Large gatherings and crowds

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Right, so I'm diagnosed with AS and all that. Apparently I was deep enough on the spectrum for my doctors to put me on Ritalin AND imipramine (two drugs which can be lethal if combined - gotta love the NHS). In fact, I apparently needed a higher enough dose of imipramine to make me OD when I was like 8. But the drugs and subsequent overdose aren't the point. The point is, I've been questioning whether my diagnosis actually applies or not recently. (See http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt184574.html for more details blah blah)

As I touched on in that post, I don't stim, don't really have special interests, got a low "AQ" score but a high "NT" score on a couple of those autism test things, no major problems with eye contact, can empathise well blah blah blahdity blah. But the main thing that is really making me question my diagnosis is how people with AS react/feel about large gatherings and crowds. A lot of Aspies on here seem to much prefer smaller, quieter sorts of gatherings as opposed to walloping bass, close-contact-to-large-amounts-of-sweaty-dancing-folk kinds of social events. I'm the opposite; little gatherings can be good but I do also love going clubbing, large parties (as long as there's a few people I know there), festivals and such. I have no problems with crowds either. I'm always strutting about massive shopping crowds etc without a care in the world. So, my question is this: is anyone here like me, diagnosed with AS but enjoys big social events? Or is the general consensus of opinion that Aspies nearly always prefer less "in-your-face" types of social gatherings?

It depends on my mode I guess, mostly I just feel the unbearable need to escape it all. Though I rarely differentiate between a crowd and a small group - as a matter of fact I might feel more comfortable when I am lost between strangers. Various sounds, smells, colours, voices create an interesting symphony. I like observing, it's very stimulating. But then again - I have to be in the right mode. If I am on something, or really hyped up, clubbing and festivals are quite awesome but are always followed by depression. I think if I fall into the right kind of dissociation large gatherings can be quite fun (even addicting), however, now I see that such behavior harms my stability and self-sense. Uh-uh, I really should work on that.

Liking crowds does NOT preclude the diagnosis of AS. I know some aspies who love large social gatherings and loud music (of a kind they like. I also know some NT's who can't stand crowds and noise. I hate crowds but everyone's different....whether they have AS or not.

Bah, this makes things even more confusing! It does look like there are more Aspies who aren't too keen on big gatherings than those who are though, if this website is anything to go by. Ah well, f**k it. Maybe I should just man up and go to the doc to get myself re-assessed.

Well there are reasons for one preference or another. I think if you give this so much thought you should try to go through assessment again, expressing your concerns about other conditions you might have. I think it would be a good idea to see what a specialist would have to say about this, but as with everything - take it with a pinch of salt..

I feel very uncomfortable in large crowds.I get very anxious and paranoid.

It depends on the purpose of the crowd.

Sporting event? No problem.

Shopping mall? Minor annoyance.

Party? Please do let me get out of there, and immediately. (Two's company, three's a crowd, four's too many and five's not allowed.)

Im the same way

Concerts/cinemas/dark clubs = fine and dandy

shopping malls and busy supermarkets = nightmare.

Most times I go to the supermarket or mall alone I can constantly feel the panic building up in me, more than a few times Ive had to run outside in a cold sweat and smoke a cigarette to calm me down before I can finish my shop.

I have been around very large crowds before and been both relaxed and anxious, it entirely depends on the situation, if I am with people I know and trust then I am fine, often in crowds in towns you do not get that option sometimes...if I am at a carnival as my town hosts every year I will try to find the quietest of all spots, or a quiet route through a crowd, but sometimes it gets too close and then I start feeling like a I need to escape.

Not everyone is the same and every situation is different, you need to figure out what actually does bother you and not obsess on one little detail.

Apart from a few strange things you would never know about me if I didn't say anything, people just think I am stupid...

You may have ADHD. How did the Ritalin work out? Or was that combination too lethal?

I just recall a lot of people with ADHD talking about how they love crowds and noise and all things awful like that.
Some can have sensory issues but some really love the stimulation.

Your posts don't seem to be as long and detailed as what is common here and you did say you were impulsive.

And there do exist people who are not socially awkward.

I'll give you some of my ADHD symptoms:

I have many thoughts always changing with barely 5 minutes passing. They're hard to shut out and aren't not always negative, some of them are just downright ridiculous. Sometimes I can't sleep they are so loud and speedy.

My memory feels incomplete, like I just remember parts of the tiniest little thing. I make a lot of lists to remember things. Things slip my mind all the time. I re-read and re-watch things constantly to make the information stick.

I cannot do math without medication or learn music. This isn't very common in ADHD though. I think it's my different learning style.

I either feel I have too little energy to focus or have too much energy to slow myself down to focus, and then, I get over things very quickly and look for the next bit of stimulation.

Because of my sensory issues I need to turn on music to block out background noise so I can read or write.

I could have childish tantrums over doing house work when not medication. When medicated I do them immediately.

I get obsessed with a new topic everyday.

I hyper focus. It's where I have a burst of motivation/concentrations and waste it all in one go, usually doing something not very important and I'm exhausted by the time I remember to do said important task. Although, some people with ADHD can take advantage of hyperfocus and use it to get the important task done first.

Impulsive speaking and shopping habits. I'm very bad at budgeting. Part is being bad at math, part is being too impatient.

I find it very hard to get organised and prioritise my tasks to do in a day.

I become exhausted after an hour because I just expend all my mental and physical energy in one go. My brain is just very unregulated. There is no balance of emotions, energy, concentration, motivation at all.

I'll probably forget about writing this post.

Distractions are everywhere! My living area is a mess, particularly my computer desk where 70,000 objects serve as distractions (or thereabouts).

I'm a poor spelling and have very poor reading comprehension and verbal comprehension when people talk to me. Background sounds are very distracting.

And now I'm over writing this post.

Actually, the combo of methylphenidate and a TCA has been done for decades, with enormous success and complete safety (at least, in the US). The only real quibble with your combo is that desipramine (or, in Britain, lofepramine) is more commonly used. Both imipramine and lofepramine metabolize to desipramine, and it's the desipramine that seems to be the source of benefit with fewer side effects than imipramine. However, if you have OCD or anxiety, imipramine might work better for you.

I think the "lethality" risk only applies to overdose scenarios. TCAs and methylphenidate potentiate each other, so small increases act like big increases. Desipramine in particular is pretty easy to overdose on. Most ADD/AS doses are pretty low (under 100mg), but if you were already taking the maximum safe dose of desipramine, lofepramine, or imipramine, even a small increase in methylphenidate could bump your serum level up into the danger zone.

Desipramine does appear to increase the risk for cardiac arrythmia... but there's evidence that atenolol effectively cancels it out. Atenolol also has the nice effect of reducing fear a tiny bit, and will counteract the tendency of methylphenidate to cause tachycardia.

I took desipramine, Concerta, and atenolol for ~10 years, and view it as the gold standard out of everything I've ever taken. It took the "raw" edge off the Concerta, made it last longer & act stronger, and specifically motivated me to start tasks instead of procrastinating them forever, and made my tendency to latch on to special interests a little better. I still hate my doctor for taking it away from me a year and a half ago, because my ability to function at maximum performance has completely gone down the toilet ever since.

Anyway, neither Britain nor the US have a monopoly on paranoid warnings. In the US, combining ibuprofen and paracetamol/acetaminophen is officially taboo, and the FDA will tell you it's a lethal combination. In Britain, you can buy drugs that are combinations of the two. The truth is more complicated. It's safe to combine paracetamol/acetaminophen with ibuprofen, but ONLY if you cut the paracetamol/acetaminophen dose in half, and ONLY if you don't consume it with alcohol. The combo works exceptionally well... the Tylenol prevents gastric pain from the ibuprofen, and the two complement each other nicely. But in the US, the FDA isn't willing to risk allowing someone to die from liver damage because they didn't bother to read the label, and ended up taking full doses of ibuprofen AND paracetamol/acetaminophen, then washed it down with a fifth of vodka. Yet, it still allows the sale of Excedrin, which combines paracetamol/acetaminophen, ASPIRIN, and caffeine. Go figure.

Concerts (of my "Kind" of music)? Cool with it. Same with movies, too. Bars? Depends. Usually a stiff drink & I relax, except if there is excessive cig smoke which is a seperate issue.
Malls? If very crowded. FORGET IT. Wal-Mart on store floor? I've hyperventilated before. General crowds? No way, too. Groups of people standing too close to me at work, also=Overload/panic attack.

Sincerely,
Matt

Probably the difference is whether the crowd is organized or totally chaotic. Also how crammed together people are.

I think malls in general are terrible especially on holidays. However last year I visited New York City and crowds there seemed to move in a purposeful way. Still far from perfect but the people in that environment know they all have to make it work somehow and deal with squeezing into the Subway cars.

Regardless of the reason, I hate crowds. They make me anxious. It's great that you like them though!