Hello,
I've heard that wanting things to be black and white, and getting extremely anxious as a result, is a characteristic of autism. I realised recently that I tend to do this a lot. I find it very anxiety-provoking and I thought I would make a list of the things I find the most difficult, to see if anyone else could relate to them.
Have you experienced any of these traits, and if so, have you found anything that helps to cope with the anxiety?
In friendships and relationships:
- Getting really anxious about written communication because you're not sure how to interpret particular words such as 'love' at the end of a message (is it just a friendly formality, or does it mean that the person is interested romantically?) and heart emoticons. I expect that NT people also worry about this, but not to the extent that the anxiety becomes all-consuming, distracting you from everyday activities and making you feel like you want to avoid relationships because they are too stressful.
- Worrying that the other person might not like you any more, or be interested in you any more. Feeling like you need reassurance, but not feeling you can ask them.
- Getting really anxious after sending an email or text message, in the period of time between sending the message and receiving a reply. If the other person takes a long time to reply, getting worried that this means you've offended them, or that they don't want to know you any more.
Can anyone relate to these things and if so, have you found anything that helps you cope with the anxiety?
