Fight Or Flight

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I've read a couple of different sources here and there that have talked about the autistic spectrum and the concept of fight or flight. These sources have all said that aspies/auties are, unlike most, in a constant state of fight/flight--which explains why many of our reactions are so strong and why our anxiety levels are so high. We're, according to many different folks, constantly in a state of survival.

What are your opinions on this? How do you feel about yourself personally?

Yes that sounds like me. Especially at work. I use a sense of fear to keep me on task.. otherwise my mind wanders everywhere.

Being in a high state of anxiety focuses me. It hasnt helped my health though, or my happiness.

It would seem reasonable when you consider social anxiety & sensory overload...

Yes absolutly! Fight or flight, to me, is a reaction to something you're brain percieves as harmful to you. I have had some definite epesodes of it in the past. Not as bad as some other people. I do find stress and enxiety to be highly common. Me though, the worse ones are where I feel like my life in in jepardy, and I will run. All it takes is for me to be in a room with people I think are nasty or judgemental, with a rule being on my mind about how I'm suppposed to 'properly' socialise "or else", and my brain will do the rest. It sucks! Espetialy when more normal people think I can help it. I can't! I don't want to flee out of fear again, but I just know that will eventualy happen to me.

*hours later and on into the afternoon* Ok.. It happened again, and I went from the grocery store I wanted to apply to.. to the library, looking like I was shook up from a car accident or something. Wow, do I sure get nervous over an idea of a repeat fight or what..

Last edited by LiendaBalla on 29 Feb 2008, 3:13 pm, edited 2 times in total.

I just wish I could relax I'm anxious all the time.

I am in constant fight or flight.

I have recently learned to embrace this and utilize it to make myself more assertive and more successful at work, but the only place where I sometimes do not feel this feeling is at home. This is my primary reason for wanting to stay home all the time.

I think it's a thesis that is hard to prove.

Because first there is anxiety of course, which would probably underline the idea of a constant Fight&Flight state.

But then there's also the fact that someone without anxiety issues still has heightened senses because of sensory issues, like me. When I talk about all these details others miss, I was told more than once that I must be extremely anxious, because I'm forced to notice details they miss unless they'd watch out for them.

Well, I'm not anxious. I'm rather calm, because I'm freaking slow and never bother with things.

Overloads on the other hand, when above a certain level and by this extremely stressing, do indeed result in great anxiety for me. That's why I was mortally afraid to get into a bullying situation again, I didn't want to be pushed into a constant overload/exhaustion/anxiety state as I get into when it goes on for too long!


If this theory has arisen from behavioural studies, I believe it may be a generalisation, unless the theory is the result of neurological studies?

I believe that I was in a constant state of fight or flight when I was in school which made it all very physically and emotionally draining. Maybe if I chose "fight" more often I would have gotten through it easier.

Yep this is me. The only time I'm not is when I'm on my own somewhere very quiet.

Pretty much the same here.

I'd agree.

You have no idea what I put up with. I'm constantly on the look-out. I just know something's going to happen and it won't be good.

For a while I couldn't walk down the street without constantly looking in all the windows and on the roofs and in the hedges. I knew s**t was going to happen and I didn't ant it to happen to me.


As for fighting and fleeing, I felt like I was an idiot who just couldn't concentrate on what was going on around me, which made me more susceptible to being a target, so I needed a quick fix for when s**t happened to me and carried a can of pepper spray for a few months until I lost it, sometimes I also carried wooden shanks, and my usual reaction was to flee because that seemed the most sensible thing in all the situations I found myself in. I could never relax in high school, a lot. When I found myself relaxed or relaxing sometimes I panicked. what had I said? What had I done?

You carried a shank? Thats hardcore.


*Note to self, Never mess with Ana54*

All joking aside, I will still occasionally just get temporary bursts of Anxiety when I am otherwise in the safety of my own home. It will generally be for no known reason.

How do you use it in the positive way you mentioned? I would like to learn more about how you do that if you don't mind.

It's nice to see that some members here haven't experienced the stress provided by others who give you a hard time. I think you'll find that's why Sora's view (that the thesis is hard to prove) carries some weight with some of you.

For myself, I agree with the thesis. I used to take flight quite a lot to avoid the stress. Trouble was such an act was cutting me off from what I wanted to do, so as time went on - especially after I was diagnosed with Aspergers - I switched from flight to fight. And when I fight, I fight! Strongly, aggressively and with plenty of passion. Some of you don't respect that in me - and that's fine. It's how I cope with those who do the wrong thing by me, especially with those who persist and won't be ignored. Or those who have a lasting effect (like those who contributed to my current long term state of unemployment for example).

It's up to the individual - and experience plays a large role (hence my first paragraph).