It’s been a while since I last wrote on here and for that, I apologise. It’s partly due to being busy and partly due to not being able to find the website that helped me find a detailed list of Asperger’s’ characteristics. I’ve found it now so it’s fine.
This post is about the emotions of people who have Asperger’s syndrome. These characteristics are easy for me to write about as I relate to them all on some level. One of the main reasons that I was questioned for Asperger’s was because my counsellor noticed that my mood patterns were similar to those who have autism. My moods were very level and I often didn’t feel anything. When I did, it went from extreme sadness and anger to extreme excitement, depending on the situation. There was no in-between. This is an indicator of Asperger’s. Not all the time, as it can be an indicator of other things, but usually.
For those with ASD, rage, anger, and hurt may be expressed in unexpected ways. Well, I have a lot of anger issues, that’s for sure, and pretty much anyone that knows me can testify. Like others, I will leave it to build until I suddenly snap. I don’t think anybody outside of my home has seen any of my unexpected outbursts, which is good, and I hope it stays that way. One time, my dad cooked me dinner earlier than my usual time. It was thoughtful of him but all I could think of was that he hadn’t cooked in my usual time scale. That upset me greatly. So I may have yelled at him, gone in my room, and not gone back downstairs. Over something as simple as my food prepared earlier than usual. That is part of my Asperger’s. When it happens, it’s strange to me because it doesn’t register that I’m behaving the way I do and it isn’t until afterwards that I realise it was wrong. It’s very much a black out moment.
Perfectionism. Now, this isn’t a word that people would normally associate with me but if you’re looking for it, God’s in the detail. One issue that I’ve always had is that I never hand in my work because I never think it’s good enough. This was a big problem in A-Level. Not so much anymore. Mainly because I have to give my work in at uni, else I will fail. I will forever be re-writing my work yet it is never good enough. There are other examples but we could be here for a while, so let’s leave it there.
Another example of emotion is being easily overstimulated by sound, crowds, lights, and smells. This is probably one of the worst ones of all for me, particularly being at uni. People find me very boring but in all honesty, I couldn’t care less. A certain type of sound, smell, feeling or lighting can make me incredibly anxious and on some occasions, nearly inconsolable. I turned up to a birthday party once and we were standing in the garden. The music and the talking was too loud so I left and cried. When I came back, I asked the DJ if he could the music down slightly. I mean, honestly, only slightly and it was still pretty loud. Everyone kept on telling me I was being boring and that at my age, I should enjoy loud music. Well, I don’t quite frankly. This kind of overstimulation can stop me from leaving my room and socialising. A lot of people can also mistake me for being lazy when it comes to staying in my room, but it’s mainly because I haven’t got the energy to leave.
Lastly, another common example is an inside feeling not matching outside behaviour. Apparently, I either give off a very calm or rigid demeanour. This can usually be quite common for anyone with ASD. However, this was a big problem for me in the past because I would be having a panic attack and nobody would notice. When I’m really bothered by something, that’s usually when someone doesn’t notice. People only ask if something is wrong when I’m fine, mainly because I look constantly annoyed or angry. When I am anxious, I usually brush my fingers with my thumbs or hum lowly to myself, which is not something that people will normally pick up. Therefore, people are quick to assume that I am fine.
Wheelchairs and Coathangers 
Hi Hannah – I’d find it incredibly useful to know if anyone realises you are not fine, is there anything they can do to make things better for you/to help?
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Sometimes people can’t tell when I’m not fine. This is just down to not knowing the signs. It’s different for everyone, for example, someone I know turns in circles when they’re stressed. I tend to rub the tips of my fingers with my thumbs, hum lightly, become vacant, blunt and snappish, and can disappear for long periods of time in my room. I can also pace very fast and in short bursts, usually to music.
When this happens, I would occasionally like people to sit with me and continue a normal, light conversation. Obviously if I’m in my room, I would like people to respect my privacy and not contact me until I decide to come out. When I become blunt or snappish, this can be a hard one to notice as people may mistake that for just being in a bad mood, but usually it is best to keep calm and not argue with me because I will only get worse to the point where I won’t see sense. This will make me inconsolable for the next hour or so. When I become vacant, it is best again to just leave me be. It normally just means I’m thinking. Or, you can bring up a conversation or start playing music that I enjoy. Say if someone spoke to me about books or whatever, I would instantly recover slightly or if someone sat with me and listened to music I enjoyed, without making noise, this would also help my mood.
Is this okay? I can always email or message you privately otherwise 🙂
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