Comments on: Hypotonia and the presumption of mental retardation http://blog.donnawilliams.net/2007/05/27/hypotonia-and-the-presumption-of-mental-retardation/ Ever the arty Autie Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:28:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Amanda http://blog.donnawilliams.net/2007/05/27/hypotonia-and-the-presumption-of-mental-retardation/#comment-8455 Amanda Thu, 31 May 2007 03:54:00 +0000 http://blog.donnawilliams.net/2007/05/27/hypotonia-and-the-presumption-of-mental-retardation/#comment-8455 I actually ended up institutionalized during that period of burnout, and I can see why a person would avoid it if possible. I tried unsuccessfully to outrun it and just ended up hitting shutdown harder and harder. But somehow eventually ended up "well trained" enough (blech) to be "let out", even though I was not functional by that point as much as just drugged into docility. By adulthood I was determined to move out at all costs (against the wishes of how many professionals I don't know, but I cut off contact with as many of those as I could, because they were saying I was not "really" an adult and that I had to do what they told me), and encountered the same kind of burnout, but nobody locked me up that time. I paid in starvation and filth and such but preferred it to being locked up. Eventually got help doing a lot of things, and the shutdown/burnout has gotten a lot less intense, allowing me to finally learn a lot of stuff. I still have a lot of trouble moving that I didn't used to, but I can [i]do[/i] a lot of things I didn't used to be able to either. I actually ended up institutionalized during that period of burnout, and I can see why a person would avoid it if possible. I tried unsuccessfully to outrun it and just ended up hitting shutdown harder and harder. But somehow eventually ended up “well trained” enough (blech) to be “let out”, even though I was not functional by that point as much as just drugged into docility. By adulthood I was determined to move out at all costs (against the wishes of how many professionals I don’t know, but I cut off contact with as many of those as I could, because they were saying I was not “really” an adult and that I had to do what they told me), and encountered the same kind of burnout, but nobody locked me up that time. I paid in starvation and filth and such but preferred it to being locked up. Eventually got help doing a lot of things, and the shutdown/burnout has gotten a lot less intense, allowing me to finally learn a lot of stuff. I still have a lot of trouble moving that I didn’t used to, but I can [i]do[/i] a lot of things I didn’t used to be able to either.

]]> By: Jane http://blog.donnawilliams.net/2007/05/27/hypotonia-and-the-presumption-of-mental-retardation/#comment-8411 Jane Wed, 30 May 2007 00:46:43 +0000 http://blog.donnawilliams.net/2007/05/27/hypotonia-and-the-presumption-of-mental-retardation/#comment-8411 As usual, extremely interesting Donna. Thank you for sharing so freely your personal experiences. As usual, extremely interesting Donna. Thank you for sharing so freely your personal experiences.

]]> By: donna http://blog.donnawilliams.net/2007/05/27/hypotonia-and-the-presumption-of-mental-retardation/#comment-8334 donna Sun, 27 May 2007 23:05:04 +0000 http://blog.donnawilliams.net/2007/05/27/hypotonia-and-the-presumption-of-mental-retardation/#comment-8334 Amanda, you're absolutely right the thing about being constantly expected to outdo ourselves. For me the other pressure was that the threat of institutionalisation made me have to try 150% and because I sensed an impending 'success' if my 'owner' could write me off, I determined at all costs to defy low expectations (which was damned hard because everything was working in the other direction!). Of course there were other times, in anger and despair I gave in and lived up to those but it was quite some tightrope with no reprieve for 15 years. I wouldn't recommend that psycho warfare as an autism treatment though ;-) Amanda,

you’re absolutely right the thing about being constantly expected to outdo ourselves. For me the other pressure was that the threat of institutionalisation made me have to try 150% and because I sensed an impending ’success’ if my ‘owner’ could write me off, I determined at all costs to defy low expectations (which was damned hard because everything was working in the other direction!). Of course there were other times, in anger and despair I gave in and lived up to those but it was quite some tightrope with no reprieve for 15 years. I wouldn’t recommend that psycho warfare as an autism treatment though ;-)

]]> By: donna http://blog.donnawilliams.net/2007/05/27/hypotonia-and-the-presumption-of-mental-retardation/#comment-8333 donna Sun, 27 May 2007 22:39:58 +0000 http://blog.donnawilliams.net/2007/05/27/hypotonia-and-the-presumption-of-mental-retardation/#comment-8333 Hi World, blogging has become a bit of a screaming post for me. Without a means to express it physically (ie art, typing etc) emotions tumble into a big mixed laundry basket and crash down on me without conscious awareness of their nature. I have found that channeling passion into DOING in some way, sorts the laundry along the way. It's become a good tool in bipolar/autistic management ;-) ... Donna *) Hi World, blogging has become a bit of a screaming post for me. Without a means to express it physically (ie art, typing etc) emotions tumble into a big mixed laundry basket and crash down on me without conscious awareness of their nature. I have found that channeling passion into DOING in some way, sorts the laundry along the way. It’s become a good tool in bipolar/autistic management ;-)

… Donna *)

]]> By: Amanda http://blog.donnawilliams.net/2007/05/27/hypotonia-and-the-presumption-of-mental-retardation/#comment-8322 Amanda Sun, 27 May 2007 16:23:07 +0000 http://blog.donnawilliams.net/2007/05/27/hypotonia-and-the-presumption-of-mental-retardation/#comment-8322 I also can be rigid or floppy. (In fact sometimes something happens where one side of my body goes rigid and the other goes floppy.) And some of this has increased with time. People often react to me as if there's "nobody home" (which is not true of [i]anyone[/i] no matter what label) until I do something to show otherwise. I also had a breakdown of sorts under pressure to perform, at around the same age, and it also resulted in rigidity and slowness and stuff. I wonder how common that is, I have suspected for awhile that it's an incredibly common thing when we're expected to outdo ourselves on a regular basis. I also can be rigid or floppy. (In fact sometimes something happens where one side of my body goes rigid and the other goes floppy.) And some of this has increased with time. People often react to me as if there’s “nobody home” (which is not true of [i]anyone[/i] no matter what label) until I do something to show otherwise.

I also had a breakdown of sorts under pressure to perform, at around the same age, and it also resulted in rigidity and slowness and stuff. I wonder how common that is, I have suspected for awhile that it’s an incredibly common thing when we’re expected to outdo ourselves on a regular basis.

]]> By: worlds http://blog.donnawilliams.net/2007/05/27/hypotonia-and-the-presumption-of-mental-retardation/#comment-8321 worlds Sun, 27 May 2007 16:10:42 +0000 http://blog.donnawilliams.net/2007/05/27/hypotonia-and-the-presumption-of-mental-retardation/#comment-8321 Thanks again Donna for such well-explained insight into our mental (and physical) processes, it seems so simple coming from you but at the same time, you must have spent a whole lot of time trying to decypher all of this. I wish more people could integrate these theories and at the same time get rid of all their self-inflicted stress. You seem to post a lot on your blog too, it's so much fun to come back and see new content from you. Keep up the good work... Thanks again Donna for such well-explained insight into our mental (and physical) processes, it seems so simple coming from you but at the same time, you must have spent a whole lot of time trying to decypher all of this. I wish more people could integrate these theories and at the same time get rid of all their self-inflicted stress.

You seem to post a lot on your blog too, it’s so much fun to come back and see new content from you. Keep up the good work…

]]>