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Following diagnosis did you become more emotional?

Stuart333

Just wondering. Everyone's circumstances are different and the impact depends on past history.

I had my emotions battened down pretty tight. I went to a psychologist to find out why. It led to getting assessed and finding other things. The emotions were squashed as a way to cope, due to trauma and and due to childhood. You learn to mask and bulldoze  through things and ignore the stress.

I now am trying to feel more, but it mostly seems to involve trying to avoid crying. I think this is due to the other issues, not the autism itself. I think I am just being kinder to myself so have permission to notice them.

I think the diagnosis is more related to the feeling of disconnection, i.e. feeling a bit lost, which passed quite quickly. I think the rest is all the baggage.

Parents

  • I'm interested that you say that you try to avoid crying. I have found in recent years, beginning prior to my realisation that I am autistic, that tears have been far more easily triggered. I have an absolute mortifying dread of being seen to cry by anyone - even my wife. I think it probably does stem in part from an old fashioned "boys don't cry" mentality but also goes a lot deeper. If I ever feel tears coming around others I will fight them and force them to stop - often by trying to completely disengage with the thing that has brought them on. It's not healthy. I would like to be comfortable with crying in front of others in an appropriate situation but right now anything that gives me a strong emotion of any sort can make me tear up and I am forced into fighting that.

  • in reply to McFrost

    I was always supposed to stop crying when a child so I can't do it for more than a few seconds. Sometimes tears still come but I just feel tightness in my chest and breathing is more difficult.

    I can only cry at all when on my own. I can't let go if someone else is around.

    Crying cab also soothe you as it releases certain chemicals so I am not sure if this is why I am doing it. Would be a strange way of stimming.

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  • in reply to McFrost

    I was always supposed to stop crying when a child so I can't do it for more than a few seconds. Sometimes tears still come but I just feel tightness in my chest and breathing is more difficult.

    I can only cry at all when on my own. I can't let go if someone else is around.

    Crying cab also soothe you as it releases certain chemicals so I am not sure if this is why I am doing it. Would be a strange way of stimming.

Children
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