What is autistic inertia?

I totally understand this feeling. There's also a thing called "pathological avoidance syndrome" which is similar: this means that, if someone tells us to do something, we won't do it.

...!

I feel like this feeling of inertia/avoidance/procrastination is like sensory overload. We have so much to do that we feel blocked and do nothing.

I feel that the key is to not self-blame or stress. Take each day as it comes and try to be positive. Just doing a bit of something is a step in the right direction.

We have to be in the mood, right frame of mind at the right time. Listen to yourself and what you feel like doing...

Take care

Hello NAS 82466

You are very new to this place - Welcome.

Do you consider yourself a PDAer and are you ASD?

I'm in my 40s and have been just recently diagnosed ASD. I think I do have some PDA tendencies but I would consider this as part of my autism. I seem to have bad days and better ones... How about you?

NAS82466 said:

Follow me on this then... Yes, we might "want" to do something, really feel like we "want" to, and we might know we need to but it is because we know we need to/feel expected to by others and also ourselves, that we don't do it. As you say, it's akin to self-harm cos we really do want to do something, but we can't.

But is this not similar to us actually just putting pressure on ourselves?

Yes, I wholly agree with the above and only disagreed with your quote below because it implies that "if we really want to / see the personal benefit" then there is no problem and we can get it done.  That's not me.

Number said:

but, unless we really want to/see the personal benefit, we find ourselves unable

Your advice is very sound ie take the pressure off and just relax.....unfortunately, the NT world does not help me in this regard - and the longer I delay the task, the greater the pressure.  It is an appalling negative feedback loop that drives me insane.

Hey, I find it interesting that you say you have to disagree with me about PDA being anything to do with really wanting to do something/seeing the personal benefit...

In my experience/opinion, autism lends us to bring extremely independent in our thoughts. We do not listen easily to advice and very much make our own mind's up about things.

For me, I see a link to PDA. Unless we decide to do something ourselves, we're not going to do it.

Follow me on this then... Yes, we might "want" to do something, really feel like we "want" to, and we might know we need to but it is because we know we need to/feel expected to by others and also ourselves, that we don't do it. As you say, it's akin to self-harm cos we really do want to do something, but we can't.

But is this not similar to us actually just putting pressure on ourselves?

If we have a relaxed mind, relatively low anxiety, we can get more stuff done.

Why I suggested that it's when we really want to do something that we can was because I was thinking of a recent example from my life: with all the hoarding/messiness in the house, I had bought new furniture for my son's room that had stayed in boxes for ages. When he mentioned it casually to me one day the other week, I suddenly felt ready myself to get his room done and we did so that weekend. My point is that I didn't feel anyone was pressuring me, my son was just saying it casually and I wasn't pressuring myself, I just felt ready to do it. Something to do with the anxiety about his diagnosis/going to high school had lifted...

I do think there is a strong link to our anxiety and willingness to do certain tasks.

My advice (but no, I don't want to call it that or your independent brain won't listen!) so no, my experience is that just relax, do things when you feel you can/are able and take the pressure of yourself...

Take care

NAS82466 said:

at the heart of PDA. We might know that we have to/need to do something but, unless we really want to/see the personal benefit, we find ourselves unable

I must disagree with you on this point - that is not my life experience.  My current task is something that I REALLY must do, REALLY want to do and something that will deliver a sizeable personal benefit.  To me that is the crux of my PDA = inexplicability, most especially for someone like me who has an underlying logic circuit that governs and underpins my brain.  It is really odd.  It tears me apart from the inside.  Its awful.  I really want some, and need some, serious help - but I simply cannot find it.....anywhere!

NAS82466 said:

Personally I currently have a massive problem with hoarding. It's always been there: baby things, toys, clothes/shoes, paperwork.

This on the other hand, I can clearly identify with.  It is something that I must address, but find myself afflicted with "it might come in useful one day" + "it has memories."

NAS82466 said:

Unless I am clear of anxiety on these issues, I have PDA

....And this one, my fellow pea from our pod, is probably the most profoundly accurate statement of all.  My deepest underlying anxiety is probably the driver, but how does one dig deep enough to exorcise that demon as an ASD human?!?  

Your comments and sharing are extremely appreciated by me.  I send you my sincere thanks, and hope you will stick around to see if we have other mutualities.

Also, another important thing: although I've explained it to him multiple times, my husband still has trouble understanding that the more he asks me to clear the stuff, the less likely I am to do it (PDA). I sympathise with him that he only has a certain amount of patience (and he is patient with me) but I know that if it's going to get done, it has to be at a time when nothing is asked of me and I feel ready...

An example of this is how I used to be getting up for school almost every morning as a kid/teenager. I knew I needed to get up, was just thinking that I might be ready to do so... but then my Mum or Dad would tell me to get up and that would put me back another 5 minutes!! It had to be me to decide that I wanted to get up, not be told to do so!

Does that make sense/strike a chord?

Take care.

You poor thing!

I do understand, although I don't feel that PDA has affected my life to the same extent as you (until perhaps recently).

In my past, I've often been one to "procrastinate" and this is something I've talked about with my Dad, as I always thought it was just a character trait I share with him.

More recently, I've found out about my autism and also about PDA. As you rightly say, it doesn't matter what people call it, what does matter is living with our own personalities and trying to improve our lives if we can/feel we need/want to.

This need/want idea is, for me, at the heart of PDA. We might know that we have to/need to do something but, unless we really want to/see the personal benefit, we find ourselves unable. It's like it's on the back burner.

Personally I currently have a massive problem with hoarding. It's always been there: baby things, toys, clothes/shoes, paperwork... but more recently, it's literally rubbish (I know, I'm not proud). I have a spare room downstairs where it is stored in bags and I seem to be unable to throw away a lot of food packaging as I am giving it in my head to "sentimental" attachments. It's something I'm  struggling with at the moment, it's been since the January 21 lockdown. There has been a lot going on in my life since then: not least, the realisation of my 10 year old son's, and subsequently my own, autism. Now that lockdown is officially over, he has his diagnosis and has started high school, I finally feel that my head is clearing and I am hoping to be able to clear the junk.

I think I have a problem when my head is troubled with other issues. Unless I am clear of anxiety on these issues, I have PDA (often manifesting in me as hoarding).

I hope my comments and sharing might be of some help?

Take care.

I'm 50+ and being "blocked" is the bane of my life.  Quite literally.  I'm delighted that you have popped up on these pages.  Your words are the first that actually chime accurately (although quite quietly) with my own experiences.

In my early life, I had beastly days, bed days, bad days, better days and brilliant ones - on occasion.

In my early mid-life, these characteristic days had turned into characteristic weeks - on occasion.

At my half-way mark (45yrs) these weeks had exploded into "periods" - and I ultimately burnt out, super Nova style!   B  O  O  M !    This was bad for me and for those around me at that time.  The only upside was, when something is blown to pieces, it is then possible to see how it was built and put together.  I'm still reassembling.

Prior to my BOOM, I had found reasonably successful "work-arounds" for most of my challenges and difficulties - but this one [lets call it PDA for now] continues to vex me.  It can still result in THE MOST traumatic, inexplicable and devastating outcomes - akin to involuntary self abuse.

Frankly, I don't particularly care which words people want to use - be it - pathological - pervasive - perverse - demand - dodging - avoidance - autonomy - manipulation - syndrome - psychopathy ........nor indeed whether people wish to argue about whether it is NT, ND, ASD or a PD.......or if people just need to call it good old-fashioned stubborn pigheadedness !!!!  My reality counts - the words do not.

This is the dominant trait in my life that causes the most pronounced distress of all.  Long before ASD could be readily identified as the fundamental reality of my life, PDA was my canary.  I'm a "master masker" and have unwittingly crafted my life to accommodate (and/or camouflage) virtually all of my more trite and self evidently ASD characteristics, without undue difficulty.  PDA remains my nemesis.

So many other aspects of my life experience resonate strongly with others on these pages (and I have found that to be incredibly comforting and reassuring about my own thoughts and behaviours) but I still feel decidedly alone whenever I search for others who experience this trait as problematically as I do - whether on these pages, in research or anywhere else.

My PDA manifests with things that I genuinely WANT TO DO and that I generally have absolutely NO PROBLEM in doing.  It is ridiculously inexplicable.

Research is wholly lacking in this area and "meaningfully non-existent" for adults.

Thank you for being here and writing your words.  I sincerely hope you will stick around.

I'm 50+ and being "blocked" is the bane of my life.  Quite literally.  I'm delighted that you have popped up on these pages.  Your words are the first that actually chime accurately (although quite quietly) with my own experiences.

In my early life, I had beastly days, bed days, bad days, better days and brilliant ones - on occasion.

In my early mid-life, these characteristic days had turned into characteristic weeks - on occasion.

At my half-way mark (45yrs) these weeks had exploded into "periods" - and I ultimately burnt out, super Nova style!   B  O  O  M !    This was bad for me and for those around me at that time.  The only upside was, when something is blown to pieces, it is then possible to see how it was built and put together.  I'm still reassembling.

Prior to my BOOM, I had found reasonably successful "work-arounds" for most of my challenges and difficulties - but this one [lets call it PDA for now] continues to vex me.  It can still result in THE MOST traumatic, inexplicable and devastating outcomes - akin to involuntary self abuse.

Frankly, I don't particularly care which words people want to use - be it - pathological - pervasive - perverse - demand - dodging - avoidance - autonomy - manipulation - syndrome - psychopathy ........nor indeed whether people wish to argue about whether it is NT, ND, ASD or a PD.......or if people just need to call it good old-fashioned stubborn pigheadedness !!!!  My reality counts - the words do not.

This is the dominant trait in my life that causes the most pronounced distress of all.  Long before ASD could be readily identified as the fundamental reality of my life, PDA was my canary.  I'm a "master masker" and have unwittingly crafted my life to accommodate (and/or camouflage) virtually all of my more trite and self evidently ASD characteristics, without undue difficulty.  PDA remains my nemesis.

So many other aspects of my life experience resonate strongly with others on these pages (and I have found that to be incredibly comforting and reassuring about my own thoughts and behaviours) but I still feel decidedly alone whenever I search for others who experience this trait as problematically as I do - whether on these pages, in research or anywhere else.

My PDA manifests with things that I genuinely WANT TO DO and that I generally have absolutely NO PROBLEM in doing.  It is ridiculously inexplicable.

Research is wholly lacking in this area and "meaningfully non-existent" for adults.

Thank you for being here and writing your words.  I sincerely hope you will stick around.

NAS82466 said:

Follow me on this then... Yes, we might "want" to do something, really feel like we "want" to, and we might know we need to but it is because we know we need to/feel expected to by others and also ourselves, that we don't do it. As you say, it's akin to self-harm cos we really do want to do something, but we can't.

But is this not similar to us actually just putting pressure on ourselves?

Yes, I wholly agree with the above and only disagreed with your quote below because it implies that "if we really want to / see the personal benefit" then there is no problem and we can get it done.  That's not me.

Number said:

but, unless we really want to/see the personal benefit, we find ourselves unable

Your advice is very sound ie take the pressure off and just relax.....unfortunately, the NT world does not help me in this regard - and the longer I delay the task, the greater the pressure.  It is an appalling negative feedback loop that drives me insane.

Hey, I find it interesting that you say you have to disagree with me about PDA being anything to do with really wanting to do something/seeing the personal benefit...

In my experience/opinion, autism lends us to bring extremely independent in our thoughts. We do not listen easily to advice and very much make our own mind's up about things.

For me, I see a link to PDA. Unless we decide to do something ourselves, we're not going to do it.

Follow me on this then... Yes, we might "want" to do something, really feel like we "want" to, and we might know we need to but it is because we know we need to/feel expected to by others and also ourselves, that we don't do it. As you say, it's akin to self-harm cos we really do want to do something, but we can't.

But is this not similar to us actually just putting pressure on ourselves?

If we have a relaxed mind, relatively low anxiety, we can get more stuff done.

Why I suggested that it's when we really want to do something that we can was because I was thinking of a recent example from my life: with all the hoarding/messiness in the house, I had bought new furniture for my son's room that had stayed in boxes for ages. When he mentioned it casually to me one day the other week, I suddenly felt ready myself to get his room done and we did so that weekend. My point is that I didn't feel anyone was pressuring me, my son was just saying it casually and I wasn't pressuring myself, I just felt ready to do it. Something to do with the anxiety about his diagnosis/going to high school had lifted...

I do think there is a strong link to our anxiety and willingness to do certain tasks.

My advice (but no, I don't want to call it that or your independent brain won't listen!) so no, my experience is that just relax, do things when you feel you can/are able and take the pressure of yourself...

Take care

NAS82466 said:

at the heart of PDA. We might know that we have to/need to do something but, unless we really want to/see the personal benefit, we find ourselves unable

I must disagree with you on this point - that is not my life experience.  My current task is something that I REALLY must do, REALLY want to do and something that will deliver a sizeable personal benefit.  To me that is the crux of my PDA = inexplicability, most especially for someone like me who has an underlying logic circuit that governs and underpins my brain.  It is really odd.  It tears me apart from the inside.  Its awful.  I really want some, and need some, serious help - but I simply cannot find it.....anywhere!

NAS82466 said:

Personally I currently have a massive problem with hoarding. It's always been there: baby things, toys, clothes/shoes, paperwork.

This on the other hand, I can clearly identify with.  It is something that I must address, but find myself afflicted with "it might come in useful one day" + "it has memories."

NAS82466 said:

Unless I am clear of anxiety on these issues, I have PDA

....And this one, my fellow pea from our pod, is probably the most profoundly accurate statement of all.  My deepest underlying anxiety is probably the driver, but how does one dig deep enough to exorcise that demon as an ASD human?!?  

Your comments and sharing are extremely appreciated by me.  I send you my sincere thanks, and hope you will stick around to see if we have other mutualities.

Also, another important thing: although I've explained it to him multiple times, my husband still has trouble understanding that the more he asks me to clear the stuff, the less likely I am to do it (PDA). I sympathise with him that he only has a certain amount of patience (and he is patient with me) but I know that if it's going to get done, it has to be at a time when nothing is asked of me and I feel ready...

An example of this is how I used to be getting up for school almost every morning as a kid/teenager. I knew I needed to get up, was just thinking that I might be ready to do so... but then my Mum or Dad would tell me to get up and that would put me back another 5 minutes!! It had to be me to decide that I wanted to get up, not be told to do so!

Does that make sense/strike a chord?

Take care.

You poor thing!

I do understand, although I don't feel that PDA has affected my life to the same extent as you (until perhaps recently).

In my past, I've often been one to "procrastinate" and this is something I've talked about with my Dad, as I always thought it was just a character trait I share with him.

More recently, I've found out about my autism and also about PDA. As you rightly say, it doesn't matter what people call it, what does matter is living with our own personalities and trying to improve our lives if we can/feel we need/want to.

This need/want idea is, for me, at the heart of PDA. We might know that we have to/need to do something but, unless we really want to/see the personal benefit, we find ourselves unable. It's like it's on the back burner.

Personally I currently have a massive problem with hoarding. It's always been there: baby things, toys, clothes/shoes, paperwork... but more recently, it's literally rubbish (I know, I'm not proud). I have a spare room downstairs where it is stored in bags and I seem to be unable to throw away a lot of food packaging as I am giving it in my head to "sentimental" attachments. It's something I'm  struggling with at the moment, it's been since the January 21 lockdown. There has been a lot going on in my life since then: not least, the realisation of my 10 year old son's, and subsequently my own, autism. Now that lockdown is officially over, he has his diagnosis and has started high school, I finally feel that my head is clearing and I am hoping to be able to clear the junk.

I think I have a problem when my head is troubled with other issues. Unless I am clear of anxiety on these issues, I have PDA (often manifesting in me as hoarding).

I hope my comments and sharing might be of some help?

Take care.