Is it hard for you when people leave?

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FandomConnection
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22 Nov 2016, 4:42 pm

Due to my mothers attitudes towards me and treatment of me, I am not close to my family at all. I also don't have many friends amongst my peer group. Because of this, I form very strong attachments towards other people (teachers, mostly). The past three years, my favourite teachers have left the school, and I have had no contact with them since. Finding out that they were going to leave caused me much distress, seemingly disproportionate to the event. Is this common? Is there a connection with ASD? Any advice?


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dcj123
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22 Nov 2016, 4:57 pm

I believe there is a connection, I felt a strong attachment towards a few people in my life. However, to maintain mental health, I think someone on the spectrum might want to avoid this.



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22 Nov 2016, 9:03 pm

dcj123 wrote:
I believe there is a connection, I felt a strong attachment towards a few people in my life. However, to maintain mental health, I think someone on the spectrum might want to avoid this.


I spent the first 13 years of my life without making any friends. I don't have family to speak of. Before I found people to become attached to, I didn't know that it was unusual to want to die. It hurts a lot when they leave, but without people who I love and who are kind to me, my mental health suffers. The need for connection is an element of human nature.


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skibum
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22 Nov 2016, 9:24 pm

I think it is very common for people on the spectrum to go through this. I do.


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dcj123
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22 Nov 2016, 9:55 pm

FandomConnection wrote:
dcj123 wrote:
I believe there is a connection, I felt a strong attachment towards a few people in my life. However, to maintain mental health, I think someone on the spectrum might want to avoid this.


I spent the first 13 years of my life without making any friends. I don't have family to speak of. Before I found people to become attached to, I didn't know that it was unusual to want to die. It hurts a lot when they leave, but without people who I love and who are kind to me, my mental health suffers. The need for connection is an element of human nature.


I feel its only needed when someone feels its a needed, how is someone's life better after communicating? How is it better from bad communication? Its not, its "needed" because that is what people want, they want to feel loved, but it is not a necessity. There are a million things that can occupy someone's time in isolation.

want =! need



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22 Nov 2016, 9:59 pm

I understand.

I developed an obsession with a teacher I had but didn't let it dominate me.

But when I realised I was being moved to sixth form I:

Wanted to hurt myself.
Wanted to hurt other people.
Swear, cuss, scream, cry.
Cut off my hair.

I can become quite smitten with both male and female teachers and assistants, it might be due to a lack of friends in real life similar to my age, or I might just be odd.



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22 Nov 2016, 11:03 pm

dcj123 wrote:
FandomConnection wrote:
dcj123 wrote:
I believe there is a connection, I felt a strong attachment towards a few people in my life. However, to maintain mental health, I think someone on the spectrum might want to avoid this.


I spent the first 13 years of my life without making any friends. I don't have family to speak of. Before I found people to become attached to, I didn't know that it was unusual to want to die. It hurts a lot when they leave, but without people who I love and who are kind to me, my mental health suffers. The need for connection is an element of human nature.


I feel its only needed when someone feels its a needed, how is someone's life better after communicating? How is it better from bad communication? Its not, its "needed" because that is what people want, they want to feel loved, but it is not a necessity. There are a million things that can occupy someone's time in isolation.

want =! need


Illegal Nazi experiments during WWII show that human connection is essential for survival, even when all physical needs are being met. Aside from that, I would probably be dead now if it weren't for connections I'd formed. I had no reason to live (not learning anything at school, so wasting every day, no friends or other connections). The only thing which kept me alive until I found more challenging schoolwork and inter-personal connections was not knowing how to die.

I'm sorry if this is fairly heavy - I'm fine now, so don't worry. :D


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Diagnosed: Autism Spectrum Disorder Level 1 without accompanying language impairment
I find it easiest to connect with people through the medium of fandoms, and enjoy the feeling of solidarity.
Too often, people say things they don't mean, and mean things they don't say.


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22 Nov 2016, 11:09 pm

Mortemire wrote:
I understand.

I developed an obsession with a teacher I had but didn't let it dominate me.

But when I realised I was being moved to sixth form I:

Wanted to hurt myself.
Wanted to hurt other people.
Swear, cuss, scream, cry.
Cut off my hair.

I can become quite smitten with both male and female teachers and assistants, it might be due to a lack of friends in real life similar to my age, or I might just be odd.


For me, I just want a parent-child relationship with somebody, probably because I don't have it at home. I try to be good for my teachers and make them proud of me. As for being upset when they leave, I just cry. I cry pretty easily as a way of expressing any emotion (including positive emotions).

For me, being on good terms with my teachers is almost certainly a result of having few friends in my peer group.


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Diagnosed: Autism Spectrum Disorder Level 1 without accompanying language impairment
I find it easiest to connect with people through the medium of fandoms, and enjoy the feeling of solidarity.
Too often, people say things they don't mean, and mean things they don't say.


Jacoby
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22 Nov 2016, 11:13 pm

I've been there, I don't have a lot of people that I am close to in my life or people that I can call friends so when it is very painful to say goodbye to teachers and others that I've bonded with. I get depressed, woe is me, everyone leaves, everything is fleeting, I can't trust anyone, I can't let anyone get close, it's just a lot of awful feelings.



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22 Nov 2016, 11:24 pm

Jacoby wrote:
I've been there, I don't have a lot of people that I am close to in my life or people that I can call friends so when it is very painful to say goodbye to teachers and others that I've bonded with. I get depressed, woe is me, everyone leaves, everything is fleeting, I can't trust anyone, I can't let anyone get close, it's just a lot of awful feelings.


I understand what you mean. This year four of my close friends graduated from school (I have another year), and on the last day I almost wished I had never become friends with them. I'm still getting used to is. :(


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I find it easiest to connect with people through the medium of fandoms, and enjoy the feeling of solidarity.
Too often, people say things they don't mean, and mean things they don't say.


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23 Nov 2016, 1:29 am

I go through the same thing as well. I've always had.


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23 Nov 2016, 1:49 am

CockneyRebel wrote:
I go through the same thing as well. I've always had.


Is your picture Schultz again? And, given your signature, is Schultz your preferred online name? (I know this is off topic, but I just had to ask). :D


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23 Nov 2016, 9:23 am

I have a friend I used to work with who I have developed an attachment to, even though we aren't super close. She is moving out of state and I'm having trouble coping right now because of it. When I was in school, I formed attachments to teachers too (well, the nice ones I had :lol: ), and would get upset when the school year ended and I no longer would see them every day.

My advice would just be to try and keep in touch with them, as long as they are okay with it and think it is appropriate. Perhaps through email, writing letters, or you could see if they will let you add them on Facebook. Good luck! :heart:


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jcfay
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23 Nov 2016, 9:50 am

Jacoby wrote:
I've been there, I don't have a lot of people that I am close to in my life or people that I can call friends so when it is very painful to say goodbye to teachers and others that I've bonded with. I get depressed, woe is me, everyone leaves, everything is fleeting, I can't trust anyone, I can't let anyone get close, it's just a lot of awful feelings.


this pretty much describes my experience too. Mostly with girlfriends. I think some of us on the spectrum are probably far more likely to experience really profound and maybe a more intense feeling of loss, alienation, etc. when relationships go away or dissolve. So this definitely applies to me. Hell, I was inconsolable when my cat died who I'd had for 15 years. I mean I was REALLY a wreck!


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23 Nov 2016, 9:52 am

skibum wrote:
I think it is very common for people on the spectrum to go through this. I do.


Um, yes, so much of the emotional struggle around these friendship issues resonates with me too. I swear it is like my number one obsession. I want so badly to have friends, but find myself consistently alone and unwanted. (Attractive, good hygene, smart, outgoing, so no issues there.)

It sounds to me like it would be a good thing if Asperger's/Autism people could meet each other since we are typically looking for the same things (fundamentally, though place on spectrum, values and interests vary). Don't know how that would work, but just a thought.


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24 Nov 2016, 3:47 am

TheSilentOne wrote:
I have a friend I used to work with who I have developed an attachment to, even though we aren't super close. She is moving out of state and I'm having trouble coping right now because of it. When I was in school, I formed attachments to teachers too (well, the nice ones I had :lol: ), and would get upset when the school year ended and I no longer would see them every day.

My advice would just be to try and keep in touch with them, as long as they are okay with it and think it is appropriate. Perhaps through email, writing letters, or you could see if they will let you add them on Facebook. Good luck! :heart:


I would love to keep in contact with them, but school policy does not allow it. I don't use social media, and have absolutely no way of contacting them. There is a possibility that two of my teachers who have left have left the country. :( That is one of the things that makes it hardest for me, knowing that they are probably still somewhere, but I will probably never see them again. :(


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Diagnosed: Autism Spectrum Disorder Level 1 without accompanying language impairment
I find it easiest to connect with people through the medium of fandoms, and enjoy the feeling of solidarity.
Too often, people say things they don't mean, and mean things they don't say.