Asperger's, anxiety and emergencies?!

Post Reply New Topic

Two emergency situations have kicked my anxiety into full gear lately.

One of my aunts died last week, and to inform us of her passing my uncle sent a phone call in the middle of the night. Ever since then, I have been scared of when the phone rings, no matter who is calling or why.

The day after my aunt died, my car broke down and I waited in a parking lot for 4 hours with a non-drivable car until help finally arrived. Everyone had their phones shut off for some reason except someone I know who was able to take me home.

I go bird watching (birding, as us bird watchers call it) as a hobby, and every year go to a birding festival in a small town with bad roads. I am more than a bit hesitant about going to this birding festival because I do not want any car trouble, especially on a back road far from home (the festival is 2+ hours from my home). My way of thinking is that since the car broke down 10 minutes from home, it could break down far from home and I would have no way of getting back. Should I push this out of my mind or is fear of a broken-down car on bad roads a normal fear?


My questions are, what should I do to help these anxieties and is it related to my Asperger's in any way?

See if there are practical things you can do to maintain your safety.
Is it possible to arrange with someone, for instance family or one of the other birders, to check in with them at a certain time so they know you've arrived, and if not, go looking for you?

Occasionally I do long solo drives for work, and for those we have to comply with various safety procedures, such as making sure I have my mobile, a two-way radio, a sat phone if I'm going out of mobile range, first aid kit, and emergency water. I check the car is up-to-date with servicing and the tyres are pumped. I have to log my proposed schedule and send someone an SMS when I leave and when I arrive.

For a 2 hour drive, you wouldn't need to do all that, but there might be some ideas in there for you.

And yes, it might be an Asperger thing. Last trip, when I arrived I tried calling home, just to tell them I was safe and well, but couldn't get hold of anyone. I proceeded to panic about what might be happening at home - kids hit by a bus, hubby had a heart attack, or whatever - and ended up trying to phone home about 10 times in the next 2 hrs.

(They were all fine, hubby had left his phone in the car and hadn't heard it ringing)

Great ideas. I will make sure everyone has their phone on when I drive 2 hours to bird. It is a great idea about arranging with one of the other birders, but the problem is I could be anywhere within half of Ohio. Great tips- these are definitely helpful.

I saw the words "pileated woodpecker" below your handle- are you a birder too?

This sounds within the normal range of worries regarding new experiences. A bit of practice and the worries vanish. AS comes into it if it hampers your foresight, which is more likely regarding people than things.