Ever lost a special interest or been without?

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I have never known it and I would think it to be frightening to keep thinking about something that I can't remove from my mind. I imagine I'd feel oppressed, restricted? I only know my mind free and it's hard for me to imagine that other people with AS actually like having a constant topic dominate their thinking.

I also have always had several special interests at once, usually one strong, long-lived interest, and a few weaker ones (probably more like "hobbies"). I know from experience that turning an interest into a job is a sure way to kill it. This has happened to me twice. The first one took about five years of immersion and being encouraged by others to live and breathe this interest. One really bad experience (difficult client) just ruined it for me. I did not use this skill for 25 years again and even now, it is just a skill and gives me no particular pleasure. Really a shame, since it was something I deeply enjoyed since childhood. I went into a different field after that experience. This time it required several years of school and internships. I was really engaged by it for ten years or so, but when the fire died, it was challenging to stay focused at work. I was lucky that it ramped down more slowly this time. I will never make that mistake again. Perhaps the "make your passion into your career" model works for some people, but not for me.

AnnaLemma,
I think part of what you described might have something to do with it as well.
You see, I ended up doing a bakery course, and in the beginning i loved it , and I think I still would've loved it... but the level was just TOO low for me. I was stuck in a class with 16 year olds (am 22 myself) who had no motivation and, no offence, lacked intelligence (save for a few VERY bright students ).
The teacher treated us like 8 year olds, we'd spend 3 hours solving 2 sums that I could've solved in less than a minute (and that's saying something 'cause I suck at math:p).

Apart from that, interning at a bakery was just too much for me, I couldn't cope. I think the above experience combined with the intern experience kind of left a dent in my interest as well. Perhaps the Lexapro just pushed it down further.

I'm now going to quit the course, at first I was going to move on to a study dealing with nutrition etc. but in the end I decided to do something completely different (cultural anthropology and social studies... hopefully that'll help make me understand people better ).

Sora, it's not frightening at all... at least not in my case.
My food interest has always been the one thing that kept me going in life. When I felt down, all I'd have to do is go to the kitchen, make something and all would be right again. It was the one thing I needed to get up in the morning, to deal with daily life... 'cause at the end of the day, I knew I could go back to reading about food etc. and do what would make me happy.

I did have some other interests as well, but after the Lexapro incident... it's all just vanished

Sounds like that is a possibility, too. I have always liked the saying "you can't do one thing." There are always unexpected consequences that pop up. I know several people who have had dramatic improvements in mood by taking antidepressants (may have saved the life of one), but they have had odd side effects to their personalities. One lady who took a very low dose for hot flashes just stopped writing in a journal she'd kept since she was 12. Didn't feel like it any more. Strange. Best wishes in cultural anthro--sounds very interesting!

I crochet too -- I've done that since I was 8. I have rheumatoid arthritis, and sometimes that gets in the way. I find that it's easier on my joints to crochet with larger hooks -- I don't use anything smaller than an H, and I prefer an I or bigger. Due to the recent trendiness of crocheting and young people's desire for instant gratification, there are a lot of nice patterns out there for large hooks and bulky yarn -- not the clunky stuff you used to see.

I find that knitting is easier on my joints than crocheting, and it produces the same feelings. If you crochet, you're more likely to like the Continental or European style of knitting where you hold the yarn in your left hand than the American or English style where you hold the yarn in your right hand.

When I'm in the mood for needlework, I'll often start out crocheting, then when my joints start protesting, switch to knitting, and if my joints protest again, switch to cross-stitching.

Ooh that's a good idea... just switching it up:) And I can knit a bit, but I'm not very good at it yet, I'm only able to make scarfs at the moment. And I can knit in the round... so I suppose I can make legwarmers:p
But the tip with working with bigger needles is a good idea...
Right now the smallest crochet needle I use is 1.25 mm and the biggest a 3.5 mm needle...
And I'm sure I could apply it to knitting as well:)

I forgot to mention, have you visited the fashion spot forums yet? ( http://www.thefashionspot.com/forums/ )
They have tons, and I mean TONS, of threads on style/the latest trends/etc. they can be quite inspiring to look at:)
Though sometimes they show outfits where I just go: .... ...
^_-

AnnaLemma, thanks! I think it definitely will be:) I think humans and their way of interacting with each other is quite fascinating.

Awesome, thanks!

I had a what I call a thing for G.I.Joes. I had to have every one and be the first on the block to get it to. But now I could care less. I miss it but lack of money made me stop buying them. Now I am a electronic junkie. I still "play" with them but they have lost that special place in my heart. I just realized this and it makes me sad.
I know I have to move on (at least that is what I have been told). But screw em I still can play right?