What do you do when you are afraid ?

Hi - my autistic son is anxious/afraid etc will, depending on the strength of feeling :

complain, rock, run or have self-injurous behaviour.  The last 2 when things get dire.

As an NT I can also get anxious, quite often about things related to my son.  Some people manage to develop coping strategies, others just get more sensitive + more anxious.  I think I've done both over the years but I'm a much more anxious person than I used to be.  My guess is that all of us on these boards suffer from anxiety/fear, whether autistic or not, to some degree.

I am scared all the time, and I am afraid that I hide it, by putting on that pretend armour. However, when it gets too much, I avoid things. This means that I struggle to get out of the house, and just walking down the street causes an adrenalin rush. Because of this, I currently can't maintain full time employment. I do, however, have a 7 hour a week, working from home job, which props up my ESA slightly - it is permitted work, and is basically pocket money. Still, it is a job, and I am very grateful. It gives me something else to focus on, but the anxiety sometimes prevents me from doing anything. I am tense all the time, and have lost the ability to relax. I am waiting for some CBT therapy to deal with this (my third round of therapy in two years), but I am not holding my breath.

Hi autismtwo

being afraid affects everyone at times; I feel afraid most of the time for different reasons. I suppose as a very ordinary NT person, I can hide my fear behind an imaginary suit of armour and take the plunge.

I dont know many people with autism but the ones I do know are honest and cant hide their fear or anxiety, it always manifests itself somehow. Im not sure what is best really, keeping fear and anxiety inside cant be healthy and is probably taking me down the path of ill health; stroke etc.

I have always had to face things alone so over the years I have gathered up strategies of coping in scary situations ( basically I just want fear and worry out of the way) fear and worry are so destructive. I once read a book called Feel the Fear and do it Anyway. I think that the more fearful situations that you meet and get through the more your confidence grows. (The book is worth a read.) 

I also think that someone who understands your situation by your side can help you get through scary situations.

Well Im sure this hasnt helped at all! 

Take care. X