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Autism and big cities

J-aspie

Hello all,

Over the past year I've been living in London and struggling massively. All the autistic people I met there seemingly handled it quite well though and didn't seem to struggle with all the issues I had with it (understandably as all autistic people have different experiences) but this meant I had a hard time explaining my problems to neurotypical people who were friends with these other (diagnosed, I am not) autistic people.

Anyway I wanted to write an article on autistic people and their relationship with cities vs countryside but I'd like to hear about some other people's experiences. Would people be willing to be quoted or referred to in this article? Please state that you don't want to be referred to in my article if you don't want to be. Obviously though everyone quoted/referred to will be anonymous though. Could you also mention the city (or just the country if you're more comfortable with that) that you're referring to in the post. I have pretty much the same issues with all English cities but less so in some such as Manchester and a very different experience in Bristol for example. 

Also not really sure if this is counted as a survey/research type thing? The rules say you're not supposed to post requests for that here but since the article I want to write is nothing particularly professional and more just for me (although still planning to post online) I figured it'd be ok...?

Anyway thanks for reading hope you can help x

  • I live in the city with easy access to the countryside.

    In the actual city centre I find it unpleasant because many people are in a hurry and everyone is a stranger. I hate the crowds and traffic and noise.  The only people who speak to me.  Want something!  Usually money.  I get stopped by beggers asking for money for themselves and then there are three chuhlggers collecting for charity.

    In the local centres it's much more relaxed and pleasent.  I still don't know the people but I recognize the regular faces.

    In the city parks it's still very impersonal.  People stick to people they know and no one talks to me.

    But once I go on walks in the country through the woods or public footpaths.  People I meet are suddenly smiling and saying hello.

    I have no problems being alone in the forest exploring paths.  But in the middle of the city I am surrounded by people.  Yet I feel totally alone and depressed.

  • in reply to Trogluddite

    Oh man so much of what you said is exactly what I feel, thank you!

    And yeah I'd noticed how loud sounds in the countryside (including negative ones such as gunshots) don't make me panic as much as city ones like cars roaring past. Sirens are the worst! I had a panic attack in the street (like drop to the floor hyperventilating and retching) a few weeks ago when a cop asked my name! Anyway I think the difference for me is that in the city there's so much noise that it overwhelms me until one noise is enough to trigger me.

    When I was quite new to London I had to be rescued in a park literally two minutes walk from where we lived. Took my friends a while to find me though as by the time they'd figured out what had happened I'd lost the ability to talk and had been hiding in a bush..

    Also especially ditto on the sacrificing social advantages - I had some amazing friends who were there 100% for me but had to let that go and get away from the city. It's just that it peeved me off that I have so many autistic friends in London who are seemingly "more autistic" than me and yet don't struggle so much with social anxiety and sensory overload :/ Hence wanting to write something about it and hear other's experiences. I figured there's gotta be more who feel like me and it's just that the autistic individuals in London are mostly the ones that somehow manage to manage London. 

  • Hi there. Firstly, yes, I am perfectly happy to be anonymously quoted if you find any of what follows useful.

    I just don't like urban areas at all, and the more densely packed they are, the worse this is. For me, this is largely down to sensory issues. Being surrounded by so much noise and people milling around in unpredictable patterns becomes overwhelming very quickly, and my brain often reacts by putting me into a very dissociated state where clear thinking is difficult. Too much exposure will eventually drive me to a meltdown, and this can be dangerous for me as I have a tendency to bolt, during which I have very limited awareness and comprehension of my surroundings and can easily become completely lost and unable to communicate with other people. It is notable that, despite this lack of awareness, I am instinctively drawn to green spaces, and will often come around in a park, churchyard or even in the countryside several miles away from where I started.

    City size doesn't necessarily matter to me so much as city density. I have enjoyed London occasionally, as there are so many expansive green spaces very close to the centre to take refuge in if the more densely packed areas start to get overwhelming. The cities I know best, Bradford and Leeds, on the other hand, I find much more claustrophobic, as there is much less in the way of city centre green spaces. The close integration of public transport in London by the use of Oyster cards is also easier for me to navigate compared to the often confusing and disparate rules, timetabling and ticketing systems used by competing transport companies in those Yorkshire cities.

    The countryside, on the other hand, is one of my sanctuaries from anxiety and over-stimulation, and I have always had a deep affinity for it. I have sacrificed many material and social advantages in order to live somewhere where I have the countryside close at hand, and I really don't know how I would cope without that any more. A solo walk in the countryside is more therapeutic for me than any medication or counselling has ever been; it helps me to shed anxiety; gives the over-worked parts of my brain a rest; allows me to collect my thoughts and work through problems; and is the only routine physical exercise that I get. My hyper-acute hearing is also much less of a problem when I'm in the countryside; not only is it quieter, but natural sounds don't trigger negative reactions in me anything like as much as man-made sounds; on the contrary, I usually find listening to nature very soothing.