Published on 12, July, 2020
so this is my first time posting on here so my apologies if by any chance I make any type of mistake typing or if this type of post inst accepted. I was wondering if other autistic people have a hard time dealing with embarrassment, like dwelling on it or constantly remembering something embarrassing and then getting scared or anxious. I have a really hard time handling embarrassing situations and it's made my self confidence drain severely, so my point is I am wondering if other autistic people deal with this too and if so what advice can be given. I am very recently diagnosed so this is all very new to me.
i concur with the previous answers, I dwell on things I have done 'wrong' all the time whilst also realising that I shouldn't.
Yep I have an enormous capacity for feelings of shame/embarrassment/guilt and I remember embarrassing situations in vivid detail for years later along with the attached emotions.
The best way I've found to deal with it is to stay busy and not give myself the opportunity to dwell. Knowing I'm autistic also helps, because in hindsight a lot of embarrassing situations were a direct result of acting autistic and now I know this is something I can't help, so there is nothing to be ashamed of.
Plastic thank you for the reply, it's a relief to know this is common. And ya I guess when you put it that way alot of the normal culture is that way.
thank you for the advice!
Hi PumpkinCakes
Yep - see it all the time - and because of our anxiety and worry about doing the right thing, when we mess up in front of everyone, if causes a lot of extra anxiety - and extra fear to not do it again - as well as worry that we've damaged our reputation. Your brain will reprocess any negative experiences for ever trying to make sense of it. As you get older (like me), that list can get pretty long!
This is going to sound hard to do - don't worry about it. 'Normal' people screw up all the time. The 'normal' culture is actually mess-up after failure after embarrassment after error after incompetence after sloppiness. They get away with it all the time.
Try not to be so hard on yourself - our natural need for perfection is purely internal. Just do the best you can.