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Anxiety and obsessions

Roguelife

I go through a lot of intense anxiety, as well as depression, and generally I'll be worrying to death about things I know I don't need to worry about it, or which I should put aside for now and deal with later. People have always told me I should be able to do this - choose to worry about something later, or dismiss worries from my mind - but this seems utterly impossible to me. 

Is this part of the obsessive way an autistic mind works? I know I obsess over mundane things too which don't cause me anxiety but which I feel compelled to do, and also I get pleasure from obsessing over certain interests. Do we just have to accept this worry as part of the obsessiveness?

Parents

  • It is exactly what you think it is, we are all so detail orientated as a result of Autism/Aspergers, it's just part of who we are, that we cannot let go of things we see as important. No matter how absurd some may think it. As for obsessions? I could tell you favourite authors stories going over a decade off the top of my head, never stop picking apart a story to find any weaknesses and tend to find odd subjects interesting for no other reason than "Why not?"

    That's me, everyone else on here is undoubtedly different in their own way.

    But people who are not on the Spectrum often misunderstand that and find us weird or hard to understand. They see us as "other" and hard to understand or care about because we seem to not care about other people as a result-wrong, but how can we easily explain that?

    Look at it this way: people may not understand you or your ways, but there is NOTHING wrong with being "different". If that means you are apart from almost anyone you might meet? Then clearly it's up to them to work out why. People on the Spectrum often have plenty to offer, misunderstanding you is a problem for them. If they don't ask? Clearly they don't want to know. An explanation may not be easy, but is always worthwhile.

Reply

  • It is exactly what you think it is, we are all so detail orientated as a result of Autism/Aspergers, it's just part of who we are, that we cannot let go of things we see as important. No matter how absurd some may think it. As for obsessions? I could tell you favourite authors stories going over a decade off the top of my head, never stop picking apart a story to find any weaknesses and tend to find odd subjects interesting for no other reason than "Why not?"

    That's me, everyone else on here is undoubtedly different in their own way.

    But people who are not on the Spectrum often misunderstand that and find us weird or hard to understand. They see us as "other" and hard to understand or care about because we seem to not care about other people as a result-wrong, but how can we easily explain that?

    Look at it this way: people may not understand you or your ways, but there is NOTHING wrong with being "different". If that means you are apart from almost anyone you might meet? Then clearly it's up to them to work out why. People on the Spectrum often have plenty to offer, misunderstanding you is a problem for them. If they don't ask? Clearly they don't want to know. An explanation may not be easy, but is always worthwhile.

Children
  • in reply to Soifre

    I do agree with you, and I basically live my life with that kind of philosophy in mind. Where I struggle is accepting my poor track record with relationships. I've been told by the women I've been with that I'm good looking, although I'm sure it's a matter of taste as I'm not conventionally handsome, but still I often go years without being with anyone. I can spend huge amounts of time on my own and be just fine, like many autistic people I expect, but the awkwardness of never really getting to grips with how chatting someone up really works is going to get me left on the shelf at this rate. And to be honest it's becoming a lonely life.