Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi, I have my assessment in about a month, and I'm worried as most descriptions of ASD include having a rigid routine. I don't and never really have had a particular routine. I'm not working at the moment, which means I don't have to have a routine, and I pretty much eat, sleep, go out, do chores etc whenever I feel like it. I can be very organised in some respects, and very chaotic in others. In an ideal world I would like to have more routine in my life (nothing too rigid though), in order to get things done, but never seem to be able to make this happen.
I don't like it when someone/something interrupts my plans, or when sudden changes are thrust upon me, but I'm not sure if that's the same thing.
Has anyone else been diagnosed with ASD who hasn't got a strict routine?
In my opinion regarding rigid routines I also feel that you can have one and then let it go and end up finding out you have another one.
For example from the age of 11 I used to get my hair cut at this particular barbers until I was about 28. This also ment taking a 30 mins drive when I moved from living close by because I needed the same person to cut my hair the same way.
After 17 years I met a new girlfriend and she was a barber and I decided to let her cut my hair even though I was anxious. After this it made me realise what was I worrying about all along?
I now can use a different barbers but obviously I still get my same haircut.
I hope it makes sense.
Yes I get that. I've been at the same dentist's practice for about 25 years, really liked it there & found a kind of pleasure in accruing 25 years! Now my old dentist has retired and there's really no reason to stay, and if I joined the practice my wife goes to we would get a small discount. But my old dentist is near work and, ironically, I *do* go on the way home! But, can I move? No. I've been trying to get the courage to ask for a "leaver's letter" for about 5 years but a) I'd feel disloyal, b) I'd worry that I'd lose out on something, c) I'd have to go to a new place on the way home. Sounds so trivial, but there's such a mental effort needed to do it. And yet at work, one of my mainstay skills is - if it isn't working, change it! Courage people!
I'm the opposite with dentists, I've had countless different dental practices, partly because I've moved a lot, partly because I didn't like some - insisting on charging to see a hygienist first I found ridiculous and money grabbing. Another reason is that I didn't like the attitude of many dentists - being told to 'calm down' in a patronising voice, and looked at like I was being a drama queen by a dental nurse when I was in pain/distress and had a mouth full of metal equipment which meant I couldn't speak, and was trying to get her attention. And general bad attitudes by dentists and staff - I know I'm sensitive to such things, but I still won't tolerate rude people. I'm digressing from the original subject, I know!
So this is still suggesting I don't have much of a routine - since I found out how easy it was to change dentists, I keep it in mind, as it means I don't have to tolerate any behaviour/attitude that makes me uncomfortable. (This may also be because I don't process things until later on, so politely put up with things at the time, and often leave it too late to complain)
Sorry for going off topic - this forum brings up all sorts of issues, and it's good to discuss them with people who seem to understand!
No problem going off topic - this is generally a place where people do understand, and one topic leads to another & gives lots of "hey, I never thought of that!" moments.