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.

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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

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:

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.