I am going to go against the grain here in two ways: Arday's supposed autism and his mental health.
I do not believe for two reasons that Arday was autistic: (1) He claims to have been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome*. A crucial diagnostic criteria of Asperger's is that there is no language acquisition delay. (2) Speaking as an autistic person, he just didn't come across as autistic. In his writing he plays up the
faux-naif aspects of his life (the comments about not understanding how banking worked; the wonder at the wide tree-lined streets of St Mary's; the inability to take a bus without guidance), like a real-life Chancey Gardner in the film
Being There, rather than someone who is autistic. Arday very much came across as someone who was exposed to another person with autism (apparently, one of his brothers has autism) and then made up a fairy tale about this condition with himself as the
Joseph Campbell-esque hero. In short, he came across as someone who was NT but imagines what it's like to be on the spectrum.
*We've got communication difficulties (the condition is typically diagnosed on the
'triad of impairments'): social imagination, social communication and social interaction. We're not village idiots. I wish people would stop making comments about us though (1) we're not here on this thread and (2) thinking what may be true for a handful of people on the spectrum can be generalised into 'this is how people on the spectrum are' or 'this is what people on the spectrum need'. People on the spectrum don't make generalisations about how NTs behave nor do we patronise NTs so we would appreciate the same courtesy.
With regards to his mental health, Arday may have suffered from mental health conditions like depression and anxiety, but in my opinion - and I am neither a psychologist nor a psychiatrist - these did not drive his behaviour. Rather, I believe that Arday had a
Cluster B personality disorder, most likely Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
I quote from the link above: " According to the
DSM-5,
Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is typically characterized by grandiose behaviors, a need for admiration, and a lack of empathy for others."
"
Signs and symptoms
The most common signs and
symptoms of narcissistic personality disorder include:
- grandiosity or exaggeration
- preoccupation with fantasies of great love, power, or success
- a sense of entitlement
- a need for excessive admiration from others
- beliefs of being “special” and needing to only associate with other high-status people
- exploitation of others
- a lack of empathy
- envy of others
- arrogant behaviors or attitudes [and]
- an overestimation of achievements and abilities."
“They can be very vulnerable, as their self-esteem is extremely low and will be reactive and sensitive to real or perceived criticism or defeat."
"Folks with NPD are often very charming and engaging, too. They want you in their world, so you can make them feel good about themselves.
It’s common for people with NPD to hurt others. This is because the person with the diagnosis doesn’t have the capacity for empathy or compassion for those around them."
