Wrong. Somewhere on the internet I read a document by a legally-appointed expert psychiatrist of his opinion of Bryant, and he did not diagnose him with AS, but considered it as a possibility, and ruled it out. I recall that there wasn't anything in the description of Bryant that sounded like AS to me, except the fact that Bryant was a misfit. I (unreliably) recall that Bryant had a history of deliberate cruelty, which is typical of Anti-social Personality Disorder, or sociopathy, and although Bryant does not look organically abnormal, he is thought to be not very bright. There is no need at all to dredge up autism to explain Bryant, the factors that lead to tragedy are well documented and simple to understand.
On the recent anniversary of the murders, there was an article published in which some expert suggested that Bryant had been insane at the time of the murders, and was thus unfit to stand trial. Apparently Bryant was doing insane stuff like laughing maniacally and referring to himself by a name that isn't his real name in the third-person, at the time of the murders. None of this behaviour is anything like autism.
If the person has a friend or relative who can care for them for a while, they might be okay but if not, they might have to rely on calling up a suicide prevention hotline or Lifeline or similar.
Getting help also presupposes that the person can verbally explain their issues. Getting more and more agitated tends to make communication correspondingly more difficult.
I am not suggesting that disturbed people don't need professional help: just trying to explain why there are often barriers to their getting the assistance they need.
Sadly a suicide prevention hotline would most likely not be called by someone who has reached the critical point where they are suicidal.
There are various charities who offer support to people who are depressed, and GPs can prescribe anti-depressants without referral to a specialist if required. In fact, if anyone would ever like to book an appointment for the AFF helpline please feel free to email and ask.
I have had occasion to ring Lifeline at times - some counsellors were wonderful and some should not have been let anywhere near their phones.
I made a complaint last time I spoke to a counsellor as she was very rude and made uncalled for judgemental remarks and haven't spoken to them for a long while.
They were good about the complaint and I suggested more training in personal skills and empathy for the people they have on the phones. Problem is, they are often short of volunteers and maybe a few dud ones slip through.
I wasn't aware that AFF has a helpline so that is a useful fact to know.
With regards to GPs not being able to prescribe in time - anti-depressants are useless in emergencies as they require 2 weeks at least to take effect. Once it gets to the point where someone is actively attempting suicide in most cases the person themselves loses the ability to think clearly. If you feel yourself going into that state, act before it's too late because most people are only rescued by other people by chance at that point.
If you are still capable of seeking out help then that is a good sign, but for a lot of people that is not an option and help needs to be found before it even gets to an active attempt.
If they start giving away their belongings (including their favourite things) and they are not doing this because they are joining some kind of religious cult, that is usually a sign that they are getting ready to check out from planet Earth.
Wrong. Somewhere on the internet I read a document by a legally-appointed expert psychiatrist of his opinion of Bryant, and he did not diagnose him with AS, but considered it as a possibility, and ruled it out. I recall that there wasn't anything in the description of Bryant that sounded like AS to me, except the fact that Bryant was a misfit. I (unreliably) recall that Bryant had a history of deliberate cruelty, which is typical of Anti-social Personality Disorder, or sociopathy, and although Bryant does not look organically abnormal, he is thought to be not very bright. There is no need at all to dredge up autism to explain Bryant, the factors that lead to tragedy are well documented and simple to understand.
On the recent anniversary of the murders, there was an article published in which some expert suggested that Bryant had been insane at the time of the murders, and was thus unfit to stand trial. Apparently Bryant was doing insane stuff like laughing maniacally and referring to himself by a name that isn't his real name in the third-person, at the time of the murders. None of this behaviour is anything like autism.
He hasn't been formally diagnosed with anything, Lili. That's the problem. No one can agree or disagree with the assertion. The latest on Bryant that I heard was that he wasn't talking to anyone - not even his own mother.
But that second paragraph can actually be Aspergers - rather badly. It's just possible he was in his Aspie fantasy world when he was behaving like that - partly in response to what he'd done. I know it's just a theory, but because he's not talking theory is all we have to go on. And I'm no expert of course - but to me it makes the most sense. And the violence could be a reaction to a perceived violent act - which would be vindictive (and that's Aspie) even if the actual act is seen not to be.
See what I'm getting at?