Could someone explain exposure anxiety in simple terms?

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this is something apparently common to many auties/aspies.. but every description iv come across is to me, pretty vague.. that it's "involuntary self protection responses of compulsive avoidance, diversion, retaliation"

and: "Often people with EA can handle doing things/communication when it is not 'as oneself', not 'by oneself' or not 'for oneself' People with EA can sometimes initiate/communicate but often only when the 'heat is off' and nobody is wanting/watching/waiting for their action or response (compliance to a prompt is not initiation) but some are compelled to avoid, divert, retaliate against their own initiations (akin to apraxia)."

I don't know about you, but that didn't really tell me anything. I dunno, maybe the description is vague cause the concept is complex, i can't identify or i'm just slow.

It sounds like that description is just an attempt at gross generalization. Unfortunately it would seem some of the meaning was lost along the way, because I understood nothing of what I just read and still don't know what this is lol.

It is for the want of a better discripition. The way some minds cope with over stimulation. The best way to describe it to most is if you were standing next to a jet and the engine started what would you do "involuntary self protection response" you didnt think why you coverd you're ears you just did. Except as time goes one your reaction gets stronger to the stimulas like a snow ball running down hill.

I welcome any one who can think of a better example or personal discription.

a quick-and-dirty description huh?
the way i see it, it is "the fear of being the centre of attention", be that by having a greatly unmatched outfit, giving a speach or presentation or simply standing near an entrance/exit where everyone passes by

The book by Donna Williams called Exposure Anxiety is a long explanation. I have exposure anxiety and to me it means getting aware of being aware of myself, which is something I cannot do so I become completely distressed by it. So what happens is, if I am confronted by something I cannot handle like too much noise or by other things that makes me overloaded, I get this feeling of being 'exposed'. What it is is actually trying to experience what you are experiencing, if that makes sense. It is like trying to recognise what you are feeling or recognise what you are thinking, to be aware of it by grasping it and recognising it. But autistic people notoriously have trouble doing this, and so it causes a total panic because you feel stuck and 'exposed' to a sort of 'nothing'. It's awful!! !

Exposure anxiety? That sounds like it's deliberately triggering someone's anxiety to help them deal with it to get over it. its like you know someone has anxiety about running late so you prosperously take too long to get ready just so they can get triggered and then they are all anxious and stressed. Mmmm I wonder if this is what my ex was doing to me? But this can also be used as an excuse to abuse and torture them for control.

Simplest way I could describe exposure anxiety -- is like straining your sense of smell via too much exposure.
It'll become more vulnerable with more exposures as it'll feel raw, that would bring potential problems when remain exposed. And remain exposed enough, breathing will be torture even if you're not smelling anything at all unless you stop breathing through the nose. And if you do not rest your nose, you'll start to develop something else that will reach the throat, the lungs... And eventually, anything that is connected.
Until, breathing simply hurts yet you had to in order to 'live'. Then, you just live to cope. Then, you no longer could just live, but survive.


Differences is, one can have a choice to stop breathing through the nose, and it wouldn't just happens to anyone all the time.
Unfiltered sensory input, on the other hand... Isn't a choice, and is happening throughout the lifespan. Then combine other complicated factors...

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