MOMENTS OF PRESSURE AND CONTAINING HEAD

I am 52 years of age and was diagnosed with Autism on 2nd Oct 2023.  I always knew I was different, so it did not come as a surprise.  I did post  some history, but wanted to get the views and if anyone has the same episodes at all.

At times I feel like my head is going to give off steam like a kettle.  I feel that I have to concentrate  in order for my head not to explode and I have to calm down and focus, otherwise I would just scream in frustration.  As I am writing this I am squinting my eyes to keep in focus and will probably go for a walk or something.  I guess you could say I am constantly overwhelmed by information, thinking, doing etc. but most of the time I try to hold it down.

I was wondering if anyone has the same feelings etc.

Parents
  • Hi 

    I am the same age as you and was diagnosed last week. Likewise, I always felt that I was different and had done plenty of research in to autism before I was diagnosed. No big surprise for me to have the diagnosis, but it had knocked me for 6 - the fact that what I had suspected for a long time has now been confirmed, validated, etc. I have been off work since the diagnosis, I am still trying take it all in and get my head straight - something that is exhausting me at the moment.

    I have situations where my head is like a pressure cooker - building, building, building and then boom! 
    I am usually a very determined person and that probably goes against me as I keeping trying and trying which ends up with me getting more and more frustrated. I can find it difficult to take myself away from the situation, especially as walking away doesn't solve the problem and it will still be there when you go back to it. 

    What I am learning to do is to ask for help, share problems, escalate problems to my manager, etc. Something that is very new to me as I always used to have the strength and resolve to get through challenges. 

  • I am the same; I rarely ask for help from anyone, not even my wife, even my kids, who are now in their 30s. But I am slowly letting them know how I feel. It does get tiring having to "hold it down" and not be oneself, but I am slowly realising it is not worth doing that. Otherwise, it is detrimental to oneself.  It takes you back to think about how I act, why I work that way, and it was not because I am an id*iot. I know it was because of something else that is me. I am that way, and that is fine.  It is for other people to understand and for me not to have that pressure but to be more kind to myself.

    Everything will work out, and you will move forward Slight smile

Reply
  • I am the same; I rarely ask for help from anyone, not even my wife, even my kids, who are now in their 30s. But I am slowly letting them know how I feel. It does get tiring having to "hold it down" and not be oneself, but I am slowly realising it is not worth doing that. Otherwise, it is detrimental to oneself.  It takes you back to think about how I act, why I work that way, and it was not because I am an id*iot. I know it was because of something else that is me. I am that way, and that is fine.  It is for other people to understand and for me not to have that pressure but to be more kind to myself.

    Everything will work out, and you will move forward Slight smile

Children
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