Published on 12, July, 2020
Has anyone experienced a spouse having severe ASD regression?
How old? Gender?
I gather menopause can have a huge impact. Did on me but the research is scant.
Otherwise life events can pull out autistic responses we 'd otherwise efficiently mask. Stress could be major factor.
Male 36 had one trauma after the next dad passed then best friend died then cancer then a relationship breakdown I’ve tryed to hide my feelings about all of it to my ex partner trying and trying to change I actually did loads but with every no it hit me hard trying I have 2 kids with her also autistic it come to a point I started to say and act stupid found myself confused easy misunderstanding everything then realised I can’t spell anymore when writing with a pen or can’t read or understand complicated words every word is blunt with no thought and I suddenly don’t like to be touched anymore noises irritate me I can’t be in a room and listen to 2 people talking or even hold down a conversation if the dog is licking water out the bowl or if a fan is on it’s terrible sudden noise scares me I’ve never been this bad can’t wait in shops hate being in crowded places intimidating me too many people it’s all the things I must have blocked out from childhood I get mixed up easy with people saying things honestly I’ve never been like this from as far back as I can remember well I remember learning how to keep still in a shop without walking out and lots of other things and I don’t like to be touched anyway but it’s intense now and seems to be the back half of my body wen it’s unexpected I recon if someone was to grab me by the shoulder I’d probably lash out it’s got to be regression the black and white thinking is so bad I take the information in the same way
Honestly I’m a completely different person I pace up and down on the phone and can not stop fidgeting I always have wen in conversation with my ex but I thought it was adhd but it’s not wen she tells me to stop that’s it I’m thinking about that for the rest of the conversation and it just turns into another fidget stroke the back of my neck or tap my foot. Alway thought it was adhd but now it’s worse if I’m anxious I’m doing it on the phone I’m pacing up and down in shops on the phone I end up forgetting and end up the total wrong end of the shop altogether that’s happened for years but even that is worse I can’t even use phone in a shop now I’ll be rude by mistake getting annoyed people walking to slow I always did but put up with it and got on with it but now I can’t at all I’m wanting to push past but I know it’s not acceptable and hold it in making me bit mad but I don’t show I hate going in shops I really do now it’s ruining my life I don’t understand how I’ve missed this out so badly I really don’t I just thought everyone is the same but it’s not normal
Someone said if I unmask? I can’t mask anymore it makes me depressed (burnout) really quick now instead of being a couple of weeks or months it’s hours now it’s horrible because no matter how hard I try to get on with my ex it will backfire within days at a push I’ve distanced myself now to avoid it give us both some space and see how that goes I can’t see any other way?