Is this an Asperger trait?

Post Reply New Topic

I am a coward/adrenaline junky. In other words I feel fear intensely but that makes me want to do the thing I fear. For example the first time I went skydiving I wanted to be terrified. I thought that that would make my experience more intense.

No, it's not an AS trait. That's a dare devil trait. lol.

Wanting strong stimulation like that seems like the exact opposite of an AS trait.

^^^
Well some ASD'ers are under-sensitive to sound , light ect. but they're in the minority. OP, look up the personality trait "sensation seeking".

adrenaline cravings have lead to some of the most amazing achievements in human history....and some of the dumber ideas.

I do the exact same thing. I watch scary movies just because I want to scare myself. This rarely works though because most horror movies are stupid. I would love to try skydiving or bungee jumping just because it looks terrifying yet thrilling. This seems more like a general personality trait than an AS trait. I have always been a competitive person, so I always have tried to make strange goals like this just for the sake of reaching them.

It is a personality trait. Noting to do with AS. I have doubts that people with AS will enjoy unpredictable enviroments with risk.

I think that's better known as thrill seeking.

Aspies I believe are known for engaging in reckless behavior because they don't perceive the danger involved. Which more of a perceptual problem. I think one example I saw on an aspie test was someone dashing past a moving car and cutting it way too close. Having an unrealistic appraisal of the danger involved. Misjudging the distance or speed of something etc.

We can't have risk seeking Aspies? Call the Aspie Inquisition and start another purge, I'm pretty sure we have a few on this board who skydive, drive very fast, or other things of such nature.

For that matter, I'm fairly confident we have some membership overlap with roller coaster forums.

That's a spacial perception issue, which has been mentioned as co-morbid to ASDs, but I have to admit, I find the link tenous at best (RDOS feels otherwise for reasons he can explain).

There's another theory on why "Aspies are known for reckless behavior"....it's that the only things that people think about with (known) Aspies are those risk-taking behaviors. When you think about it, most risk-taking behaviors are either socially ignored or actually encouraged. That might be more of a social perception and social status issue that any Aspie predisposition.

Well if someone has it or does not is all up to the personality. I think some people with AS could be risk takers, the problem is if it is likely or not. I think it is unlikely that AS people seek out unfamiliar enviroment. Skydiving and risky driving is something that anyone can start and do even Asperger people, of course.

My husband is an avid skydiver. He got me to go skydiving by challenging me saying, "What? Are you a p**** or something?" The day we were supposed to go I had to cancel because that same week (1) I had developed gastritis and (2) I fell down some stairs (nothing too serious but I was sore). He taunted me that I did it all on purpose (really? pflt!) So we made a raincheck. I wound up going through with it many months later. I brought an extra pair of underwear that day and luckily didn't need to use it. Afterward he and I went through training and got our skydiving licenses. He continues to jump and has developed a decent reputation in that odd world. I stopped jumping when my kids were born. I was never into it like he was, I only did it because he was doing it and it was something we could do together. I don't miss jumping at all but I'm glad to say I experienced it.

The most challenging parts of skydiving for me were:
1) Finding the dropzone (landing area) -- very nervewracking
2) Making sure I figured out the right landing pattern and did it (oh my gosh, did I start the landing pattern from the right corner or am I going to collide with someone?!)
3) Remembering which cord to pull to cut away (in an emergency)
4) Landing on my feet (never really got that part down pat, I always landed on my butt or face-luckily with a closed-face helmet)
5) Packing my own parachute--I paid someone experienced to do it as it felt way too complicated for me to figure out

I think anybody can be like that.

I have this thing where I fear to experience something, yet at the same time I want to experience it and cannot bear to miss it.