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Originally Posted by MandoMan
I think the real experts these days believe that there are a lot of different forms and levels of autism, and they are generally due to genetics, but with a strong bit of environmental influence, though NOT vaccines. Autism runs in my family and in my ex-wife’s family. I’ve had it all my life, but I wasn’t diagnosed until I was about 65. I have a Ph.D., and most of my extended family members on the autism spectrum have a Ph.D., an M.D., or a J.D. We are all very focused, enthusiastic about strange things, abrupt, “weird,” and sort of reclusive or shy. We say things that may offend people without our realizing it. We teach at your universities, treat your illnesses, and represent you in court, but we are autistic, and we don’t have many friends. Until recently, we weren’t diagnosed. Diagnosing us explains the majority of the growth in autism numbers. We were here before, but unrecognized.
As far as food additives and petroleum in things we eat go, it’s a possibility, but it’s not yet proven. As for thimerosal that once was used as a preservative in vaccines, the active ingredient is a tiny bit of mercury. However, mercury is also sometimes found in swordfish and big tuna. I love tuna steaks. Do you? I also love a good apple, and even though I wash it with soap before eating it, it may still have residual poisons on it. The same goes for most of our vegetables and fruit. We could blame petroleum for this, but consider that petroleum use goes far beyond insecticides and fungicides and herbicides. Mineral oil is a petroleum product. Many people use it every day on their skin (some of which soaks in), to remove eye make-up, etc. Those high quality raisins you buy instead of the store brand stay loose because they have a light covering of mineral oil. It’s not digestible, so it comes out the other end.
Ever changed your oil or worked on a car? Ever got gasoline on your hand while filling your tank? Ever done furniture refinishing? Ever used cleaning products or furniture polish? There are petroleum products in your laundry detergent. The “fragrance” added helps cover up the smell of the chemicals used to clean the clothes, although it is itself chemicals. (I use fragrance-free laundry detergent, Tide or Persil, and the clothes come out of the wash smelling like chemicals). Lots of chemicals soak into your skin. They are used in moisturizers and soaps. Ever had your clothes dry-cleaned? You know those chemicals cause cancer, right?
Could some of these environmental factors be adding to the numbers of people with autism? Maybe, but I haven’t heard of any solid evidence. It’s more likely that they are contributing to other problems. However, the fact is that the average life span today is much longer than it was when we were born. Many of us who are doing well today would be dead or crippled if we had only the level of medical and surgical care available a hundred years ago. For example, one reason there is so much diabetes is that a century ago people with diabetes tended to die within a few years of diagnosis. The same goes for heart disease.
“Mineral oil is produced from crude oil through a refining process that involves distillation, extraction, and potentially other treatments. Crude oil is first heated and distilled, separating it into various fractions with different boiling points. The desired fractions, which will become the base oils, are then further refined through processes like solvent extraction, deasphalting, and hydrofinishing to remove impurities and unwanted compounds. Finally, additives are added to enhance the physical and chemical properties of the mineral oil, resulting in the final product.”
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Everything you said I agree with 100%. I can sort of relate to your personal anecdote. I didn't do well in my first school years and struggled with certain course topics (history, math, anything requiring memorization of numbers, dates, matching dates to events, "facts" versus "information.") If it wasn't applied practically, I struggled with it. It's probably why I was pretty good with chemistry, but lousy with algebra. Algebra is conceptual, chemistry is practical. I also tended to "zone out" into daydreams whenever a teacher was talking about a lesson. Or I'd stare vacantly out the window, watching individual snowflakes and tracking their fall to the ground. Or look up at the popcorn ceiling and imagine the images the dots made (the same way astronomers imagined the clusters of stars in the sky became constellations). I never swung my arms when I walked, I was awkward socially, I stammered, and I stimmed when I was anxious or excited, or even if I was REALLY enjoying my meal. I still stim but now it's more intentional. Flapping my arms from the elbows and wrists just feels good, it's a great way to express my emotions when I'm frustrated or incredibly happy.
I often retreated to my own world when I was unhappy, and sometimes I did so simply because I enjoyed doing it. I've always been more comfortable with my own company, rather than seeking out other company.
So yes - I'm totally on the spectrum. It's not an illness, it's not a disease, it's not a disorder. It's just a different way of perceiving the world and the sense of self. I don't want to be treated for it, or cured of it. I have no symptoms that are dangerous to me or my surroundings. In fact, I'm more likely to point out YOUR neurotypical symptoms that are dangerous to me or your surroundings. Like if you turn without using your turn signal. Or you smoke near a group of neighbors and your ashes are about to drop on your neighbor's dog. Or you cough without putting your hand over your mouth. Or someone else in the crowd 20 feet away from me is walking by and the person facing the other direction is about to step back, and bump into that walking person. Other people might not really notice that, but I notice everything. All the time. I don't have any choice, it's how my brain is hardwired. All of that noticing stuff is my ADD. My reaction to all of it is the autism spectrum. I observe it as if I was looking through a camera lens, or watching it on a youtube video. I'm distanced from it, even if I'm in the middle of it.
It's an interesting way to exist, and I'm content existing this way. No one is paying my parents for me to try their medications, and in fact I wasn't even diagnosed with the ADD until I was over 40. But I've had it all my life. They just called it "lazy, disinterested, inattentive, scatterbrained" and would punish me for being me instead of helping me to learn skills to work WITH it. Those, I learned on my own. I created my own methods for coping, learning, and understanding my universe.
So this nonsense about autism being caused by vaccines is horsepucky. Caused by gut flora - nonsense. Caused by blah blah blah blah. Why not just ask what is causing you to get a freckle on your arm instead of on your face. It's the same answer: "because." That's why.