#male/female brain theory = disproven

[kidrat]

autism literally is different depending on assigned sex at birth?

There is *potentially* difference in how autism *presents* itself (ie. looks) in people based on the different pressures on them growing up. Free yourself from your shackles

#also again. afab = not an adjective #male/female brain theory = disproven #autism diagnostic criteria = says nothing about your agab #also autism diagnostic criteria = dumb tbh but my point is you can’t even lean on neurotypical socitys’s little checklists for this opinion #'atypical' autism = present in plenty of people who aren't afab. including cis men #also anon if ur still reading. #there are also some differences across cultures in how autism presents #do you think those are based in some inherent physical quality too? pick wisely #asks

[anamericangirl]

First, before I tell you why you're wrong about sex and gender, I need to teach you some basic history regarding the concept of gender.

The concept of gender is at least as old as recorded history and most likely older than that.

Several cultures throughout history have recognized the existence of more than 2 genders (they had labels beyond man and woman).

During the the late 1800's, a number of Europeans psychologists became displeased with the fact that all queer people (the term used to refer to the LGBTQ community as a whole back then) were simply labeled mentally ill by the medical community, so they began research (deep psychological exams) into queer people in order to find a better explanation for their existence. It was at this time, around 1890, that the concept of gender was worked into modern psychological models of the human brain (what was known as Queer Theory as the word gender did not exist yet) and the concept of gender was acknowledged by academics and scientists. We only know the basics about this research because the Nazis burned almost all of it.

In 1955, John Money coined the term gender to refer to the psychological counterpart to sex. The term gender was just an obsolete old English word before this that simply meant "of a type or sort". It was at this point that Queer Theory became known as Gender Theory (not to be confused with Money's separate theory of gender that has been discredited and disproven). As you can see, the term Gender was literally created to not mean sex.

Now onto the the false claims you made and why you are wrong.

Sex and gender are the same thing. They have always been the same thing and always will be the same thing.

The term gender was created to mean something different from sex. So to say they are the same thing and always have been the same thing is entirely wrong. The origin and meaning of the word gender makes it separate and different from sex.

But gender is also a physical reality.

Gender is not physical, sex is. Gender is not physically real. It's a part of the human mind that exists as the counterpart to sex. Your sex is determined by your biology, but your gender is determined by your brain structure.

If you actually think the sentence "there's nothing preventing anyone of either sex from being a man or a woman" is logically sound and makes sense I feel very sad for you.

A male and a man are different things.

A female and a woman are different things.

Males can't be females and men can't be women, but males can be women and females can be men.

A person of one sex cannot be another sex.

A person of one gender cannot choose their sex.

A person of one gender cannot be another gender.

But a person of any either can be any gender.

A man can only be a man. He can think he's a woman and act like a woman, dress like a woman and try to look like a woman but he can't be a woman. A woman can only be a woman. She can think she's a man and act like a man, dress like a man and try to look like a man but she can't be a man.

That's correct. A person of one gender cannot be another gender. If you are born with the gender identity of a man then you cannot be a woman.

But a male can be any gender and a female can be any gender.

You can't change your biology and gender is biological because it's the same as sex. Male means man. Female means woman.

Gender is not biological. Gender and sex are different things. Male and man are different things. Female and woman are different things. Male and female are sexes. Man and woman are gender identities.

Your brain can make you feel like the opposite gender but there is no credible or even valid evidence out there that suggests gender is psychological.

Your brain literally determines your gender. You literally are what you feel like you are. The gender label that fits you best is the one you are. Gender is psychological and always has been. The term was literally coined to be different from sex and refer to a purely psychological concept.

You are following a pseudoscience that was the brain child of a disgusting pedophile who, when attempting to prove the idea that you just stated as though it's a fact, succeeded only in molesting young boys and completely destroying a young man's life by having his parents raise him as a girl (you know, because gender is psychological) and all that did was end with that man killing himself. So good for you for repeating that nonsense that does nothing except destroy people every time someone tries to prove it.

The concept of gender predates science.

Gender Theory (models of psychology that acknowledge the existence of gender) predate John Money.

The only thing that John Money contributed to science was the term gender and evidence that gender is innate and not learned.

John Money wrongly believed that gender was born out of nurture rather than nature. His experiments proved his theory of gender wrong while proving Gender Theory (the one developed in 1890's Europe) right.

You just believe it because you follow the mob and that's what the mob believes so that's what you believe. But it's not true. And if it was you could do more than repeat long dead debunked talking points. I swear all you guys can say is "gender and sex are different things. One is biological the other is psychological." But I don't think any of you even know that what means because you can't even elaborate. All you have is that one sentence. Did they stick you in a reeducation camp or something and just make you repeat that line over and over again until you believed it and then send you out into the real world to try and defeat science and reality with that one, pathetic sentence?

I don't believe it because I "follow the mob", I believe it because It's proven science and is literally a part of modern psychology.

It's far from debunked, it's literally scientifically proven.

Your sex is based on your genetics and anatomy, your biology.

Your gender is based entirely on the structure of your brain and nothing else.

LMAO this is the funniest thing I have ever read. Babe you can't teach me about a subject you know fuck all about. The only thing you "taught" me is that you are not an independent thinker and you cannot for the life of you present an argument for this garbage theory that you so desperately want to be real.

ALL you said is "gender and sex are different things." You provided literally no evidence. Not a single source. Not a single reason other then "this idea has been around for a long time so it's true."

Hon let me teach you something now. I literally studied psychology in school. The very fact that you are saying psychology has "proven" this is all anyone needs to immediately write you off as an idiot (I'm trying to be helpful here so you can learn from this error and sound like you know what you're talking about at least a little bit in the future).

You cannot use the word "prove" when talking about psychology because psychology is an empirical science and thus we cannot possibly prove a psychological theory or hypothesis to be true. So the very fact that you are claiming this has been proven in psychology is enough reason to completely disregard everything you have stated because you don't even understand the most basic principle of the science you're trying to use to prove the gender theory bullshit.

My sweet summer child, gender is absolutely biological and the study of gender theory has not resulted in enough evidence to even be taken seriously. It is a pseudoscience and you fell for it.

#anon #answered

[youabandonedthem]

intermission characters incl.team sleuth's opinions on the chemical imbalance theory

spades slick: .

diamonds droog: doesnt really care because hes not mentally ill nor does he personally know anyone who is mentally ill. he sees mentally ill people on the street. is inclined to disbelieve anything slick is this impassioned about. doesn't care to learn anything about it until slick puts together some kind of debriefing-style presentation about it and medical abuse and the industry. doesn't take slicks word as complete truth but won't bother to debunk it. wants him to stop acting like this

hearts boxcars: heard about it sometime many years ago and passively accepted it while not having any reason to think further on it. at some point he hears about it being a disproven theory, maybe from slick, and noncommittally looks online about it when he remembers/has free time/is in the mood to confirm. feels shocked at the information but knows on a greater level what large industries do in the pursuit of money. moves on afterwards because it's not relevant to his life

clubs deuce: trusts in it and believes one in him to be the reason for his anxiety and bouts of sadness. has been told by doctors and infographics about it. believes he is mentally ill but would never make any big deal about it. eventually does online research and comes to a conclusion that the environment can also be a factor in an individual's mental illness, which the chemical imbalance makes them more vulnerable to. (believes in mental illness as defined in DSM)

problem sleuth: has no reason to ever have heard of it, thinks anyone who gets involved in anything mental health related, such as therapy, must be very mentally ill or has been in an asylum (but holds sympathy for these poor insane people), but if it were hypothetically mentioned in his presence he would internally confirm it to be a supporting factor in female hysteria and would make further speculation on how women's brains must be intrinsically different from male brains as a result.

pickle inspector: thinks its a bit rub but uses it to validate his differences and says that everyones brain chemicals "balanced" or "imbalanced" are what make them all very unique, doesnt care to think about it further

ace dick: thnks its very plausible. probably has seen a therapist or gone to some kind of couples therapy involving wife and has heard of it. has no reason to disbelieve. probably takes pills for mild depression/anxiety on doctor's recommendation and has some kind of noir fanfiction scene about it

itchy: wouldn't focus on one topic long enough to learn about it… he would probably love tik tock…. watching it out loud all day long… after crowbar bans tick tock he switches to youtube shorts and watches a 'pop psychology' video talking about it and takes it as fact. however has no personal reltaion to the topic. it is merely one of many things he sees on a short video and regurgitates to others.

doze: i dont believe anyone has ever exposed him to this topic in any form.he must have a very isolated mind. he may have formed some of his own theories on many topics but i think everyone talks over him most of the time so we would have no way of knowing

trace: only formed an opinion if he heard someone he considers smart talking about it first. otherwise he didn't really think about this

clover: completely irrelevant to his life. he seems to note immediate behaviours only so he can choose some way to act or narrate a situation based on whatever is physically happening. may note trends in a detached way

fin: knows it's true because he thinks some people are just very stupid and others are masterminds from birth. the phenomenon must apply to other variables. tries to remember the name,because he knows a few people who have those kinds of problems in their brain, and then refers to his fellow gang member die, who is crazy in the head, and his fellow gang members eggs and biscuits, who are stupid, and they were born that way so it makes sense that the chemicals in their brain must make them that way.

die: uses it to affirm that there is something extremely wrong with him that makes him fundamentally different from everyone else. goes on and off of various medications that he is recommended to try. probably eventually settles on some kind of cocktail involving medications to offset the side effects of other medications but will sporadically quit the cocktail and experience withdrawals. has therapist appointments that he skips occasionally. passively thinks he will never "get better" and that nothing can ever "fix" him. however is not too concerned about it and often just focuses on whatever goals he has rather than spending time thinking about his mental state

crowbar: thinks it's somewhat plausible, somewhat rubbish, knows that depression is a symptom of vitamin D deficiency and connects it to the 'imbalance' of brain chemicals which gives it some credibility in his mind but he doesn't want to assume before doing his own research. learns about it during his spare time and shows his nuanced, informed opinion saying there's not any one 'big pharma' organisation that promoted the theory while it was widely believed in part due to medication advertisements… statements that his gang members derive very little out of. otherwise regards an individual and their personality first rather than any mental illness. describes his gang members as having "mental problems" due to their behaviour the way mark linkous describes his dog but thinks no further on the statement

snowman: doesn't have much concern for the topic and has no reason to do any research of her own. but if she hypothetically had a close contact suffering from issues she didn't understand she would feel curious and go out of her way to seek information about it from a trusted source (professional individual or written, NON-internet based knowledge). what this source tells her is what she would believe. still doesnt care and wouldnt use the knowledge for any purpose merely her own personal records

stitch: thinks of depression as an emotion, knows some people have more struggles than others, believes everyone can overcome any issue with hard work and mental discipline and would laugh if someone thought they were fundamentally broken

sawbuck: no clue just no clue

matchsticks: not enough information to say

eggs/biscuits: they have both formed their own rudimentary, spiritual ideas of a 'chemical imbalance' from being told all the time how fundamentally stupid they are

quarters: not enough information but he seems like he would take the concept of depression very seriously and could be unexpectedly sympathetic to anyone he thinks has a mental illness

cans: not enough information..

[my-darling-boy]

Hey there Alastair ☁️ Hope you're doing okay! I'm going on T in December (!!!) and I just have a quick question: is it true that T makes it harder to "access" one's emotions? I'm a very emotional dude and I like that about myself. Thanks, have a nice day!

Ah congrats! I did make a post about this a while ago which for some reason got wildly misunderstood, so I’ll try again.

When taking testosterone, the only factual thing about it in relation to emotions is that is can change your baseline emotional state and/or emotional responses to certain stimuli. Exactly which emotion(s) it influences, how much, how little, and how often is pretty much impossible to determine. 99% of studies that claim testosterone is an emotion blocker or causes lack of empathy are made from inconsistent or biased control groups, sexist or transphobic conductors, differing doses and frequency of doses between study groups, and extreme lack of consistency in social, psychological, and medical backgrounds of participants among many other discrepancies. Many studies also attempt to explore the effects of testosterone within the framework of the gender binary, which renders most if not all of their findings innately skewed and therefore inconclusive.

The other fact is most studies claiming testosterone is the Ultra Emotion Empathy Blocker support the eugenicist rooted theory of EMB, Extreme Male Brain, (or similar theories) which states that there are fundamental and consistent differences between “Male” and “Female” brains, which as we know has already been disproven. Long story short, this theory is one of many factors in studies of testosterone effects that tries to see science through an already highly distorted lens. It’s not technically possible to broadly, accurately, and consistently scientifically measure emotional response for the simple fact that everyone is different, inside and out. Most studies on the emotional effects of testosterone we have today do more to uphold gender stereotypes/gender binary than they do neurological science or endocrinology.

While T is commonly viewed as the Empathy Blocker Angry Hormone through stereotype, majority result from iffy case studies, or even transs*um on the internet looking to boost some toxic bullshit, just know that findings aren’t solid as to whether or not T actually decreases emotion or empathy. Some people on my last post decided it would be Cute to angrily explain to me how they “stopped crying and being over-emotional” because of testosterone (i.e. people who were hellbent on boasting how their lack of emotion/empathy was making them “””more male””” because they relate lack of such to a “”Male Brain””) or implied because they stopped being emotional the same would be true for everyone.

I found myself being more capable of expressing emotion after testosterone, but whether that was due to testosterone itself or my hardened, angry heart finally melting because HRT made me happy, we’ll never know. Same goes for my elevated baseline mood. Could it have been a little of both? Probably. But the fact still remains, just because I reacted this way doesn’t automatically mean anyone else will, nor does it mean anyone who finds themselves suddenly emotionally distant dictates that others on T will feel the same. There really is no concrete way to determine how your emotions would be, but at least feel comfort to know T does not mean a goodbye to being emotional! If you react in a similar manner to me, you certainly get to keep your sensitivity with the added benefit of feeling happier! :)

#super fucking tired of bullshit studies on T #and the amount of people that just eat up that ‘science’ without even asking where those studies came from #or ppl who are like ‘well I stopped being emotional therefore everyone will feel this way’ #like stooooopppp #asks #ftm #ftnb #Hrt #trans

[fierceautie]

Simon Baron-Cohen is a cognitive neuroscientist and is a professor at Psychology and Psychiatry departments at the University of Cambridge and Fellow at Trinity College in Cambridge. He is the director of the Autism Research Center (ARC) in Cambridge, UK. Baron-Cohen was born on Autist 15, 1958. He married Bridget Lindley, who was a family right4s lawyer. They met in Oxford in 1987. She had died from breast cancer in 2016. His children names are Sam Baron, Robin Lindley-Baron and Kate Lindley-Baron.  He received a BA degree in Human Sciences from New College in Oxford. He also holds a MPhil in Clinical Psychology from the Institute of Psychiatry from King's College in London. He earned his PhD in Psychology from the University College London under the supervision of Uta Frith. Baron-Cohen is the author of Mindblindness, The Essential Difference, Prenatal Testosterone in Mind , Zero Degrees of Empathy, Autism and Asperger Syndrome: The Facts, Mind Reading, and The Transporters. He has edited scholarly papers such as Understanding Other Minds. Baron-Cohen has published over 600 peer reviewed scientific articles. They contributed to gendering autism and synesthesia research. Three influential theories:mind blindness theory of autism (1985)Baron-Cohen presents this as a modem of evolution and development of mind reading. He says that typical people mindread all the time, effortlessly, automatically and mostly unconsciously. It is the natural way humans interpret, predict and participate in social behavior and communication. He states that autistic children "suffer from mindblindless" as a result of selective impairment in mind reading. According to Baron-Cohen, autistic children see the word as devoid of mental things. Baron-Cohen developed a theory that argues that specific neurocognitive mechanisms have evolved that allow people to mindread and make sense of a actions, to interpret gazes and meaningful and to decode "the language of the eyes."This theory has been disproven by this study:https://ift.tt/37CX1aSFor this study, Morton Ann Gernsbacker and Melanie Yergeau review empirical evidence that fails to support the claim that autistic people are uniquely impaired. It also fails to support the theory that all autistic people are universally impaired, on theory of mind tasks. The researchers highlighted that seminal theory of mind findings have failed to replicate. They have documented many instances in which theory of mind tasks fail to predict autistic traits, social interaction and empathy. They summarized a large body of data, collected by researchers working outside the theory of mind rubric, that fail to support assertions made by researchers working inside the theory of mind rubric. They concluded that the claim that autistic people lack a theory of mind is empirically questionable and societally harmful.  Prenatal sex steroid theory of autism (1997)The theory states:Autism affects more males than females. One candidate biological mechanism for this is prenatal sex steroid hormones. 4 lines of evidence:Testing if testosterone, measured in the womb, is associated with autistic traitsTesting if elevated prenatal sex steroid levels are associated with autismTesting if proxies of prenatal sex steroid levels in autistic people are also atypicalTesting if post natal sex steroid hormones are elevatedThis is where the theory of link of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is linked to autism. One thing he did not consider. PCOS is a common comorbidy among autistics. One feature of PCOS is elevated Testosterone. He took that fact and used it unethically. Another fact that he failed to explore. AFAB autistics often miss being diagnosed as children or often misdiagnosed. Women are no less likely to be autistic, the majority present differently. Not saying all but a good majority do. This is where Baron Cohen wants to develop a prenatal test for autism so the parents can have a choice to abort the autistic baby and therefore eliminating and preventing autism. He takes it one step further. According to Baron-Cohen, men are more likely to major in math based programs in College. Using this statistic, he theorizes because in his mind autism is a male disability, the "autism gene" could help with math skills. If you are lost, it does not make any sense. You either want to eliminate autism or you want to use the autism gene. It cannot be both. Empathizing systemizing theory of typical sex difference (2002)The empathizing-systemizing (E-S) theory of typical sex differences suggest that individuals may be classified based on empathy and systemizing. An extension of the E-S theory, the extreme male brain theory, suggests that autistic people on average have a shift towards a more masculinized brain along the E-S dimensions. Both theories have been investigated in small sample sizes. This does not allow it to generalize. Baron Cohen founded the first adult autism clinic in the UK in 1999. They have seen over 1,000 people. He has addressed the United Nations on Autism Awareness Day in 2017 on Autism and Human rights (ironic isn't it?). http://webtv.un.org/meetings-events/watch/toward-autonomy-and-self-determination-world-autism-awareness-day-2017/5380816054001Baron Cohen is a fellow of the British Psychological Society, the British Academy, the Academy of Medical Sciences, and the American Psychological Association. He is the Vice President of the National Autistic Society and was the president of the International Society for Autism Research (OSAR 2017-19). He was the chair of the NICE guideline development group for autism (adults) ad the chair of the Psychology section of the British Academy. Baron Cohen is the co-editor in chief for Molecular Autism and is a National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Senior Investigator. He is the principal investigator of the Wellcome Trust funded award investigating the genetics of autism in collaboration with the Sanger Centre. Baron Cohen serves as a scientific advisor, trustee or patron for several autism charities including:Autism Research Trustthe Cambridge Autism Centre of ExcellenceAuticonSpectrum 10kBaron Cohen is leading the Spectrum 10k project. Its aim is to collect DNA from 10,000 autistic people to identify genetic and environmental factors that contribute to autism and related conditions. Another blog post on this project will be coming. Sources:https://ift.tt/2WYX5ixhttps://ift.tt/3jL9n6Ohttps://ift.tt/3jJXXjRhttps://ift.tt/3yJSrSChttps://ift.tt/3kNqswghttps://ift.tt/37CX1aShttps://ift.tt/3DNiuvDhttps://ift.tt/3yJUINz

http://www.fierceautie.com/2021/09/problematic-professional-professor-sir.html

#actuallyautistic #stop quackery #autism

[shrimpmandan]

But you don't have a male brain...? Why lie about something so disproven when current neuroscience proves dysphoria causes a unique brain imprint anyway?

Given you're providing absolutely no sources of this current neuroscience, and in general seem nervous to come off anon for this, and you're a random Tumblr user, I'm not very inclined to say you're trustworthy.

I'm well aware that brain sex theory is just that: a theory. A lot of neuroscientists can't agree on if it even exists. The main reason I'm so attached to the theory is because it's the most plausible to me and by extension eases my dysphoria. Now, obviously no brain would be 100% male or 100% female, but you get the idea. The entire theory is fascinating to me, and I've heard pretty much nothing about trans people having their own completely seperate brain sex, if that's what you're trying to imply. Besides, we've been saying we aren't a 'third gender' for decades now. Because we aren't.

It seems a lot more plausible that a trans man would have a male brain to be dysphoric about his female body, rather than him having a brain specifically made to be dysphoric. If the brain sex is *COMPLETELY* different, then why would transition actually help at all? Why would that ease the sex-gender incongruence? And even if lifelong dysphoria does have an effect on brain structure (which wouldn't be too unrealistic considering other mental conditions can and do physically affect the brain), that wouldn't change the brain's sex? I may have autism and depression which certainly affects my brain structure but that doesn't make me not a dude. Besides, literally anyone can experience gender dysphoria; cis people can get reverse dysphoria. Their brain sex wouldn't change if they transitioned and gave themselves reverse dysphoria. They'd still have dysphoria and need to detrans to alleviate it. Leaving a "unique brain imprint", whatever that even means since that's such a vague and meaningless statement, would have NO bearing on the actual brain sex. I don't claim to be a neuroscientist of course but it just sounds, to put it bluntly, retarded. The more I look at this anon the less it makes sense. Like what was the point of even sending it there is no argument being made lmao. Barely even a statement being made. Like damn anon didn't know you had my brain scan records

side note how many of my posts did you have to dig through to find something to take issue with? Because something tells me that's exactly what you did which is why your anon is so utterly stupid

#anon #I started taking the piss at the end #but seriously what does this even mean

[cannabisrefugee-esq]

(via The Fraud of Western Psychiatry: A Mental Health Mashup Just in Time for the Holidays. You're Welcome.)

Advertising / Media / Cultural Conversation

Alternative Treatment

Antinatalism

Capitalistic Patriarchal Medicine

December 12, 2019

The nuclear family is the site of oppression, coercion and abuse for so many people, especially female people, worldwide, and yet “the family” is rarely discussed in political (or radical) terms.  Last year around this time, I wrote about various familial abuses traditionally suffered by girls and women and suggested that oppression, coercion and abuse is the reason “the holidays” are such a stressful time for people, especially women.  In my observation, the refusal of most people to address the horrors of what really happens in families just leads to confusion and avoidance — and massive cognitive dissonance — where people express dread, anxiety and other negative emotions around family-focused holidays, but only manage in reducing this common experience to a joke/meme and avoiding unpleasant sensations by drinking (or eating, or shopping, or fucking, or cleaning, or decorating, or otherwise medicating) heavily until it’s over.  

That message was generally not taken well, where I gently (and tangentially, it was literally a parenthetical) suggested that a guaranteed way to stop familial oppression, coercion and abuse (of mostly females) was to stop creating so-called nuclear families at all.  Antinatalism, basically.  I know, right?  Antinatalism wasn’t even the dominant theme of that post but I’m such a misogynistic, baby-hating bitch for letting my mind lady-brain wander there, even parenthetically, how dare I (use the internet to talk about the female experience and female oppression).   How very damn dare I.

Sticking with the holiday theme of oppression, coercion and abuse — because it’s fucking relevant — those things are known to cause so-called psychiatric symptoms in people, particularly women as they are its primary targets under a more or less global patriarchy.  In large numbers, girls and women (female human beings) experience anxiety, depression, disassociation and other uncomfortable and debilitating states as a result of being oppressed, coerced and abused, and a lot of women are prescribed and take psychiatric drugs so that these uncomfortable states go away, or have less of an impact on our lives.   And by “lives” I of course mean our ability to show up and be ab/used by our capitalistic, patriarchal overlords including (almost always male) partners, employers and other authority figures.  Mother’s Little Helper and all that.

If these medications actually worked — that is, if they did what they say on the tin and relieved us of our agony — they still wouldn’t be beyond reproach.  There are compelling political and indeed medical arguments against treating people with dangerous Big Pharma medications to ease uncomfortable states of being.  For example, the debilitating and often permanent physical and mental “side effects” of prescription medications, otherwise known as iatrogenic illness and injury that are often just as bad or even worse than the original disease.  As usual, Big Medicine offers suffering people the chance to trade one illness for another, and another, and another, and to pay through the nose for the privilege.

Many times it’s not even a proper trade because the drugs are unable to cure the original disease and the new, treatment-induced injuries and illnesses are just added on.  (This is the case with Crohn’s disease for example which is known to be an incurable disease.)  Either way, the misery is compounded.  Well, it appears to be an open secret within the psychiatric community that psychiatric medications don’t do what they say on the tin.  Women are taking anti-anxiety, anti-depressant, anti-psychotic and other psychotropic medications to treat the effects of political and interpersonal oppression — and are being asked to concurrently swallow the cultural fiction that their discomfort is not political and originates in their own biochemistry — and the medications don’t even work, because they can’t work, because there is nothing chemical to treat, get it?

As discussed below, it appears as if the theory that a chemical imbalance in the brain causes psychiatric symptoms has been thoroughly debunked, yet application of this flawed theory continues: people continue to be medicated for “mental” conditions that are not biochemical and therefore are not amenable to chemical therapies.  These medications also cause frightening and severe negative outcomes long-term and psychiatrists know all of that but they keep prescribing them anyway.

Here are some clips that illustrate what seems to be the situation in which we find ourselves.  Namely, that oppression, coercion and abuse are unavoidable in this system; families are the original and main exposure to those things for most women globally and familial exposure in particular cannot be avoided; oppression, coercion and abuse cause the symptoms we know as mental illness; and every medication in Big Medicine’s arsenal is known to not work to treat it and to even make patients’ physical and mental conditions worse over time.  More videos and discussion below the fold.

Bruce Levine, above, is a Ph.D. and clinical psychologist who writes about oppression and coercion causing so-called psychiatric symptoms and relatedly, the medicalization and pathologization of antiauthoritarianism.  I cited his work in a previous article on this blog entitled Antiauthoritarianism: Illustration via Juxtaposition.

While generally debunking his professional field as a self-described apostate, his specific mission appears to be to “out” as having been disproven the theory of a brain “chemical imbalance” causing so-called psychiatric symptoms like anxiety, depression and even psychosis, which theory implies that people suffering from these symptoms will positively respond to psychiatric/psychotropic drugs.  The chemical imbalance theory has apparently been debunked and rejected for years by the highest psychiatric authorities but the general public hasn’t gotten been given the memo.  I invite my readers to think about that shit a minute.

There is no such thing as a chemical imbalance in the brain, or at least none that cause things like anxiety and depression, and thus, there is no legitimate medical reason to treat these symptoms with mind-altering drugs.  There may be other reasons for doing so, but they are not legitimate medical reasons.  This has apparently been an open secret in the field for years, information that is well known in the upper echelons of the mental health hierarchy (for example, since at least 2013 the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and its director have distanced themselves from the “Bible” of psychiatric diagnoses, the DSM, and the NIMH now preferentially funds research unfettered by DSM ideological constraints) but millions of people continue to be prescribed and take these side-effect riddled Big Pharma poisons anyway.

As if that weren’t bad enough, Big Pharma psychotropic drugs actually make people more psychologically unstable and more physically and mentally unwell than they were before over time.  This has been shown where antiauthoritarian psychotics who “go off their meds” have better long-term outcomes than the goody two-shoes (authoritarian) psychotics who stay on their meds (and those who are subjected to so-called “forced care” and are literally physically forced and/or psychologically coerced into taking the drugs whether or not they are a bona fide actor on their own care team).

Below are clips from psychiatrist and patient advocate Peter Breggin explaining the profoundly troubling origin and history of Western psychiatry, as well as what psychotropic drugs actually do to your brain, why the effects are read as “improvement” by caretakers and others, and the long-term effects of psychiatric drug treatment including permanent iatrogenic illness and injury, particularly grossly shortened life expectancy, and increased — not decreased — mental and physical disability including increased psychosis.  Happy Holidays y’all!

Comments Open.

#science #tech #xmas #christmas #family and friends #culture #drugs

[scienceismynepenthe]

AQA BIOLOGY PAPER 2 - KEY POINTS FOR GCSE 2018

(ashjhfsdhgfkgjjs sorry this is so late! i will reblog it in the morning! also, i do not own the photos used for the cycles) 

Homeostasis and the reflex arc

Homeostasis: maintaining/controlling your internal environment (e.g. body temperature, blood glucose levels, glucose content)

Stimulus is detected by receptor cells, information is sent as an electrical impulse, impulse travels to brain and spinal cord, brain coordinates a response, impulse goes to motor neurones, which sends information to the effector (gland or muscle)

In reflexes, the impulse bypasses the conscious part of the brain (involves chemical diffusion between the synapses of two neurones) so they are rapid and automatic

The brain

Cerebral cortex: consciousness, intelligence, memory and language

Hypothalamus: involved in controlling body temperature

Pituitary gland: produces hormones and chemicals

Medulla: concerned with unconscious activities (heartbeat, breathing etc)

Cerebellum: controls muscles activity and balance

Brain is protected by skull and encased in meninges

Can be studied by matching changes in memory/behaviour to areas of trauma, electrical stimulation, or MRI scans

The eye

Made up of cornea (lets light in), sclera (protects eye, outer layer), retina (light sensitive cells send impulses via optic nerve), suspensory ligaments/ciliary muscles (holds lens), lens (fine-tunes light), iris (controls pupil size), and pupil (changes light entry)

Bright light causes pupils to constrict – circular muscles contract, radial muscles relax

Dim light causes pupils to dilate – circular muscles relax, radial muscles contract

Near objects are refracted strong as the lens thickens – ciliary muscles contract, suspensory ligaments loosen

Far objects are refracted only slightly as lens thins – ciliary muscles loosen, suspensory ligaments contract

Hormones

Hormones are chemical messengers released by a gland in response to an internal change and carried in the blood

Negative feedback is doing the opposite of something to return it to normal

Example: thyroxine (thyroid gland in the throat) – uses iodine in your diet to control metabolic changes (remains stable in adulthood)

Adrenaline is not caused by negative feedback – triggers ‘fight or flight’ response (heart rate increase, glycogen converted to glucose, pupils dilate, mental awareness increase, blood diverted from digestive system to big muscles)

Insulin is released when blood glucose is high, glucose taken in by cells or converted to glycogen in the liver

Glucagon is released if too low, and glycogen is broken down into fats/amino acids, fat broken down for energy

Diabetes symptoms include thirst, glucose in urine, fatigue, weight loss, and overactive bladder

Treated by injecting insulin, pancreas/pancreatic cells implant, embryonic stem cells, diet, exercise and weight loss

Male reproductive hormone is testosterone – causes puberty (growth spurt, pubic and facial hair, larynx grows, testes grow/become active, shoulders and chest broaden)

Female puberty is caused by oestrogen (growth spurt, pubic hair, breast enlargement, external genitals grow, fat deposits on hips/buttocks/thighs, brain changes and matures, menstruation begins)

The menstrual cycle: egg matures, uterus lining thickens to prepare for pregnancy, at 14 ays a mature egg is released (ovulation), if egg is not fertilise by day 28, the uterus lining sheds along with egg

Controlled by 4 hormones – FSH (matures eggs in follicle, stimulates ovaries to create oestrogen), oestrogen (secreted with rising FSH levels, stimulates build of uterus lining, high levels inhibit FSH and stimulate LH), LH (stimulates release of egg, drops after ovulation), and progesterone (inhibits FSH and LH, secreted by empty egg follicle, maintains uterus lining/pregnancy)

Fertility

In IVF, mother is given LH and FSH to stimulate oestrogen, eggs are collected and fertilised with father’s sperm in the lab, fertilised eggs are kept in a special solution until they become embryos, and are then implanted back into the uterus

Contraception is a method of preventing the sperm cells and egg cell meeting fertilised

Includes hormonal methods (pill, implants, injections, patches), chemical methods (spermicides), barrier methods (condoms, diaphragms, IUD), and surgical methods (vasectomy, cutting oviducts)

Thermoregulation

Too cold = vasoconstriction (shunt vessel opens), blood vessels keep blood way from skin surface, less heat loss, muscles contract to raise hair to trap heat, shivering

Too hot = vasodilation (shunt vessel narrows), blood travels near surface of skin, sweat glands produce sweat, takes heat away from skin with radiation as it evaporates

A change in a few degrees can affect enzyme activity and how energy is transferred (i.e. CO2 diffusing out of cells down conc. gradient, body must maintain this steep conc. gradient)

Kidneys

Urea made when amino acids are broken down by deamination (removes amide group), makes ammonia which is converted to urea for safe excretion

Nephrons filter blood

Glucose, mineral ions, water and urea move out of blood

RBC/WBC/proteins are too large to be filtered so bypass kidneys

All glucose is reabsorbed

Water and mineral ions reabsorbed by selective reabsorption

Urine trickles to the bladder

Receptor cells in the brain detect conc. of solutes in plasma

If the blood is too concentrated, lots of ADH is produces, and a small volume of concentrated urine is produced

If blood is too dilute, less ADH is produced, and a large volume of dilute urine is produced

Doing lots of exercise/sweating/drinking little means less urine as more water/mineral ions are absorbed to make sweat

Doing little activity/drinking a lot produces lots of urine

Dialysis involves blood passing between partially permeable membrane surrounded by dialysis fluid with the same conc. of dissolved ions and glucose as a healthy person

Fluid contains urea, meaning a steep concentration gradient means only urea and excess mineral ions diffuse across

No active transport unlike in the kidneys because, contrary to what AQA believe, inanimate objects cannot respire

A transplant can be given but the risk of cell rejection means a patient must be on immune-suppressant drugs for life

Plant hormones

Roots grow down due to gravity (positive gravitropism)

Shoots grow up towards the light (phototropism)

Auxin distribute to bend due to gravity/the shaded side respectively to elongate plant cells and curve growth

Gibberellins stimulate breakdown of food stores in seeds at germination – used to speed up germination

Ethene controls cell division and ripens fruit

To make clones of the same plant (i.e. it has good properties/can be grown quickly), cuttings are taken and mixed with rooting powders

Auxin can be used as a weed killer

Reproduction

Asexual reproduction: one parent, genetically identical offspring, mitosis

Sexual reproduction: two parents, variation in offspring, gametes created by meiosis

In meiosis, genetic information is copied so there are 4 sets of each chromosome, each chromosome forms a pair of chromatids, and the cell divides twice in quick succession to form 4 gametes, each with a single set of chromosomes (23)

Fungi are made of hyphae, in which spores reproduce asexually but undergo meiosis to make the spores

Genetics

DNA: long polymer chain of repeating units, twists and folds into a double helix structure, paired up homologous chromosomes

Genes code for specific sequence of amino acids to make specific proteins by protein synthesis (transcription – DNA unzips, mRNA complements strand, carried out by ribosomes, and translation – tRNA complements mRNA codon and brings amino acid to ribosome, mRNA is entirely decoded until a chain of amino acids forms polypeptides)

The genome is the entire genetic material of an organism

A nucleotide is the combination of a sugar, phosphate backbone, and base

Nucleotides are grouped into 3 (codons)

The complementing base pairs are adenine & thymine, and cytosine & guanine

Non-coding parts of DNA are used for switching certain genes on/off (controls gene expression)

Mutation: change in sequence of bases in DNA, forming a different protein

Mutations in non-coding DNA won’t affect the phenotype, but how certain genes are expressed

Alleles are different versions of the same gene – each code for different protein

Inheritance was first developed as an idea by Gregor Mendel

If only one gene is involved, it is monohybrid inheritance

Polydactyl – dominant, cystic fibrosis (in the paper it’s meant to be in) – recessive, sickle cell anaemia – recessive, Huntington’s disease – dominant

Genetic screening can be done by amino centesis (fluid taken from foetal fluid via needle), chorionic villus sampling (sample of tissue from placenta), or by screening embryos (DNA isolated from embryo cell and tested with fluorescent dye which binds to specific alleles)

Variation and evolution

Discontinuous variation: characteristics can only result in certain values

Continuous variation: characteristics can take any value within a certain range (shown by normal distribution curve)

Speciation is natural selection due to a change in location

Darwin proposed the theory of natural selection (good mutation leads to higher survival rate and therefore is inherited more and more over time)

Lamarck said that animals change to suit their environment, but this was disproven as animals cannot change their genotype

Classification

Animalia, plantae, fungi, protoctista, prokaryote – kingdoms

Archaea, bacteria, eukaryotes – domains (Carl Woese)

Mammals, reptiles, fish, amphibians, birds – class

Kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species

Named by binomial system (two components) in Latin from the genus and species

Ecology

Ecosystem: all the organism living in a habitat with all the non-living parts

Individual organisms -> populations -> communities

Interdependence is when species rely on each other

When all the species and environmental factors are in balance, it is a stable community

Abiotic factors – light, temperature, moisture, soil pH, minerals, wind, CO2, and Oxygen levels

Biotic factors – food, predators, pathogens, competition between species

Adaptations may be structural, behavioural or functional

Extremophiles live in extreme environments

Population: group of one species living in a habitat

Biodiversity: the variety of different species on earth – allows interdependence

Threats include pollution, over-exploitation, decay/burning of peat, deforestation and global warming (rising sea levels, changes migration, disrupt species distribution etc)

Solutions include breeding programs, protecting rare species, encouraging farmers to leave hedgerows (stop monoculture), reducing deforestation/CO2 emissions, fishing quotas, and adapting net sizes

Decomposition occurs by detrivores beginning the breakdown and then decomposers secreting enzymes to partially digest waste and leave small, soluble food molecules which are absorbed by soil

Producers -> primary consumers -> secondary consumers -> tertiary consumers (apex predators have no predators above them)

In a stable community, predators and prey rise/fall in cycles

Carbon cycle:

Water cycle:

Pyramids of biomass show trophic levels

Energy is lost due to faeces, excretion, urine, respiration etc so there are less organisms in higher trophic levels

Feeding animals high-protein food increases energy transfer, along with lowering temperatures and movement (although this is unethical)

Biotechnology uses Fusarium in large vats called fermenters with glucose syrup to make mycoprotein, which is then harvested and purified

Mycoprotein is low in fat, high in fibre/protein

Genetically modified crops can provide nutritional value (i.e. golden rice in Asia)

Good luck tomorrow! 

#biology #gcse #gcse biology #key points #exam notes #aqa science #aqa biology #studyblr #gcse studyblr #gcse class 2018

[eowyn-is-a-radfem]

Hi there! Don't you think Simon Baron Cohen's male brain and female brain theory is sexist af? What are your thoughts on this?

Sorry in advance, I’m sleep deprived. I’m not sure I understand the specific thing you’re asking me, but here are my thoughts:

My opinion on this has fluctuated and I have not read enough on the subject to have a fully developed stance. I definitely agree that the conversation around brain sex gets real sexist, real quick.

When I first started this blog, I called myself a terf/twerf/merf. Then I read a lot from users who are trans and are infuriated with mogai hell trivializing their struggles. I followed more transmed/truscum blogs. I learned a lot about the issues and have my opinions but as someone who is not trans, I don’t think that’s my place to insert myself into these conversations regularly.

I’m not really sure if I’m a transmed or what, but I am definitely here for the struggles of actual trans people. It’s not of my business why they feel the strong feelings they have. It’s not my place to tell them whether they should transition or not, and how to live their lives.

I know a few women who have detransitioned and re-identify as women. They had been sexually abused and treated badly based on their sex. Their dysphoria was more about detaching from there female bodies than it was about desperately yearning to have a male body since birth. Some trans people call it social dysphoria. Unfortunately, a few of these women were pressured by society to transition because of the heavily reinforced gender stereotypes of modern trans activism. (“Short hair and guy trousers? You’re not a butch, you’re a trans guy! Come out already!!”)

I’ve seen trans people I follow or watch on YouTube call brain sex a spectrum:

-For some reason a lot of female brains tend to share certain characteristics and a lot of male brains so the same. (Basic idea of brain sex- but it’s not so black and white.)

-Since correlation does not equal causation, there are plenty of people with brain traits commonly displayed by those of the opposite sex but do not identify as trans or experience dysphoria at all. Having a certain specific trait typically displayed by males/females does not mean you are trans and have a male/female brain.

-There are people who fall somewhere in the middle who may resent that they were born with a sex at all because their physical body feels polarizing compared to what they feel in their brains (me, but I’ve never used the word dysphoria). This is where NB-inclusive transmed theory comes in, I think. And possibly social dysphoria.

There are a lot of people who try to take brain sex Siri and use it against people-especially women. (“Women are supposed to be demure and submissive. Keep being bossy like that and you’ll never get a husband.”)

Some of this can be seen as that toxic masculinity, too. (“Come on, be a man- shoot the deer. What are you, a girl?”)

In these ways, I absolutely think that brain sex is bogus. However, I think it’s a lot more complicated and nuanced than that. There are a lot of trans people in the world, and they feel such a violent dysphoria that something like half of them think about, attempt, and or commit suicide. That is horrifying. They're not just making that up. Physical dysphoria and social dysphoria both cause significant psychological distress. I don’t think it’s my job to be the judge and jury of this issue because either way, these people are suffering.

My main beef is with transtrenders- those who acknowledge that they do not have dysphoria but still claim to be trans. Also MOGAI. These people trivialize the struggles of trans people and turn and unchangeable part of their lives into a fashion trend.

Gender is fake, and it was made to keep us in boxes. Sex is biological, but it determines nothing else about our inner lives as human beings. Socialization, on the other hand…

Tl;drI don’t have to personally be going through dysphoria in order to understand that it is a very rough thing to live with and should not be trivialized. My stance on brain sex (so far) is probably somewhere in the middle. I don't believe in "a female brain" and "a male brain. It does, however, make sense to me that females' brains would tend to share characteristics with one another more often than they would share characteristics with male brains. The research that I have seen supporting brain sex seems to lead in this direction. I am not convinced it is something that has been "proven" or "disproven."

I’m still a gender abolitionist, I love to learn, and anything I do on this website aims to educate, empower, and support people. (Just not selfish babies.)

#radfem #radical feminism #brain sex #transmed #transmedicalist #gender abolitionist #gender abolition #gender critical #transtrenders #anti trender #dysphoria

[paddysnuffles]

yes hello you said you did the reading to your self diagnosis and im gonna ask what did you read bc i think i may be autistic too

Hi! The research I did was really extensive as it was for a major project for my science, technology, and medical information class during my Master’s (Library and Info Science). The project was to make a user-friendly starter guide on a topic of our choice, so here are the resources I ended up using:

Is There Really an Autism Epidemic? (by Hal Arkowitz & Scott O. Lilienfeld, Scientific American, 2012)

The article discusses the possible meanings of the drastic change—within the short span of a decade—from the long-held ratio of 1:2,500 people with ASD to one of 1:166, suggesting that better understanding of ASD (and thus better ability to diagnose it) is likely to account for most of the increase. This is a great educational tool on understanding why autism is reported to be on the rise and why the current data on rising prevalence is rather misleading.

How to Think About the Risk of Autism (by Sam Wang, The New York Times, 2104)

An extensive yet approachable look at what the science says about the causes of autism and how to estimate the chances of a person having ASD. The article offers a comparison between how much emphasis the scientific community puts on each probable cause and how the media covers the subject. Genetic research can often be hard to follow even when simplified, so this could be a valuable introduction to the subject.

Survey: One in five believe vaccine causes autism (by Carly Weeks, The Globe and Mail, 2015)The article shows the effects of 18 years of false information fed to the public as science by Andrew Wakefield, starting with his 1998 paper on how vaccines are to blame for the existence of autism (which has been repeatedly disproven) to the 2016 propaganda film Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe. An important issue with serious public health implications.

Steve Silberman on autism and ‘neurodiversity’ (by Emma Teitel, Maclean’s, 2015)

An interview with Steve Silberman, who delved into the history of ASD to prove that the belief that “autism is a historical aberration of the modern world” is not actually correct. It offers an insightful explanation about what neurodiversity is, and serves as a great companion to the essay Mental Disorder or Neurodiversity? included in the topic-specific list.

Autism spectrum has no clear cut-off point, research suggests (by Nicola Davis, The Guardian, 2016)

This story reports the findings of a study that showed that the genes involved in the genesis of autism are connected to an individual’s social skills regardless of them exhibiting symptoms of ASD, “suggesting that “the autism spectrum has no clear cut-off point.” In other words, all individuals could be put within a scale for autistic traits and placed anywhere between the most severely impaired people on one end and the easy-going, social butterflies on the opposite end. The article provides a biological basis that could inform some of the discussion presented in other articles on the suitability of labelling less severe cases as a “disability” rather than a difference.

Autism spectrum disorders in the DSM-V: Better or worse than the DSM-IV? by Lorna Wing, Judith Gould, and Christopher Gillberg—–An overview of the changes brought by DSM-V by removing the category of Pervasive Developmental Disorders and replacing them with Autism Spectrum Disorder, as well as a discussion about the positive and negative aspects of the new criteria. Considering that the changes brought by the new edition of the DSM is one of the most important developments in the area, this article provides a much-needed discussion on the very definition of ASDs. Note: One of the beliefs professed in the article - that autistics cannot feel empathy - has recently been disproven; for details on that see Brewer & Murphy in the referenced works section)

Evidence-Based Practices for Children, Youth, and Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Comprehensive Review by Connie Wong, Samuel L. Odom, et al.—–A look at the current practices for ASD therapy to help children learn coping mechanisms, hone their fine motor function abilities, and other interventions found to be effective through different research projects. This essay will be helpful for an understanding of the therapies and techniques available for families affected by ASD.

Does the different presentation of Asperger syndrome in girls affect their problem areas and chances of diagnosis and support? by Elizabeth Hughes—–The article discusses the differences in how ASD presents itself in females versus males, comparing the diagnostic tools available for ASD and doctor’s perceptions of what ASD looks like in order to determine whether more males tend to be diagnosed with ASD than females due to actual biological differences in prevalence or because of gender bias imbued within the diagnostic tools. In addition to addressing an important issue surrounding ASD, this article also helps with the understanding of the range of symptoms and level of severity ASD can be manifested.

The Ever-Changing Social Perception of Autism Spectrum Disorder in the United States by Danielle N. Martin—Providing a historical perspective on the evolution of the understanding and acceptance (or lack thereof) toward ASD from a social and medical standpoint, this article looks at how past perceptions have shaped the modern stigma toward this disorder. This thesis paper—which was awarded the Michael F. Bassman Honors Thesis Award from the East Carolina University—will helps readers to familiarize themselves with how stigma against ASD manifests itself.

A Minority Group by Charlotte Stace—–Slang and terminology related to ASD are explored from the perspective of the ASD community, offering a unique insight into how the community views itself as well as how it views outsiders. It provides an interesting mirror image to the previous article, which is focused on the point of view of those not living with ASD.

Mental Disorder or Neurodiversity? by Aaron Rothstein—–The author discusses whether differences in how the brain deals with sensory input (such as in ASD, ADHD, and dyslexia) should qualify as “disorders” or whether they are variations on the brain’s “wiring” that helps with our species survival by providing certain individuals with an ability to problem-solve in ways that most people can’t. The emergence of this debate within the community—which is rapidly gaining prominence in media outlets—makes this paper an important read for those interested in a more holistic view of ASD.

Major sources of information (publications)

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th edition (DSM-V): Although not a source solely focused on ASD (which comprises a relatively small part of the overall publication), it is nevertheless considered to be one of the key sources of information for professionals trying to determine whether a patient might be on the spectrum.

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders: The leading peer-reviewed, scholarly periodical about ASD and other closely related disorders; published monthly.

Autism Spectrum Digest: A monthly digital magazine centered around topics of interest to members of the ASD community and their families, such as helpful apps, current news related to ASD, legal/human rights issues, etc.

Electronic resources

Autistic Self-Advocacy Network: An advocacy group about ASD, for autistics and by autistics, which promotes programs, offers a resource library, and provides a source for news relating to the ASD community from an ASD perspective.

Research Autism: A UK organization whose focus is research of interventions in autism, as well as provide objective evaluations of the scientific evidence behind each. It also offers a number of useful resources, such as a database of publications relating to ASD, links to apps developed for people with ASD, and information on legislations and policies relevant to people with ASD.

Authorities

Hans Asperger: Hans Asperger played an important role in the history of Autism Spectrum Disorder. He was one of the first scientists to identify ASD, and the first to theorize that ASD is something that affects a person throughout their whole life rather than only through childhood as Leo Keller claimed (Sole-Smith, 2014). Asperger’s Syndrome, one of the most-known variations of ASD, was named after him (Asperger’s Syndrome, n.d.).

Temple Grandin: Though her formal education deals with animal caregiving, Dr. Grandin is nevertheless seen as a leading authority on autism by both the ASD community and researchers alike. She is recognized as one of the first advocates for autism to actually have autism, and her insights into how autistic people experience the world were instrumental in bringing awareness and some degree of acceptance to ASD. Dr. Grandin has been profiled by the New Yorker, interviewed in NPR and the New York Times, was the subject of a photo essay for Time magazine and was listed in the 2010 Time 100 list in the "Heroes" category (Flatow, 2006; Goldman, 2013; Slaby, 2009; Hauser, 2010). She has written a number of books on Autism, has received honorary degrees from several universities, and was awarded a Double Helix Medal (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 2011; Grandin, 2016).

Key issues

"Neuro-diverse" versus “disabled”: There is surging controversy about whether milder forms of ASD should be considered disorders/disabilities or only a version of how the brain can function (like having a Mac vs a PC - they’re different, but it doesn’t mean one is faulty). A major reason behind this movement is that, as Dr. Grandin explains in her TED Talk, autistics might be worse than most people at some things, but they’re more skilled at others, like breaking down complex systems and understanding how they work (Grandin, 2010). Also in favour of this theory is the fact that those “on the spectrum” often enter professional fields in the area of their special interests and become experts on the subject (Grandin, 2010).

Prevalence of ASD in Women: A number of studies have shown that the signs doctors look for when diagnosing ASD are mainly those that manifest in males, meaning that women are often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, with some doctors going so far as saying that “women can’t have Asperger’s” even when faced with a classic case according to current diagnosis definitions (Hughes, 2014). There is a slowly growing movement to fix this, but as of yet little has been on an official capacity other than studies repeatedly finding that a drastic change needs to be implemented.

Vaccines and Autism: A major issue related to autism and ASD is the widespread belief among the general population that vaccines can be to blame for a child’s autism. The problem started nearly two decades ago, with propaganda disguised as science by Andrew Wakefield that was widely spread through the internet and general media outlets. To this day, despite definitive proof to the contrary by a number of research findings, 20% of Canadians still believe that there is a link, while another 20% aren’t sure about it (Weeks). As a result, a number of parents started to refrain from giving their children vaccines, with serious consequences such as illnesses like measles having made a deadly comeback to the country (Weeks).

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). DSM V. American Psychiatric Association.

American Psychiatric Association. (2015). DSM V Update. American Psychiatric Association.

Arkowitz, H., & Lilienfeld, S. O. (2012, August 1). Is There Really an Autism Epidemic? Scientific American. Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-there-really-an-autism-epidemic/

Asperger’s Syndrome. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster. Retrieved from

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Asperger's%20syndrome

Autism Spectrum Digest. (2016). Autism Spectrum Digest. Retrieved from http://asdigest.com.

Autistic Self Advocacy Network. (2016). Autistic Self Advocacy Network. Retrieved from http://autisticadvocacy.org/

Bradley, E., Caldwell, P., & Underwood, L. (2013). Autism Spectrum Disorder. In J. McCarthy & E. Tsakanikos (Ed.), Handbook of Psychopathology in Intellectual Disability: Research, Practice, and Policy (pp. 237–264).

Brewer, R., & Murphy, J. (2016, July). People with Autism Can Read Emotions, Feel Empathy. Spectrum. Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/people-with-autism-can-read-emotions-feel-empathy1/

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. (2011). Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory honors stars of science and sports at sixth annual gala. Retrieved from http://www.cshl.edu/news-a-features/cold-spring-harbor-laboratory-honors-stars-of-science-and-sports-at-sixth-annual-gala.html

Davis, N. (2016, March 21). Autism spectrum has no clear cut-off point, research suggests. The Guardian [London]. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/mar/21/autism-spectrum-has-no-clear-cut-off-point-research-suggests-nature-genetics

Dichter, G. S. (2012). Functional magnetic resonance imaging of autism spectrum disorders. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 14(3), 319–351. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3513685/

Flatow, I. (Host). (2006, January 20). A Conversation with Temple Grandin [Television series episode]. In Talk of the Nation. National Public Radio.

Foster, R. (2014). Does the Equality Act 2010 ensure equality for individuals with Asperger syndrome in the legal arena?: A survey of recent UK case law Autonomy, the Critical Journal of Interdisciplinary Autism Studies, 1(4). Retrieved from

http://www.larry-arnold.net/Autonomy/index.php/autonomy/article/view/AR16

Fuentes, J., Bakare, M., Munir, K., Aguayo, P., Gaddour, N., & Öner, Ö. (2014). Developmental Disorders - Autism Spectrum Disorder. In J. M. Rey (Ed.), IACAPAP e-Textbook of Child and Adolescent Mental Health (p. C.2 1–35). Geneva: International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions.

Goldman, A. (2013, April 12). Temple Grandin on Autism, Death, Celibacy and Cows. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/14/magazine/temple-grandin-on-autism-death-celibacy-and-cows.html?_r=0

Grandin, T. (2010, February). Temple Grandin: The world needs all kinds of minds. [Video file]. Retrieved from

https://www.ted.com/talks/temple_grandin_the_world_needs_all_kinds_of_minds?language=en#t-157979

Grandin, T. (2016). Temple Grandin Professional Resumé. Retrieved from http://www.grandin.com/professional.resume.html

Hauser, M. (2010, April 29). The 2010 TIME 100. Time. Retrieved from http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1984685_1984949_1985222,00.html

Hughes, E. (2014). Does the different presentation of Asperger syndrome in girls affect their problem areas and chances of diagnosis and support? Autonomy, the Critical Journal of Interdisciplinary Autism Studies, 1(4). Retrieved from http://www.larry-arnold.net/Autonomy/index.php/autonomy/article/view/AR17

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Retrieved from

http://link.springer.com/journal/10803

Martin D. N. (2012) The ever changing social perception of autism spectrum disorders in the United States. Honors Thesis, East Carolina University. Retrieved from http://uncw.edu/csurf/Explorations/documents/DanielleMartin.pdf

Medical Library Association. (2016). Medical subject headings (MeSH).

Research Autism. (n.d.). Research Autism. Retrieved from http://researchautism.net/

Rothstein, A. (2012). Mental Disorder or Neurodiversity? The New Atlantis, 36. Retrieved from http://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/mental-disorder-or-neurodiversity

Slaby, M. (2009). The Perspectives of Temple Grandin. Time. Retrieved from

http://content.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1985143,00.html

Sole-Smith, V. (2014). The History of Autism. Parents. Retrieved from http://www.parents.com/health/autism/history-of-autism/

Stace, C. (2014). A Minority Group. Autonomy, the Critical Journal of Interdisciplinary Autism Studies, 1(3). Retrieved from http://www.larry-arnold.net/Autonomy/index.php/autonomy/article/view/AR13

Teitel, E. (2015, August 25). Steve Silberman on autism and ‘neurodiversity’. MacLean's. Retrieved from http://www.macleans.ca/society/science/steve-silberman-on-autism-and-the-neurodiversity-movement/

Tonge,B., & Brereton, A. DSM-5 Autism Spectrum Disorder Fact Sheet. Retrieved from

http://www.timeforafuture.com.au/factsheets/CDPP%20Factsheet%201.%20DSM%205%20Autism%20Spectrum%20Disorder.pdf

Wang, J. (2014, March 29). How to Think About the Risk of Autism. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/30/opinion/sunday/how-to-think-about-the-risk-of-autism.html?_r=1

Weeks, C. (2015, February 6). Survey: One in five believe vaccine causes autism. The Globe and Mail [Toronto]. Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/survey-finds-one-in-five-people-believe-measles-vaccines-cause-autism/article22851493/

Wing, L., Gould, J., & Gillberg, C. (2011). Autism spectrum disorders in the DSM-V: better or worse than the DSM-IV?. Research in developmental disabilities, 32(2), 768-773. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0891422210002647

Wong, C., Odom, S. L., Hume, K. A., Cox, A. W., Fettig, A., Kucharczyk, S., ... & Schultz, T. R. (2015). Evidence-based practices for children, youth, and young adults with autism spectrum disorder: A comprehensive review.Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(7), 1951-1966. Retrieved from http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-014-2351-z

World Health Organization. (1994). International classification of diseases (ICD).

Further Resources

Autism Women’s Network

Interactive Autism Network

Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI)

The official site for a research program funded by the Simons Foundation, which focuses on all aspects of autism research

Doctor Temple Grandin’s Site

Dr. Grandin’s site on autism. It has some of her writings on the subject as well as information on conference appearances.

ResearchGate Discussion Forum

A discussion page on ResearchGate on academic papers regarding ASD stigma. You can also search the overall discussion forum for other ASD-related discussions by academics.

Parents miss signs of autism in their daughters by Emily Anthes (Spectrum, 2016)

A study finds that parents of girls with autism are significantly less likely than those of boys to voice concerns about their child’s social behaviour.

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Though mostly useful to familiarize oneself with ASD culture, members of the ASD community also post links to news and resources (usually with commentary on their perspective on the matter). Tags of interest: #asd, #actuallyautistic, #stimming, #aspielife

Stigma and the “Othering” of Autism by Lynne Soraya (Psychology Today, April 1, 2012)

An Aspie’s perspective on the stigma surrounding autism and what it means to support an autistic child.

Autism Speaks, But Not For Autistics by Dane La Born (The Free Weekly, April 6 2016)

An autistic’s perspective on the lesser-known controversy surrounding Autism Speaks, the #1 autism charity in the world.

Ce que signifient les étapes du développement chez un enfant autiste by Kathleen O’Grady (Huffington Post Quebec, 2016)

The Autism Speaks Controversy by Brianne McDunnough (Reporter Magazine, 2014)

Where Autism Got The Right Treatment In 2015 by Emily Willingham (Forbes, 2015)

Proteins that spark learning may play key part in autism by Ann Griswold (Spectrum, 2016)

Autism Spectrum Disorder Linked to Mutations in Some Mitochondria by (Neuroscience News, 2016)

Autism gene needed for growth of neurons during gestation by Jessica Wright (Spectrum, 2016)

[nothingman]

Once upon a time, TV’s nerds, geeks, freaks and “poindexters” were woefully confined to the positions of victim, underdog or comic relief, but as geek culture began to grow into its current golden age of mainstream credibility, the archetypal TV nerd has grown with it. Departing from our traditional understanding of alpha-male characters commanding social authority through physical prowess, the alpha-nerd’s dominance is asserted through intellectual superiority.

“Smart is the new sexy,” Stephen Moffat declared through Irene Adler’s mouth in the first season of Sherlock. Moffat’s retooling of Arthur Conan-Doyle’s brilliant detective is the full realization of the alpha-nerd 1.0 design he partially grafted onto The Doctor in Doctor Who, a direct reflection of Chuck Lorre’s Dr. Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory, and to a certain extent, Hugh Laurie’s Dr. Gregory House from House. Unfortunately, the alpha-nerd has inherited all of his ancestral bully’s bad habits: belittling his ‘inferiors’, equating emotional sensitivity with weakness, and poor treatment of women. It is these traits that expose the underlying toxicity of his sharp wit, making his prominence in otherwise fairly well written TV shows frustratingly off-putting.

First, lets get the ‘sick rather than a dick’ scapegoat theories out of the way. A whole heap as been written online about the possibility that characters like Sherlock Holmes’ and Sheldon Cooper’s socially dysfunctional temperaments are in fact down to undiagnosed disorders like autism and Asperger’s syndrome.

I’ll tackle Sheldon first. Though this reading is a fair one—and even applauded by some in the autism community—it was disproven all the way back in 2009 by co-creator Bill Prady. So, when Sheldon says horrible ‘hilarious’ lines like, “I never said that you’re not good at what you do. It’s just that what you do is not worth doing,” or “It must be humbling to suck on so many different levels,” it’s not because of a developmental disorder of the brain—he’s just a dick. Similarly, when he espouses that, “Sheldon Cooper does not cry,” or that “feelings” belong at a “hippy love-in”, it’s not because he can’t process his or others’ emotions, it’s just that he chooses not to, and uses this choice as a verbal stick with which he beats his underlings into submission.

Unlike Prady, Moffat is unafraid of labels, demonstrated by Sherlock’s self-diagnosis in the pilot: “I’m not a psychopath […] I’m a highly-functioning sociopath, do your research!” Okay, so he gets a free pass for dick-ishness, right? Nope. Someone who actually did her research is psychologist Mary Konnikova. “Psychopaths and sociopaths are the exact same thing,” she explained in an essay for i09. On Holmes’ apparent lack of emotion, she went on to say: “It’s not that he doesn’t experience any emotion. It’s that he has trained himself to not let emotions cloud his judgment.”

Whilst these empathy lobotomies allow for the quick-fire burns these characters are loved for, they still create an inconsistency between what we’re supposed to accept about them and their actions. If the benefit of masterfully controlling your emotions is increased analytical productivity, then why waste the mental on the quips and insults at all?

It’s because it’s not enough to be the smartest of the smart; an alpha-nerd has to constantly assert his intellectual dominance over his peers through degradation of their self-esteem, accomplishments and inability to control their emotions as effectively as he can. In the ‘Jock World’ of the traditional alpha-male, this would be the equivalent of picking smaller dudes up by the lapel and ramming them into lockers.

This makes the women of an alpha-nerd’s world, whom stereotyping dictates as the least able to keep feelings out of their analytical and decision-making processes, attract the most ire from the alpha. (See: most of Sheldon’s interactions with waitress Penny, and likewise for Sherlock with the much-maligned pathologist Molly Hooper.)

Unlike the traditional alpha-male who establishes power through sexual promiscuity, for the alpha-nerd, it is the suppression of these desires that feeds his superiority further. “I’ve always assumed that love is a dangerous disadvantage,” Sherlock tells Irene Adler in “A Scandal in Belgravia.” Yet, this commitment to non-commitment is always tested by a devilish seductress: the ‘mysterious woman’. Though versions of the trope pop up in fiction all over the place, in this context, mysterious women serve as singular female characters who can match or occasionally best the alpha-nerd’s brilliance, as well as try to nullify accusations of poor gender representation. Whereas intelligent men are challengers to the throne, the mysterious woman’s intelligence is at once threatening and alluring. Alluring because she has womanly bits. And she knows what to do with them.

This is where the ‘mysterious’ element lies. Sherlock can ‘read’ anyone to make astounding deductions, so in “The Sign Of Three,” Irene Adler [otherwise known just as “the woman”] confronts him for the first time in the nude, leaving him utterly speechless. Even with her clothes on, she continues to perplex him longer than his male adversaries, as if the absence of a penis is the missing piece of an unsolvable puzzle. This exact dynamic is oddly mirrored in a long-running gag in The Big Bang Theory, in which Raj Koothrappali (part of the ‘beta-nerd’ pack that alpha, Sheldon, hierarchically dominates) suffers from selective muteness in the presence of women. The undertone is that womanly bodies—Medusa-like—are bizarrely capable of bewitching men into stony silence, their intellectualism, normally expressed through their eloquence, rendered ironically impotent by what their bodies’ desire.

Though she is supposed to counter the alpha-nerd’s ‘quirky’ misogyny with antidotal strength and independence, the ‘mysterious woman’ is also disappointingly little else than a gender-flipped version of him. River Song (Irene Adler’s pre-watershed prototype) is part-Time Lord. Irene Adler is Sherlock Holmes if he turned criminal. TBBT’s Amy Farrah Fowler is basically Sheldon Cooper with more estrogen. (A biological difference that the show uses to slowly mutate its most intelligent female character into the ‘clingy girlfriend’ archetype.)

Everything they do centers around the alpha-nerd. That’s why Irene Alder can self-define as gay and still be in love with Sherlock. Or why River Song can travel anywhere in space and time but always end up by the Doctor’s side. Or why three women with nothing in common other than their nerd pack of boyfriends/husbands in TBBT (Penny, Bernadette and Amy) can magically become BFFs.

What may seem like a whole new breed of leading male protagonist on TV, born from the widespread assimilation of nerd culture into the mainstream, is little more than your average alpha-male with an IQ upgrade. Moffat and Lorre simply disguise old-fashioned chauvinism and macho-posturing as ‘endearing’ eccentricity. Sure, the razor-sharp insults might be funny, but as a female viewer, I just can’t bring myself to root for these misogynistic bullies any longer.

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