Board index › General Discussion › General Autism Discussion

Did you parents try to take away your special interests?

Page 2 of 2 [ 24 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2

Previous topic | Next topic

MagicKnight
Velociraptor
Velociraptor

Joined: 14 Mar 2016
Age: 50
Gender: Male
Posts: 463

02 Jun 2017, 8:54 am

Yes, they always did that because I wouldn't neither eat nor sleep.



HermioneG
Tufted Titmouse
Tufted Titmouse

User avatar

Joined: 22 May 2017
Gender: Female
Posts: 44
Location: In the Slytherin Common Room

02 Jun 2017, 10:20 am

Not really but they would get really frustrated with me because of my "obsessions" at times. Especially if whatever it was wasn't acceptable from their world view or wasn't "normal". I had a bad habit where I wouldn't stop talking about a particular subject that interested me. However, I'm pretty sure since they didn't know about ASD and don't think I have Aspergers currently that they thought I was just overly passionate.


_________________
Aspie Quiz Results:
Your neurodiverse (Aspie) score: 151 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 64 of 200
You are very likely neurodiverse (Aspie)
~Unofficially diagnosed but fairly certain based on personal research that I am an Aspie~


IstominFan
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 25 Nov 2016
Age: 60
Gender: Female
Posts: 11,114
Location: Santa Maria, CA.

03 Jun 2017, 12:16 pm

HermioneG,

I also have that habit. I can't help thinking about things that interest me, although I have learned not to talk about them all the time. I actually prefer to keep some of my passions secret, as I know only I am interested in them. Failing that, I seek activities based on my interests. It is okay to talk about my favorite players when I am at tennis lessons and I like hearing about other's favorites as well.



Simon01
Raven
Raven

Joined: 21 Jan 2017
Age: 54
Gender: Male
Posts: 115
Location: San Antonio, Tx

03 Jun 2017, 1:41 pm

bunnyb wrote:
When I was young my special interest was Led Zeppelin. I knew every song on every album, how long each song was, where it was recorded, all the tours and cities they played in etc. I played their records from the moment I woke up in the morning and fell asleep listening to them. My parents hated it. When I was 10 my Mum took me to a child psychiatrist because she and my Father couldn't handle it anymore. The psychiatrist listened to her complaints, talked to me for bit then asked Mum if she would be so upset if it was Mozart instead of Zeppelin. She never complained about my special interest after that :lol: My Father did but Mum would stand up for me and she bought me headphones so he couldn't hear it and I was only allowed to talk about Zeppelin when he wasn't home which was thankfully often.


That's how I've felt about my family's complaining about my space and sci fi interests: was I as obsessed as they claimed or was it just about me liking something they didn't understand?



Sweetleaf
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 6 Jan 2011
Age: 35
Gender: Female
Posts: 34,924
Location: Somewhere in Colorado

03 Jun 2017, 1:55 pm

AnodyneInsect wrote:
Yes, to the point that I was completely banned from anything science fiction. In reaction I stopped reading all science fiction for years. I had to sneak anime and am still a transformers fan after all this time but I feel horribly guilty about most things I like because I am constantly being reminded that is weird for a 49 year old woman to be into. At least my boyfriend gets it and has been helping me to unlearn feeling guilty for watching Alien and Star Wars stuff.


Science fiction is awesome, glad your boyfriend is supporting you in enjoying it and ridding yourself of those guilty feelings. Also forget about anyone who thinks it's 'weird' I mean what are they into that's so much better? home decor magazines?


_________________
We won't go back.


SkeletorsButtcrack
Emu Egg
Emu Egg

Joined: 3 Jun 2017
Age: 25
Gender: Female
Posts: 5
Location: UK (England)

03 Jun 2017, 2:11 pm

Hmmm. That's a tough one, I was always freakishly obsessed with things as a young kid (be it Harry Potter or Doctor Who) and I distincly remember my parents berating me for being "addicted", but I don't think they ever actively tried to stop me engaging with my interests. My dad encouraged quite a few of them- I was intensely into rugby from the ages of 12-13, and my dad would always take me to games and play with me. He bought me comics and saw Iron Man 3 with me during my Marvel phase (which is still ongoing, I proudly admit!) When I was around 14, I developed severe social anxietywith periods of mutism, and pretty much taught myself how to behave socially. I gained the ability to stfu, pretty much. So no more talking at length about the new Avengers trailer, even though your conversational partner zoned out long ago. No more showing everybody your sh***y fanfiction. (Yeah, I was a cringey kid.)

After that, my parents knew much less about my interests as I largely kept them to myself. I'm still a nerdy loser inside, though 8)


_________________
Burdened with glorious purpose


SkeletorsButtcrack
Emu Egg
Emu Egg

Joined: 3 Jun 2017
Age: 25
Gender: Female
Posts: 5
Location: UK (England)

03 Jun 2017, 2:13 pm

Sweetleaf wrote:
AnodyneInsect wrote:
Yes, to the point that I was completely banned from anything science fiction. In reaction I stopped reading all science fiction for years. I had to sneak anime and am still a transformers fan after all this time but I feel horribly guilty about most things I like because I am constantly being reminded that is weird for a 49 year old woman to be into. At least my boyfriend gets it and has been helping me to unlearn feeling guilty for watching Alien and Star Wars stuff.


Science fiction is awesome, glad your boyfriend is supporting you in enjoying it and ridding yourself of those guilty feelings. Also forget about anyone who thinks it's 'weird' I mean what are they into that's so much better? home decor magazines?



Hahaha, that made me chuckle. Like "yeah Sharon, you spend your life reading about how to arrange your furniture but sure, go ahead and tell me that liking Star Trek makes me a loser."


_________________
Burdened with glorious purpose


Simon01
Raven
Raven

Joined: 21 Jan 2017
Age: 54
Gender: Male
Posts: 115
Location: San Antonio, Tx

03 Jun 2017, 2:29 pm

Sweetleaf wrote:
AnodyneInsect wrote:
Yes, to the point that I was completely banned from anything science fiction. In reaction I stopped reading all science fiction for years. I had to sneak anime and am still a transformers fan after all this time but I feel horribly guilty about most things I like because I am constantly being reminded that is weird for a 49 year old woman to be into. At least my boyfriend gets it and has been helping me to unlearn feeling guilty for watching Alien and Star Wars stuff.


Science fiction is awesome, glad your boyfriend is supporting you in enjoying it and ridding yourself of those guilty feelings. Also forget about anyone who thinks it's 'weird' I mean what are they into that's so much better? home decor magazines?


Spot on! I never understood how a conversation about housecleaning and organizing closets could be more interesting than anything else. And what's the bigger obsession? Your interest, or someone never shutting up about your interest bothering them? ;-)