Help! ! !

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I am Aspie and have a need to hug or touch people who I love and care about.
I have been told that I do the above to 'ground' myself.
Can someone shed some light on what grounding means?

For me it means feeling in control. Focused. Secure. Comforted. Or at least closer to those things.

Grounding yourself could mean bringing you back to the present moment with the people you love.

Teach me more about this grounding.
Please.

I have the opposite need--to not be in physical contact with people. I don't mind touching animals, though. Touching people is stressful for me. I am an introverted hermit type of person, and prefer solitude, and not having physical contact with other humans, but will make myself do so when I feel the situation demands it.

I can understand that others feel differently, though. This is one of the complexities of Autism Spectrum disorders. There are so many different traits, and positions on the spectrum that we each have. This is why it was so difficult for doctors to recognize the existence of the condition for so long.

As for your own compulsion to touch others, perhaps it is a form of stimming for you. That's okay, though. As long as you are not doing any weird kind of touching, just normal stuff, you are way ahead of many of us on the spectrum, because a lot of us don't like to have too much physical contact with others.

I understand your point of view regarding animals as I also love animals because they love us in an unconditional manner.
I also. . . was introverted.
I at the age of 57 have moved on from my state of introversion.
Haha no I am not doing any weird kind of touching, I have wondered for so long why I do as I do.
Your input has comforted me.
Thank you.

Your doctor, priest, friend, parent, or whatever person is talking to you...
is saying you are not hugging out of concern for the other person, but to calm yourself.

Are you respecting someone else's personal space, or using them as a security blanket, whether they like it or not?

"Grounding" is when you mentally grasp fundamentals that keep you from losing control. Or at least, from losing more control than normal. Basically, you are avoiding problems by clinging to others, and this behaviour keeps you "grounded" in a better state of mind. It's not a negative thing. It's good to be close to your family and able to use them for support.