Taking a long time to process information

Post Reply New Topic

Hello all,

I haven't really posted on here before. I'm still very much getting to grips with what aspergers is and the different ways in which it affects people, and I was just wondering if anyone could relate to my situation.

I take a really long time to process information. I'm not particularly unintelligent, I just take a while to process things. In most conversations, particularly group conversations, I'm mostly unable to join in as the conversation moves too quickly, I just can't keep up.

Sometimes my wife will ask me to do something, and I'll start doing it, sometimes thinking I've understood what she's asked me to do, other times just guessing what I think she meant, then 30 seconds later I'll realise what she actually meant, by which point I've already done it incorrectly, much to the annoyance of my wife! My memory is also really bad. I'm obsessed with music, and can reel off an endless list of super-geeky music trivia at the drop of a hat, yet when it comes to things that actually matter, like things involving my son, or stuff around the house, I'm useless. There are some things my wife says she's told me that I have no memory of whatsoever. This is a big worry for me, especially now I'm a parent. My wife is at the end of her tether and I have no clue what to do.

Can anyone relate to this? And would anyone have any advice on how to help combat it? Thank you for reading.

Yeah I relate. I'm learning to drive at the moment and I find the directions so hard to follow because I have to visualize it first, and translating spoken words into visual images takes me... a while. When given spoken instructions I always do. The longer the instruction, the harder it is. Hurts my brain a lot, feel like I'm using all its processing.

And my short-term memory is particularly bad at the moment. I keep forgetting things are in the oven and stuff like that. Think I zone out a lot.

And I know a hell of a lot of useless information from things that previously or currently interest me, yes. I'm not sure knowing pi to almost 100 dp or being able to identify cars by their headlights are particularly useful life skills. Nor is when all the updates on another site I go on an interesting thing to many people but myself. My brain is full of this otherwise irrelevant information.

Yes, I relate to this; my on-the-spot processing is slow and poor, more so when I don't feel completely comfortable with the people I'm talking with. When I'm with someone I'm used to, and feel relaxed and not stressed, it can get faster. But stress slows me way down. I can't take in what someone says if there's a lot of information at once. I also can't process my own reactions fast enough for the conversation or exhange of information.

It's often hours later, long after the moment has passed, when I've been going over and over the conversation in my mind because I know something was "wrong" or awkward, that I suddenly realize something the person meant by something they said, and/or realize what I should have said.

I can definitely relate to it but cannot give any advice. It's impossible for me to join in a group conversation. I cannot say anything in a meeting because I don't know exactly what others are talking about as well as because I'm too nervous. I've always wondered what's wrong with me. Only recently I've started to think it's a processing problem.

I have no memory problem.

Absolutely. I actually thought that was part of the ADHD instead. It really comes to light in a situation where things are coming at me quickly and it seems like everybody understands so quickly. I actually even had an employer tell me this once. And another boss who yelled at me because she said to push a certain button and I just didn't see it quickly enough--"I said push the green button!" Another time I was helping paint a porch and I had knocked something over without knowing and got the "Pick that up!" Huh? Scanning the place to see what they're referring to. And then I if course say oh whoops, I didn't see that, and then of course I get "yes you did!" Uhh no. (Rolls eyes.)

And it definitely is worse for me with people I don't know also.

My verbal processing is a bit slow (documented by psychoeducational testing), so when people are telling me something and I don't answer right away, they start to explain it more, like they're talking to a 2 year old. It usually only takes me a couple of seconds to understand what they're saying, but by then, they've already started talking to me as if I'm stupid.

I can somewhat relate. I'm a bit slow at processing information, especially instructions. Occasionally people have had to repeat things to me a few times before I understood them.

My processing speed also drops considerably under stress. For example when the professor asks me a question during a lecture, even if I know the material very well, I won't understand what he says and will look very stupid for not being able to answer when it's supposed to be an easy question.

Group conversations are also difficult, because I can't come up with anything to say quickly enough. If the conversation doesn't interest me I usually black out and let my mind wander.

Are you sure your not getting lost in your head?The forgetfulness makes it seem like thats it .

It's a horrible coping device(forget its formal term),the next time it happens try to focus on what your mind is doing.I recently became aware I get lost in my head which is what causes information to come in slowly. Try to train your brain to focus on whats happening around you and not in your head.

I would seriously love it if they started talking to me like so was two. Most people just get mad. I've even tried making a dumb face when I'm not getting it. Doesn't fly. Lol