Regular "feeling lonely" day

I said once before here that I can go for periods where things feel fine, then suddenly my mood just shifts to the other end of the scale and I feel really unhappy and lonely. Today is one of those days where I'm in that mood.

I feel tired because I didn't sleep well last night. I didn't sleep well probably because I was stewing and overthinking over a small argument with my wife over how I reprimanded our daughter (also autistic, so plenty of opportunities where we clash sometimes). Despite what I thought was logical, it was apparently the "wrong" way to handle the situation - and my wife was right really, I did not react how a parent should. So staying awake thinking it isn't fair on me but also agreeing that I don't do things right too, head going round in circles. I also didn't then get a chance to do one of my activities that keeps me happy, it was too late at night to start anything, so got low motivation today.

That results in a day where I feel really down, isolated and lonely because I don't feel like I fit in, even with my own family at the moment. Everything I saw today also irritated me further, reminding me that I just don't seem to belong anywhere - people talking in their groups at work except me, walking through town during my lunchbreak painfully aware I just look weird compared to everyone else, anything I read today mentioning the word "friends" etc. I even saw one of my real friends today at the shops sorting his bike out, he didn't see me though. I could have walked over and said hello, but I didn't because I wasn't in the mood - though I'm thinking I should have done really.

I'm trying to remind myself this will pass like always, it's a struggle though. I'm going to try and do something that interests me - I want to start some creative writing as a new hobby, but I can't get motivated or find enough focus time to do it, which keeps putting me off. Instead I'll catch up with all my TV programmes I'm lagging behind with - my wife has gone to bed early, so although I am still physically alone, at least I'll be doing something where I don't feel like I'm being judged.

This is another rambling post, I'm really sorry. I do feel like it helps writing it all down, even if no-one replied back - I wouldn't blame you!

Parents
  • Hey there!

    Autistic dad of an Autistic daughter here with a NT wife. Boy have I been in your shoes with the whole “wrong way to handle the situation” problem. I (and my wife) often catch me being too harsh on my daughter when she’s having a meltdown because I feel like - in the moment - I went through the same thing as her and turned out just fine. Not true, btw. Her experiences are wayy different than mine and I have to remind myself of that often.

    You want to start creative writing? That’s awesome, dude. What kind of writing are you thinking of?

Reply
  • Hey there!

    Autistic dad of an Autistic daughter here with a NT wife. Boy have I been in your shoes with the whole “wrong way to handle the situation” problem. I (and my wife) often catch me being too harsh on my daughter when she’s having a meltdown because I feel like - in the moment - I went through the same thing as her and turned out just fine. Not true, btw. Her experiences are wayy different than mine and I have to remind myself of that often.

    You want to start creative writing? That’s awesome, dude. What kind of writing are you thinking of?

Children
  • Same family experience as me, except add two more children to the mix for a family of 5 - it can sometimes get very noisy! I get into trouble sometimes because, when my daughter is speaking in a rude or inconsiderate tone of voice, I'll repeat back to her the same way. My thinking is if I show her what it's like for us, she'll see that actually it's not a very nice way to treat other people. It seems logical to me, but it is probably not what a parent should do, I can see someone else's point of view really. There are many other times when me and my daughter get on really well because we're on the same wavelength and I get that sometimes she just needs quiet.

    Maybe "creative" writing is the wrong word... I'm basically wanting to write in the style of a blog, about things that interest me and my own thoughts and opinions on them. I'm trying to think small first, like writing just for myself to read and not share with anyone else yet, maybe it might go online. I do not want to get caught up in what everyone else online does, trying to "market" myself or do because I feel I have to, I want it to be fun and not pressured.