Autism Among Adults

     In the website latimes.com, there is an article written by Alan Zarembo that points out how there are many adults living today in society who have cases of autism they are not even aware of. Ben Perrick is an example of one of these cases. He was diagnosed to have autism in 1954 by the man who discovered autism, Dr. Leo Kanner. Today, however, he is regarded as a schizophrenic who is mentally retarded. Ten percent of cases that were reevaluated, like Perrick's, have seen that they also have autism that has gone unrecognized.
     Many cases of people who are diagnosed with autism at an older age are specified in the article, and in a way, they all seem very sad. If when they were younger they had gotten a clear diagnosis to what was wrong with them, maybe they would have been better off. Many people in today's society have even mild forms of autism that they may have suspected, but are not sure of. It is important for these people to know of their conditions, because after all, they are living in the world like the rest of us. Once their main caretaker dies, they must be faced with the tough reality of trying to take care of themselves and survive. If you fear you mayhave autism, consult a physician immediately!

"The Raven"

     This saturday during the saturday class, we read "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe, a gothic writer. His prose and style of writing is very unique and distinguished, and it happens to be one of my favorite forms of writing. In this poem, a raven is shown to remind the narrator of his lost love, Lenore, resulting in him going crazy and talking to the raven. He starts talking with the bird, adn the bird's only response is "nevermore". At teh end of the poem, we ind out that the bird, which signifies an evil being, also signifies Lenore, and the fact that the narrator will forget about Lenore "nevermore".
     The gothic style is shown in his poem in a few ways. The setting is very bleak and dark in the beiginning of the poem, starting off with a midnight in December in a huge mansion. There is an indirect violent incident, which is the loss of Lenore, which could have been violent in some fashion. The main narrator seems as though he is psychotic, because the bird is taling to him, adn he is getting tortured by it. Somehow, after speaking to the bird,a  supernatural event occurs, and the raven actually answers back. All of these characteristics in the poem enable it to be a gothic piece of literature.

Can Infections Cause Mental Illnesses?

     In an article by Shari Roan from the Los Angeles Times called "Childhood Disorder Prompts Study of Infection Link to Mental Illness", it is discovered that it is very possible for certain minor infections to cause much more serious mental problems such such a OCD in victims. The term for this unfortunate situation is pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with streptococcus, or PANDAS. Because of PANDAS, a young sixth-grader named Brody Kennedy who got strep throat ended up havving obsessive compulsive disorder. The boy started not wanting to go to school because of his newfound germaphobia. He took showers more than three times a day, and in general, becasue very antsy about everything in his environment. These are the typical symptoms of an OCD patient.
     The antibodies from the PANDAS attack only the viral or baterial cells of teh infection, but they also begin to attack neurotransmiters and cells in the brain, which causes mantal issues. This situation not only leads to OCD, but it has also lead to diseases such as anorexia, schizophrenia, and autism. Therefore, if one is to get an infection, especially nowadays, they must immediately go to the doctor adn inform them of this problem if they are already not informed. An infection should not be the underlying cause for something much more serious like a mental illness which may last a lifetime. Brody Kennedy's parents are still taking him to the doctor, and trying to find cures for his problem., Meanwhile, all others are trying to find the solution to these antibodies attacking the brain to prevent other such cases ftom occuring.

My Favorite Part of The Scarlet Letter

     The Scarlet Letter proved to be one of the more interesting books with sophisticated language that might seem boring to some. It had a great plot, along with a well-written storyline that captured the essence of the setting very well. If it were not for the revelations of the main suspence in the story that got revealed well before the actual part in the book, I think I would have actually not put the book down. There were many boring parts in the book where I wanted to slap myself with twelve sticks because of how unenterained I was, however, some parts were very interesting. The most interesting and thrilling part of the book, in my opinion, is whenever Chillingworth finds out about the "A" on Dimmesdale's chest.
     Chillingworth was supposed to be helping Dimmesdale out, and aiding him whenever he seemed in need. However, the moment when he ripped open Dimesdale's shirt and saw the "A" etched in his skin, we all knew that Dimmesdale was in for a wild ride (and not a fun one that you sit on at Disneyland). My favorite part of the book is whenever Chillingworth finds out at first, but what he does to Dimmesdale in return also ties in as my favorite part. I personally am very interested in things like torture and the extent to which one would go to to ensure another's suffring. Given all this, I found this section of the book, which explains how Chillingworth was slowly mentally as well as physically draining out Dimmesdale to be very interesting and thrilling. Not many would think the same, but this is my blog.