Whats your biggest problem with ASD?

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Autism and Aspergers affects people in all sorts of ways, sometimes loved ones.

In what way, does autism disable you the most?

For me its the adjustment to change... at first a change in environment, lifestyle or Schedule doesn't seem to phase me, but sometimes within a few days, weeks or even a month or two i will have a very very very VERY large series of meltdowns, panic attacks and depression, sometimes even suicide attempts... My Psychologist have been keeping track of these meltdowns and they are a delayed response to a major life change or an overload of perception of responsibilities. The majority of my anxiety and stress is in my head... Ive had to leave school twice because of how bad these panic attacks and meltdowns happen and they've happened all my life but as im becoming more independent im having a harder time staying in school, when i was a kid my parents would force me to go to school but now its up to me and im finding it more than challenging, i unfortunately gave up... im tired of having panic attacks i just dont care anymore, im basically nocturnal now.

Sensory issues has always been a problem but i can function to an extent with them, they cause difficulty in overstimulating environments but other than that i have adapted to them and i know how to deal with sensory overloads now.

While my social issues are extremely noticeable to NT's and i have a hard time enjoying socialization i find its not an issue if i isolate myself, which i have been doing.. I dont worry about it as much as my routine behaviour..

so chances are i will never have a job or go to school again.. i gave up on that. I will never enjoy or be able to handle big parties and clubs or even the mall for more than a hour, and i will probably never get married or have a life long relationship beyond need... Yes sir my life is probably s**t... I am a waste of air and will never contribute anything to society or the people around me..

You can probably guess that i feel guilty about my lifestyle choice... i WANT to be successful, but i just dont give a f**k anymore, im just staying on welfare waiting to die... which is hopefully soon


Sorry for the rant..

You are giving up too soon. I wouldn't give up until all methods are exhausted.

My whole life has been ruined essentially up until this point. Because I didn't know I had ASD. Social problems, executive functioning, sensory issues, anxiety, obsessions, no sense of time, difficulty regulating emotions. I'm only now finding ways to work around these issues. And I'm going to get a therapist to help. I can't even say what my biggest problem is because they are all bad.

I used to have times where I'd basically get into a panic attack that would last for days or weeks when I'd get overwhelmed. It happened when I would feel I'd have too many responsibilities or worries, I'd get stressed out and it would build and build until I just broke down. I would be in a constant state of panic every waking moment unless I was distracted by something. It would be so bad I wanted to die. Eventually it would fade after awhile. But I'd be unable to function. I can now tell when this is building up and I can do things to prevent it from happening. And I've learned ways to cope so that if it happens again I can deal with it better.

The point is, there are ways to deal with these things. Being pessimistic is part of depression, and you are unable to see all the possibilities and options available to you.

I consider myself to be rather fortunate for my sensory difficulties - an amplification of exterior sounds + an alarmingly high pain threshold - are not too problematic for me.

My biggest difficulties with ASD are the following:

- My severe social problems. It has now been over 8 years since I last had a meaningful relationship.
- My lack of intellect. This wouldn't be too difficult for me to accept if I had a neuro-typical's wiring, as my stronger interpersonal skills would invariably compensate for a lack of brain power. But alas, I am a high-functioning autistic adult (that sounds like an embellished title, personally) , and I am not talented at anything. I believe it is a common misconception that all of those diagnosed with HFA/Asperger's are intellectually gifted in at least one subject.
- Change. No matter how hard I try I cannot seem to tolerate change. With this in mind, it's hardly surprising that I have been reclusive ever since leaving school.
- Memory. Most of the time, I feel like I am living in a complete haze.

Mainly I would say my cognitive impairments. The difficulty in making connections. It effects my memory, my ability to keep track of things, my ability to keep track of time, my sense of direction. It puts me in a position of needing to be looked after constantly.

Then there is being extremely withdrawn from others. Even my immediate family to an extent. And of course severe sensory issues and the shutdowns and meltdowns.

I'd have to say SENSORY ISSUES and executive functioning those are my two biggest difficulties that can make life as an autist hellish at times

I'm sorry you are feeling this way. I can only empathize.

My biggest ASD problem is anxiety. And if anxiety is only comorbid, then I guess the second biggest ASD problem is social anxiety, which I guess is comorbid too. So take away the comorbids, and my biggest ASD problem will have to be....I don't know really. My life is mostly affected by social and general anxiety.

Obsessive thinking, being too clingy, overthinking
Volatile temper
little interest in normal range of activities
eye contact
social smiling
having trouble reading social cues

Executive Functioning issues

I also have a lot of executive function problem (which i didn't know i had until my psychologist told me about it). Mainly i have issues cleaning up my house, planning schedules i usually end up staying on my computer all day and sometimes not even sleeping for days on end and sometimes forgetting things but not too bad. I always thought i was just lazy like everyone said but apparently its actually part of the disability...

Other people Other people upset me and make me angry so much. I do have friends but sometimes I wish I did not, as I'm overwhelmed by their constant need for attention; asking to me to visit or visiting them. I guess it's a big part of a routine thing; if I have to drop everything and visit a friend for a weekend, I don't get to do all my normal things. And THEN socialising on top of that... and then knowing I'll have an abnormal Monday because I'm so tired and struggling to get my normal routines back in order! Ahhhh........ it was so much easier when I didn't have any social relationships whatsoever; it certainly kept the sensory difficulties to basically zero, as well. I miss it

Other than that... probably the overwhelming responsibilities needed on a daily basis for being alive, I guess. Had a sort of low-level meltdown this morning when I realised I'm going to be trapped in the same job for at least the next two years. Ugh.

My main issues in life include:
- Obsessive Thinking - While occasionally it is helpful (i.e. it is quite useful in my current job), I am unable to turn it off.
- Constant Worry - Because I think through everything in every little detail, I always find something that can go wrong. This is probably related to above.
- Unable to Connect with Others - I am not good at connecting with others. I am (and always have been) on my own island. I believe a lot of things play into this, including my Rigid Thinking style.

Excess worrying.
Easily triggered anxiety and confusion.
Literacy (which I privately-personally regard as a good quality, if your main interests include analyzing)
(These have, all in all, made me look ridiculous in the eyes of others).

At times slow processing ("Oh, what did those sounds mean?")
Difficulty shifting fast enough in work functions. (Have to catalogue my actions first to secure logic steps).
(These slow me down and piss off employers. Haven´t managed to keep down any "ordinary" job (floor-job) for long).