@Ann Smith My argument was that autism which likely existed relatively unnoticed in previous times has become particular aggravated because of the rise of our hyper-stimulated post-industrial world.

Your posts (which qualify more as begging the question, not an actual argument) seem to be aimed at a claim that the government/pharmaceutical industry are trustworthy.

Notice how those don't relate to one another. Apples to oranges, and whatnot.

Before flying off the handle, please make sure you understand what someone is stating.

So, on the one hand, anchoresses were a thing. I think the one best known to most of us would be Julian of Norwich. So it's not entirely crazy for a woman to live a eremitic life. I think "consecrated virgin" is the new canonical status for such a woman. He could have just gone with that.

But he had to confirm her in her sickness. It's disastrous and so sad when a bishop fails his flock so catastrophically.

My hot take is that it doesn't have anything to do with vaccines.

I'm going to guess that most of the newer diagnoses are, like me, considered "high functioning" or level 1. In the past, our idiosyncrasies probably wouldn't have gone beyond a quirk, but modern society's constant bombarding us with stimulation really messes up a brain. It's overwhelming. And the hurried pace of life just makes it harder to make necessary adjustments.

Also, I think that pre-industrial societies were better at managing said idiosyncrasies (with the sole exception of math savants. They can find a nice home in the sciences). You like lots of quiet and reflection and a solid routine? Maybe you should be a Trappist. Your brain sees all these systems that most people take for granted? Let's make you a philosopher or theologian.

In my own experience, the problems my autism caused were worst when I lived in New York City. They have been the least when I am either in nature or prayer, to the point where I don't need medication to help steady my emotions or sleep.

It really strikes me as an attempt to stem the bleeding. I became a neo-Catholic when I was a teenager. In college I studied theology and Church history and began to realize that something was very off about how things were going and grew more and more "conservative" (orthodox). My orthodoxy grew as I became more serious about my faith, especially after I underwent Marian consecration (de Montfort's formula) and became an RCIA catechist. That was when I started to really pay attention to traditionalist arguments. It took the COVID lockdowns and the discovery that the SSPX weren't a bunch of whack jobs to finally push me over the line into traditionalism.

More and more orthodox-leaning neo-Catholics are coming to the same conclusion I did, probably even faster than I did, since it took me about 20 years to get to this point. I think that's freaking out the American hierarchy.