C2V wrote:
I'm wondering about emotional problems, and if autistics are more susceptible to this.
I've been told that autistics are more inclined toward anxiety and depression through a mixture of learned behavior (people don't like us and treat us as so) social problems and isolation, and simple brain chemistry deviances.
However I've also been told many autistics are too oblivious to care about social acceptance and prefer to be solo, so are not bothered by anxiety or depression. Then, some autistics have anger and aggression problems.
As usual, there never seems to be a straight answer.
I'm an alexithymic (which also counts as an emotional problem, apparently) so I would be the last to be able to perceive and understand if I was having an emotional problem, but I think I am - I just get the sort of echo effects of an emotional problem, so all the "problem" bits, without being able to directly experience or identify the causal emotions themselves.
A counsellor was also convinced I'm traumatised in some way, but to me, "trauma" was something you got from trench warfare or severe child abuse - something extreme. Nothing like that in my history.
However, perhaps just being autistic is the difference? You can be legitimately traumatised by things neurotypical people's wouldn't?
I intend to ask about this with new counsellor, but there are very few people who know enough about autism to give any answer, definitive or not.
Opinions?
I bolded the part I think is really true, but you raise some good points. I also think one big issue is a lot of these behaviors are talked about by people (i.e. therapists) who are only looking from the outside. If I describe my issues with noise to most people, they have no idea what I'm talking about and brush it off. Or people see a nervousness they assume is from low self-esteem when really I'm probably either 1) distracted by noise elsewhere, 2) trying to understand what they mean, or 3) worried about masking. Or a little of each. They mean well, but don't know what they're looking at. Perhaps you relate.
Since I was little I've always thought about my thoughts and feelings in order to understand them. I find it fun. I relate to the part I bolded because as I've grown up and started finding out how much I struggle with certain social situations, I started getting the feelings you mentioned. I became hyper aware of my differences without knowing why they were, and that can be a very difficult experience.
Good luck with your counsellor.
07 Aug 2016, 6:52 pm
