Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi - this is my first post so would like to briefly introduce myself. Am female, age 45 and diagnosed with ASD plus generalised anxiety disorder. This is a fairly recent diagnosis via The Maudsely National Clinic, but was first queried much earlier around 2005. I run my own business, an art gallery.
I would like to ask if anyone in adulthood has experience of grief and ASD? Or protracted stressful events, or trauma and ASD?
Currently I'm under enormous strain due to some devastating news 5 months ago - my mother (just age 68) dislocated her neck and is now a tetraplegic. We (my family) are only at the beginning of a very long journey together.
Over the past few weeks, I started noticing warning signs that I wasn't coping well. This is a familiar pattern when I'm under a great deal of stress.
I would be interested to chat on this and share my experience of stress. This time around it's left me highly compromised, struggling a lot. And I feel isolated. I am happy to describe this in more detail.
Thanks for reading my first post
Hi Jep I really don't know what others think? I am undiagnosed and at present struggling to admit I am autistic, On the one hand I truly believe I am! But and it's a big but, I function very well without the traumatic difficulties I read on here. I have struggled all my life and to a lesser degree now. I am 54 and male.Should I give advice? Do I really know how you feel?
As far as grief goes it's very complex for me,Being as old as I am I have been to many funerals of family and work colleagues. I could easily be there and just people watch or count everything without any emotion,It's when I look around and see others getting upset that triggers something in me, I then focus in my mind of all the memories of the good times and how nice they were.sounds hard but that's me. When this happens I cannot switch it off, it takes over me to the point I cannot old back, I always openly cry. It stops as soon as I remove myself from anything to do with the occasion.back to normal.
The two exceptions were my parents,both were let down by NHS services. My dad wrongly diagnosed and suffered until he passed on. My mum well she was old and smoked so they just didn't try hard enough to help her. So both times my anger took control of me, I wouldn't interact with anyone including my own siblings, I went from anger to heartbreak and back again,even years later I still have sudden bouts of grief followed by anger.
I think I am more affected by others grief,
Maybe you are anxious about the future and what to do next? I feel for you and I hope somebody on here can give you some help and advice.
One thing I am convinced of is that people with autism that I know about have more feeling and empathy than so called normals.we just don't show it the same way,I also believe we feel it stronger and deeper as we analyse it and maybe over think it. Sorry there I go speaking for people with autism again! I do not mean to upset or speak for anyone here.
take care and keep talking it helps.we are good listeners.