Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi my Name is Naomi and I was diagnosed with autism a few years ago. I don’t think I have a specialised subject that I know all about I was just wondering if it was just me. Or did anyone else have this too
Hi, I agree with extraneous in that it’s different for women. From the research that I’ve done our obsessions seem to be more extreme versions of an interest that most women would have rather than the classic obsessions with trains etc. Women’s special interests tend to change topic too over the years rather than remaining static, I know personally, I tend to spend a few years on one thing then move into something else. Also when I have a special interest I research it a lot, when I was a child I would talk about it a lot. Obsessions I had as a child included my pet gerbils! (Think I bored the guy next to me senseless talking about them constantly when I was 9); Gymnastics (I used to practice for hours every night); Take That (there was not a bit of my bedroom or bedroom furniture not covered in posters of them). A few examples of special interests I’ve had as an adult Include ancient Egypt and the pyramids at Giza (Graham Hancock is the author of a few good books about them); The brain and Neuropsychology (probably why I did GCSE, A-level and BSc Psychology); Medieval/Tudor history (this combines with another long term interest of mine, books, I have over 3 tall bookcases of them and more in the loft!); jewellery making (I still make jewellery but it’s a hobby now not an obsession) and my current one is researching Aspergers (that’s been going for a few years now c/o only just diagnosed at the end of last year). Oh and I’m very ashamed to say I’ve had fixations on guys since I was about 6!! Does any of this sound familiar to you?
Totally relate to it, I was obsessed with cats for a while as a child and could reel off all the info on breeds etc - I adored my pet Tortie. I was interested in soul music when I was a teen, I still spend hours classifying and reclassifying my now much wider music collection into ever more obscure genres and subgenres. I was interested in gay film history for years and ran a website obsessively tracking down and listing films with lesbian characters or subtext. In the 90s I got interested in the internet and open source software, then digital rights. If I had time now I'd be researching neurology.
I’m glad someone understands what I’m talking about. Have you ever found that you become particularly fond of some special interests and they persevere through your life, not at an obsessive level but just as something you like? For example, I still keep gerbils now, always have done; I still listen to Take That sometimes, I was playing one of their cds in my car earlier actually, it’s not an obsession any more, it hasn’t been for 25 years, it’s just something that I’m still fond of.
Me to fingers crossed
I think I'd stop at the soft crocodiles but if that's your thing then I hope that you can get to go to America and feed them one day
I just find them fascinating. I have got loads of soft crocodiles and would like to go to America and feed then. I really loved watching Steve Erwin was gutted when he died
real ones? what is it that you like about them?