Do your interests get more narrow when you’re stressed?

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Mine sure do. I’ve gone through some very stressful things and now all I have interest in is music and maybe a bit of linguistics. I want to go on some dates, but I think my current narrow interests will ruin any dates. I joke about how the music I listen to will stop me from getting laid, but I know the more boring truth. I’m just too absorbed in my interests to be fun to be around or put any effort into a relationship.

I developed an interest in painting about 4 years ago. It’s become my job. I started getting stressed and depressed around Xmas. The interest in painting dissapeared and I ended up with an interest in photography. That lasted 4 months. It came out of nowhere. I’m assuming it was due to the stress and depression.

Yes. "Rich people think in decades. Poor people think about Tuesday all day Tuesday."

Not more narrow, but more intense, at least in the past. Got an idea about writing philosophy during a three-year phase of psychotic depression and surpassed 1,000,000 words before I abandoned it. My interest are more specific when I'm relaxed. Spent the year between high school and uni practising Tuvan throat singing and designing machinima for obsolete RTS games. Happy times.

Lately, when I'm stressed, the main thing I think about was how long it took me to do anything considered normal, how far I still have to go and that I may have to let some things go. It makes me very sad.

My interests seem to be more varied when I'm depressed because I don't like to think too much about myself. My interests are more narrow when things are going well, because I'm more able to love myself.

I think that most folks have an impulse to do escapist things when under stress. So if you're an aspie/autistic with a special interest that is impractical and removed from everyday life in some way- stress can cause you to seek escape into that interest.

Yes but my interests were never broad to begin with

A symptom of clinical depression is loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities

Stress and depression overlap

Absolutely, and I'm glad you brought this up. It's so hard for me to break out of that. Something to talk to my autism therapist about.

at this point my only interests are loitering, gorging (eating), panhandling

holy s**t, you have a millions interests xD sorry, just stalking your feeds as one does. i thought people on the spectrum only had one or two obsessions which is why i was diagnosed with adhd (changes interests a lot) but it's cool to read that it's not uncommon to have a lot of hobbies.

Interesting. After being harassed and stalked like crazy I really got into listening to Tuvan throat singing for a few months. It gave me a chill and isolated feeling without being boring. It also had some aggression. Perfect soundtrack for someone dealing with relentless stalkers. Unfortunately I’m still dealing with him.

If they used another nickname how do you know that it was me? You have many enemies online IIRC.

(Mod note: please don't reply to this post, as we don't want to encourage sock puppets who keep returning to target members).

Stalk as much as you like. I can take it.

I took a supervised test for ADHD a few months ago, and it came back negative, so at least I know I don't have that. I tend to just have 1-2 special interests at a given time, but they change in cycles, typically one to a few years. Unfortunately I'm "out of the cycle" with my job right now which makes it a great bore at times, but at the same time it's good to learn to grudgingly proceed with something even if it's no fun. I just finished a cycle of 1 year of digitally arranging, editing and archiving my past special interests (there was a lot of it ...). I'm 6 months into a cycle of scrapbooking about the sweets I have for afternoon tea, and I'm trying to start a cycle of studying Japanese.


If you find a quiet place, you should try to learn it. Kargyraa feels like a detox for your body. What I love about throat singing is that it sounds so perfectly in tune with the land it came from -- the sound of the steppes, of the wind blowing through the empty landscape ...

Maybe I’ll learn it when I have my own car.

ahah amazing! I have a friend who did something similar - she rated all the tea places she went to drink in.

I also have cycle of intense interests but I feel guilty when I change hobby. I have been drawing since i can remember so drawing/ painting/ animation are my main hobbies i guess. I started making music 5 years ago and there was a point where I was working on music almost daily but I have slowed down as i feel dissatisfied with my creations. I think I hit a wall of inspiration and can't advance creatively without learning something new or meeting people with the same interest in real life





maybe ill hide in the woods and give it a try ahah dont really want my neighbours to think I'm losing my s**t
but I am inspired by the idea of simply expressing your "beastly" nature like animal do through making noises and generally not thinking too much about whether they are pretty or ugly