ASpie = worrywart?
though I don't know of any data/studies regarding this topic, I would have to say, "i. m. o. no. but........"
I don't believe that AS itself has excessive anxiety or worrying, but rather the stress of all the akwardness and misunderstandings that arise due to AS cause a side effect of moderate to severe anxiety in a fair number of aspies.
So, imo (in absence of any known data), anxiety or worrying is not a root symptom of AS, but rather a byproduct of the problems experienced because of AS.
Again, just i. m. o. Could be wrong. wouldn't be the first time.
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At risk of generalising, and being proven wrong; my understanding is that being on the spectrum predisposes you to having a personality type at greater risk of suffering from anxiety and depression, as well as OCD, and other similar conditions.
There is also the characteristic of being obsessive, which is well documented in practically all diagnosed cases of ASD.
Put that together, along with our strong sense of loyalty, and our strong moral conscience, and you get a type of person that is likely to worry about things that others will just shrug off.
We may want to get in and bat for the underdog, support our friends when they have been wronged, or just feel a compulsion to act when we can see a minority is being persecuted or taken advantage of, or that generally something is wrong that should be fixed, and the fact others turn a blind eye just gets you wild.
Moreover, if we are not otherwise distracted with something else to obsess about, we are likely to continually obsess about some minor thing that others couldn't care less about - it's just part of our nature.
In my case I constantly obsess about people who park in disabled parking spaces without the appropriate authority.
This is a newer obsession; it used to bother me but I could put it aside, but I am married to a wheelchair user, so now when I see it it's kind of like having a stone in my shoe, I just can't tolerate it, and can't put it out of my mind.
Solution? In my case with this obsession, I have flyers from my state roads and transport authority, which I have photocopied; this says on one side in big letters: Being lazy is not a disability. On the other it says there are heavy penalties for illegally parking in disabled parking spaces, and goes on to explain how if you think you are entitled, you should apply for a permit.
If it is a weekday during business hours, I report the offender to the appropriate authority; in my area this is the council; and they send someone to issue a fine - current fine is Aus $496.00.
I have other obsessions, like worrying that my parking space at my unit complex will not be free when I return from somewhere (there are 18 units, 6 parking spaces, and 8 vehicles belonging to residents where I live; and no reserved parking).
I get completely rattled when I see someone park in our complex and then walk to another dwelling in our street; there is adequate free parking in our street, and the way I see it, you don't park at your friends' neighbours house just because their driveway has a parking spot free.
I worry about whether I have locked the house, or the car, and check at least twice.
I worry that someone will steal the car, or break in - it has an immobiliser and has not been broken into yet, though I still get paranoid about it.
Likewise, there are neighbours directly behind my dwelling who own dogs, that bark even if someone comes nearby, and other dwellings look directly at our place, so no one could break in without being seen or disturbed or both.
It's also a case of PTSD and previous experience, I have disturbed a burglar at my parents house when I was living there, and this memory is with me every time I leave the house or come home.
I think you need to acknowledge and accept this may be part of your personality, your condition, or just who you are, and work out strategies to reduce the impact of this, such as avoid overstimulation, find something more healthy you can do to distract yourself from your obsessive worrying, and try to deal with any underlying issues that bring this to the surface.
This may require therapy, counselling, or you may find some strategies in books that can assist.
Just don't let it stop you from living a happy and fulfilling life, and if it is do something productive about it.
I think that perhaps it's normal for people with AS to be more prudent and cautious than people who don't.... like, considering the potential negative consequences of a decision more before coming to a conclusion about what to do.... which would make sense to me since a potential catastrophe might be considerably more stressful for somebody who has AS than for somebody who hasn't.
No. I feel unable to worry about anything, even things I probably should. I have never been able to understand why people worry about things. Either it will happen, or it won't, and worrying is just a waste of thought and is illogical. Honestly I feel very irritated when people around me worry because it serves no purpose and is annoying to be around.
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