Page 1 of 1 [ 15 posts ] 

Kitty4670
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 18 Nov 2014
Gender: Female
Posts: 8,551
Location: California,USA

04 Mar 2024, 7:45 pm

Do Aspergers can get low energy?



Niacin
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker

User avatar

Joined: 29 Feb 2024
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Posts: 58

05 Mar 2024, 4:42 am

No, that would be impossible. Aspergians are superhuman and never get tired.



BillyTree
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 7 Oct 2023
Age: 57
Gender: Male
Posts: 730

05 Mar 2024, 2:08 pm

Being autistic, like aspergers, could be a draining activity due to all the masking that usually comes with it. That can lead to low energy.


_________________
English is not my first language.


blitzkrieg
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 8 Jun 2011
Gender: Male
Posts: 17,154
Location: United Kingdom

05 Mar 2024, 2:28 pm

BillyTree wrote:
Being autistic, like aspergers, could be a draining activity due to all the masking that usually comes with it. That can lead to low energy.


This is a good point.



AnanstrixG
Sea Gull
Sea Gull

Joined: 5 Mar 2024
Age: 57
Gender: Non-binary
Posts: 232
Location: Alabama USA

05 Mar 2024, 2:38 pm

I believe all living beings sometimes have low energy.

I know for myself, that I need more time than others to recharge such energy, and that there are many things which distract me more than others.

And I know I'm in the minority, but that's ok.


_________________
an owl caught in a spider's web


ASPartOfMe
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 25 Aug 2013
Age: 67
Gender: Male
Posts: 35,715
Location: Long Island, New York

05 Mar 2024, 4:17 pm

I think using the energy we have is a better way of describing it. We often have to try harder and longer to do things NT's do instinctively. A lot of Autistic people relate to the Spoon thoery.


_________________
Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity

“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman


ToughDiamond
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 15 Sep 2008
Age: 71
Gender: Male
Posts: 11,897

05 Mar 2024, 5:49 pm

I don't seem to do badly, but then I've always placed hard limits on how much stress and graft I tolerate, so although the world has sometimes broken through my boundaries, it hasn't been enough to burn me out completely. I was lucky enough to have a fairly easy job (relatively speaking), and now I'm retired it's rare that life pushes me harder than I feel is right for me. When I do have to overdo it, I seem to bounce back pretty quickly afterwards.

Still, I've been lucky. I know a lot of people get overworked through no fault of their own, and a lot of people have ASD more severely than I have.



y-pod
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 16 Apr 2010
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,676
Location: Canada

06 Mar 2024, 4:32 am

I think introverts have low energy, so probably most aspies, but it's not an autistic thing. Not being energetic is common and not wrong. That's why coffee and tea are popular all over the world, right? :D


_________________
AQ score: 44
Aspie mom to two autistic sons (21 & 20 )


DuckHairback
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 27 Jan 2021
Age: 45
Gender: Male
Posts: 4,448
Location: Durotriges Territory

06 Mar 2024, 5:58 am

I seem to have different types of energy.

Physical energy, for me, is on a supply/demand basis. The more I do, the more energy I seem to have access to. When I'm running regularly - several times a week up to 12 miles a pop, I have the energy not just to do that but lots of other stuff too. I think that's probably normal, just how bodies work - they get more efficient with use. Obviously there are conditions like chronic fatigue that interfere with this but this is my experience

The more time i spend loafing around the lower my energy levels generally. I'm more tired the more inactive I get.

Social energy is a different matter. Dealing with people is always exhausting and i need plenty of time to prepare for, and recover from, social interactions.


_________________
It's dark. Is it always this dark?


ToughDiamond
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 15 Sep 2008
Age: 71
Gender: Male
Posts: 11,897

06 Mar 2024, 11:51 am

DuckHairback wrote:
I seem to have different types of energy.

Physical energy, for me, is on a supply/demand basis. The more I do, the more energy I seem to have access to. When I'm running regularly - several times a week up to 12 miles a pop, I have the energy not just to do that but lots of other stuff too. I think that's probably normal, just how bodies work - they get more efficient with use. Obviously there are conditions like chronic fatigue that interfere with this but this is my experience

The more time i spend loafing around the lower my energy levels generally. I'm more tired the more inactive I get.

Social energy is a different matter. Dealing with people is always exhausting and i need plenty of time to prepare for, and recover from, social interactions.

Yes there's empirical evidence that activity helps to boost energy levels. This article is about women, but I'm sure the same goes for everybody:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23783259/

As for social "energy," I've noticed something similar there in my own case. If I'm alone for days on end, I get somewhat out of practice in dealing with people. A bit of regular social exposure can improve my performance, though there's a limit, just as there is with physical activity, above which it just makes things worse. The optimum level depends on the type of person I'm dealing with.



misha00
Toucan
Toucan

User avatar

Joined: 5 Sep 2014
Gender: Male
Posts: 285
Location: Couch potato

06 Mar 2024, 1:32 pm

caffeine works.
some supplements work as well.
sometimes meditation/yoga can help energy levels as well.
some people feel improvements with diets such as paleo or keto.
sometimes sleep apnea causes fatigue.
There are many other causes.



misha00
Toucan
Toucan

User avatar

Joined: 5 Sep 2014
Gender: Male
Posts: 285
Location: Couch potato

06 Mar 2024, 1:34 pm

Common causes of fatigue:
From sources across the web:
Anemia
Diabetes
Insomnia
Heart failure
Hypothyroidism
Sleep apnea
Depression
Fibromyalgia
Anorexia
Arthritis
Cancer
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Malnutrition
Addison's disease
Kidney disease
AIDS
Anxiety
Lupus
Stress
Autoimmunity
COPD
Deficiencies
Illegal drug use
Lack of exercise



misha00
Toucan
Toucan

User avatar

Joined: 5 Sep 2014
Gender: Male
Posts: 285
Location: Couch potato

CockneyRebel
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 17 Jul 2004
Age: 50
Gender: Male
Posts: 116,782
Location: In my little Olympic World of peace and love

06 Mar 2024, 10:10 pm

I find that people zap my energy. They expect too much of me. They're unpredictable. I never know what they're going to say. If they're the type of people who address people as sir, madam, young man and young lady I avoid that type of person all together. There are people who like to make small talk. I smile sweetly and nod as I listen to them. There are the types of people who ask me how I'm doing today and I give them my honest answer whether I'm fine or not. I'd like to give my caretaker an honest answer one of these days. I have a friend who's a real lady and I feel that I have to modify my ways for her. That also tires me out. I find that I can be very exhausted after spending a 24 hour period with my parents. I have to leave my favourite hats that are cut to look like German helmets and my Germany stuff at home and pretend to be like the rest of my family. I find that very taxing on my energy and my nerves. I went through a 7 day period when I made a deal with my outreach worker that I'd leave my favourite hats and Germany stuff at home every time I left my apartment. It got to the point that I'd spend most of that time crying because those things are my comfort objects because they remind me of home. I fell apart on day 7 and brought my stuff to my doctor's appointment. I went into a great amount of details about why my cloth helmet is such a comfort object for me saying that it was my soul and I said to my outreach worker, "Please let me have my soul." My outreach worker is Jewish and I'm a weasel. There are also people who have no idea what personal space is and they walk right into me when I'm walking down the sidewalk. Old women are the worst. The walk right into me, give me intense eye-contact and they try to make small talk with me, calling me dear, honey and sweetie.


_________________
The Family Enigma


JustaDude
Emu Egg
Emu Egg

Joined: 2 Apr 2024
Age: 44
Gender: Male
Posts: 7
Location: Right here

07 Apr 2024, 5:11 pm

Even without the social aspect there is the constant high alert our bodies are in to drain us of our energy. I think it is more common than not for us to be lacking in it.