Springwatch presenter & local celebrity Chris Packham, 54, was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome in his 20s and struggled to deal with the diagnosis with several bouts of severe depression throughout his life. He recently spoke at length with The Times during an interview about his experiences and explains more in his new memoir, Fingers In The Sparkle Jar.
He told The Times “I didn’t understand that I was different. I didn’t understand why I was being rejected. I didn’t get invited to parties. I didn’t fit in.” Chris also described being bullied both mentally and physically as others referred to him as “the weird kid” as a teenager. Chris Packham’s book Fingers In The Sparkle Jar is “his story in the search for freedom, meaning and acceptance in a world that didn’t understand him” You can read a full synopsis here on his website.
Chris Packham is one of 700,000 people who have a diagnosis of Aspergers Syndrome in the UK. The National Autistic Society explains Aspergers Syndrome as “a form of Autism and is a lifelong disability that affects how a person makes sense of the world, processes information and relates to other people. Autism is often described as a ‘spectrum disorder’ because the condition affects people in many different ways and to varying degrees”.
Find out more about Aspergers Syndrome here and if you need support as you are living with the condition, please contact The National Autistic Society 0808 800 4104
10am – 4pm (Mon – Thurs) & 9am – 3pm (Fri) www.autism.org.uk
If you need urgent support for any of the issues mentioned within this article please contact the Samaritans by telephone for free on the following number 116 123 (UK) http://www.samaritans.org/