Dazed and staring
I have always been reserved and panicked at school, but now my teachers think that I have become more introverted than before. They tell my parents that it looks like I'm anxious and very scared. They say that I am unreachable and that I kind of live in my own world and don't react when I should.
That I suddenly can't do spontaneous things any more.
My doctor, my parents and my teacher think that it is the medication (Fluoxetine) that makes me being like this.
Now I must take a higher dose. I'm completely dizzy in my mind and the world feels like a dangerous place.
I can't take any high noise and I'm very passive at the lessons nowadays.
When I'm more go-ahead, my teachers are not afraid of me.
When I'm that abnormal disturbed kid, they become very careful and cosset. And they also seem a little afraid or worried.
They look at me with those big gentle eyes as if they feel sorry for me.
Sometimes we are outside with the class, and then I'm supposed to be taken care of by my teachers.
In that childish way. They say "Look at that, Lina!" and "I know this might be difficult, but let's try to do it although it's a new situation for you." The teachers don't even think that I can cross a street on my own, so they look after me so that I will be okey. The teachers are used to that I hide somewhere to be leaved alone, but they always find me and try to encourage me to be more sociable. None of my classmates is divergent in any way. My classmates are not even a little shy, everybody is very sociable and so on.
Here are some diaglouges between me and my teacher from yesterday:
Teacher: "You look a bit perplexed. How are you doing? Are you stuck?"
I looked wholely gone, and watched around in the room with a stressed eye.
Teacher: "Don't you know how to do?"
I was nervous and shivering, jerked for every little sound.
Teacher: "Shall I help you?"
I never looked at him, because I was unable to do it. I didn't even seem to listen, but in fact I was listening.
Teacher: "Hello? Lina! ... Lina?"
The teacher waved with his hand in front of my face.
Teacher: "How should we do this? May I help you?"
My eyes rushed around in the room and I was tense in my whole body. I was shaking.
Teacher: "It is difficult when you do like this."
Silence.
Teacher: "I don't know how to do. Answer me, Lina!"
No response. The teacher sighed and helped another student instead.
A little while later.
Teacher: "You're working with erosion, aren't you?"
I gazed at something on the other side of the classroom.
Teacher: "Right, Lina? Or have I misunderstood? I need to know whether I have gotten it. Are you working with erosion?"
I nodded and was frightened.
Teacher: "Okey. Have you written anything about erosion on the lesson of English?"
I remained quiet and the teacher became inpatient.
Teacher: "Nope, you don't answer."
The teacher talked to another teacher and asked how to communicate with me. I don't think that teacher knew it either.
On the physical education:
Teacher: "Everybody shall run around in this large circle in order to warm up."
The teacher turned the radio on and it was a high volume.
I got panic disorder and began backing backwords, and at the same time I hotched and looked terrified at the kids who ran around.
Teacher: "Come on, Lina. Run you also."
I was quiet and stopped breathing.
Teacher: "You are supposed to run around to warm up."
The teacher touched my back in order to push me. I reversed and tried to break away.
Teacher: "You tend to run on the physical education. Let's start."
I shook my head and showed a huge insecurity.
Teacher: "What is the reason? I need an explanation. Tell me why you don't want to run."
I began shivering a lot and tighted all my muscles. I just shook my head and thought I was going to pass out, or run away.
I backed and couldn't breath. My eyes were wide-open. My eyes did not focus at anything, they were empty, like I wasn't there.
_________________
Best regards,
Withdrawn.
Why are you being given medication, anyway? There is no medication that is effective for Asperger Syndrome.
Yes, it has become worse.
I get medication to get rid of depression and anxiety. It doesn't help, but they just want to give me more of the medicine all the time.
They know that there is no medicine against Asperger's syndrome.
Don't take the medication. Sounds as though they are messing with you.
I am not on medication, but I have a problem that is similar. The other day my Math teacher asked "How is it going for you?" and I got very wide eyed and frightened and said "What?! What do you mean!?" and she said "Calm down, Rachel. I am talking about the seating arrangement" I felt weird about that.
Other then that, at school I typically look up at the lights in class and drift off until the teacher says to look forward.
I get medication to get rid of depression and anxiety. It doesn't help, but they just want to give me more of the medicine all the time.
They know that there is no medicine against Asperger's syndrome.
Different medications have different effects for different people. If you have bad side effects from a medication, and it doesn't help you, definitely stop taking it.
I don't know much about the details of anti-depressant medication, but I know they have more than one kind. Get your doctor to put you on something else.
_________________
"A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it." --G. K. Chesterton
If you've become more panicked and introverted since taking the medication then it doesn't make sense that they would give you a higher dose of it. Have you told them how you've been feeling recently?
_________________
Am usually bored so PMs are welcome!
Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils ...
I haven't told my parents about these feelings.
My female teacher wrote an e-mail to me because she's worried. Here it is.
Hi Lina!
You didn't look happy when we met in the canteen today. In what way can I help you? Moreover, you were active and skillful on the physical education before. Now you choose to shy away. Can you explain this to me?
Has something happened? Please e-mail me and tell me!
See you.
(Teacher's name)
I wrote this back to her:
Hi (teacher's name).
I don't want to write about it. I just feel completely empty within me, as if I am somewhere else.
Furthermore, I have been extremely frightened of everything and everybody the latest days.
I'm not gloomy nowadays, not depressed, but it is something else - that I unfortunately can not explain because I don't really know either.
Best regards,
Lina.
By the way, today one of my teacher (not this one), said: "I like you so much, and I want to help you as much as I can. I'm feeling sorry for you."
My teachers are so caring and lovely.
Hi,
I also think it would be a good idea not to take that medication.
Even if you were still going to take an antidepressant, different brands can affect people different ways.
I have a friend who says that people with Aspergers can be more sensitive to some drugs, including antidepressants, than a lot of people are.
Personally, I can't take flouxetine - it made me strange. At the moment I'm taking a low to moderate dose of Effexor - pretty sure that is a different drug, although still an antidepressant/anxiety med in the same group as flouxetine. It's OK. I think it does help, although, so do other things.
I also know I find it difficult in classrooms. just briefly, if I were you, I'd look at how you function. If the way you function happens to mean you look a little vacant, or look like you're not listening even though you are, then I thinnk it's important to tell your parents and teachers this. Communicating this to them might mean they accept that you look that way sometimes, and then they don't continually ask you if you're ok
- it does sound as though you're lucky to have them, because they're nice, it's just that it also sounds as if you can ask for help if you need it, rather than them asking you if you're ok when you can't help it one way or the other if you are feeling sensitive.
I know that what you're describing sounds like more than just 'feeling sensitive', so I'm hoping I make sense, it's just that I think your symptoms would probably get a lot better if you are no longer taking flouxetine.
_________________
.. one day
in murky water mild,
where Wednesday lay
A Thursday child ..
