Autism: Intense World Syndrome

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Does that mean that our fears/phobias/setbacks are also much harder to extinguish?

That's a good question. I also wanna know if this is the case. I think we aren't just anxious because of all the discrimination and such, but that we're more prone to anxiety in general. Like maybe the mechanism of our brains make us more prone to anxiety.

A lot of studies focus on useless BS such as if we feel empathy or whatever, but this one focuses more on how our brains function as a mechanism

I would guess that it is the case. I know that I'm very anxious, and also that I don't get over setbacks.

Towards the end of that study that's exactly what the authors suggest: -

"Our studies on the VPA model of autism indicate that the amygdala is hyper-reactive, hyper-plastic and mediates hyper-fear, excessive fear memory generalization, and resistance to fear extinction (Markram et al., 2007)."

Seems they're saying that autistic people are not only more likely to generate and memorize more fears, but also that those fears are stored more long-term and therefore fear extinction is more difficult. That doesn't mean that autism is about fear but rather that fear is one manifestation of a hyper-active amygdala (i.e. it has its advantages too).

(I still haven't read anything on this intense world theory)

My main special interest as an adult is focusing, thinking and trying to read about domination, control and authority. I partly like it a lot but it's also caused because I tend to concentrate on things I fear and try to figure them out. I can't believe people can handle the way things are in every day life. I told my counselor people are in denial and he said something about it not really being denial but compartmentalization. Which is something he says I don't do with discomfort. It's actually a whole long story and it's hard for me to know how to articulate it all. I think it's true to say that it's been debilitating in some ways. I don't do too well with asking my counselor questions, and possibly it's partly me not remembering to ask him, but I think he related it to sensory integration issues but I'm not sure I understand him sometimes. He's asked me how I've even dealt with the tension. I really distrust the mental health field they suggest to change my thoughts and adapt but it would be like blinding myself and forcing myself into a box I can't fit myself in. This world has felt overwhelming to me.
I'm working on focusing on "the details" of my life now. Basically, besides side obsessions and perseverating, my mind has been on this and dealing with it all day every day.

Perhaps, but not impossible.

"Humans cannot bear much reality." --T S Eliot

some of them have to.

I'm definitely more prone to anxiety.

The world seems like a very intense place to me. There's all this technology and these young clones who swear by it. Who ever thought that the average new car would look different from even the cars that I remember from 1984?

Many things and concepts out there seem very intense to me, and in ways that are really interesting. I'm fascinated by a lot of sensory things, and sometimes seek them out, although some sensations irritate me. I can't tell if I can actually handle all the sensory stimulation I sense. But I sure can't manage all the sensory things I observe, like when it comes to understanding things and getting things done based upon what I observe.

Here is a link, that I found on another forum, to an article that I wish I could of read before I started feeling the results of a life lived too intensely. I found it on another forum.

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

The article points out there is a common perception that the symptoms of autism fade away with age. It suggests that autistic symptoms can get worse as a result of our efforts to live a normal life, particularly in the intense world we live in today. If you feel that your symptoms are getting worse, the article may provide some information to help you understand what is going on.

very good, very thorough article. i can relate.

*shrug*

It just sounds like another variation on the "highly sensitive person." I experience both hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity towards various stimuli, and one commonly causes the other. But I wouldn't say that it "causes" my autism.

My problem is that I'm oblivious to the outside world, not that I'm "hyper-aware" of it. That's silly. I'm also not "super-empathetic, nor" do I "feel" others people's pain. It's impossible to "feel" another person's pain. That is also silly. I've learned through observation that certain events and situations cause people distress, and that's how I came to "understand" the emotional states of others. But I digress.

Once again, it's guesswork piled onto guesswork. Bleh.

It seems that not all 'aspies' are alike. It could well be that there's one collection of AS diagnosed or identifying folk that are hyper sensitive, and another set that are hypo sensitive. I recently conducted a poll on sexuality in the adult section of this forum, and it seems there was a range of responses, many voted hypo-sexual and many voting hyper-sexual, with some in the middle. I'm not saying that that necessarily has any bearing on this, but it seems likely that there is some kind of relationship.

It could be that one group kinda 'burns out', or gets numb to the hyper stimulation, becoming hypo sensitive.

This is all pretty speculative.

I'm definitely hyper sensitive in most ways.

Hyper sensitivity can cause hypo sensitivity. That is, being highly sensitive, in some area or overall, can in some cases cause a person do disconnect within, so that they don't experience whatever it is they are over-sensitive to. Or experience it in a muted form. It's a type of dissociation.

So, thanks to dissociation (something we often aren't aware we are doing) experiencing oneself as under-sensitive in some area, or overall, does not mean that there isn't a hyper-sensitivity behind that.

And, yeah, it could still also be that autism is more than one thing and this is only true for some of us.

I suggest, though, be open to the possibility that there's more than what's going on at the surface.

I feel hypersensitive to almost everything: sounds, sex, emotions, interests, touch, smell, information but unlike highly sensitive people I don't understand my emotions, I don't have great empathy unless it's of the emotional variety and I don't know how to settle people down or to comfort them, I'm not good at fine motor movements, I can't stay still, I only look at detail, if I'm really, really interested, etc. (see checklist of HSP below). While there is a lot of overlap there are differences, I've noticed.

Noticeable Highly Sensitive Person Symptoms
•Is able to perform deep processing of information.
•Picks up on subtle things while in the process of learning.
•Is not able to learn well when over aroused.
•Is loyal, sentimental and thoughtful.
•Is good at doing tasks that need deep concentration and focus.
•Is able to accomplish tasks with great accuracy, detail and speed.
•Is very painstaking.
•Is good at fine motor movements.
•Gets more affected by caffeine in comparison with non-bearers of this highly sensitive person trait.
•Can stay still for a longer time than regular people.
•Has a more active right brain.
•Is creative by nature.
•Is imaginative.
•Takes time to come out from the effect of some sort of stimulus.
•Can understand human emotions deeper than regular people.
•Is better at finding errors.
•Is good at avoiding errors and mistakes as well.
•Does not give his best on being watched.
•Does not work well when the situation is quiet calm and relaxed.
•Tends to mix less with others.
•Prefers to feel and experience quietly by himself.
•Is a great organizer. This is one of the most positive highly sensitive person symptoms.
•Is a loyal, hard working perfectionist. Therefore, it is great for an employer to have highly sentimental people in the workplace.
•Is caring and compassionate. This particular highly sensitive person trait makes the company of such a person wonderful.
•Is inclined towards spirituality.
•Is blessed with an incredible aesthetic sense.
•Is concerned for the environment.
•Has a sense of appreciation for nature, arts and music.
•Notices subtleties like changes in a person's appearance, changes in some object's placement.
•Performs well in the presence of known people.
•Prefers to play quietly.
•Asks deep and thought provoking questions.
•Gets easily disturbed by noise.
•Reads the mind and mood of others.
•Is able to notice slightest unusual smell.

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/highly-s ... raits.html