Asperger Syndrome: Could it be too much empathy?

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Suppose the problem was not a lack of empathy but rather an excessive amount of empathy compared to NTs.

A person who is upset over a dilemma of some kind gets his or her concerns brushed off by an NT who thinks he/she is right when the NT in fact is not correct. An Aspie will try to analyze the situation in detail and come up with a solution for that same person.

Maybe because we tend to analyze the situation more indepth we need more time and more information before we come up with an answer. But perhaps we see things that others don't.

i have debated this idea with myself in a few ways, the best explanation that I could come up with is that No I have no real empathy, however, I can imagine how I would feel or look at someone elses perspective as if it were my own. I am often wrong on the conclusions I may reach in this manner but that is because I am thinking like me not like them.

I was always told that Asperger's means a lack of emotion and empathy and social skills, but Asperger's is fueled by sensory overload. I have too much of all of those things, and that overload of empathy, when managed properly, allows me to see things that would make a psychic blush.

Take a look at this:

http://www.aspergerjourneys.com/2009/06 ... -syndrome/

Also, just look up "intense world theory" or "intense world syndrome" for other perspectives.

I don't lack emotion...what I lack is the ability to understand other people's emotions (aka. empathy). I think this is pretty typical of many people with ASDs. Just because there is a lack of empathy, though, doesn't mean that we are emotionless zombies who cannot sympathize.

Thanks for this article, it makes so much sense. Its not that I don't have emotions or don't care about people,but I can't read people or their motives. In fact, I feel emotions more intensely than most people, when I'm happy I tend to be incredibly euphoric,when I'm angry I'm very angry, when I'm sad I'm miserable, there is no in between with me, although most of the time I"m a stoic. I always cared about people,even if I didn't understand them and couldn't connect with them, and I'm a big time bleeding heart liberal, seriously, I'm on the border between keynesian economics and socialism, and I am a technical pacifist, I hate warfare, and am prone to emotional crying, when sometihng

I'm a big fan of the "Intense world theory of autism". Here's a very interesting quote from another pdf on this topic:

The Empathy Imbalance Hypothesis of Autism: A Theoretical Approach to Cognitive and Emotional Empathy in Autistic Development

The study of autism is probably the study of an empathy disorder. But what sort of empathy disorder? Any conclusion positing that most people with autism have a general empathy deficit does not seem justified. This article has outlined an account of autism as an empathy imbalance disorder. I have argued that people with autism tend to have low CE (cognitive empathy) ability but high EE (emotional empathy)sensitivity. The behavior patterns that lead to a diagnosis of autism might be generated by this imbalance. There is evidence that seems consistent with the hypothesis that people with autism have low EE sensitivity, but there is growing evidence that supports the EIH (Empathy Imbalance Hypothesis). People with autism may use avoidant patterns of attention to restrict empathic arousal, and researchers should consider the possibility that an EE surfeit can mimic an EE deficit. The concept of an EE surfeit is consistent with a recurrent theme in the narratives of people with autism and their caregivers. The surfeit concept also relates well to the account of autism as an intense world syndrome characterized by hyperfunctionality and a hyperresponsive amygdala.

The EIH of autism builds on the theory of mind hypothesis and the motivational conflict hypothesis but departs from the extreme-male- brain theory. Baron-Cohen played a central role in establishing the theory of mind hypothesis, but his definition of empathizing seems tailored to the extreme-male- brain theory of autism: If CE is the first stage in empathizing and EE (or empathic concern) is the second stage, then people with a CE deficit may almost inevitably be identified as weak empathizers. However, if CE and EE are separable systems, then either CE or EE can be the first empathic step. (It would be equally reasonable to define empathizing as the ability to share another’s emotion and to respond to it with an appropriate belief about the other person’s mental state.) The central proposal of this article has been that most people with autism have a capacity for EE that outstrips their CE ability in a problematic way. The EIH is a tentative addition to the array of theoretical searchlights that help illuminate autism.

http://cogprints.org/6799/1/TPRVol59No3-SMITH.pdf

Interesting theory. I only shut down when things become too intense. I don't practice avoidance of insignificant things. It makes a lot of sense, in a way.

It's always struck me that the "empathy" component of Autism is a blatant case of behaviorism-
many of us might not EXPRESS empathy, or might not express empathy in a way that is ACCEPTABLE, or COMMON,
therefore we do not FEEL empathy.

Ludicrous.

But then I have a lot of bitchin' to do about other things related to Autism-
the presumption that fewer girls than boys have it, when the diagnostic criteria were developed BASED on studying boys,
said under-diagnosis of females contributing to the perception that it's primarily a male syndrome, thus creating a feedback loop.

The presumption that an INABILITY to interact socially is always the reason for Autie isolation (another behaviorism-based presumption, on the basis that everyone is naturally social) versus an unWILLINGNESS.


I really could rant all day- don't want to completely derail ze thread.

I think therein lies the crux of the issue. Extremely interesting. Thanks so much for sharing.

I remember on one job I was promoted to Lead Man which is like a Foremans assistant. One day I noticed a worker cussing out another worker for being too slow. I reprimanded the worker and told him not to treat my men that way. I was reported to my supervisor and I was immediately demoted. As it turns out the unwritten rule is that a Boss is not a liberator but rather an oppressor. If a worker is too slow the unwritten rule is that he deserves to get cussed out. For a Boss to show empathy is not only a sign of weakness but also is proof of a mental illness.

Too much empathy with no way of properly expressing it......I would like not to have any empathy however because I always worry about other people far too much and am sick of it, I mean I have my own life to live.

It's the same with me. I live in a care home and the other girl who lives with me is exactly the same. The guys don't seem to have this issue... I think though that people with ASDs feel excessive EMOTION, however can't verbally explain the emotion or affix it to a label beyond happy, sad or angry... well that's mine and one of my friends' experience of AS. And my friend is a guy so that's even more interesting. Then again, what you (the poster I've quoted) and I are experiencing might be 'sympathy' rather than empathy. It's hard to say!

This actually makes a lot of sense to me. Its kind of like being overwhelmed. I remember going to a night club with my sister, and the place was HUGE and i nearly had a panick attack. It was just so big, loud and so many people. I just didnt feel like i could cope with so much going on.

I dont really like big crowds of people because i just feel so overwelmed by everything going on. Like everyone talking, dancing, flirting, using body language, my brain just cant seem to cope with it.

But on the other hand, i could go to music gigs on my own, surrounded by a lot of complete strangers, and have the best time EVER. I still havnt figured this one out lol.
Maybe because ive learned to block out other people to an extent. my desire to see live bands overrules my fear of social situations, so i just block out everything around and stay inside my own head.

Is this empathy?

I can fully understand their pain but i don't feel anything. I'm more than capable of giving out the impression that i care, even though i feel nothing for them emotionally. I'm able to relate to their issue mentally and feel sorry for them but im very aware that people experience things differently so i know i will never fully be in their shoes. If its someone very close to me i want them to be happy ofcourse, though i suspect that my concern for others is mostly influenced by my own needs and desires.

Isn't everybody kind of like that to some extent?

Yes, i believe it applies to everyone to some extent but i'm not so sure thats the main reason people empathize with others.