Peter Tork: I Have Aspergers Syndrome

[ringadingding]

Hi everyone.

As many of you know, last week marked the 1-year anniversary of the passing of Davy Jones, beloved as a TV Monkee, who died on February 29, 2012 at age 66 of a Massive Heart Attack.

I was watching an interview with Peter Tork originally airing 48 hours later, on March 2, 2012, on The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC included on YouTube, and apparently one of the commentors said that Peter, who celebrated Birthday #69 last month, lives with Aspergers Syndrome.

Anyhow, according to this link, http://www.angelfire.com/pa2/leothel...orkUpdate.html Peter himself stated in 2008 that he was diagnosed c. 2006 with Aspergers.

"I suppose I am a bit of a techie at heart," Peter said in a 2008 interview with http://thisisderbyshire.co.uk British journalist Zena Hawley. "But one thing I have discovered in recent years is that I suffer from Asperger's syndrome - a form of autism."

"There is a fanaticism and obsessiveness about me and my actions that appear to bear this out."

[Goldilocks]

Peter was always very brilliant, unlike his "character" on the Monkees. He is very musically talented and plays several instruments. I'm not surprised he has Asperger's.

[AaronHandy3]

Peter and I are in the same boat!

[Coffeecup]

How do you develop Asbergers? Or are many of these conditions with you all you life and it just you don't know til later?

[Regulus]

I was diagnosed with Aspbergers Syndrome in 2007 There is evidence that My brain was damage during childbirth, The Doctor's Forceps may have slipped). Too late for me to do anything about it. (sigh)

[JamesG]

Just something to note:

I had heard that Asperger's is no longer considered a separate diagnosis. The American Psychology Association (AMA) changed it in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) around late 2012.

There used to be five separate categories of autism diagnosis and now the APA just lumps everything under one term - "Autism Spectrum Disorder". They use three different levels under the one term to show how severe the autistic person is affected - “Requiring Support”, “Requiring Substantial Support” and “Requiring Very Substantial Support”.

Asperger's is informally known as "high-functioning autism".

[Babalu]

Not everyone that's obsessive has Asperger's. Just superficially, Peter Tork doesn't show the typical signs. Someone in my office has Asperger's and he isn't just obsessive about certain things, he's completely insensitive to anyone but himself. He's insulting to others and ignores anyone's feelings but his own. The only reason he will listen to anyone else is so he can answer them back. He is obsessive about certain subjects but what makes him different from just obsessive is that he will talk to co-workers endlessly about his subjects but can't recognize that people are trying to get away from him. People with Asperger's can't recognize other people's facial expressions.

[Hazel Anyday]

Hmm, sounds like all my qualities. Guess that explains why I don't like vegetables, I must have asparagus too.

[QTMcWhiskers]

Originally Posted by Coffeecup

How do you develop Asbergers? Or are many of these conditions with you all you life and it just you don't know til later?

One's born with it and endures atypical social issues throughout life. One can improve over life, but not always, nor consistently/in all areas. Personal development/individual development and related factors prevailing. It's an "invisible handicap", if I understand the parlance correctly.

The US didn't officially recognize Asperger's Syndrome until the late-1990s, and even then not all doctors were quick to read up on the latest news. Now imagine, among other things, how many people were misdiagnosed with schizophrenia or other conditions and medicated for something they did not have, not seeing benefits but seeing vile side effects.

It is not impossible for someone with the condition to be successful in venues requiring strong social skills. However, that would seem to be comparatively rare given that AS impedes social functioning.

For diagnosis, I'd find someone versed in the condition who will also sit through lengthy details of one's life going back to childhood, since it is a PDD (pervasive developmental disorder).

[BigManMike]

I have it too. I was diagnosed in late 2003 when I was almost 13.

[um]

I think Aspergers is something you are born with. You don't "develop" it later in life.
Of course I am not an expert so I must provide a disclaimer that I could be wrong.

Susan Boyle (singer who made her name in "Britain's Got Talent" (I think)) has Asperger's too. I think that Daryl Dragon (of The Captain and Tenille) was said to have, or himself claimed to have Asperger's or something similar, actually I think Autism.

Of course Daryl Dragon and Peter Tork recently passed

[um]

Originally Posted by Babalu

Not everyone that's obsessive has Asperger's. Just superficially, Peter Tork doesn't show the typical signs. Someone in my office has Asperger's and he isn't just obsessive about certain things, he's completely insensitive to anyone but himself. He's insulting to others and ignores anyone's feelings but his own. The only reason he will listen to anyone else is so he can answer them back. He is obsessive about certain subjects but what makes him different from just obsessive is that he will talk to co-workers endlessly about his subjects but can't recognize that people are trying to get away from him. People with Asperger's can't recognize other people's facial expressions.

Hmm. I can't be absolutely sure, but it seems that person has some kind of dementia or maybe Alzheimer's. You don't mention the person's age but it seems the person is under the age of 50, but possibly it is early onset symptoms of dementia or Alzheimer's

[MA]

I know some people myself who have Asperger's.

[TV Guy]

Assburgers!