Had a low functioning moment yesterday

Post Reply New Topic

Self checkout freaks me out, mannn.

Yeah. It just all floods out into some incoherent mass of nonsence... I know exactly what you mean

Self checkouts at Sainsburys, absolutely priceless

oooo i love them...dont have to mess with anyone, and I like using the technology and stuff...

the only bad thing is i feel like they will mistake my jittery-ness and lack of friendliness(and 'odd' facial expression) for me shoplifting....
im always scared that i'll get into trouble... even though i wouldnt steal in a million years.

I called it my brain-mouth disconnect, even before I found out I had AS. The more nervous I am, the worse it is. If I have to talk about something important, I'd much rather do it in an email or text or some other written form because then I know I can get it all out and worded correctly.

The Nigerian store security guy follows me around

Brain-mouth disconnect, you say? This is a phrase I like, thanks for that

why was he following you around the store?

Because I worked as a bagger, anytime I am in a grocery story, any person I meet, I say have a nice day like a broken record player

One time I was really nervous in talking to a cashier I kinda knew.
She asked How are you doing,
I said I am talking care..carring.... take care..You taking care too.

I felt like crawling in a hole someplace when she looked at me like I was the one that flew over the coo coo's nest

A better word for that is: Brain fart

I thought a brain fart was an idea? Well it makes more sence for brain fart to be a mixup rather than an idea

It's just something I haven't done yet so it's scary to me.

I also hate the checkout where people get you to fill your own bag. I can't do it quick enough and they just give me a look. You know that look. That disapproving ' what are you some kind of idiot' look.
Fortunately there's only one supermarket that do this.

A brain fart is when you mess up.

Example:

You say, "Shab...blanket toss,"

as people stare at you

You, "Brain fart,"

Then you're excused because a brain fart is like when you mess up.

They give you that look in self-checkout too, because you have to do everything, especially if it's slowly or the system messes up your purchase.

I've always used brain fart for when I forget something I should know rather than when my mouth won't work right

This happens a lot. In a stressful situation, which could be anything, I kind of seize up and it takes me forever to construct an appropriate sentence in my head. Then I have to recite it from my mouth without stumbling or saying things in the wrong order. I feel like the dumbest person in the world when that happens. It totally destroys the flow of a conversation. Others will just ignore me and move on without me, which only makes it worse. That's usually the point where I give up and stop talking...

It doesn't always happen, though. Sometimes I'm able to talk to people in an almost "normal" way, by following sort of a script in my head.

A lot of the time I have to force out words and i stutter like crazy. My face sometimes ticks when that happens. This has nothing to do with stress, I've always been like this. And I always misread social ques and mishear people. And I'm incapable of following instructions, i always misinterpret them. You could give me a glass and tell me to put it on the table and is find a way to misinterpret it. Needless to say, I embarrass myself a lot.

I try to laugh it off if possible, or say, "hm, let me try that again." I get tongue-tied or stutter pretty easily, so I try to inhale deeply, and start off more slowly. It's most likely to happen with strangers or in a meeting with a lot of people, so if I look at their chins or foreheads instead of their eyes, it lessens the stress. Misunderstanding what people mean is harder, since it gives strangers the impression I'm a lot dumber than I am. Most folks at work are used to me being that way (hopefully), so I can just ask them to explain.

At certain times, my brain just goes and I can't think of the right words. If I'm around family, I don't care if I use the wrong word or even make one up if I'm tired, but if I'm out in public and it happens, the stress of not being able to talk properly makes it even harder and I become very self conscious. I'm usually very articulate. People tell me I sound intelligent but I'm not. I can just talk like I am but as I said, sometimes I screw up if I'm tired or stressed and I just can't get the right words out. How embarrassment!