Anxiety

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I recently read in Tony Attwood's Guide to Asperger's Syndrome that those with AS usually suffer with anxiety.

I had never really thought about this before but now that I do I can see that my entire life has been one long anxiety attack.

Having read a few posts to this thread I will add that my particualr anxiety is probably better described as chronic ongoing constant stress rather than acute panic attacks, although I have had a few of those and they were anything but funny



What about you?

Last edited by Blindspot149 on 29 Oct 2009, 2:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.

When I first told my therapist I thought I might have AS, one of the first things she asked me was "Do you experience Panic attacks?"

I thought about that for a moment, then answered "Well...I don't know if I'd call it 'panic'...anxiety attacks, maybe." Then I proceeded to describe to her a story I just related in another thread about a job I'd had recently that caused me such anxiety I'd drive an hour to get there, then be unable to get out of my truck and go in.

As I told her this story, it dawned on me that what I was describing was not just anxiety - it WAS an overwhelming panicky sense of dread, that usually made me feel physically sick. I'd always thought of a panic attack as meaning hyperventilating and such, and I didn't do that, although it certainly increased my heart rate substantially and often caused me to sweat.

Anyway, as I ruminated on that afterward it began to dawn on me - what I had come to accept over 50 years as normal everyday stress and tension was, to neurotypical people, near-constant panic and high anxiety. Which explains the nonstop stimming.

It also goes a long way toward explaining the difficulty focusing on tasks - its a sort of avoidance at the anxiety over potentially failing, or being overwhelmed by the details.

My knees are bouncing like jackhammers at this very moment, because I have things I MUST do today, but the plan in my mind isn't concretely formed yet and I'm terrified that if I do these things wrong, I will make a mess of things and cause myself a fiscal disaster.

Choices, too damned many choices...

Last edited by Willard on 29 Oct 2009, 2:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.

It's funny, nothing really bothered me when I was little. I was in my own little world & was very happy in it. However when I got older, I was told that I have to start living in the real world. And that's pretty much when my anxiety kicked in. I still haven't fully gotten over it, and I'm not so sure if I ever will.

Anxiety is like a cancer of the mind. I've been struggling with it my entire life.

From what I have read it seems to be a normal response/reaction to not fitting in.

Can't believe I couldn't see this until now but then again I didn't realise how weird I am until just last month.

The funny thing is that my response to discovering who I really am has been to experience a huge sense of relief.

I am also getting to know myself and even beginning to like myself.............

I see a lot of myself in your statement. I think I've been anxious my whole life. But I have definitely reacted badly to "living in the real world" and am not sure how to get over it either.

yeah, i've been told that i ooze anxiety. i'm never NOT worried about something, like there's always this mass of anxiety just swimming around my subconscious (and often conscious) every minute of the day. it's usually got to do with how i look (physically) to other people, but it could be paranoia regarding something i think i've lost (which happens daily, usually my phone, i-pod, money that's sitting right there in front of me but i'm all freaking out because i think i left it somewhere else), or reflecting negatively on a conversation i may have just had, like, "oh i shouldn't have said this, i bet i looked like an idiot." i don't THINK i've had any genuine panic attacks (except for during drug trips, but considering how naturally paranoid i am it's not as if i wonder WHY that happens), but i definitely feel you on the "my life is one long panic attack" thing. i certainly have fits of anxiety and distress though.

I've had anxiety since puberty. I had lot of it in my teens because of people and school.

I answered "yes." My theory is that special interests are a way to distract from anxious thoughts. That is not the only reason for special interests, however.

Stimming is related, but I am not sure in what way.

Anx-she-is (that is me) topic

I am so anxious about something right now, I cannot even phrase it.

I've experienced several anxiety disorders.

I call my mom when I have anxiety issues related to girls. You should see my anxiety before an election.

Oh, yes. I have GAD, OCD, and Panic Disorder.

You pretty much described my childhood and my later experiences as a young adult.
I've never been in a constant state of anxiety, but I've had some pretty bad social anxiety. It's not so bad now. I had therapy/took meds.

Thanks to everyone who has voted and posted so far.

The results so far seem to bear out the figures mentioned in Tony Attwoods Guide to Asperger's.

Yes my anxiety is insane. I find it very frustrating. It is the most intrusive symptom of my AS. Apparently the fear and anxiety are my most active emotions, I can believe that since I don't really feel anything else. What sucks most tho, is that even good feelings such as excitement and joy turn into anxiety. Like if something wonderful happens, I'll get excited and happy for about 5 seconds, then it mutates into fear and panic. Very inconvenient.

The only time I feel 'good' is when NOTHING is happening and everything is still. If it were socially acceptable to be still would be the focus of my existence, but alas, it is not.