Francis Berger
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My Struggle With Asberger's (Not Misspelled) Syndrome

1/17/2020

7 Comments

 
Most people are familiar with Asperger's syndrome, but almost no one has ever heard of Asberger's syndrome, which is a highly individualized strain of the 'spiritual malaise' spectrum that is pandemic in our modern world.

Though Asberger's syndrome can be lumped together with the general spiritual maladies infecting our civilization, it is unique in the sense that it was my own, personalized experience with the illness. I suffered extreme bouts of the affliction between the ages of 22 and 37. Symptoms included, but were not limited to, the following: 


  • lack of spiritual awareness
  • lack of interest in socializing with or making spiritual friends
  • difficulty making and sustaining spiritual friendships
  • the ability to maintain purely materialistic beliefs even when confronted with spiritual evidence to the contrary
  • lack of interest in spiritual development
  • inability to perceive spiritual communications
  • unusually sensitive to purely material and hedonistic concerns and desires
  • inflexibility and adherence to purely materialistic modes of thinking
  • stereotypical and repetitive regurgitation of media news stories and issues
  • doubt in the existence of a loving Creator

Thankfully, I have discovered the antidote for this spiritual sickness. My eventual recovery from Asberger's was filled with ups-and-downs, but I am happy to report that I have been living symptom free for over a decade. As far as I can tell, I have developed an immunity to the disorder and do not anticipate any relapses in the time I have left on this Earth. 

The most crucial part of the recovery process involved acknowledging the existence of the disease. I lived in denial for many years. I simply could not accept that I had Asberger's, regardless of the proof staring me in the face.

Of course, this is somewhat understandable. After all, acceptance of my Asberger's syndrome required the full recognition that for over the course of a decade-and-a-half, I had essentially done nothing more than make a spiritual ass of myself. Miraculously, the symptoms began fade the moment I conceded that I had been a fool. The disease cleared up entirely once I consciously repented and turned back to the Divine. 

Unfortunately, I am not completely in the clear. Although Asberger symptoms no longer plague me at the spiritual level, they have somehow infected me at the material/physical level where, despite my best efforts, I continue to make an ass of myself on an almost daily basis.

Sadly, there appears to be no cure for this highly-individualized, material strain of the syndrome. I guess I'll just have to learn to live with it. 
7 Comments
Ted link
1/17/2020 14:57:50

Francis: I think I suffered from the same afflictions around the same period in life. I chalk it up to the fact I needed to look down the wrong hole for a while before I realized that well was empty. Otherwise, I would not have much to contrast with the shift that had to be made. Beauty can only be appreciated in terms of ugliness.

Reply
Francis Berger
1/17/2020 20:29:59

Thanks for the comment, Ted. I get the sense those periods of life - 20s and/or 30s - are spiritually challenging times for many.

Reply
Craig Davis
1/18/2020 13:46:22

Add me to the list of those who found the antidote.

Considering the somewhat facetious nature of this malady, and alluding to previous posts and comments regarding phonetic name associations, perhaps you spelling it wrong after all. Shouldn't it be Assburger's?

Reply
Francis Berger
1/18/2020 21:47:22

@ Craig - I am happy to hear you found the antidote as well. As for assburger's, well, I think many would just equate that with South Park.

Reply
Craig Davis
1/18/2020 22:06:44

I did consider the South Park possibility, but foolishly assumed that you and your readers would not be familiar enough to make that connection.

Francis Berger
1/19/2020 05:59:00

@ Craig - I cannot speak for my small circle of readers, but I, sadly, possess a fairly lamentable and cringeworthy level of pop culture knowledge.

Reply
Craig Davis
1/19/2020 13:19:30

I share your malady, and fear the antidote is more difficult to find than the one for Asberger's.

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