Do you hate those proper ''Autistic'' moments?

Page 1 of 1 [ 11 posts ] 

Joe90
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 23 Feb 2010
Gender: Female
Posts: 26,492
Location: UK

06 Oct 2013, 12:54 pm

This thread is preferably aimed at those who dislike being on the spectrum and care more about fitting in than learning facts in solitude.

I can generally hide my AS, and people often get used to the oddities I do show and can look past it and like me for who I am, with or without them having to know I have AS. But sometimes I experience a moment what I feel a more moderate Autistic would do, and feel all strange and annoyed at myself afterwards, not to mention embarrassed. Thankfully I don't have these often at all, and I learn from each ''Autistic moment''.

About 4 years ago when I was at my voluntary job at the charity shop, the boss asked me to get some milk and sugar from the small shop just around the corner. She told me to bring back the receipt because we were using money from the till. She gave me the exact money and told me that the milk and the sugar will come to exactly that, so I took in what I had to do and set out to present the task. While I was in the shop, I found I had some change in my pocket, so I thought I'll get myself a bottle of coke and some sweets, knowing that I wouldn't be stealing from the charity shop till. So I paid and came back, pleased because I had accomplished another independent task without any fuss - or so I thought. I gave the manager the receipt and said that I had got exactly what she wanted, then I said that I had got myself 2 things aswell, with my own money I found in my pocket. The manager looked annoyed and stressed as she said that the charity shop won't get the money back properly if it's got other things on the receipt, and she went to the shop and asked for another receipt without coke and sweets on it. I felt so humiliated and also annoyed at myself because I thought I was being honest, when it was just a dumb thing to do. I felt Autistic at that time, because I'm not usually ''too honest'', but usually Autistics do something where they think they're being honest and reliable, but in an NT's eyes it's a dumb thing to do.

Have you ever done something out of character then felt so annoyed at yourself after?


_________________
Female


UndeadToaster
Deinonychus
Deinonychus

User avatar

Joined: 25 Sep 2013
Age: 28
Gender: Male
Posts: 340

06 Oct 2013, 1:19 pm

I don't think I'd call that an autistic moment. I think anyone could easily do a thing like that. I think doing dumb/out of character things is something that happens not just to people with ASDs or AS. I'm not sure what I am, but I know I end up kicking myself for various things all the time.



DrHouseHasAspergers
Deinonychus
Deinonychus

User avatar

Joined: 18 Dec 2009
Age: 31
Gender: Male
Posts: 310

06 Oct 2013, 2:00 pm

I wouldn't call that an autistic moment either. I think NTs would probably do something like that sometimes too.

My autistic moments are when I stim very noticeably. My usual stims are small like twirling my fingers or lightly tapping my leg but sometimes I get stressed and start rocking back and forth or flapping my hands. I don't like it much because I know it makes me look a bit crazy but it's better than completely melting down in public.



Joe90
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 23 Feb 2010
Gender: Female
Posts: 26,492
Location: UK

06 Oct 2013, 2:17 pm

Quote:
I wouldn't call that an autistic moment either. I think NTs would probably do something like that sometimes too.


Well, that's a relief then.


_________________
Female


Shikari
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 20 Mar 2013
Gender: Female
Posts: 5,378

06 Oct 2013, 2:19 pm

Yeah, NTs do stuff like that all the time!



Joe90
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 23 Feb 2010
Gender: Female
Posts: 26,492
Location: UK

06 Oct 2013, 3:25 pm

I still felt silly though because others that went to the shop to get food and other bits for the staff with the money from the till seemed to know how the system worked. But I suppose I was only, like, 18 or 19 at the time and so was first starting out in the adult world basically.

But I remember another moment when I felt Autistic, at the same place. I was standing in the sorting room and one of the men volunteers was hoovering. One of the women there (who was standing the other side of the room) yelled to me, ''you'll have to move, he's trying to hoover there.'' I did move, but she said, ''no, not there, move over there, no, no, to your right, but no, not there, back a bit, now move the chair out of the way....that's it.'' Then after a few seconds she said, ''you should do it automatically, you shouldn't have to be told.'' That's what made me feel Autistic when she said that. I felt so silly - not to mention I did fancy the man who was hoovering. I felt like yelling, ''way to embarrass me in front of my first crush, you b***h!''


_________________
Female


Callista
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 3 Feb 2006
Age: 42
Gender: Female
Posts: 10,775
Location: Ohio, USA

06 Oct 2013, 3:30 pm

UndeadToaster wrote:
I don't think I'd call that an autistic moment. I think anyone could easily do a thing like that. I think doing dumb/out of character things is something that happens not just to people with ASDs or AS. I'm not sure what I am, but I know I end up kicking myself for various things all the time.
Totally. I'm fine with having an ASD, but if I do something dumb or out of character, I kick myself, too. Especially if it ends up confusing, disappointing, or embarrassing another person.

I have to say--being okay with having an ASD doesn't mean that I don't get annoyed, frustrated, etc. when some AS trait gets in the way. I go to a disability support group, and sometimes that's the best part of it--we get to complain about disability related stuff, just like people complain about non-disability-related annoying stuff, and people in the group actually understand without pitying the heck out of you for it. Whereas, if you complain to an NT that you nearly had a meltdown because the guy next to you on the bus had bathed in cologne that morning, and then you had to rock halfway through your morning class to get your head straight again, they're just going to give you a weird look and back away slowly.


_________________
Reports from a Resident Alien:
http://chaoticidealism.livejournal.com

Autism Memorial:
http://autism-memorial.livejournal.com


Willard
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 23 Mar 2008
Age: 65
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,647

06 Oct 2013, 3:58 pm

I can't speak to whether or not that's "out of character," but I certainly do not appreciate being humiliated for something that's merely a slight misunderstanding and not really anyone's fault (after all, she didn't tell you "don't buy anything else while you're at it"). All the manager had to do was circle the items she needed reimbursement for, anyone who keeps up with an expense account knows there are things the company will reimburse you for and things that come out of your own pocket (which is literally what happened here). It wasn't necessary to go and get a whole new receipt, that was just your manager being anal. :roll:



1401b
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 21 May 2012
Age: 125
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,590

06 Oct 2013, 5:08 pm

This isn't ASD, this is simply ignorance.
It is a pathetic policy intended for stupid accountants or bosses who apparently cannot add or subtract without having their own meltdowns.
But it is a common policy. Someone seeing that receipt without knowing the background of it specifically, could become confused.
But nobody is born knowing that bosses might want separate receipts.


Edited to add:
Oops, I don't know if I fit your profile of eligible answerers. Sorry if I don't, just ignore me.


_________________
(14.01.b) cogito ergo sum confusus


Codyrules37
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 25 Aug 2013
Age: 30
Gender: Male
Posts: 748

06 Oct 2013, 5:36 pm

I used to care a lot about what other people thought of me. Now I don't care as much. I think it's an age thing. When you're in your teens, you tend to care more about what other people think of you. It's hard enough for teenagers, imagine being a teen aspie; that can be difficult. Thats why the teenage years are often some of the most tough years for aspies.



Shikari
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 20 Mar 2013
Gender: Female
Posts: 5,378

06 Oct 2013, 7:07 pm

Joe90 wrote:
I still felt silly though because others that went to the shop to get food and other bits for the staff with the money from the till seemed to know how the system worked. But I suppose I was only, like, 18 or 19 at the time and so was first starting out in the adult world basically.

But I remember another moment when I felt Autistic, at the same place. I was standing in the sorting room and one of the men volunteers was hoovering. One of the women there (who was standing the other side of the room) yelled to me, ''you'll have to move, he's trying to hoover there.'' I did move, but she said, ''no, not there, move over there, no, no, to your right, but no, not there, back a bit, now move the chair out of the way....that's it.'' Then after a few seconds she said, ''you should do it automatically, you shouldn't have to be told.'' That's what made me feel Autistic when she said that. I felt so silly - not to mention I did fancy the man who was hoovering. I felt like yelling, ''way to embarrass me in front of my first crush, you b***h!''


I hate it when people do that kind of thing. It's always embarrassing. It's not an autistic moment though.....just an embarrassing one! She was being condescending to you.

I remember one time in one of my college classes the teacher went over to a couple of girls sitting next to me, and said..."is there some kind of a problem, like is there some sort of disconnect that you are not understanding the assignment?" In front of the whole class. I felt embarrassed for them. The teacher was being totally rude.