autistic symptoms worsen during stressful times in life ?

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My repetitive behaviours and sensory issues get WAY worse during times of stress/ increased anxiety. I've read that symptoms can worsen due to stress. For me some of these behaviours are ones that I have not exhibited since I was a small child...they return when I am stressed. Do your symptoms get worse when you’re stressed? How much worse? Which symptoms worsen the most?

Lots of stress this past month, and yes my symptoms seem more severe.

Sensory sensitivities seem to be worse (but my main source of stress is noise), I am stimming a lot more than I was before, I think. I get overstimulated more easily and I am more likely to shut down as a result.

I have a combination of high stress and finally coming to terms with/admitting that I have AS, and I think the combination is giving me all around increased symptoms. I've also let go of a few coping mechanisms that I hadn't even realized I was holding onto that were using energy I didn't really need to spend and weren't actually very successful, which is also contributing.

Now that I've learned to adapt a whole lot more, and also that I actually fit the criteria for PDD-NOS rather than Asperger's, the only thing that gets really bad for me is stimming. My stims consist of a lot of joint twisting and cracking so if I'm annoyed in the slightest they become more blatant. I ALWAYS stim unless I'm sleeping of course xP and so I am good at hiding it otherwise. But when I'm really pissed off (I try not to in front of other people but it easily slips out) I not only stim but have a tendency to be a bit destructive and childish. If I'm angry enough I'll throw or breaks things that are usually easily replaceable. For example, I'll rip up paper or break pencils. The times it slipped through around others happened a lot at school. In the fifth grade I threw my chair as a result of an insult. Later I ripped apart a soda can. In high school, I've been better. And the only thing so far is I've thrown a paintbrush against the table (not blatantly though). And recently on a snowboarding trip I kept falling so at one point I was throwing snow around and hitting my snowboard on the ground.
Trust me there have been worse from others.

I completely change when I am stressed. I flap, I wander, I giggle or hum and I act like a hyperactive child.
I think all the stress has had a lasting effect on me though I have seizures too which may have contributed to some cognitive disintegration.
I'm far more literal. I really need people to explain things to me carefully. I keep making silly little literal mistakes. My motor skills are worse. My sensory issues are worse. Noise, lights and basically looking at too much at once. I don't like to do things on my own anymore. Of course people that have seen me do things on my own in the past think I'm capable of it still. I'm not always as open minded as I once was. I talk less too which is almost like how I was when I was a little kid.
My meltdowns are worse too. I can't control my anger as well as I used to.

I also just recently came to terms with my AS diagnosis ....this could be part of it I suppose.

Also, this might help:

http://www.autistics.org/library/more-autistic.html

It could just be a reaction to stress and not cognitive degeneration. When I am only a little more stressed than usual I stim more often (and in ways that I haven't since I was a child) and become more sensitive to/bothered by noise, smells and crowds (which are my biggest sensory issues). When I'm VERY stressed I have intense meltdowns that involve a lot of crying and screaming (and sometimes self-injury ..although I am trying not to do this anymore). I will also be make mistakes such as missing sarcasm when stressed (and when not stressed, at this point, I have actually become quite good at detecting sarcasm)!. I think this just has to do with our information processing capacities being overloaded by anxiety/stress. In terms of not wanting to do things on your own: maybe you just feel less secure (i.e. more dependent) when stressed.

I just feel sort of slower, even when not stressed. I suppose my meds made me think more clearly. Pity I can't go back on them.

Why can't you go back on the meds? Maybe you could try different meds if they have adverse side effects or something. Is that possible?

I totally get more "autie" when stressed. My theory is that when a person is stressed they have mental ability to block out intrusive sensations and less energy to control instinctive actions. Hence why some people get really snappy when they're stressed. I hum/make noise, bite my hands, stim, and rock back and forth. It's also way too easy for me to get overstimulated (which usually leads to a combination of the above, eg rocking back and forth while biting my wrist).

I don't necessarily get more autistic when stressed, but I become considerably more anxious and more likely to break down...although I have been known to hold things in for quite a while. My temper becomes short and I am more likely to snap at people, I will get severe headaches, back and shoulder pains, and avoid people/social situations...if I am in one I talk less and shift my attention to my body.

Start stimming more when stressed, also become more taciturn and fixated.

I become more withdrawn in social situations too. Although if I am at home ,sometimes I will talk to my mom about whatever is stressing me out....I find this cathartic . Other times I will completely avoid people when stressed...I don' know when I do one vs. the other... I should pay more attention to this.

During prolonged periods of stress I completely avoid friends socializing. I don't know whether this is related to AS or if it just constitutes part of a typical reaction to stress.

I definitely also become snippy i.e. snap at people more often and become more short tempered when stressed. Actually I can be downright nasty to people (especially my family ) when I'm stressed. I also become much more sensitive to criticism (which I am always a bit over sensitive to)

I stim more when i am stressed and my OCD gets worse i have to have everything a certain way and i start snapping about things being out of order more then usual. I also feel like i am snapping at people more when i feel like this. I also avoid people more then usual and say things i dont mean.

I stim much more when stressed and I get very snippy and short with people. Well much more than usual, anyways.
It becomes incredibly difficult to focus and things feel like they're piling on top of me or I'm being pulled every which way.
Physically, I feel nauseous and light-headed - before the headache starts and then I just become withdrawn.

Luckily these days I'm out of most situations which would trigger major stress. Just the usual daily ones like crowds, noise or bright lights to cope with so I get by Ok.