oh nooooos!! !!

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Having a lot of trouble right now because the IT company where I have worked for 15 years is relocating. Thankfully it is in the same city. But.... you know... the "C" word!! ! CHANGE!! !! !
To say I hate change is (like a lot of ASD peeps) is an understatement.

I am working with my boss and my therapist to make it through this.
I am using my skills and all that happy stuff.
But I am mega depressed.
I am told this is "normal" for "almost everyone" .... and my boss says it is all about getting a positive attitude... but that is not it with the ASD.

I feel like I am a failure right now because I just feel my mind slipping so deep inside.
I am trying to learn a new IT skill with wireless and hoped that would give me a hyper-focus and take my mind off that cursed 6-letter word. But I can't even even begin to share with anyone what this horror is under my skin and inside my blood.

I know I will make it. But I wonder what the other side will look like...
But right now I don't even want to try anymore.
And the standard neuro-typical responses (that I agree are logical and correct) are honestly just ticking me off right now.


Any input?

I am not sure if I can help you, but I am definitely another Change hater.
My wife has learned over the years to give me as much advanced notice as possible.
I guess the most I can say is weather the storm and then this new change will be an old change.
You said your boss and therapist are helping - that is great -- any other support?

I've only dealt with relocating across to another suite in our building, but still very frustrating. I found it to be helpful to set up the cube just like you had it before and to give yourself a few days to chill out a bit. Best is on a weekend because then you can focus on what you like in the comfort of your home, which you likely don't have to change for your job. Eventually you will settle down and feel more acclimated to your new environment. It takes time and that duration changes depending on who you are. Try to keep up with whatever you're doing though. Don't just "lazy out" because if you do that you'll be viewed as a poor employee. That's what I do anyways. :/

If you can, maybe try to go see the new place before you actually have to be working there. Or travel the new route to the new place -- or just plan the new route. Sometimes this type of thing helps me a little bit....it sort of gets me started on the adjustment and putting the new pieces together period rather than just being 100% stuck in the waiting miserably for the world to fall apart period before the change actually happens.

I know that my problem with a change like this is that I do not know all of the ways that it could affect me, my surroundings, and my routines, both directly and indirectly. Now, hundreds of little questions and decisions need to be addressed or, at least, reviewed which, before, had been settled. Many of these probably will not be apparent until after they become little problems of their own.

My solution is to address as many of these as I can immediately (plan the route to work, how am I going to arrange my workspace, etc.), give myself time and space to discover other potential problems when they can not cause as much damage (before the move, on weekends, etc.), and give myself plenty of something comforting (stimming toys and/or special interests, feeling of control, reassurance from others, etc.).

Good luck!

_________________
31st of July, 2013
Diagnosed: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Auditory-Verbal Processing Speed Disorder, and Visual-Motor Processing Speed Disorder.

Weak Emerging Social Communicator (The Social Thinking-­Social Communication Profile by Michelle Garcia Winner, Pamela Crooke and Stephanie Madrigal)

"I am silently correcting your grammar."

I hate change too.

When I have to move, checking out the new area always helps. OK, I get hopelessly lost the first dozen times-- it is good to have a full tank of gas and a full tank of humor. You might try something similar-- run your new route until it is familiar, scout out things that are of interest (when we move, I always hunt for parks and thrift stores), figure out where you are going to get things you need (gas if you drive, a good place to wait on the bus if you don't, a cold drink and a yummy snack, whatever).

I know it sounds NT and trite, but try to think of good things you are getting out of this-- more space, or more privacy, or a shorter trip to work, or something. It helps-- or anyway helps me-- to have something to look forward to.

If all else fails, tell yourself it is but a temporary pain in your butt. It's autism being a pain; soon the new will become the familiar, and autism will have to find something else to gripe about.

I also hate change.

It's so annoying when it happens but I always get used to it at some point.

I agree with those who said that you should check out the new place ahead of time, perhaps several times. Also, familiarize yourself with the surrounding area and the route you'll need to get there. Maybe use Google Maps and inspect everything on Street View if it's there.

What I would do when starting a new school was get a map of the school and color-code all of the routes I'd take between each class. If my first class was math and my second was English, I'd circle the math and English classrooms in, say, green, then draw a green line through the hallways I'd need to take. If I had history after that, I'd circle the English classroom again in, say, purple, then circle the history classroom in purple and connect them with a purple line.

Maybe you can make a map of the building and do that with copiers, break rooms, offices, etc. instead of classrooms.

One night, in the nursing home I'd worked in for 2 and a half years, they suddenly changed everyone's schedule from 8 hours/day to 12/hours/day. I flipped and handed in my resignation on the spot. I guess we really don't like change.