Can the strength of your special interests be altered?

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I have noticed over most of my life that there are many people who don't feel the need to speak/write/draw/daydream about their special interests all the time. It seems that the older I get the more my interest takes over my life and I struggle finding anything else to do. I wondered if the level of interest that is captivated can be self-taught. I mean can I do something to make my interests less intense and more spread out or is it something as much on a spectrum as autism itself?

Extreme focus on special interests is very much a part of the autism spectrum. I'm not so sure of it being self taught however. My special interests have strengthened to some degree as I've grown up.

But if you think about it, NT adults start to focus more on a much narrower field as they grow older too. There are college majors and then specialized jobs in the workforce. So I think the strengthening of a special interest is just part of the regular course of like to a certain extent.

My experience on this is that my Special Interests seem to run their own course. I've never tried to diminish my Special Interests BUT when my MAIN Special Interest died (due to Oracle), I did try to build interest in other things that interest me and make them become my new Special Interest but it didn't work. Nothing lasted more than 3 months.

I've since learned that (for me), you can't pick your Special Interests. They have to pick you - so from that, I can infer that you can't diminish your interest in your Special Interests (or at least, I can't)... and to tell you the truth, I wouldn't want to. My Special Interest/s are my life - they recharge me - they give me reason to exist - I have no control over them AND ... I LOVE them.

When Sun Microsystems got killed by Oracle, it ended my more than 10 year Special Interest and I went into deep depression to the point I had to be hospitalized. After that, I tried to find a new Special Interest but as I said, nothing lasted more than 3 months. Shortly after, I somehow stumbled upon Myna birds or more like, they stumbled upon me and I was hooked (and still am). I have no idea why Myna birds but I do know, I have no idea why a Special Interest picks me (i.e. I have no idea why I'm interested in what I am) but I do know, Why, if you're enjoying something that brings you joy, would you wish to diminish it?