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Mental Illness and Road Enthusiusts

Started by roadman65, January 26, 2015, 11:20:44 AM

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formulanone

#25
Quote from: jakeroot on January 27, 2015, 02:13:34 AM
As for a scientific answer, it seems to me that being a roadgeek does involve a strong dislike for something that is out-of-the-ordinary.
[...]
This might explain why some of the most popular threads involve redesigning a sign or posting photos of signs that are designed wrong, or contain information that is incorrect, despite the fact that the general public probably hasn't noticed the error.

I think some of us have long come to the conclusion that roadgeekery is a rather solitary hobby; for many of us, you drive alone, you realize things about the roads alone, read maps alone, figuring out road numbering patterns, or committing a map to memory...most of these things are typically activities one does individually, not socially. Yes, I know there's road meets, but that's usually long after the hobby is "discovered".

While complaints about traffic are commmonplace to the point of small talk, decoding the original alignment of a road is more of a history buff's fascination rather than something the public at large would care about. Most people probably don't care much about the wrong color of sign or even that one is missing, because they're thinking of something else (either far more important, nor not noticing, or perhaps a thought about something in a whole other geekiverse). Maybe that faded sign helps them remember that they should make the third right after it and then take the fourth left after the slight jink in the road.

Which is why it doesn't surprise me to hear that many people on this board say they're introverted or awkward in social situations; I think many people feel a lot of social norms are foisted upon us, but either deal with it (sometimes I'm loath to deal with people, yet other times I'm excited to meet folks I've never met), or escape (I do this sometimes, if there's not a huge burden of responsibility blocking the door), or really wish to take back what they've said (to err is human, that's why I mess my words up online and in person!)

I don't know enough about Asperger's and less about the autism spectrum, but I've met a few folks with the former that just seem to be slightly more excited versions of me. Which makes me wonder - but not enough that I want a label to hide behind when I do weird-but-harmless things. I don't think much of anybody or anything here is harmful or sick, although I've heard a few posts about one or two folks that seemed to have some ill-will against anybody and everything for totally unrelated reasons (like physical illness or just being a general trollhole).


roadman65

Quote from: dgolub on January 27, 2015, 06:37:22 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on January 27, 2015, 10:10:11 AM
You know, I am glad to hear that autism is not a disease, as it is to do with the way the mind functions.  However, autism does have some mental illnesses as symptoms such as depression.  Depression, if the doctor knows what he is doing can be treatable, with proper medication.  Also you pretty much answered my question.

Anxiety and depressions are not symptoms of autism.  They are disorders that a high percentage of autistic people (I believe it's about 75%) tend to also develop at some point in their lives.  Also, it's not necessarily that autism itself places a person at risk.  Some of it may be that autistic people tend to get treated like crap in society, especially as children, which would place anyone at increased risk of mood disorders.  I'm not aware of any research that rules out one hypothesis or the other.
I have to get back to you on that one.  I did read that Aspergers, which is very much part of Autism, does give off symptoms of bipolar while reading up on it.  I was inspired to check it out when I was given the name in one particular person's biography who mentioned that she had it.

One symptom for Austism that is for sure, is social awkwardness.  Many who do have Autism do have trouble obtaining friendships and even relationships as they do miss "cues" in conversation.  The Aspergers part of Autism even creates clumsiness as well as missing out on jokes or even seeing the humor in things as well as talking in circles and not getting to the direct point of the conversation.   

Then, the part of not being an illness, is not totally true as there is one person I know who has the disorder and is collecting Social Security because of it as he cannot hold a regular job while his doctor signed off on it  as an illness so that Uncle Sam could actually give it to him. 
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

KG909

Quote from: NE2 on January 27, 2015, 09:32:46 AM
Quote from: KG909 on January 27, 2015, 09:31:08 AM
I don't have any mental issues but my sister autism.
Since I'm pop culture OCD, I'll choose to interpret this as you having autism and metaphorically referring to it as your sister.
I'm being serious, if I had autism I would admit it.
~Fuccboi

Big John

Autism/Aspergers is more a neurological condition rather than a disease bthat could be transmitted be contact or vaccines.  As stated in other posts here, roadways can be a special interest and the interest can be aided bt the traits of those who have that condition.

Disclosure, I show many symptoms of Asperger's but am not formally diagnosed, for as a child only the more severe "classic" autism was the only type recognized.

Takumi

I was never diagnosed with Asperger's, but I'm what would be considered a textbook example of it.
Quote from: Rothman on July 15, 2021, 07:52:59 AM
Olive Garden must be stopped.  I must stop them.

Don't @ me. Seriously.

roadman65

Quote from: Big John on January 27, 2015, 08:36:29 PM
Autism/Aspergers is more a neurological condition rather than a disease bthat could be transmitted be contact or vaccines.  As stated in other posts here, roadways can be a special interest and the interest can be aided bt the traits of those who have that condition.

Disclosure, I show many symptoms of Asperger's but am not formally diagnosed, for as a child only the more severe "classic" autism was the only type recognized.
I have no idea if I have it officially, but I was in special ed classes in school with the school social workers classifying me with a learning disability. Then later diagnosed with depression by my doctor, with him saying that back in the 70s and 80s, that depression was not well known as it is now so no doctor back then could have diagnosed that. 

I assume that autism back in the early years was only diagnosed if something very out of the ordinary that would warrant a trip to the neurologist would get proper diagnosed.  Only a neurologist can diagnose it, and to have the tests done costs thousands plus finding one doctor who will commit to it as many neurologists do not specialize in autism.

For all I know I could have it as the symptoms fits.  Though learning disabilities is usually not a symptom, as most with Autism are usually smart, however just because one learns at a slower pace does not either mean that he or she is not smart.  Now I am not saying I am smart nor that I am not smart, but just in case some smart ass says that because I was classified in school with a learning disability automatically disqualifies me as being Autistic.  I do have depression, I am slow in figuring things out, clumsy at times,  I sometimes do not get the point of many discussions or events right away, I miss cues in common talk, I get preoccupied at times,  I get upset real easily, and most of all it takes me longer to pick up the pace or learn things at many jobs I have worked at.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

dgolub

Quote from: roadman65 on January 27, 2015, 07:59:56 PM
One symptom for Austism that is for sure, is social awkwardness.  Many who do have Autism do have trouble obtaining friendships and even relationships as they do miss "cues" in conversation.  The Aspergers part of Autism even creates clumsiness as well as missing out on jokes or even seeing the humor in things as well as talking in circles and not getting to the direct point of the conversation.

Sure, but that doesn't mean that a person is predestined to develop a mood disorder, especially if they're fortunate enough to grow up an environment that doesn't shun them for their differences.

Quote from: roadman65 on January 27, 2015, 07:59:56 PM
Then, the part of not being an illness, is not totally true as there is one person I know who has the disorder and is collecting Social Security because of it as he cannot hold a regular job while his doctor signed off on it  as an illness so that Uncle Sam could actually give it to him.

The fact that people call something a disease doesn't necessarily make it one.  There was a long time that homosexuality was listed in the DSM, and the medical establishment considered it a disease.  As far as people not holding down a job, the question is how much of that is the person being genuinely unable to work and how much of that is other people not wanting to put up with someone who is different in certain ways.  I recognize that this question doesn't have a straight yes-or-no answer since so much of autism varies from person to person, but I don't doubt that there are Aspies who are perfectly capable of supporting themselves but get hobbled by interview processes that are more about snap judgements and first impressions than actually evaluating a candidate's qualifications.  (That said, I believe that the technology field is very Aspie-friendly in terms of hiring because the interview process is primarily focused on qualifications, but not everyone's interests and/or aptitudes are in that area, so this issue needs to be addressed in the broader society.)

roadman65

Quote from: dgolub on January 28, 2015, 09:07:02 AM
Quote from: roadman65 on January 27, 2015, 07:59:56 PM
One symptom for Austism that is for sure, is social awkwardness.  Many who do have Autism do have trouble obtaining friendships and even relationships as they do miss "cues" in conversation.  The Aspergers part of Autism even creates clumsiness as well as missing out on jokes or even seeing the humor in things as well as talking in circles and not getting to the direct point of the conversation.

Sure, but that doesn't mean that a person is predestined to develop a mood disorder, especially if they're fortunate enough to grow up an environment that doesn't shun them for their differences.

Quote from: roadman65 on January 27, 2015, 07:59:56 PM
Then, the part of not being an illness, is not totally true as there is one person I know who has the disorder and is collecting Social Security because of it as he cannot hold a regular job while his doctor signed off on it  as an illness so that Uncle Sam could actually give it to him.

The fact that people call something a disease doesn't necessarily make it one.  There was a long time that homosexuality was listed in the DSM, and the medical establishment considered it a disease.  As far as people not holding down a job, the question is how much of that is the person being genuinely unable to work and how much of that is other people not wanting to put up with someone who is different in certain ways.  I recognize that this question doesn't have a straight yes-or-no answer since so much of autism varies from person to person, but I don't doubt that there are Aspies who are perfectly capable of supporting themselves but get hobbled by interview processes that are more about snap judgements and first impressions than actually evaluating a candidate's qualifications.  (That said, I believe that the technology field is very Aspie-friendly in terms of hiring because the interview process is primarily focused on qualifications, but not everyone's interests and/or aptitudes are in that area, so this issue needs to be addressed in the broader society.)
You hit the nail on the head with interviews, except nowadays they use an assesment test to weed out those with disorders as they ask you a whole bunch of questions of how you rate yourself.  They figure you out by how you answer the test and you cannot lie to give them the right answers they're looking for either.   The test has redundant questions worded differently to throw you off, but most restaurants, even Wawa convenience stores, and most department stores issue them online when you apply.  That is how they judge you as we live in a corporate world where managers do not make decisions anymore of who gets hired like in days of old.

Plus micro managing causes many Aspies not to hold job, especially if being slow is a result of your disorder.  Many places require you to live up to hourly numbers and you must monitor them closely or get written up for not following procedures.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

74/171FAN

Well I had to take Ritalin and Adderall as a kid for ADHD and actually am very much a perfectionist.  I would never say that I am slow, but I can get angry when I am not doing things perfectly or as well as my peers (as in not having one of the highest GPAs in my major) along with having focus issues.  In interviews that would be avoiding my real interest in roads so they do not think I am weird or something.
I am now a PennDOT employee.  My opinions/views do not necessarily reflect the opinions/views of PennDOT.

Rushmeister

I'll just take 2 aspirins and follow an old alignment in the morning.
...and then the psychiatrist chuckled.

dfwmapper

Related to the topic, Bell Canada is donating 5 cents to mental health initiatives for every Tweet sent today using the #BellLetsTalk hashtag. Still a few hours left, and it's not limited to Canadian participants.

More info at http://letstalk.bell.ca/.

busman_49

Quote from: Takumi on January 27, 2015, 08:50:44 PM
I was never diagnosed with Asperger's, but I'm what would be considered a textbook example of it.

My mom went a while back and was diagnosed with Asperger's; she was explaining some of the traits she carried and I found myself agreeing with every one.  So while not officially diagnosed, there's no reason for me to believe I don't have some degree of it.

Brian556

I have ADD and Asperger's. I like spending time alone, and peace and quiet.
I don't have any friends, nor do I really want any.

I have a hard time comprehending why "normal" people like doing the things they do.

Especially:
1. Being around other people all the time.
2. Getting drunk.
3. Having an interest in sports.

Because "normal" people are so different than me, and because they not only like things that I strongly dislike, they would expect me to do the things that I dislike in order to be accepted by them, I would rather not be around them.

I like the aspects of the world created by mother nature (ie: the earth, and the weather), but I really don't like our system, our society, or how things are done. Basically every aspect of life created by man sucks and is screwed up.

I know what I said above sounds bad, however, I really don't have a hatred for everybody like I used to when I was younger. I have met plenty of decent people. I do think there are way more nice people that bad people.

It's just that because I am different, things that wouldn't bother most people often make me miserable.

Because I am different, the system does not work well for me, and because of that, I am not able to enjoy life as much as I would like to be able to.

I am just finishing an Associate's Degree in Computer Networking. Hopefully this will get me to a somewhat better place, and I hopefully will be working with decent people. It took me longer than most people to get it because I could barely keep up with three classes at a time. I could never have done a full load in a semester.


Zeffy

Quote from: Brian556 on January 30, 2015, 12:12:19 AM
I have ADD and Asperger's. I like spending time alone, and peace and quiet.
I don't have any friends, nor do I really want any.

I have a hard time comprehending why "normal" people like doing the things they do.

Especially:
1. Being around other people all the time.
2. Getting drunk.
3. Having an interest in sports.

Because "normal" people are so different than me, and because they not only like things that I strongly dislike, they would expect me to do the things that I dislike in order to be accepted by them, I would rather not be around them.

I like the aspects of the world created by mother nature (ie: the earth, and the weather), but I really don't like our system, our society, or how things are done. Basically every aspect of life created by man sucks and is screwed up.

I know what I said above sounds bad, however, I really don't have a hatred for everybody like I used to when I was younger. I have met plenty of decent people. I do think there are way more nice people that bad people.

It's just that because I am different, things that wouldn't bother most people often make me miserable.

Because I am different, the system does not work well for me, and because of that, I am not able to enjoy life as much as I would like to be able to.

Oh my god, we would get along so well. I agree with pretty much everything you just said. I am the definition of an introvert, and I fucking can't stand society, nor will I ever conform to actually be accepted in it. Screw that. (Side note: I do have friends, however, I do not hang out with them, and I absolutely hate large social events like parties where I have to actually talk to people. I am extremely anti-social in large groups of people. Small groups not so much. Depends on the context, and the interests of the people around me.)

Oh yeah, and I forgot two other things I forgot to mention about myself - I'm bipolar with a really short temper, and I'm an asexual. Never in my life have I wanted (and still do not want) to have sex with anyone else. And while I never told anyone about that during school, a lot of people picked on me because I tried to explain to them that I didn't want it. Whatever. That's probably why I suppressed my road interest until late in high school, because I was already getting picked on for other shit (though it was mainly in one class) and didn't feel like giving them even more ammo for their arsenal.

Quote from: 74/171FAN on January 28, 2015, 09:46:46 AM
Well I had to take Ritalin and Adderall as a kid for ADHD and actually am very much a perfectionist.  I would never say that I am slow, but I can get angry when I am not doing things perfectly or as well as my peers (as in not having one of the highest GPAs in my major) along with having focus issues.

Do you still take your medicine? I have to take my Adderall to do anything productive. I tried not taking it for like 2 years and it ended up making my attention span 10 times worse than before.
Life would be boring if we didn't take an offramp every once in a while

A weird combination of a weather geek, roadgeek, car enthusiast and furry mixed with many anxiety related disorders

Brian556

Quote from Zeffy:

QuoteOh my god, we would get along so well. I agree with pretty much everything you just said. I am the definition of an introvert, and I fucking can't stand society, nor will I ever conform to actually be accepted in it. Screw that. (Side note: I do have friends, however, I do not hang out with them, and I absolutely hate large social events like parties where I have to actually talk to people. I am extremely anti-social in large groups of people. Small groups not so much. Depends on the context, and the interests of the people around me.)

Oh yeah, and I forgot two other things I forgot to mention about myself - I'm bipolar with a really short temper, and I'm an asexual. Never in my life have I wanted (and still do not want) to have sex with anyone else. And while I never told anyone about that during school, a lot of people picked on me because I tried to explain to them that I didn't want it. Whatever. That's probably why I suppressed my road interest until late in high school, because I was already getting picked on for other shit (though it was mainly in one class) and didn't feel like giving them even more ammo for their arsenal.

Glad to hear that I am not alone.
When I was younger, teenager, through my 20's, I had a really bad temper. I used to knock holes in walls, and at work, would kick the ashtray (the type with a "weebles" type base), almost daily.  I can control my temper a lot better now, but I am still not perfect.

During that time, I also had a very bad gas problem, and people held that against me. That problem has gotten a lot better. I'm not sure why, but I do eat a lot less fast food.

As for the sex issue, I think I really don't want it either. I know people say "don't knock it till you tried it". I am a lot like the character Sheldon on the Big Bang Theory when it comes to this issue. I don't think I'm totally asexual, because I do sometimes get a boner when a hot girl comes on tv. That's about the highlight of my 'sex life'. I can't help but think that sex only exists for the purpose of reproduction, and that the majority of humanity is wrong for using it as a recreational activity. I find it baffling how much some people have sex. As for oral sex, I think that is incredibly disgusting, and the idea of it repulses me, and I can't believe that people are willing to do it.

On a side note related to sex, I don't think that women should wear bikini's in public. I think that they are totally inappropriate. They are the same thing as bra and panties, and women would never prance around in the mall in their underwear, so why is it ok in other places to wear something that is the exact same thing. Women only wear just underwear in front of their man in the bedroom, so by wearing a bikini in public, they are basically saying to every man "come f*** me". It's bad enough that adult women do this, but the fact that they allow and encourage their very young daughters to wear this stuff also, is downright sick and wrong on every level. Why do people sexualize their own children? What the hell is wrong with them.

It makes me very uncomfortable to be around scantly clad strangers of either sex in public. I really dislike it.

It feels like our society has no morals and no common sense whatsoever.






NE2

It's always cool when people who don't get other people try to moralize.
pre-1945 Florida route log

I accept and respect your identity as long as it's not dumb shit like "identifying as a vaccinated attack helicopter".

vtk

Quote from: Brian556 on January 30, 2015, 12:50:11 AM
On a side note related to sex, I don't think that women should wear bikini's in public. I think that they are totally inappropriate. They are the same thing as bra and panties, and women would never prance around in the mall in their underwear, so why is it ok in other places to wear something that is the exact same thing. Women only wear just underwear in front of their man in the bedroom, so by wearing a bikini in public, they are basically saying to every man "come f*** me". It's bad enough that adult women do this, but the fact that they allow and encourage their very young daughters to wear this stuff also, is downright sick and wrong on every level. Why do people sexualize their own children? What the hell is wrong with them.

It makes me very uncomfortable to be around scantly clad strangers of either sex in public. I really dislike it.

No, they are not saying "come fuck me", they are saying "i don't feel like wearing a lot of clothes right now".  Nudity (or near-nudity) is not the same thing as sexuality.  Just because something is unusual doesn't make it immoral.

People using tobacco products (all kinds) disgusts me.  But I don't invoke morality to argue they shouldn't do it, because it's not a moral issue.  Neither is a person's choice of clothing state.
Wait, it's all Ohio? Always has been.

vdeane

And in any case, bikini bottoms actually provide a LOT more coverage than what passes for "underwear" in my generation.  Seriously, there's so little material in a thong that you might as well not wear anything.  Trying to find panties in the store is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

You won't catch me in a bikini though.  Not because I don't want to wear one (I'd actually love to wear one, but only if I'd look good), but because I have a bit of belly flab that, while invisible under my shirts and dresses, is rather unsightly if not covered.  IMO, it makes me look like I'm pregnant.

So basically, I'm stuck with one piece swim suits unless I can somehow get a flat stomach.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

KEK Inc.

I think yoga pants are more provocative than bikinis, and that's worn everywhere any season these days. 

Not complaining at all, but I'm not sure why it's a trend.
Take the road less traveled.

kurumi

Quote from: Brian556 on January 30, 2015, 12:50:11 AM
... so by wearing a bikini in public, they are basically saying to every man "come f*** me". It's bad enough that adult...

With all due respect, please try to clear that belief out of your head. You cannot presume that she wants any kind of attention from anyone at all. I don't want to single you out (it's definitely not just you, and at least you're not going to walk up to her and test your hypothesis)

Sorry for the derail. That phrase really just jumped out.
My first SF/horror short story collection is available: "Young Man, Open Your Winter Eye"

The Nature Boy

I have nonverbal learning disorder, which basically means that I can't pick up on non-verbal social cues. There are other issues associated with it like poor coordination and the inability to tell distances apart. The latter two are workable but the inability to read people is something that has caused me a lot of pain, embarrassment and resulted in some people having a less than positive opinion of me. I love talking to people and am extremely social, but my brain never picks on anything that the other party is sending unless it is explicitly said. Imagine trying to do simple things like dating when your brain literally cannot tell if the other party is interested. 

I also have an anxiety disorder that I manage by taking long road trips in rural areas. I'm currently living in an urban area with no car so my anxiety is even more of an issue than it normally would be. Because telling distances apart is a struggle for me, I absolutely hate urban driving and if given the choice would like to live in a rural area.

Dr Frankenstein

Quote from: jakeroot on January 27, 2015, 02:13:34 AMAs for a scientific answer, it seems to me that being a roadgeek does involve a strong dislike for something that is out-of-the-ordinary. A lot of us get worked up when something is wrong, or different, in a way that detracts from the overall continuity of a heavily standardized system. I would bet a fair number of us have some form of OCD (I have never been tested). This might explain why some of the most popular threads involve redesigning a sign or posting photos of signs that are designed wrong, or contain information that is incorrect, despite the fact that the general public probably hasn't noticed the error.

I actually like things that are out of the ordinary and I look for them on my road trips; both in terms of landscape (be it natural or man-made) and road elements (layout, signage, etc.). Spotting the differences in signage between jurisdictions is what got me in the hobby in the first place.

I do have a few habits and traits that could be linked to Asperger's syndrome and/or OCD. I had to learn and acquire what little social skills I have the hard way (a long and sometimes painful process of being told – directly or indirectly – what is acceptable and what is a faux pas); I obsess and make deep dives into subjects that are unconventional, earning a lot of somewhat useless knowledge in the process; I am pedantic; I... am a programmer, if that counts. However, I am not diagnosed with any mental condition and I consider myself a fully functioning person (although getting there required some learning on my part).

roadman65

Spotting different signages between states is what got me into roads as well.  Even locally in New Jersey every municipality had their own way of signing their streets.  Blades were either different colors and some used concrete stakes.

Then traffic signals were always another state thing (and in New York the difference between NYC and the rest of the state) was another thing getting me into roads.

I too have had to learn the hard way how to communicate, plus having bipolar does not help lashing out on a short fuse made other around me uncomfortable was another handicap I had to learn to deal with too.

That seems to be a big symptom of Aspergers as people I know who have relatives of the disorder claim that it causes them to be most awkward around others and missing ques in general conversations.  Most of all they are introverts who see things differently and appear to others around them as being in their own world, but not mentally ill and considered smarter than the average.

Do not feel that you are alone on that one.  The point is you made it.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

Alps

Quote from: The Nature Boy on January 31, 2015, 10:40:01 PMImagine trying to do simple things like dating when your brain literally cannot tell if the other party is interested.
Or trying to figure out what you might be doing that's nonverbally turning them off. Or trying to figure out what you're not doing that's nonverbal that you should be doing.

jakeroot

Quote from: roadman65 on February 03, 2015, 06:35:10 PM
Spotting different signages between states is what got me into roads as well.  Even locally in New Jersey every municipality had their own way of signing their streets.  Blades were either different colors and some used concrete stakes.

My thoughts exactly.



I spend a lot of time comparing BC, Washington, and Oregon. Of course, BC is a bit of an outlier but comparing Washington and Oregon is a lot of fun to me.



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