• Replies 22 replies
  • Subscribers 28 subscribers
  • Views 7931 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Negative Feedback Loop

Undiagnosed4321

What do you guys make of a Negative Feedback Loop?

Is this a common thing to get bogged down in Negative thinking, for one thing to happen which sends you down in a negative spiral, where you can't see the positives and just focus on the negatives and it makes you worse and worse?

Or is that another disorder?

  • Sort of yes. But what happens with me, is something sets me off, I end up catastrophising and getting into a negative feedback loop about someone or a situation. I think the worse, look at only the negatives, and the anger spirals and spirals as I feel hard done by, my positive thoughts about them unravel under the weight of every negative thing they've done.

    It happens because say in a social situation, I have no data to go on. I don't know why my friend didn't add me as a friend on Facebook. And more to the point, I don't know why. And there's several of those things that I don't know why someone did it. But all of a sudden, these things I let go, because huge insurmountable problems.

    When someone sits me down and explains, reassures me, it lifts all pressure, it lifts the confusion. It helps me understand. It's like someone presses a reset button. 

    Im almost positive it's not depression.

    Yes Im annoyed with myself, Im angry with myself. But Im relieved, Im excited, and happy, Im bouncy. Its like things are clicking into place, Im talking to people, Im taking ownership, Im rejoicing in how other people are responding to me. 

    Does that make sense?

  • I think I understand what you're talking about.  It's a common sign of depression, which I've struggled with myself most of my adult life.  Bear in mind, I'm not a doctor though - just a guy who does the same stuff as you!

    It's important to remember that autism (lifelong neurological condition) is a separate thing from anxiety or depression (treatable mental illness).  However, in what I've read, both in science research and anecdotally, depression is a very common problem for autistic people, and the symptoms can be mistaken for each other.  I think it is quite common that symptoms of depression can hide autistic traits, making the autism harder to diagnose.  Or the other way around, that autism can make it harder to realise that we are depressed.

    If you find that getting bogged down is taking time away from other things, or if the loop is disturbing your sleep, then I would definitely have a word with a doctor or counsellor about depression, and possibly seeing if they will refer you to a psychologist to seek an accurate diagnosis.  The treatments for depression can be just as effective for autistic people as for anyone else - though it helps a lot if the practitioner is aware of the implications of working with an autistic patient, if that is the case.

    I'm still as autistic as I ever was - but getting some relief from depression was as beneficial for me as it would be anyone else.