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Is Isolation easier due to our Autism?

Kit McDaydream

Don't know about anyone else but I always enjoyed my own company even as a child. Don't know if that's cos I never understood other kids or they usually ended up bullying me so playing with others was not enjoyable.

Did manage to have friends and go to college and work and stuff in my twenties but by thirties was suffering from severe burnout and really wanted my own space again, no social pressures to comply with 'normal' and just do my own thing so feel I'm really thriving in this 'pandemic' situation....  Had 2 months to myself don't have to be visited by people i really don't want to see but feel I have to  to comply with being seen as 'normal', cos now its more important that I'm not in contact with anyone who could give me covid19  (am in vulnerable group due to other medical issues thankfully!)

Glad I live rurally so I can slip out at 5am and have the fields/etc to myself t walk my dog and suddenly its perfectly acceptable to go out of your way to avoid someone coming the other way (not that I see anyone at that time) or to avoid going out at a time where more people would be about. Spend rest of day drawing, painting, playing video games and sitting in garden with the dog. Perfectly happy and no need for other humans.

Only problem I have is sunny weather bringing the neighbours and the noisy brats out so can't enjoy my garden at 'peak times' (when usually they'd be at school/work during the week) but finally decided on some noise cancelling headphones to solve that issue.

Dreading things going back to normal and 'social expectations' going back to normal so hoping this 'bubble' idea govt has takes off where you're limited to one or two households of close family which enables me to conveniently still avoid some social expectations whilst still been able to see close family for our birthdays over summer.

NT's are complaining of loneliness and boredom but I'm happiest I've been for a long while. Just wondered if other autistic's felt the same?  Obviously there's going to be some people who need other people as carers for physical/daily living tasks, but if you're autistic and live alone (and have done for years) do you find you're NOT experiencing self-isolation the same as NT's? 

or are you an autistic person who feels they need constant reassurance from NT's that what you're doing is acceptable and seen to be 'fitting in'?   ..and finding it difficult not having other people around you to give that constant reassurance? (ie through being at work daily).

Kit

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  • in reply to NAS62563

    yeah I think had I not already got some extra food in for winter anyway (if I get snowed in, sometimes a delivery gets cancelled and I only shopped once a fortnight anyway) so I usually have an extra month's in anyway for when it usually snows up here (usually between jan-march if its going to snow). so I did have tinned soups in for lunch and the freezers were full. only fresh stuff that was the problem. I think that would have caused more panic seeing all the reports and photos of empty shelves in the news than it did.

    I was worried about not being able to get birthday presents for family when they were talking about only foods and medicines get delivered not 'non-essentials' but then people still seemed to be selling things online.  Again this is more related to the 'routine' of the birthday being one of the few times I go out socially. Had to miss 2 birthdays and visiting step mother for mothers day as she is over 70 and was self isolating too as also vulnerable. (I can't drive either so would have had to be taken by brother who is still going to work as he's classed as a 'keyworker'.

    Another family birthday coming up that looks like we're all still going go be in lockdown for then it's mine in a couple of months. so at this rate no idea whether I'm even gonna get to go anywhere for mine and will by then have been isolated for 6 months where I'd normally have at least been out a couple of times for meals or had a couple of visits from family/friends in that same time period to break up the time.

    Having a dog helps me have some routine to the day still as I'm having to get up really early to get him out so we can avoid having to pass other people, so that helps with still feeling I've got something 'to get up for'. Does make the days feel really long though!