Do social situations exhuast you?

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I recently went to an xmas party where they were serving Indian food. THe room was decently loud (thankfully no loud noises ), and I was able to interact with people. It was at the Cody Center, where people have an understanding for people with AS/ASD anyways. I am an intern there, and as such was able to participate. Everything went well, the food was great, and I was actually able to hold decent conversations with them, and even if I wasn't, I was still able to listen, which is what I usually do.

I drank lots of high-caffeine soda. Yes at the end of the party, all I could do was go back to my room and sleep for like 2 hours. I was tired! Does this happen to any/all of you? This also happens after I go on a job interview as well.

My social impairment is mild. It depends on the situation.

No, actually. Unlike most people with AS, socializing actually energizes me. It's difficult, but I feel caffeinated afterwards.

I definitely get tired after talking for a while. I'm usually a person who doesn't talk much. I remember going to see a counselor a few months ago. She just pretty much sat there while I told her pretty much my life story. Man, that was exhausting! After about 5 or 10 minutes of talking, I was so tired, I could barely talk anymore. It was actually an effort for me to talk that long nonstop. So you're not alone!

For me, it depends on the situation.

Yes. I like social situations but find them difficult so all that extra effort wears me out.

Definitely. I lose sleep in anticipation of an event and lose sleep in the aftermath as well in association with all of my perceived failures in a given circumstance and the whole thing is very exhausting for me. I'm still too hard on myself but think I may be able to improve in time.

Depends on the situation. I've had times after social events where I felt great, and just wanted to keep going. Other times, I've stayed in the house for days afterwords, because I was so exhausted (mentally and physically) from socializing. It's like a rollercoaster.

Context dependent for me too.

When I was younger I was more inclined to draw energy from interactions with others, but now I find that as I am aware of my social limitations and work to prevent them from being too socially impairing, that social interaction is more often than not exhausting. I get energy however from interacting with people I do not feel a need to monitor myself around, and also if I forget to monitor myself I tend to gain energy from interacting with others. The problem is if I do not monitor myself around most people, they will not necessarily want to interact with me again.

Last edited by pandd on 14 Dec 2009, 8:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.

A friend of mine also feels energized by socializing. I'm exactly the opposite. I used to go to dinners for various things going on at the university, and I found that these tended to wear on me, and for one of them I came away feeling depressed. I couldn't figure out why I would feel that way, given that these things are supposed to make people feel better. If I'm alone, I don't expect anything so there's nothing to feel bad about. I think a lot of my tendency to say extreme things that put people off may have to do with becoming overloaded.

Even nonsocial stuff like going to the store is done best with breaks in between.

Exhausting in most cases, sometimes accompanied with sweating, high levels of stress, which can lead even to illness from time to time.

Yes, me too.

I find it energising, but only in one-on-one situtaions. It is group situations I find exhausting especially as my abilty to contribute in group converstaions is non existant, which leaves me feeling depressed at times.

It depends on the size of the group, and how much I know the people in it. In one-on-one with a close friend, I don't find things too draining, and I can just about manage a three now where I know everyone involved (I used to be awful at this, so it's an improvement). But group situations and intense social situations do tend to wear me out.

All social scenarios are draining to me. I volunteer for community events on occasion. I do well when I have a function I am there to perform. I am energized while I am there. Afterwards, I come home and don't want to do anything for days.

In other scenarios, ie parties or family get-togethers, I am drained just being there and trying to take an active role in what is going on around me. It is taxing for me to appear interested and engaged.

Yes. I won't engage in any social function unless I have at least a day or two off following the event and it has specifics on when it ends/I can leave. I usually avoid, but when I don't, I become very sensitive and irritable following the event. My roommates don't understand why it takes so much thought and energy (they may understand theoretically, but they don't really accept it). When someone does so much as invite a guest over and I cannot hide in my room, I almost demand no company for an equal amount of time.