/sci/ - Science & Math

>epidemic

>>6534238
Epidemic was the correct word to use.

Autism is love, autism is life.

Why don't we cure non-autism instead?

>>6534232
Are they really sure that instances of autism are rising or there's just more awareness and people are reporting it and getting treatment more often? Not to mention the fact it could be over-diagnosed.

If I wanted to be cheeky I would say ban vaccines but I won't even joke about that since antivac movements have actually caused some real damage.

i wish i was autistic
better number visualization, get to be a NEET my whole life, and special privileges.

>>6534248
Autism rates haven't risen so much as definition of what's considered to be on the autism spectrum has expanded in addition to increased efforts to detect it.

There is no epidemic.

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-increase-in-autism-diagnoses-two-hypotheses/

>>6534292
> Not to mention the fact it could be over-diagnosed.

No could, it is, obviously so.

Autism doesn't even exist in the first place, it's a fabricated umbrella term used to apply a label to certain combinations of traits/emotions/behaviors without any science behind it whatsoever. There's no such physical test on Earth you could get done to prove someone has autism, the "diagnosis" is made based off the arbitrary opinion of a pseudo-scientist.

There is cases where there is clearly something neurologically wrong with a child, but because he was introduced to pseudo-scientists instead of unfortunately pointless and expensive actual neurological science, they just labeled him with autism and went on to fill the paperwork. This is a quicker process and comes with financial benefits for many parties involved. In this case it has more or less become a euphemism for mentally retarded children, in which is given to them instead of actual medical research or care.

Psychiatry/psychology pretty much works on the basis of these principles. More often than not the mind-altering drugs they supply in an attempt to alter negative emotions/behaviors puts people in a far worse position.

>>6534316
You should be able to detect satire when you see it.

Poor kids, I can't even begin to imagine how it would be like to grow up or even feel like that

>>6534320
>umbrella term used to apply a label to certain combinations of traits/emotions/behaviors

Oh so you're saying it's a range of human behavior between somewhat arbitrarily defined points of delineation based on a list of criteria that tend to occur together? That is literally the only way to define a psychological disorder. In fact that is practically the definition of "definition."

>>6534232
>Please don't touch me i don't want the autism epidemic

>>6534339
>That is literally the only way to define a psychological disorder

That's exactly my point. It's not accurate whatsoever, it's extremely arbitrary, it's harmful, and it's just not real medical science.

It's a business of taking emotions and behaviors, and claiming them to be a disease. Why do I have something against that? Because it creates a self-fulfilling prophecy in the people who are told they "have it". It applies a very large stigma to the people are told they "have it", to the point where you lose almost all of your credibility. It can be used to completely take away your freedom, and many times the possibility to do many things solely because of the label itself. By far the worst thing however is the harm that can be done from psychiatric drugs, these can absolutely destroy people.

Do you know how many children are observed not focusing in school, perhaps being rambunctious at times? This very often called a disease. The children are actually told they have a disease, and guess what they're given? Amphetamine sor methylphenidate, these are neuro-toxic addictive drugs that are horrible for you. This kid is going to grow up and his brain is going to develop while constantly under the influence of amphetamines, all because of pseudoscience. That kid will never be the same person if he didn't take them.

How about benzos? Someone with anxiety might be told to take a steady dose of benzos. Well guess what, benzos have the worst withdrawals of any drug on Earth, there are heroin addicts who will tell you opiate (heroin) withdrawals are nothing compared to getting off benzos. They can kill you, cause extreme torment, and last for months. Many people claim they feel it for years, and it's been said that it's probably just permenant damage. I'm talking about people taking it as prescribed too, now think about someone who was already having anxiety issues and the position they will then be in once they're physically addicted to benzos

>There's an autism epidemic
That's jumping to conclusions. The explanation could as well be that profesional tend to diagnose autism much more now than what they did 2 years ago.

>>6534369
>It's a business of taking emotions and behaviors, and claiming them to be a disease

No, disorders are distinct from diseases. People are free to not medicate disorders. Many don't and are happier not to. I think we basically agree on that. The medication exists for the people that do want it.

As for your points about all the harm caused by psychological medication, yeah, I'd say most are legitimate grievances. We can both sit and list all the possible negative effects of any medication like we were the second half of a pharmaceutical commercial, but in the end they're all just things that need to be taken into consideration and weighed against the benefits. Medicine exists to save and/or improve lives. Antidepressants, for example, save and improve lives in a very real and measurable way.

>>6534369
Not samefagging; I agree with everything you said and the reasons you gave for saying them.

This period of time will be looked back on as comparably barbaric as every other point in history some [probably not huge] amount of time in the future.

>>6534418
>No, disorders are distinct from diseases. People are free to not medicate disorders. Many don't and are happier not to. I think we basically agree on that. The medication exists for the people that do want it.

Well I think the same rules should be applied to giving kids methamph/d-amph as apply to minors and sex to be quite honest. Because in cases of ADHD kids' choice is deferred to parents which is often deferred to their doctor or what have you and kids end up on retardedly strong stimulants at an early age. That shit is fucking retarded.

>>6534438
Erm, which is to say, I think a lot of people with these supposed disorders are in fact not free to not receive medication because it is forced on them when they are too young to even properly understand the implications thereof. Which is fucked up.

How can a governing body say that a full-fledged adult cannot reasonably access by choice a substance such as amphetamine and yet at the same time authorize doctors to give it to kids who legitimately don't understand what the fuck amphetamines are?

USA at its finest yo.

>>6534232
obviously stop vaccinating kids because it causes autism.