Agitatation vs anxiety

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I've been labeled with excessive anxiety by several docs, but it seems to me that my primary issue is that I am easily agitated and not necessarily constantly anxious. Anxiety seems to me as a state of mind characterized by generalized worries over possible events. But I don't get worked up over things that way. Sure, I worry about paying the bills, my wife's health, and all the other stuff that goes on, but I don't work myself into a frenzy over having to to go to a social event. I'm not spending time gnawing on amorphous possibilities of negative events. But I AM easily agitated. If the phone rings it can be like getting slapped in the back of the head. Anything that pulls my focus away from what I am interested in at the moment increase my sense of unease. If I am doing something that is uninteresting, I become increasingly agitated because there is always something interesting pushing its way into my mind.

Does this sound familiar?

It is very possible that you have sensory problems, and possibly also problems with ADHD. Sensory problems have an enormous effect on my 'irritability' and it leads to anxiety when my outbursts offend others -- and then I become anxious that I will have sensory problems and that I won't be able to cope, etc.

I have got a LOT better with this over the past few months, though.

You may be sensitive to light or sound or touch or other sensory inputs, perhaps certain times of sounds particularly -- and after prolonged exposure to sounds while you have been active as well, you could get 'sensory overload', and that can make you very snappy.

You may not even have been aware that this is the case. Upon reflection, you may well find that you get this way after periods when you have been in busy traffic, or in a shopping mall or open-plan office or surrounded by noisy children. It could even be that certain clicky sounds, or plates going clink in the kitchen are the things that are driving your brain into the overload state.

If you learn to deal with these things (block out sound, take regular rest-breaks where you close your eyes, etc.), the irritability could decrease.

Sensory problems are a regular issue with aspies.

It does.

When I first tried to get a referral to a shrink, the doctor I saw arbitrarily (on one meeting with me) referred me to an anxiety/adhd specialist, not a ASD specialist as I asked.

I found out later and cancelled the apointment, since that's not going to be any use to my definite social problems... I'm not impaired in society by worry or anxiety, so much as I'm impared by the aftermath of social errors.

I do have anxiety over bills, and who's on the other end of the phone, etc. Because right now I'm in a bit of a financial bind. I have anxiety when I have to deal with certain authority figures, sure - but doesn't anyone? I'm only a bit more concerned perhaps, because my experience with them usually doesn't go well - they don't like a 34 year old asking for instructions to be repeated, or to be more detailed; and I often get "the sneer" that you all remember bullies in school giving you (not from all authority figures, but from many). Its not until I get the sneer that my anxiety kicks in... so... I don't consider anxiety to be a state of my mind that impairs me in these situations - it's the information reception problem that does.

Phone rings? Motorbike starts up outside? Unexpected Knock on door? Yeah! Jump. These aren't normally a part of my day - few people call me. Noone on my street has a motorbike, and noone except door to door marketers, jehovah's witnesses, and my ignorant landlord visit me unannounced.