Dealing with doors

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For some reason I seem to have an issue with opening and closing doors in public.
Maybe subconsciously I see them as symbols of initiating a change,something that an AS
mind can be wary of,but I often find myself pushing instead of pulling or turning the handle the
wrong way.
Once I started a new job and at the end of my first day I said my 'Goodnight' then
contrived to make my way into a storage cupboard by mistake.
Just wondered if anyone else finds unfamiliar doors to be slightly intimidating ?

could be something from childhood. as a child you may have often been told off about going into rooms you shouldnt etc, stuff like that sticks.

Wow, I have this exact same problem! I think in my case though it is because I am dyspraxic and also have an eyesight problem so those combined mean I have a very poor sense of direction and it can take me a long time to become familiar with routes and layouts - even if I use them everyday!

As for the initiating change, that is an interesting idea.

In my case, I don't think that this is my problem, although I HATE opening doors that lead to people - e.g. the door to someone's office, or the door to my doctor's surgery or even opening my front door. But I think that is because of my difficulties with social interaction.

If a lot of people are 'milling around' in a group then it is easy to approach someone without it being some grand attention grabbing gesture. If you open a door, then it is like you are 'making an entrance' and there is therefore more focus on you - and I find this kind of thing very uncomfortable.

I don't know if this is relevant to your experiences?

I was talking to a counsellor about this the other day. But with me I think it's because of social anxiety. I worry I won't open the door properly to I will go to open it and it will be locked so I won't know what to do. I definitely have a problem with unfamiliar doors in public though. I also have a problem with doors being left open at home. I can't concentrate or relax in my room if I know the door downstairs is open (unless I am the only person in the house, in which case it doesn't bother me).

hey, (is this thread for me?) my problem, ok ill admit is closing them, when i was home all the way up until 6th grade id close them without a problem, then when i was put in a middle school with a closer on every door, i like suddenly stopped closing them at homeafter id pass through becuase i was too used to the resistance and it closing automatically behind me.

there was a time that i had a problem with what direction to put force, i once went to a fast food place that had a vestibule like entrance, i seen a storm door with closer on my side and handle and went to push, then pulled and handle came off in my hand, since then, each time i called to place an order with that place to later pickup the food, they would have the door open to prevent anymore problems. i fixed that problem by seeing on which side the hinges/closer are on, and if its on that side (the hinges especially) the hardware is on. it takes me about a week or so to get used to that particular door to use extra strength because the door spring being too strong or to use gentle pressure when opening because its too weak.

i have been tricked once, it had a closer and its hinges were on pull side i opened door to get ready for spring tension from the well aged closer and the closer didnt have any pull force!! i didnt bother to ask if it needs fixing because that is one of the advantages of having an old style door closer, you can adjust it to freeswing or have strength to pull it shut.

the door was on the vet's office exam room, i did once tell him i noticed it dont close by itself and hes aware so i have a feeling he or some carpenter intended for it to freeswing.

I hate it when doors don't close properly.
Or when someone shuts the door but I know by the sound it makes that it isn't properly shut.

The only doors I don't like to open are the ones where i KNOW something bad is on the other side of: The door to the dentist, the door to the bathroom at the gas station, etc.
Some doors are great to open: the refrigerator door when i'm hungry, the door to my Oldsmobile, etc.

I'm totally afraid of revolving doors, but other than that, no problems with doors.

Thanks for the replies.Those things mentioned probably go towards explaining it - social
anxiety,making an entrance etc although I still feel anxious even when I know there's nobody
watching me open the door. Doordoctor,I had a feeling you might be interested in this
thread !
I'm going to try and look upon doors as being opportunities instead of obstacles and see
if that puts me at ease

I have a door in my head!

I get confused with doors.. whether to push or pull, or which way to turn the handle.
I like holding doors open though...

So do I.
Then I worry I won't do it right.
I walked into a door once and banged my nose, because I'd tried to open it wrong and it didn't work.

dont feel bad, i get this way when i go through a door of a commercial building or a place with an aluminum framed storefront with full glass "storm door look" doors with just the thin bar or just pull push plates on either side, it does it to me because the hinge and closer are one unit and usually concealed up in top of door frame or in floor below it,

what also is bad, most of this type are HARD TO OPEN!! !!

about fear of hurting self, that did once almost happen to me at a fast food pplace, i called in to get food, then went in and went to open the storm door (yes a real storm door in this situation) and the handle came off in my hand!! ever since that whenever called to order takeout, they would open the doors ahaid of time for me so id not have to worry about pulling or pushing the wrong way

I always mess up on whether to push or pull, even if theres a sign right in front of my face that says it, i always do the opposite, its weird.

I though that was just one of my weird things.
When I ws in college, I became so nervous I would make up rules to do with doors, like I can't go through the door if thereas anybody hanging around either side, can't go through a door until somebody else does, can't touch the handle, had to go through doors in an order (never the logical order).
I got kicked out for not attending enough, I had never bothered try explain the resons why to anyone, I do not think they would have cared.

If it is at all unclear, I definately have a problem with the push/pull of the door. But my biggest problem is with using keys. I am "key-tarded" as a called myself once cause I was the first to work one day and couldn't get in even with all the keys I had. I run into this problem constantly. I think it's mostly because of lack of practice. I grew up in the country and my family rarely locked the front door, so I didn't have to use a door key often. But who knows if it's a neurological thing.