Does anybody else feel like they constantly need to be..

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actively achieving something?

(sorry couldn't fit the whole question into the title..)

when I feel like I'm not progressing in life I start getting really depressed. I constantly need to feel like I'm improving/ participating in something/ achieving something.
I don't think I'll ever not study or work or anything like that. I couldn't handle it. Maybe it's an insecurity of mine or maybe a little bit of an aspie trait? Or a bit of both... I don't know.

anybody else feel like this?

I've been in school for most of my life, so I haven't really experienced many periods of stagnancy like you're describing... summers are miserable though I have to give myself things to learn and research and build or I get desperately bored and antsy and annoying to everyone around me.
I haven't waited long enough for it to become depressing.

I've been in school for most of my life too. I'm at university now but I am finding periods where I am stagnating a bit. I feel the work I'm doing is a bit too easy for me. I can literally not revise for exams, walk in and walk out getting about 90 percent. It's probably a good thing I'm starting a pharmacy degree in October.
I guess the problem is I haven't got too many special interests atm. I find if there's nothing I'm actively interested in I get really really bored and very depressed very easily. I guess I need to find what will fascinate me next.

I agree with both of these. I seriously can't see why people think pre-med is difficult because I do the same thing as you do. I actually think it's fun.

During the summer I lurk around the public library quite a bit. When I'm about to be forced to leave to go home, I type ten random words into the search engine on one of the catalog computers and hunt down the first available item on the list that isn't a chlidren's book. I've checked out some very odd things over the years (and have had to hijack an adult's card to check some of the books out) but this is how I've found most of my special interests. When this method isn't available, I turn to either my Legos or books I've already read. Wikipedia is a last resort. These things keep me from driving everyone else up the wall, across the ceiling, and out the door over breaks.

Since high school, I have just taken [really] difficult classes that I'm interested in.

I came close to being the perpetual college student myself. I think I found academia gave my life more structure, as well as a sense of acchievement. I do think I should contribute more, but that was also drilled into me through out my education. Since everyone realized I actually had a high IQ I had high expectations placed on my shoulders.
My friends in Florida do say I made a big difference in marine mammal rescues. We had only had one success long before I started. Well, we started having survivors, including a released dolphin. Total recovery! I busted my arse with helping that. When I was very sick with my gut issues & a bacterial infection myself.. (btw, this is the facility featured in the film "A Dolphin's Tale"). I do not take credit for that, but they credit me with helping.
Still, I feel like I could have done more..

Sincerely,
Matthew

Yes, I started using a checklist app and I try to check as many things I can. I don't have long term objetives (dreams?) and I need this kind of things to keep me entertained and not depressed.

Yeah, I agree with this. I just need entertainment and structure. It doesn't really matter what I'm working on as long as I'm doing something that isn't bothering anyone else. I only have problems if I'm idle for too long, so anything is better than nothing.

Yes, somehow I do. I get depressed, as well when a) I run out of special interest or want a new one...then I'm depressed and stare at walls because everything seems pointless and boring. And b) because I want to achieve something. I've always thought I'd would like to be studying my whole life and thus, the best would be to work in a university.....I could not, not study,...it would take away structures I need. If I don't have them, then ...I could focus myself more on special interests more time but at the same time I can wear them out more easily and make myself depressed at some point because of that.

I don't know if this is about insecurity....but it's clearly there for me.

I've been in school most of my life also, and spend most of the school day in a short period of depression because nothing of any imprtance is ever accomplished. Just day after day of overly easy math problems, dumbed down science, and reading material belonging in a preschool rather than highschool. Here it feels like the schools are designed specifically to prevent the students from acomplishing anything important. I love summer and breaks because then I have time to research and design stuff and do other things that actually matter to me.

I see what you're saying. My school offered a really challenging curriculum though. I live in an affluent area with a well funded school district, and I definitely took advantage of that. I'm not saying I didn't find school depressing, I just wasn't depressed by the lack of a challenge.

I think it's an ASD trait to never just relax. I work every single day and when I am at home I'm always doing something. Strangely enough I don't really seem to achieve anything other than just being constantly busy.