"Empathy" in ADHD and Autism

Things are lot more complicated than they seem -- and there are Sex Differences

Conjecture

• One of the ERRORS we have made is viewing EMOTION and LOGIC/RATIONALITY as OPPOSITES ---
  • Emotion is part of the Reasoning Process
  • There's enormous information in Emotion ---
  • BUT we don't have an UNLIMITED ABILITY to take that on.

 

• What we've been calling "EMPATHY" appears to really be the brain's PRE-CONSCIOUS determination of whether someone is on our team.

 

• Neurodivergent Therapist Louise Taylor's "EMPATHY of EFFORT" ----- we're just in the beginning stages of developing and it is a BIG COST --
  • BOTH Emotionally and
  • from a Reasoning standpoint AND
  • from an ENERGY standpoint.

[Is "DOUBLE EMPATHY" --- "LOVING YOUR ENEMY" --- it might be]

• Neuro-Diversity is often characterized by:
  • RAMPED UP STRESS RESPONSES
  • RAMPED UP EMOTIONS
  • & at least sometimes RAMPED UP RATIONALITY to deal with all that.

Neuro-Diverse Therapist Louise Taylor on "EMPATHY"

If Autism and ADHD are under-diagnosed in girls and women, anxiety and classic "mental illness" are often under-diagnosed in boys and men ---

You can really appreciate the IRONY and RAMIFICATIONS of this when you realize NEURO-DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS such as ADHD and Autism are associated with PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS.

What Do I Mean ---

• We don't have any "UNLIMITED" ability as "INDIVIDUALS" to take on Sensory Information, Emotion --- and REASON our way through all that.

We're relying more than we have realized on UNCONSCIOUS BEHAVIOR  and JUDGMENTS:

• BUT --- it's a SHORT-CUT ---- and like a lot of "SHORT-CUTS" it can miss things and get things "WRONG"
• We consciously process 40 to 50 bits of information for every 11 MILLION we take in according to some estimates in 2022----
  • Even if you are processing a lot more information than the "AVERAGE" person --- and are aware of "MORE LOGICAL PROBLEMS and INCONSISTENCIES"
  • It is still a RELATIVELY SMALL/TINY AMOUNT OF INFORMATION ---
  • AND EVEN THAT MODEST INCREASE IN PROCESSING --- is coming AT A HUGE ENERGY COST.

 

• INTEGRATIVE THINKING / RECOGNIZING INTEGRATIVE COMPLEXITY is NOT EASY for US and that's why we don't do more of it.

 

• We've lost an HISTORICAL UNDERSTANDING of HUMAN EXISTENCE --- because we thought we were so ADVANCED we didn't need it.

 

• WE NEED THAT LONGER VIEW --- because we're NOT AS FAR A LONG AS WE THINK --- and at 40 to 50 bits of information for every 11 Million (and that 11 Million doesn't represent all of reality)
  • WE GOT A LONG WAY TO GO.

 

• FAITH/REASON/EMPIRICISM --- We're gonna need it all for the LONG ROAD AHEAD --- that as INDIVIDUALS we only travel a tiny portion of.