Autism and Mood Swings

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Does anybody know anything about autism and mood swings? I'm an aspie, and sometimes I switch between happy, excited, depressed, bored or whatever so quickly it makes my head spin. Almost as if I either have no control over what I feel or I'm too sensitive to the environment around me. What do you guys go through and how do you deal with it?

I've never quite figured out what "mood swings" are. How do you figure out if someone has mood swings or just different moods?

Sometimes I'm happy, sometimes I'm angry, sometimes I'm sad. Isn't everybody pretty much like that?

well it can be sunny and cloudy and there can be thunderstorms.

mood swings i guess are, to follow tht analogy, when you wake up it's sunny, when you step out of the house it's pouring, when you get on the bus it's sunny again... etc....

For me, drastic mood swings has not been an issue but I frequently encounter social withdrawal/depression and generally shut down for a few days to a few weeks. I have learned to utilize that down time with playing guitar where I can focus on something other than my mood. Plus, it is paying off 'cause I'm getting pretty good at playing which boost my self-esteem. Yup, just one trick of the trade!

I don't see how that's abnormal though...? Let's say I wake up and I'm happy because it's Friday. Then as I get dressed, I start thinking about work and I think about someone at work who annoys me. At that point I'm irritated and grumpy because I don't want to be around that person. Then I think about the person who sits next to them, and I really like that person so I'm happy because I know that person is going to make jokes and keep me entertained all day long.

In that scenario, 10 minutes have gone by and my mood has changed twice, but it's due to what I'm thinking about. Is that abnormal? Seems pretty normal to me. I think I'm going to ask my psychologist about this next week. Seems like a good thing to learn about.

I am bipolar, and if you are refering to abnormal mood swings i'll relate it to that disorder. In bipolar disorder, the mood swings are not related to events or thoughts that occur. They are random and unpredictable. That is what makes them abnormal.

Edit: Abnormal can also refer to mood swings that are out of proportion to the current thought or event, such as the emotion being overexaggerated in relation to the event that caused the mood.

I was going to bring up bi polar. My moods can swing also, though I am more often at the very depressed end of the scale, with some impulsive elation in between on occasion. Do those who assess AS acknowledge that the two can co-exist?

I don't see my feelings as being abnormal, but there are times when I would like to be a little more socially acceptable - especially if I'm driving on the road, and I want to focus on driving defensively instead of making other people angry. Has anybody experimented with ways to control your emotions? Sometimes it helps me if I read or write, but what if you're somewhere your relaxant is not?