Are most autistic persons highly sensitive or not?

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Hi

i wonder if most autistic people have strong emotions as i have. So strong that oftenly you don't see any expression on my face about it, but inside they are there.

Or are there also autistic persons outside there, who have just "normal" emotions? However, also show them in a different way or show them less visible to the other people?

Best regards,
Anton

Strong emotions here.

My facial expressions don't always align with my emotions because I don't experience emotions singularly. There is a lot of overlap and what best might be described as multiple simultaneous emotions. It like the inverse of sensory overload. Sensory overload is too much stuff on the outside trying to get in. Emotional overload is too much stuff on the inside trying to get out.

Highly sensitive to what?

ruveyn

I believe people with AS do have strong emotions. Isn't it an irony that we have strong emotions but have difficulty expressing them.

^ Yes. And (so I'm told) I'm "unreadable." I guess mine are sort-of.......ephermal? Far away? But still exist. I'm far too sensitive.

Apparently I look either mildly annoyed or slightly catatonic. Okay, I often am mildly annoyed or slightly catatonic, but that's due to always being asked why I'm annoyed. I do not believe I am emotionless; I believe I have very strong feelings, they just don't seem to be read correctly by people around me.

(Note that the following is not an attack on anybody specifically but is worded like it is for the sake of the argument!)

If you're able to differentiate between strong and weak emotions as compared to other people, what kind of autistic are you? I thought the AS-scale was based on the inability to effectively categorize and interpret other people's intentions and emotions through any of their communication. Maybe due to the fixation of "irrelevant" details or what-have-you.

How do you measure your own emotions against somebody else's?

How is what I posted inconsistent with this? I tend to have multiple emotions simultaneously and my affect is incongruous hence emotions that I find difficult to describe are not communicated.

^ Actually, you're right, Kenjuudo. Evidently I have a Vernier sort-of emotional scale that is not comparable to our NT counterparts.....dang it all <expressed in a non-emotive way>

I think mine are basal and rather murky, at best. But existant nevertheless. Sort-of, I guess.

jmjelda: On a serious note, I know exactly what you mean. I have literally become faint with having an emotion (?) coupled with NOT being able to express it properly. At least I think that's why. Still, it's positively vexing and I HATE this about myself

In all honesty, I think a fainting couch is in order (not kidding) - I can become beyond perplexed (this is not the right word but I don't know the word, which is right now vexing). When you said "catatonic" (not in the strictest sense, but know what you mean): I've had another tell me I have these "mini-pass-outs" when I am in that dumb-struck phase - YES! Quite like a "deer in the emotive headlights" what-the-heck? just happened sort-of pass-out. NTs do have a more sophisticated sense of emotions but they can also be painfully callous and just downright stupid.

What makes you think that your stereotypical "anybody else" always communicate their emotions? Although I can understand the differentiation between actually having emotions and not, there is no way you can apply the "strong"-attribute if you can't compare them to anybody.

So you can have multiple emotions simultaneously. What makes you think most others can't? And if that's not what you meant, what use is it as an argument?

If a person can identify a particular emotional state by saying "I feel <insert emotion>" they are either describing a state that is primarily singular or inaccurately describing a more complex state. Since for the most part NTs seem to effectively communicate emotional states then I have to assume that for the most part that states being described as singular are relatively accurate. Further, an NT will describe a state of mixed emotions as precisely that - mixed emotions. Whereas for the most part autistics (well for me at least), there is little experiencing of emotions clearly enough to allow labeling as any particular state.

Not experiencing emotions clearly enough to label and communicate them effectively is NOT the same has feeling them intensely. I feel very intensely at times.

Yes it's one of the major symptoms.

Our emotions may be (are) very strong, sometimes, overbearing, but they come from a very different universe than that of "normal" people. It's like trying to mix serial music with Handel or Vivaldi.

autistic emotions are from a different universe you say?

what you mean with that? What else is different besides that
1.) they are strong
2.) they might show differently to the outsiders

?

thx,
Anton

I'm a Highly Sensitive Person. It shows in my face.

I feel very intensely at times too and I'm sure the vast majority are able to - assuming they're lacking the psychological traumas or genetical anomalies needed to be incapable. But do I inherit the ability to properly express my emotions? Not in a way that everybody else can relate to. Most often due to the fact that any communication produces illusions of understanding each other. You don't exactly copy thought one hundred percent.

So, as an example, if I say to you that I always experience extra ordinary strong feelings of anger, I have already compared it to what's ordinary. But how can I do that if I have never experienced ordinary anger? You see, applying any adjectives to expressions of emotions is at some level just displaying a combination of egocentrism and ignorance.