Overthinking - how to deal with it

Pray the Rosary daily 

I’ve met plenty of drama queens during my time on the gay scene many years ago and they were off the scale 

Perhaps that’s why my family in Ireland firmly believe and maintain that I need ultra strict discipline to manage this condition via a live in carer or residential placement in order to (make) me “cop myself on” according to traditional Catholic Social Teaching 

The term “overthinking” has always bothered me, as it’s always been in my experience, been used as a bullying tactic, as a way of shutting down certain conversations that are deemed by others (bullies) to be “negative” or “inappropriate” where it is deemed that the person with autism is “wrong” (by default) on all issues, regardless of the merits of any issues - and needs to become (silently) obedient and (silently) compliant without any response, question, objection nor any other comments - one is usually told to “cop yourself on” (and far ruder/abusive versions of this) due to a total refusal to understand it in any other terms, except from a discipline standpoint/mindset 

It would seem that you need to work on your spontaneity skills.

Where overthinking is concerned, and by proxy perfectionism, it can be the case that you think you way out of doing things.

I would recommend that to get a dice, like ‘Rory’s story cubes’ or an actual dice and write a table of relative activities, and literally roll the dice on what you do. For me, I roll the dice on what I draw, so that I can actually get to drawing. The goal is to surrender to chaos! Enjoy!

I find I can doodle/draw and think at the same time, a but for me it is more of a meditation and it helps me think calmly and in a focused way, I do this mainly with neurographic art and have a certain topic to ponder on whilst I do it

I read today that you cannot doodle and think at the same time. It's not about producing artwork; more about keeping your hands busy and focusing on the activity. You can experiment and see if it helps. I'm going to test the suggestion myself.

You're welcome. 

added to the list for looking in to, thanks

thank you, I'm off down the rabbit hole today then! Some one recommended the artists way to me years ago and I never got round to looking for it, perhaps I should start there

For all his flaws, and for all the clumsiness of my analogy, Foucault on madness was also perceptive.

I was thinking about this as I was writing it yesterday and being overwhelmed with work right now, my ability to find words is much harder. There is a formula here though. I took a Symbolic Logic class in school and one can find these books in the reference section of any library. The formula of Logic applies to understanding how we conceive an argument and reach a conclusion (feelings always come out of a logical understanding for instance). 

Then I read books on being human and using creativity as a tool to help explore and understand the self. We need to know our strengths and limits for a wide range of reasons. Including setting boundaries and nurturing the self for growth.

How do I think?

What am I thinking about?

How do I explore perceptions and beliefs? How do I change them? 

What are my values? What is human and what is uniquely me.

The Artists Way is a helpful book. Philosophy is helpful to help us learn to ask the right questions. And eventually, everything comes down to Asking the Right Questions. If you can read! Peel through history. I'm in the middle of Koestler's Darkness At Noon and he's giving me new perspectives on things. Orwell's essays are amazing, Chesterton's ability to disseminate things is useful. Perhaps there was an era between the late 1800's - 1960 something where the Autistic Analytic mind was the height of what one desired to amount to. I am quite drawn to a lot of writers from this time.

I've never thought of it that way, that others might not be thinking enough! This is definitely something to ponder on today. Do you have any suggestions of 'tools' to help with interrogating or analysing our thoughts, or suggestions of books that might help

Alice said:

Anyone have any insights into why that might be?

On the extremely rare occasions that I have felt very angry, I do feel like a different person (someone who really scares me frankly) so it is wholly reasonable to understand why I would speak of "the angry me" person in the 3rd person.

I do both, depending on my mood.  I tap on a keyboard and/or write on paper.

*gulps*   

I can't really be angry to any great extent, because being so makes me ill and confused. In many respects, my childhood home life didn't prepare me for confrontations or upset.

I have learnt never to send a first draft of a letter haha. When I'm angry, I can be brutal. You can literally feel the rage burning off the page, or me if you're foolish enough to provoke me to my face. Scathing is a pretty apt description of my tone. Interestingly, the times that I have torn people down in person, I remember in the third person. It's like the rage takes over and pushes my consciousness out of my head and I'm just floating above, watching. Huh, now I think about it, many of my memories of high stress/emotional situations are in the third person. Anyone have any insights into why that might be?

My mother used to write things down rather than fire-off a letter of complaint to a company or whatever. This habit soothed her, cleared her mind, and led her to understand anger a little better (she was a very passive person, and likely autistic).

I get the impression that this arguably related habit is familiar to women especially, whereas men are more likely to express their anger fully and in a showy manner - something which gives the lie to the noun 'drama queen' -  though, of course, I'm guilty of generalising here.

I've lost track of my own point now so instead I'm going to post my favourite emoticon, one which endlessly amuses my immature mind.  

Farewell!

*scoots off*

I prefer pen and paper as it's more personal and it feels more real or permanent somehow. I find I need that connection when it comes to dealing with what goes through my head. However, I don't think it really matters, it's probably different for everyone. Maybe try both?

I’m autistic so I take things literally.  When you say write it down is it best done with inky pen and paper, or does it matter if it is typed onto laptop or into phone?