• Replies 16 replies
  • Subscribers 90 subscribers
  • Views 2432 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Diagnosis has made things worse

Adam

Hi, I’ve just been diagnosed aged 25 and I feel this has made things worse as I now know what I thought was just social anxiety (so possibly treatable) is actually autism and so will never go away. Looking back at my life, I realise that autism has had a huge negative impact - I’m unable to do things such as join sports teams or go to parties/social events without experiencing extreme anxiety before going, and then wanting them to be over the whole time I’m there. This has lead to me having no friends at 25 years old which is beginning to take a toll on my mental health. My mind feels like it’s in a constant battle with itself where I want to join in and enjoy playing sports, etc. but when I actually think about doing it, the anxiety kicks in and I end up back where I started. Does anyone else feel the same or have any advice on dealing with the diagnosis?

Parents

  • If you're able to attend the events themselves, that's impressive already. I think that the anxiety of trying to out-do an extrovert in terms of talking is not the right motive for trying to socialize with others. I mean extroverts can gain a crowd, because they get energized by socializing with others, whereas introverts recharge by having personal space to themselves. You might excel more if you just chat with someone one-on-one, and just ask open ended questions and allow them to answer, because people enjoy being listened to.

    Socializing isn't just being the center of attention and having a crowd of people soaking up your every word, like an extrovert would, it can be a much smaller and simpler one-on-one interaction with another person. Try to keep the socialization simple so that it will be less overwhelming for you. Social skills is a skill, and people can get better at skills over time.  

    Anxiety could be caused by a variety of factors, such as past trauma, chemical imbalances, gut issues, etc., or a combination of those things and more, so maybe therapy, prescriptions, a dietary change, etc., might serve as a few beneficial changes. 

Reply

  • If you're able to attend the events themselves, that's impressive already. I think that the anxiety of trying to out-do an extrovert in terms of talking is not the right motive for trying to socialize with others. I mean extroverts can gain a crowd, because they get energized by socializing with others, whereas introverts recharge by having personal space to themselves. You might excel more if you just chat with someone one-on-one, and just ask open ended questions and allow them to answer, because people enjoy being listened to.

    Socializing isn't just being the center of attention and having a crowd of people soaking up your every word, like an extrovert would, it can be a much smaller and simpler one-on-one interaction with another person. Try to keep the socialization simple so that it will be less overwhelming for you. Social skills is a skill, and people can get better at skills over time.  

    Anxiety could be caused by a variety of factors, such as past trauma, chemical imbalances, gut issues, etc., or a combination of those things and more, so maybe therapy, prescriptions, a dietary change, etc., might serve as a few beneficial changes. 

Children
No Data