High / Low Anxiety?

= computer 

Sorry but what’s a pooter?xx

Same it’s so hard even finding self acceptance. Like when it’s relevant in conversation I would love to feel comfortable disclosing my neurodivergence but it’s just really hard. 

Agree. Correlation does not in itself prove causation. 

Imanaged to just about avoid a melt down when I was about to be kicked off here or normal you've not signed in for a while reasons. After the last lot of trouble where I got locked out of more or less everything on my new pooter, I couldn't remember what my pass word had changed too, so I tried booting up my new pooter and I was signed out on there too. But luckily I manged to get signed back in on my old pooter, earlier on was the first time I'd even turned my new pooter, I'm jut terrified I'm going to get locked out of everything again, even after my son mostly sorted it out last weekend.

Its nearly always tech that causes me immense amounts of stress and misery

I hope that things change too. I'm currently scared of even uttering the word autism.

I would say I have a high amount of anxiety in my everyday life unfortunately. I think it played a significant part in my autism diagnosis. I think because I had so much anxiety every day from living in a world not geared towards my neurotype that ultimately left me in a bad space mentally. That ultimately led me to seek an autism assessment. Unfortunately I think this is a common experience for the autistic community. I think now that society is aware of autism we need to learn to accept autistic people and autistic traits. Maybe if that happens there will be less anxiety as autistic people may not have to mask their natural behaviours and be forced into environments not suitable for their needs. 

I have always had intermittent anxiety, sometimes related to aspects of my autism, sometimes related to PTSD, sometimes for no clear reason at all. There are meds that help but they are hard to get legally (and I won’t buy illegally as theres no certainty what you are getting). 

I think a distinction needs to be made between anxiety and panic, the latter having symptoms which very physical, whereas anxiety for me is clearly a head scrambling bunch of negative emotions 

True. Good Point.xx

How can we know if any anxiety we feel is different to what an NT feels? We've been autustic since birth. 

Hi AutisticBeaut2025 

I didn’t think I was an anxious person but when I started therapy I realised that I live with anxiety every day. I think I’ve had it for so long I just thought it was part of personality. I think it did play a big part in my autism diagnosis.

So to be clear, you have anxiety because you are autistic?
This would make sense

xx

Thank you for your response.xx

Thank you for your response.xx

Somethings make me really anxious, social situations, travelling east of Bangor, especially if it's me driving, even the train can feel difficult. Like Martin, I'm good in a crisis, I was praised by the police and 999 services for the way I dealt with an accident involving a mini bus full of people. Public speaking is OK as long as I'm talking about a subject I know and have control of what I'm speaking about, but I couldn't make a personal speech, like at a wedding or something, the thought of having to stand in front of people to get married practically brings me out in a rash. I get very anxious around tech, I'm always getting it wrong, often catastrophically so, last week I got so stressed by  trying to get my new pooter to work I almost had a melt down and it took me about 6 hours to calm down. My sons since sorted it out, but I'm a bit to afraid to use it still in case I get locked out of everything again.

I wasn't diagnosed with anxiety alongside autism, but I was diagnosed with social phobia alongside it, but then I was diagnosed in 2012 and it was different then, no AQ10 or anything just about half a dozen sessions with a psychologist. I didn't have any support or anything after diagnosis either.

I experience anxiety "peaks" frequently. At those times I may get tunnel vision, feel nauseous..most of those symptoms appear in Vasovagal Syncope. But I haven't fainted yet.

My base level of anxiety seem to be higher as well.

Some of it may be context independent, but most is due to the environment we live in: highly social and collaborative, fast paced, multi-tasking settings,...

It is worse in social situations, possibly due to low self-confidence.

Walking in nature, or meditating, do help. But a sudden noise, a fast moving object, a rare insect, certain thought, quickly set my anxiety off.

It does not answer what you ask, it is just my personal experience.

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Related: www.mayoclinic.org/.../syc-20350527

I would say that the constant vigilance and the uncertainty about exactly how to behave in social situations, combined with the common trait of perfectionism, that comes with autism creates anxiety. 

In my opinion being autistic often creates heightened levels of anxiety, compared with allistic people, but that how anxiety manifests itself is not much different.

I have seen research figures that put the proportion of autistic people who experience problematic levels of anxiety at around 80%. Autism and anxiety go hand in hand. I have an ASD diagnosis that came with diagnoses of generalised anxiety disorder and social phobia, so my anxiety problems are well entrenched. While I have a variable level of anxiety at the prospect of virtually any social interaction, when things really get bad I am, paradoxically, very calm. I am really quite useful in emergencies, such pulling bits of broken glass out of my wife's foot or dragging someone -  who it turned out had had an epileptic fit - who was drowning out of the sea. This sort of thing doesn't create any appreciable level of anxiety in me. However, something like having to give a speech at my wedding reception tied me in knots of anxiety for weeks beforehand.

Would you say autism anxiety is different to “normal” anxiety? 
Or is there no such thing?xx

If that makes sense. 

I don't have a separate diagnosis of anxiety, I think it's just part of my autism diagnosis. It can fluctuate between high and low, so socially I get a bit nervous even going on the school run, but it's daily so I don't show it outwardly, and will even initiate 'small talk' so I don't look weird. But then other times, like at an extended family gathering, it's crippling that I know I should talk to relatives but just can't do it unless they initiate it, when I try my best to be normal. 

Same with going places, making doctors appointments etc. If it's something that's routine or even expected, the anxiety is less, otherwise it can be so high I just can't do it.