be touched. He liked to say he was completely asexual, although I don't think that was true. He liked to be among people, but found it difficult. He said the reason he made his first film - Sleep, about a person who was asleep - was so that he didn't have to talk or interact with him. It was his way of working with an inanimate object, because the actor was genuinely sleeping....

Guardian Unlimited Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1869602,00.html

Based on what you have said, it sounds more like you have Inhibited Sexual Desire rather than asexuality. Asexuality is a sexual orientation (like homosexuality or heterosexuality) that you are usually born with.

Your post wasn't all that clear about it, but it looks like both you and your husband did have a sexual desire at one point, but later lost it. If that is the case, then I would start looking for what caused that.

I know that certain drugs will switch off sexual desire, Things like ssri's (paxil, Zoloft, etc) are well known to do this. Other meds, like blood pressure meds and anti-baldness meds, can cause guys to have erectile dysfuction. Guys can be embarrassed about that sort of thing and refrain from sex because of it. Viagra doesn't work on all guys.

But in the end, it sounds like you have a perfect marriage. You both seem to agree on the subject so why try to mess with it? You don't need sex to love someone.

Dennis.

Hello,

Just joined this group and just learning about asexuality as an orientation. I think I may be asexual but I'm not sure. I definitely don't have desire to have sex and haven't had sex with my husband since sometime in 2003. At that time I really didn't enjoy it - more for him than me. I've been concerned from a sexual dysfunction view point and thinking this may not be healthy for my marriage. I mentioned the asexual concept to my husband and whether I or we may be asexual. He doesn't seem that in to sex either, but he's not clear if it is because of me or it is his preference. He's seems to be okay with our lack of sex. Guess I'm just wondering if things would be better if we had a sexual relationship or not.

So that brought me here - sounds like many here have similar concerns and experiences. When I heard about being asexual I could really relate and feel like it's the closest thing that identifies my non-sex life.

If anyone can relate to my story or have some input, etc. please respond. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Kat

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Hello everyone,

Thanks for the replies and glad to hear from you. Pondering asexuality (if I am or not), I wonder about desires from a spiritual perspective. My husband is Buddhist and I have similar beliefs. Basically we believe that enlightenment/nirvana/divine realization, etc. comes once a spiritual being (soul) has detached from their desires - all of their desires including sexual desires. My understanding is there's a process/order of detachment, detaching from one desire before or after another desire, etc, for each person. So one person may lose sexual desire before another. Just as simple as one person having more material/monetary desires than another or liking certain foods, lifestyles, entertainment, etc.

I think it is possible to have sexual desire then lose it through detachment and never have it again - becoming asexual rather than being physically dysfunctional sexually. And for those of you that understand reincarnation, once someone loses sexual desire, in their next life they would be asexual from birth. Can anyone relate to this concept of asexuality? Or do you think I'm totally off?

I'm wondering how many proclaimed asexuals have an alternative spiritual understanding about their sexual desires? And I'm not refering to the anti-sex/sin point of view. What do y'all think?

Kat