Stressful living with family (Please Help?)

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LimboMan
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26 May 2016, 10:59 am

In many ways, living with my family is very stressful and has always been and the bad always outweighs the good. I won't say all the details but in general its not somewhere you can relax. People say a home is a place you can wind down and relax after a stressful day but this case its the opposite, I have a stressful day and then I come back and my blood boils even more.
My family has never been very understanding about my autism, and my dad thinks I'm using it as an excuse because I enjoy being angry. I have mild autism diagnosis, but it can't be ignored.

I get angry and have meltdowns because of overload as my dad is a very intense, cynical person and hearing his opinions on things makes me roused up. I absorb people's emotions like a sponge and in my house there is so much stress and negativity going on and my noise sensory overload goes haywire. Comparing living here to the Dursleys in Harry Potter (especially my Dad) would be quite accurate. I always feel the odd one out compared to my NT brother who gets on with my family well.
I really hate living at home now to be blunt and now my University course is ending I'm going to have to be here for another 3-4 months. But luckily I've decided to build confidence to live away in my 3rd year of University and I'm hoping I'll experience the relaxing, peaceful home I mentioned. It makes me sad imagining what happy families are like and I don't think I'll ever experience one.

So is there ANY ways at all I can manage being here in a place I don't want to be? I'm breaking point always here its too much for someone to manage, let alone someone with ASD traits. I know I should get out the house more but the problem is I like being my own company and doing my special interests, and I need to work on social anxiety.

Thanks for any help.


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Kuraudo777
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26 May 2016, 11:01 am

Aww. I know how you feel about absorbing other's emotions, since I often meltdown when I'm near negative people. Hugs and support for you: :heart: :heart:


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26 May 2016, 11:03 am

Could you be by yourself in a public library? That would get you out of the house, but not really in a social situation for a few hours to unwind.



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26 May 2016, 11:43 am

I agree about spending some time away from them.

I'm certainly not a man, so take the following with a grain of salt. I'm merely an observer. I'm also not autistic.

I think that when a man is living at home for longer than usual, it puts his masculinity and adulthood into a...beta male kind of position, if that makes sense. So your dad is the alpha male, and by circumstance, you are forced into the secondary position. So any of your opinions or actions are suppressed because of his presence. That's just natural because of your living situation.

If you can either get out on your own, or spend enough time away from home so that you have essentially built an outside life for yourself, you can let them see you as your own alpha male. A full adult, standing separately on your own. Your dad and the rest of your family should start to be a little more respectful of your opinions and actions once they are able to see you this way. If not, they should be more open to conversations from you that would work toward this direction.



LimboMan
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26 May 2016, 4:12 pm

Thank you for the responses :) There certainly is a library I have thought about going there. I feel I can identify with the beta alpha male idea. I'm an adult but it just feels like I'm treated like a kid and my views don't mean anything. I don't hate my family, but I struggle with the intense atmosphere it brings and feeling like I can't be myself at home. Its really important for me to keep busy over the summer but I'm struggling for ideas.


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26 May 2016, 4:19 pm

Even better might be an apprenticeship or internship you could do--maybe not the best thing for unwinding--but might be best in the long run if you can do it.