Basement wrote:
I guess this is quite subjective, hmmm.
Do you balance things well? What things I hear you shout, well I guess life in general. Personally, I don't believe I do, whether that is down to my AS, low mood or just because I am 'me' I'm not sure. I seem to dip into extremes of doing very little, not leaving the house, feeling lost etc to the opposite of putting in a lot of hours in the library in uni or actually spending a few hours with people.
It depends on the scale at which one's viewing something. My life may balance out (in whichever ways) in the "big picture", over a lifetime-yet zooming in, up close my life may seem skewed to extremes. After all, what is an average, "normal" ? It's made up of accumulated extremes (as well as measurements in between), from which we derive a fictional middle ground or midpoint value.
Balance is important to me, though it's a personal thing-I'm the one who decides whether something meets my criteria for "feeling" even/fair/finished/just right. It can be physical, mental, or blend of realms. Small example-When my boyfriend touches one of my arms, he knows to then touch the other one, so I don't complain of feeling "off"/imbalanced.
Knowing what's expected of me is helpful, yet difficult to divine. Structure matters to me, but as I've said in discussions about "spontaneity vs. routine", I prefer one over the other on a
case-by-case (not absolute) basis. It's not just one or the other, it varies greatly-crucial detail is whether something's my choice, or someone trying to impose their will upon me.
Basement wrote:
Came across this the other day and the balance thing came to mind, lack of structure drives me up the walls.
People with autistic spectrum disorders lack an internal structure for their lives. They need to have an external framework constructed for them by those who care for them and teach them. Even those who are most able need this type of support. The most successful find it for themselves in the work and living arrangements they choose but even they are vulnerable if the structure is completely removed by the hazards of life (Wing, 1996. p. 91).
I balance well when I have certain supports in my life & rely heavily on my safety net(s) to thrive.
Meeting my basic needs is impossible w/o assistance in some areas, but other activities of daily living I have no problem taking care of on my own. I present quite a peculiar diagnostic picture...
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*"I don't know what it is, but I know what it isn't."*
