Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi I'm Stan The Man. I'm an autistic adult. I'm interested in music, drawing, reading, animals, classic cars, Doctor Who, Disney and clocks.
I'm not employed at the moment though I do have a career opportunity but I only go in every now and then, when my anxiety allows. I'm in my late twenties and more than aware of how dependent I am on my parents and I don't want to end up in a mental institution again, which I think will happen if anything happens to my parents.
So I'm trying to become more independent and live as normal a life as possible but getting into the workplace is a lot more stressful and difficult than I thought it would be.
I've been lucky enough to be offered a job and I have worked on and off over several months but I find it hard to get past the anxiety. Some days I can't bring myself to go out. I try but the anxiety just wipes me out sometimes. If anyone here has experienced similar I would be grateful for any advice you have on how best to get past this.
Have a good day all.
Hi and welcome.
What work do you do when you are able? Would it be possible for you to work from home some of the time, if you think that would suit you? I personally don't like WFH, particularly as I hate having to answer phone calls, but if you think you would prefer it, perhaps you could arrange for contact by email only.
Do you take any medication for anxiety? If not, perhaps you could discuss this with your doctor. If you can find something that will reduce the anxiety it could help you become a bit more independent by being more able to do other stuff like shopping or learning to cook.
Sometimes when I've been in a stressful situation, I've used a visualisation technique to distract my mind - imagining myself getting home, and thinking how safe and content I'll feel when I get there, maybe thinking about what activity I'll enjoy after I arrive. Some people carry something they can touch or squeeze to help them feel less anxious - a photo of a loved one or pet, an item that reminds them of a person or a place that helps them feel calmer - you can use anything small that fits in a pocket or bag where it will be easily accessible.
Headphones are also used by a lot of autistic people - if you don't want to listen to music, you can just wear them to reduce outside noise. Be careful if crossing roads though.
I used to enjoy Dr Who - Tom Baker, David Tennant and Matt Smith were my favourites.