Does anyone else worry and get pains?

Hi - yes I can really relate to what you describe. As a child I got really strong pains in my chest and thought I was having a heart attack. I had lots of ear ache too, and pains in my arms and legs, stomach problems... usually the GP couldn't find anything wrong. I felt like a hypochondriac.

Anxiety and pain continued into adulthood. I would get toothache, go to the dentist and be told nothing was wrong. In the days before the internet I kept phoning my mum to look up various symptoms I was having in her medical encyclopaedia - she gave the book to me in the end so I could look things up myself.

I have begun to work out that a lot of what I experience pain wise is probably due to being hyper-sensitive so I feel sensations in my body very strongly. Also anxiety gives me physical symptoms and when I worry that something is wrong with me this then makes me even more anxious!

This video explains about some mental and physical health stuff that may be relevant. The section discussing health is at about 26:45

m.youtube.com/watch

I usually have quite a few small health problems at any one time, plus a couple of long term conditions that won't go away. I am trying to work on ways of reducing my anxiety levels generally by not putting myself under too much pressure, doing activities I enjoy and asking for information and support if I am worried about something.

Hope this helps a bit.

Sunflower said:

I have begun to work out that a lot of what I experience pain wise is probably due to being hyper-sensitive so I feel sensations in my body very strongly. Also anxiety gives me physical symptoms and when I worry that something is wrong with me this then makes me even more anxious!

I am exactly the same, have been all my life and it is only since my diagnosis that I've come to the same conclusion. I've had quite bad back and hip pain over the last few years, recently I had both x-rays and and MRI but neither came up with anything substantial but the pain is very real to me and stops me doing things. I haven't played in a band for the last 3 years partly because of it... and partly because of my difficulties in socialising with band members etc.

That's really interesting Jonesy - among my prolific medical notes are all kinds of things that suggest autism - frequent ear infections as a child, labyrinthitis, anxiety, conditions that arose because I neglected my health, conditions aggravated by picking at my skin, which I never thought of as 'stimming'.

Pain can be a very limiting factor. I'm recovering from an ankle injury and it hurts really badly to walk. I'm on four walks a day which I have to force myself to do. To me the pain seems like a signal from my body warning me I am aggravating my injury. The physiotherapist told me off for flinching when he touched my ankle lightly (it really hurt!) - the more I discover about autism the more everything starts to make sense.  

I am going to talk to a former colleague of mine about adapting a pain toolkit he developed for autistic people. The mainstream approach does not always meet our needs. 

Sorry to hear you haven't been able to play in a band for a while. I struggled in an orchestra - I could either get my violin bow going up and down with everyone else's or I could play the right notes - I ended up miming most of the time! Do you still play just for your own entertainment and satisfaction? 

I suffer with skin picking as well, but this could also be a result of Dermatillomania.  I'm not sure if mine is stimming or not, but I am not always aware that I am doing it and I do have to make a conscious effort to stop it.

Stress has numerous affects on our bodies and there is still research being conducted on the full affects.  My IBS flares up and I get the feeling of pulled muscles, when I haven't done anything to strain myself.

When I was younger I used to get pains in my chest that would shoot down my left arm - as you can imagine this was terrifying as I thought I was having a heart attack.  

Stress and anxiety really are horrible things.

Sunflower said:

Sorry to hear you haven't been able to play in a band for a while. I struggled in an orchestra - I could either get my violin bow going up and down with everyone else's or I could play the right notes - I ended up miming most of the time! Do you still play just for your own entertainment and satisfaction? 

I still play at home a bit but even than can be uncomfortable as you are twisted in an unnatural position for guitar. I do hope I haven't played my last gig but finding the right situation and people to do it again may take some time.

I'm an ex-violinist too, that was the instrument I started on aged 8. I also played viola and piano but I really always wanted to play electric guitar and switched when I was 14. My co-ordination isn't brilliant either, my left hand is way more active on guitar than my right and I've never been a great picker.

Someone I know produced a pain toolkit to help people manage painful long-term conditions. I am going to get in touch with him and ask if it has been adapted, or could be adapted, so it is helpful  for autistic people who may have slightly different requirements. 

Stupidly enough I never connected my obsessive skin picking (anything on my face and upper back that feels as if it is sticking out) with stimming, until you just mentioned it Sunflower!

What is that about that pain toolkit? I'd like to know as I either feel a lot of pain or hardly any - the latter when I am supposed to feel major pain...

Stupidly enough I never connected my obsessive skin picking (anything on my face and upper back that feels as if it is sticking out) with stimming, until you just mentioned it Sunflower!

What is that about that pain toolkit? I'd like to know as I either feel a lot of pain or hardly any - the latter when I am supposed to feel major pain...

I suffer with skin picking as well, but this could also be a result of Dermatillomania.  I'm not sure if mine is stimming or not, but I am not always aware that I am doing it and I do have to make a conscious effort to stop it.

Stress has numerous affects on our bodies and there is still research being conducted on the full affects.  My IBS flares up and I get the feeling of pulled muscles, when I haven't done anything to strain myself.

When I was younger I used to get pains in my chest that would shoot down my left arm - as you can imagine this was terrifying as I thought I was having a heart attack.  

Stress and anxiety really are horrible things.

Someone I know produced a pain toolkit to help people manage painful long-term conditions. I am going to get in touch with him and ask if it has been adapted, or could be adapted, so it is helpful  for autistic people who may have slightly different requirements.