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kleodimus
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29 Feb 2008, 4:50 pm

but ppl eventually sub conciously think ur normal neway half the time



Belfast
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29 Feb 2008, 5:00 pm

Sora wrote:
Because first there is anxiety of course, which would probably underline the idea of a constant Fight&Flight state.

But then there's also the fact that someone without anxiety issues still has heightened senses because of sensory issues, like me. When I talk about all these details others miss, I was told more than once that I must be extremely anxious, because I'm forced to notice details they miss unless they'd watch out for them.

Well, I'm not anxious. I'm rather calm, because I'm freaking slow and never bother with things.

Overloads on the other hand, when above a certain level and by this extremely stressing, do indeed result in great anxiety for me.

You bring up interesting "chicken & egg" dilemma: which came first & does one cause the other ?
I've had people say that my anxiety makes me notice all these little details & that if I took anti-anxiety pills or did silly breathing exercises, that I'd stop being bothered by these things. Which is a bunch of hooey, as far as I'm concerned-if these "minor" things weren't so bothersome, then I wouldn't be so anxious. Just because these things are 'no big deal' to other people doesn't mean I experience these stimuli or situations as benign/nonthreatening (how it is for them isn't same as how it is for me).

For instance, I despise many foods (they smell, taste, feel inedibly bad to me)-the anxiety & avoidance I exhibit are direct result of the noxious revolting stimuli. However, I don't think these dynamics can always be reduced to A causes B or B causes A-perhaps Z causes both A & B. Anxiety & being overly sensitive/focused on something can occur together and influence each other-but aren't necessarily "solely responsible for" inducing the other.

It's confusing, because in some ways I'm a "Type B" calm & unambitious sort of person-yet I'm also hypervigilant, overreacting to multiple "minor" issues. In social situations I feel pressed to freeze/hide/withdraw/try to disappear. Little tasks like making a phone call make me so nervous that I get all sweaty & have to change my shirt after finishing the phone call. That's how scary, intimidating, and stressful "everyday" daily life can be for my system. So it's also question of how frequently the "I feel threatened" response is activated, along with the duration & intensity of that activation, compared with "so-called normal" people.


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SilverProteus
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29 Feb 2008, 5:47 pm

Eyes have that effect on me. 8O


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29 Feb 2008, 5:47 pm

Oh yeah I'd definitely agree with this. I'll either avoid stuff completely or dive right in. Always confused me why I'd be able to front up to difficult situations some of the time and the rest of the time run away.


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lastcrazyhorn
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29 Feb 2008, 6:53 pm

My ultimate escape is sleep. If I'm in danger in a social context, and can get away with falling asleep, then I do. The more freaked out I am, the faster I can drop unconscious. I hit REM sleep once in 2 minutes. I know this because my alarm clock was set wrong and I woke up about 3 minutes after I closed my eyes.


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Zonder
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01 Mar 2008, 3:23 pm

I agree that those on the autistic spectrum are often in fight or flight mode. I know I've been there, much of the time.

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ghostgurl
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01 Mar 2008, 3:31 pm

I don't know if it's "fight or flight" exactly, but I do have a lot of anxiety that revolves around social situations and also change, and I think they kind of feed off of each other.


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