Accelerated Aspies

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BTW You know the old ADD/ADHD "epidemic"? It turns out that they now say about 30% pf them are AUTISTIC!! !! !!

Steve

Thanks for posting that article...I've been using the term "regressive behaviors" for a couple of years now pertaining to myself. Geez, and here I thought I invented it!

This is one reason why I sought a diagnosis this year -- former aspects of what I now know to be autistic traits have resurfaced and intensified during the last three or four years, things such as needing more alone time, stimming (both vocal and physical), as well as anxiety. Not that stimming or alone time is bad, per se (well, except for pulling my eyelashes -- that's not so good), but I'm 43 with four kids, and I NEVER have enough alone time, and am now suffering with rheumatoid arthritis, which may, as the article suggested, contribute to some *new* things that are happening, such as no desire to write (was an intense lifelong interest) OR read fiction, disinterest in lifelong obsession with Egyptology, more frequent meltdowns, disorganization...It is comforting to know that my regression is not abnormal, and that it might not be permanent.

Again, thanks for posting.

[quote="Hamster"]

This is one reason why I sought a diagnosis this year -- former aspects of what I now know to be autistic traits have resurfaced and intensified during the last three or four years, things such as needing more alone time, stimming (both vocal and physical), as well as anxiety. Not that stimming or alone time is bad, per se (well, except for pulling my eyelashes -- that's not so good), but I'm 43 with four kids, and I NEVER have enough alone time, and am now suffering with rheumatoid arthritis, which may, as the article suggested, contribute to some *new* things that are happening, such as no desire to write (was an intense lifelong interest) OR read fiction, disinterest in lifelong obsession with Egyptology, more frequent meltdowns, disorganization...It is comforting to know that my regression is not abnormal, and that it might not be permanent.

Hi Hamster, I personally think hormonal changes may have something to do with my intensification of symptoms (which sound a lot like yours...losing interest in special pursuits, more disorganization, more need for solitude, etc.) I'm 41, and I noticed these changes coming on the past couple of years, and I'm pretty sure they have some hormonal connection. I was diagnosed last year, and I haven't seen a regression, per se. What I have experienced is a new willingness to relax and not worry about my AS, now that I know what it is! It's actually been a tremendous relief to know.

I'm not formally diagnosed, but ever since reading about it, I see myself more and more.

Well, I don't think I show MORE traits, just that I am more aware of them, ad if anything has "regressed," it has been my willingness to put a ton of effort into being "normal," so naturally I appear to be "more Autistic." But you know what? My stress level has decreased and I feel happier now that I know it isn't something I can really "fix," that I am not simply "broken." It is a relief. I still do my best to not scare people off, but if I fail, then I just explain what is going on and leave it well enough alone.

In the article someone posted, I especially liked the bit about skill level and effort, and how an NT does something so naturally that when someone with Autism does the same thing only less successfully (because it isn't natural), that all the NT sees is lack of effort, while in reality the NT should be appreciative of the amount of effort it takes to achieve a skill. It is a true observation, and if an NT were to really think about it, the NT would realize how irritating it is to have someone assume he wasn't trying hard enough and that if he just tried harder he would be better, say, at learning a skill like the piano or something.

I know that I have a lot of trouble with school even though my test scores (and IQ) are in the 99th percentile. All my life people have said it was a lack of effort to succeed, and if I just tried harder, I would be the valedictorian of an Ivy school because I'm so smart. But what they don't realize is that the school environment is not the best environment for me to function, that there are too many variables to constantly be worrying over and dealing with for me to actually succeed. I am putting forth a lot of effort, it just doesn't seem that way because they aren't looking at it the same way I am.

But anyway.

Yeah. For me its using the phone. Typicals, (as I call them. i dont like the term normal), tend to get pissed when I dont make a phonecall, but if they only realized that making a phonecall to me is akin to running through New York City naked for them, they might treat it differently. Oh well f**k em.

since suspecting myself of AS... i have noticed more, the things i do

but it has also helped me to recognize some of the bad habits that i have and correct them with a new tenacity.

for example... for several years now, i've had a patch of eczema that's been more or less transient and i SCRATCH it all the time... like i'll come out of a stupor and i'll be scratching... i wake in the morning and i'm scratching... i just can't help it, it feels so good. and while i've always known it's prolly not good to pick at it, never could help it. now, i'm kinda more aware why i do it and i have come up with alternate stimming behaviors to substitute for it, things that give me that relieving ecstacy... i've trained myelf to instantly switch to doing my alternate stime, if i catch myself scratching. now, i rarely scratch and i use vitamin E daily and though i'll have a slight scar where the eczema was...

i have learned to use my tendancies for the better

I have noticed more things that i do and how "un-social" i am and i am aware of it now.
But i do as i do everyday and i havent done any thing diffrent from before i was suspected to have AS.
But i`m more aware of it now and notice it more

I don't know that I have necessarily noticed an increase in my aspie-ish behaviour so much as I have noticed the behavior I regularly exhibit. I have become increasingly aware of the interesting things I do with my hands and the way I rock myself when I am feeling insecure or interestingly enough secure with my surroundings. Learning about aspergerger's has made me hyper-aware of the things that I have always done out of habit. Truthfully, I find it intriguing. I just wish I could subvert some of the bad habits before I picked them up. C'est la vie, non?

There are no BAD habits. You own your behavious.

Last edited by kingjim on 30 Mar 2007, 3:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Kaleido,

That cat in your avatar is adorable? Is it a Lynx point Siamese? I have had two Lynx points and they are my favorite type of cat.

Ah, missed your reply, apologies.

She is a Bengal and very dainty too.

She is a really cute cat. I love all striped kitties.

I feel like I have the freedom to act the way I am naturally going to act. I am more aware and comfortable with the way I am now. I now the behaviours that I have Are their for a reason.

i have now stopped wasting time on trying to be 'normal' cause knowing about AS does make me realize i'm not normal and won't be, ever and it makes me feel much more at ease. (it was very stressfull to try to be something i wasn't, all these years)

in the beginning when i read all the characteristics there were so many of them that applied, not to say almost all,
but one thing i thought i didn't do is stimming, but have discovered that's not true at all, i'm always moving slightly but almost unnoticable, and if not i'll pull my fingersnails in my fingers, or move my toes in my shoes, push my fingers into my face (i like pressure) or whatever and i suppose i have always done so

and now i know that socialising is not what we do best, i stop trying altogether, not that i stop being friendly, but i acknowledge my own desire to keep things short, not too much unnecessary contact, not lay myself out to please people and it's much more comfortable.

even more than understanding and changing myself i feel that i have a different look on nt's,
like if they want to win an argument that is completely wrong (like with verifiable data) i will never go into the argument anymore. before knowing AS i considered them people with the same kind of desires as mine, and was often surprised when there was no feedback on things that seemed so important to me. now, i'll just discuss it here on wp or read about it and don't need to really talk with them, except when they show 'real' interest or occasionaly just for fun.

For some reason, I've always found Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle comforting. It was like a profound revelation in college that the uncertainty I felt was part of the universe. I get a religious experience from physics.