Are you a homebody?

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I think I'm a homebody. I would prefer to stay in and play around on the computer than go out to the bar or to someone's house. There are times where I wish I could just order my groceries delivery because I don't feel like leaving the house, but I'm not sure if that is just laziness.

But I LOVE adventures. I've been to a few foreign countries and will jump at the chance to travel anywhere....as long as I'm prepared.

I like to do some things outside my home (eg. museums, restaurants..etc) but it must be planned and maybe once a month tops. Probably every other month, realistically speaking.

I don't think it's odd at all, to seek stimulation. AS traits would tend to get worse if stuck in a home environment that is isolated, stressful and repetitive - resulting in increased Aspie traits e.g. binge eating, worse sensory problems etc. Ever notice that Bears in Zoos look autistic? (should not be in zoos!)

Here is a paper - "Use of fluoxetine to treat stereotypical pacing behavior in a brown bear"

Perhaps your choosing to do very un-Aspie simulating activities because they make you less Aspie. Did living in a highly social situation, make you feel less Aspie and more social? That a Hostel was beneficial, even though it was stressful, because it was chaotic and very social? Perhaps you sought out such situations, travelled and lived in hostels, as a kind of therapy? I can understand that ...

When I started my Ph.D. in 1999, I came from a very social undergraduate degree and moved to a very isolated and stressful Ph.D, it was the polar opposite. And it made my AS much worse, I got very obsessive and depressed, even my empathy levels reduced. I knew I needed recreate a social environment, similar to my undergraduate degree, so to reduce my Aspie traits. So I founded an Aspie social group in 2002 and I got all the social stimulation and drama I needed, it reduced my Aspie traits. I "discovered" the nuances of people's emotions in 2003, I think the social environment increased my empathy levels.

Oh, about that bear - "He was treated successfully using a combination of fluoxetine, the provisioning of extra space, and the addition of novel stimulation in a naturalistic enclosure."

Shopping centre (stimulation) and drive around in your car (space) = happy Zen

Last edited by Diamonddavej on 17 Nov 2009, 11:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I tend to be a homebody. I almost always prefer to stay home, usually secluded in my room.

I do hit a wandering phase every once in a while though, and end up driving no where in particular. I also enjoy road trips, last one was only a week but I traveled over 4400 miles.

Wow! For me, that would be more like an Interstate enduro! 500 miles in a day is my maximum, and for no more than two days in a row. But, to each his own!

Here is more about that poor pacing bear...

"The space and stimulation could be sufficient to mimic the therapeutic effect of the pharmacological therapy in the long term."

No, I'm not really a homebody, I just prefer to avoid certain places that give me sensory overload.

I like having adventures too, m p furo, and thanks Dave, yes I think I liked the busy, buzzy aspect of the hostels, such as the lounge areas, but I didnt like rooming with people as I really need my own space when it comes to cooking and sleeping. I do need a social outlet but that is not an option right now. As for the bear, Im sure it would have got better without the antidepressants, but anyway....

Thanks Zen. And they did realise that drugs were not necessary, that space and stimulation on its own was enough to help the bear in the long term.

I think there are some people with mild-AS, who depending on their situation/environment, somewhat like the bear, can find their AS becomes more or less pronounced. That is what I experienced with my Ph.D., and that's why I created a better environment. I hope you find an environment that helps you.

Last edited by Diamonddavej on 18 Nov 2009, 12:24 am, edited 1 time in total.

Thanks. I hope you do too .

I can see what you're saying and definitely see the truth in it. Since I've been out of college, I've noticed that I've become more depressed/isolated and have more obsessive behaviors. Even though I have the tendency to isolate myself, I still talked to people in college. But now, I can't relate to anyone and so I only have my boyfriend to talk with. I can see a very sharp decline in my social abilities.

If I left it all up to my gut reactions then I'd probably hardly ever go out at all.

It wasn't always so. Back in the 1970s I'd sometimes get really bored and suggest to my girlfriend that we just took off for a day trip to London or something. It was great, I found shops selling records I'd never seen before, and a huge electronics shop on Edgeware Road (no longer there). I used to love holidays.

One thing I'll probably always want to do is to go out into the countryside and see the animals, and just walk about in the meadows. I guess a lot depends on where you go when you leave your home. I wouldn't care much if they dismantled all the cities and abolished the traffic and concrete that makes the outside world so ugly.

^Agreed, nature is so much prettier, though I do like cities.

I think it is the need for some purpose to life, or to many, a routine, and working or studying at a college provides this, whereas being unemployed at home doesnt.

I'm definitely a homebody! Working from home makes it worse, previously I'd run errands on my way home from work, whereas now it takes a lot of motivation to go to the grocery store or pharmacy. I used to enjoy vacation travel but now I absolutely hate it. Even if I go out to do something I enjoy, it can be exhausting. For example we went to another town to a concert this weekend, and it took me almost two days to fully recover.

It depends on the time of year for me. During Winter, I'm a homebody. During Summer, I prefer to go out.

Sorry to hear about your situation, hope it changes for the better soon.

Also, do you find it hard to read your boyfriend's emotions, given your social abilities have declined? I'd be wary of that happening, as it could affect your relationship. But you know the reason is poor social abilities, and you can compensate by asking him to tell you how he is feeling more often. Don't let him think that you can understand his emotions via non-verbal communication etc. (which you might find hard to read at the moment).

You're probably right.....though I'm quite the opposite - I see the workplace/college as the place that stops me getting anything important done. At home, I call the shots and have a lot more control over my immediate environment.