Can you tell if you're making people uncomfortable?
Regardless of our socio-emotional/nonverbal learning impairments that those of us with ASD/HFA have, I firmly believe that one emotion sign we CAN'T afford to ignore or miss is when someone is uncomfortable around you.
It took me somewhat later in life, like my late 20s after I got diagnosed, before I was able to notice the signs and react in a way that took the edge off.
Before that, the first I heard of someone saying that I made so-and-so or others feel uncomfortable was when I was 21 at college/uni, which left me completely bewildered as *I* was the one who was made to feel uncomfortable around others in the past, who treated me unfairly (bullies and ignorant/bigoted meatheads). So I thought, gee wiz, how did this predator/prey dynamic get turned around like this??? But it was mostly females who felt that way about me, with the occasional smaller male who did. But nobody said it verbally to my face; it was all second-hand.
Looking in hindsight, I can recall instances of women casting glances to each other and quickly walking away when I approached, or not smiling when they saw me... but it never really registered, simply because I thought I was harmless, and had no intentions whatsoever of causing any harm or suffering.
But then, as unfair as I realized the reaction was, I became wiser post-diagnosis and if I noticed some negative signs then I'd ask "Is everything allright?" and "Is there anything I can do (to help)?" - just trying to be accommodating. Of course, I had to be careful to judge subtle emotional expression differences between hostility and discomfort, because if it was the former they might harshly reply "Yeah, there IS something you can do - go away!! ! you weirdo."
Because of this unjust reaction, I think it forged a greater instinct to be more honest with others - to gain their trust - which may have been overcompensating, granted, because I was already "lying-impaired" due to lack of imagining alternative parallel scenarios (typical Aspie mind!) and not intuitively grasping someone's ToM. But, in most cases it was to more mutual benefit than not
Can you tell if you're making people uncomfortable?
Not usually while it is happening in situ.
I twig later through body language,
I don't think I've made others uncomfortable but I can seem to tell if someone is bored with what I'm talking about or something. Or if I'm watching a movie with someone I worry that they might not be enjoying the movie or are bored, so I look at them occasionally to see if their body language says that they're entertained and comfortable.
I wouldn't say I'm completely impaired with the nonverbal language but I don't always pay attention to it, due to ADHD.
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Female
Not usually while it is happening in situ.
I twig later through body language,
SO MUCH THIS
I'm better at spotting it than I was when I was younger, but it's defo still a work in progress!
FleaOfTheChill
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Joined: 31 Jul 2020
Age: 309
Gender: Non-binary
Posts: 3,174
Location: Just outside of reality
No
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ever changing evolving and growing
I am pieplup i have level 3 autism and a number of severe mental illnesses. I am rarely active on here anymore.
I run a discord for moderate-severely autistic people if anyone would like to join. You can also contact me on discord @Pieplup or by email at [email protected]
Not usually while it is happening in situ.
I twig later through body language,
SO MUCH THIS
I'm better at spotting it than I was when I was younger, but it's defo still a work in progress!
Experience helps.
I call the process "intellectual bridge building".
It is a substitute for intuitive understanding, but much slower.
But I'm still not good at it.
My preferred behavior used to be to keep the conversation as simple as possible.
I used to feel obliged to fill in awkward silence, but I figure the other "guy" can do some of the "heavy lifting" also.
But these days, relatively recently, I have gone "Hikikomori", and avoid almost all RL social situations, not through fear, but through preference.
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