Old aspie secrets.

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I am a man, 47, fairly successful, and Aspergerian. I though I might have some relevant things I could offer to those just starting this smoothly paved, yet someone left all the rocks here before they paved it road of Aspergers.

Here are some tricks or techniques I have come up with to get through life. I guess my goal is to tell you how I made my issues into non-issues, they don't bother me anymore. I learned how to go from skittish omega cub to confident alpha wolf, and it was all learned, not instinctual. I'll post others as I think of them, or if asked about. Religion too! No Moonies or UFO cults though...

Run two parallel tracks of consciousness in your mind. It's kind of hard to describe, but once you master it, jumping back into the moment is easier and faster. Say a loud noise startles you, by running a parallel track, you can jump over to the other track, and recover more quickly. It can be two train tracks, two recording tracks on tape, or even two cars on a race track, what ever visual works for you. Eventually you won't even think of a visual anymore, it will just become automatic. Now when one derails, or skips, or crashes (the loud noise that startled you), jump to the other one that didn't get off track (startled).
This also allows you to be less judgmental, because you now have two versions of what happened. The one where you got mad, and the other impartial version that is just a recording of what happened. You can then see something from different points of view more easily too.

Do sounds associated with eating bother you? Try what I used to do until it became a non issue. Imagine them as the animals they might be like. I do 3D animation for a living, so it's easy for me to imagine that I am dining at a Mad Hatter's tea party of sorts. That one's a deer, that one's a moose, there's a walrus, this one is the proverbial pig. Just be careful not to start making animal sounds, keep those in your head. Don't stare at the pig too much.

I didn't have a father figure, so I chose Captain Kirk as my male role model, now you know my secret to becoming a learned alpha male. In business situations, I literally play Captain Kirk, kind of sly, with a mix of humble pie and arrogance. But I openly encourage those with good ideas but are less confident to speak up in a meeting, just like Kirk might do with a unsure but good bridge officer prospect, like Chekov was. Chose a realistic human character or public figure as a pattern for your own acting persona you don for difficult situations. Kirk was rather diplomatic, so I now I find that I can handle disputes fairly well and help arbitrate in them. But, hey, don't get front page freaky about the figure you chose to emulate. Stay away from their house. Do avoid dressing just like them, so don't chose The Hulk...

I guess I'll be open to questions too, if I can help, I will try.

Last edited by shrox on 22 Aug 2011, 7:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.

These seem a lot like meditation techniques. I'm always banging on about meditation.

Anyway, interesting post!

Jumping from one crashing race car to another race car at full speed mid-race!?
What do I look like to you? Evil Kenievel?
That particular analogy probably won't alleviate anxiety for me,
but it will definitely keep my imagination entertained.

You know, some kind of sci-fi, quantum leap, special FX type jump, not climb out and jump. Everyone will have left the room by the time you got the racing harness off...I can't do all the thinking for you!

This is great advice, shrox. Somewhere along the way I started to bend my inner and outer realities in order to cope. It almost felt instinctive and it can be fun. Blending in a persona (like Spock) is a good idea.

Moog, I've also found a meditative practice to be valuable. It's been more beneficial than most anything else I've tried, including therapy. Now I can't imagine life without it.

Use the force.

I'm going to try this out. Methinks hilarity will ensue, but hopefully the Cheshire Cat will save me from my snort-laugh-induced choking fit.

I think i know what you're saying, we should aways have another perspective in which we can analyze our own behavior at a situation and do an more logical and less chaotic action/choice.
And that is a a fine way of dealing with unpleasant situations, thanks for the advice!

So your an alpha wolf now huh?

where do you work? do you have a gf or wife?

what r your interests and hobbies

The driver doesn't jump! Ghost-riding a race car? No wonder it's about to crash.
Besides, the driver has to go down with his vehicle, like a captain with his sinking ship. It's a matter of honor.
The hero on the roof is the one who jumps. He's looking for a bomb that the villain planted in one of the cars.
When the bomb goes off, it will destroy the stadium!
(People don't leave "the room". They're at a racetrack ... unless that's one big-ass room to fit the whole racetrack inside.)
The catch is, villain planted a bug (microphone) in the hero's body, and the hero knows this, and the villain knows the hero knows this.
So the rules are the hero can't tell anyone there's a bomb.
He has to check every car, mid-race. If the lead car crosses the finish line on the last lap before the hero can diffuse the bomb ... BOOM!
But that's not all!
The villain's nemesis, a rogue cop, believes the hero is the one who killed his ex-partner,
so he's hiding in the trunk of one of the cars with a sniper rifle he's saving for the last lap!
I'm going to draw thumbnail sketches on napkins and mail this to 20th century Fox as the screenplay for Speed 3.
I'll let you help me write it, but I can't do all the thinking for you!
Oh wait ... Yes I can.

I am like an old school Disney alpha wolf, wise, kind, approachable, yet tough and even vicious when need be. I think I get shot somewhere half way through or something...I might have edited that out.

I am self employed as a 3D animator. My website is http://www.shrox.com

[img][800:426]http://www.shrox.com/OldVWOnMoon001.jpg[/img]

I was happily married for 15 years. She became truly mentally ill, said she still loved me but just didn't want to be married anymore. I have been alone for five years now, it sucks.

I design model rockets like these as well. I designed the rockets on the front and back covers, as well as the cover of the catalog itself.

http://ipaperus.ipaperus.com/QuestAerospace/Catalog/

If you like Star Trek, here is one of my show reels. http://www.vimeo.com/24237842

(claps for Shrox)

I love 3d animations and designs.

Oh, it stretched the picture!

(Is that a standard AS reaction?)

hmm sux man, mi gf n i jus split up recently 2, think i got to quiet n boring 4 her.....

i work in fast food, h8 it....

did you make your own website also?

This supposed to going on inside your head. Now, if cars come flying out of your head, I'd like to see that if you can get a camera...