My path of triumph, determination, and challenges
By Riya Anne Policastro
A better understanding of neurodiversity is leading to growing numbers of people over 50 being diagnosed on the autism spectrum. Roughly a million seniors could be living with autism, many of them undiagnosed, if CDC estimates are correct and adults are affected at a rate of 2.21%.
More conservative calculations suggest there are tens of thousands of older adults in the U.S. who are undiagnosed.
By Darlene Lancer, JD, LMFT
I am sharing this article because men on the spectrum are prone to being in abusive relationships. I experienced many of the things in my marriage that are discussed in this article. I ended up in rehab for 60 days to recover from the effects of the experience. I often today fear getting into another relationship because of the experience. – Greg
A trauma bond is an attachment to an abuser in a relationship with a cyclical pattern of abuse. Patrick Carnes, Ph.D., coined the term in 1997. He defined it as an adaptive, dysfunctional attachment occurring in the presence of danger, shame, or exploitation in order to survive. The bond is created due to a power imbalance and recurring abuse mixed with intermittent positive reinforcement; in other words, good and bad treatment. The abuser is the dominant partner in the relationship and controls the victim with fear, unpredictability, and domination.
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