#autism questions

[ametistapp]

"Lack of personality" in autism (spoiler: it's the masking)

[Large text: "Lack of personality" in autism (spoiler: it's the masking)]

I was scrolling through # autism questions and noticed a bunch of people asking stuff related to not being able to figure out their personality so I thought I'd share something I've realized some time ago.

My entire life, I always had this idea that my personality was just "too broad" to be normal, as in, I acted in completely different ways in different situations and with different people.

Of course, everyone tends to change their behavior a little when dealing with different people (you're not the same with your friends vs with your teachers or boss), but there's limits.

Being aware of this, one of the first conditions I looked into once I decided to start doing research on neurodivergence was DID — and, eventually, OSDD — but I quickly understood that wasn’t it.

(It was great doing that research though, because the idea media gave me (and most people) on """split personality""" has nothing to do with what DID and OSDD are. And they're very interesting conditions, so more knowledge for me!)

But if it wasn't an identity thing, then what was it?

It was masking.

Four years into research, one year as a self-diagnosed autistic, I realized the thing that made my personality so "broad" was just masking. And a year after that, I'm still certain that's the answer.

Because, my entire life, I've been changing myself to fit in with others, especially with neurotypicals.

While masking, you don't just "tone down" the very clear traits of your autism (or any other condition, by all means), you also copy other people's behaviors and personalities (usually subconsciously) so you don't seem like the "weird one".

I've been like a bloody mirror my whole life, and that's likely what others are struggling with when trying to figure out their personalities as well.

Hope this helped someone.

#autism spectrum disorder #autism questions #autism #asd #actually autistic #neurodivergence #actually neurodivergent #masking #autism masking #you do have a personality #you just gotta find it babe #you can do it #hope this helps #autistic things #long post

[belpheg0r-luna]

Is it an autism thing that I can't clock the fact that I'm in pain or really really uncomfortable for a long time and then it just suddenly hits me and then it becomes unbearable??

#autism #autism questions #actually autistic #autistic things #neurodivergent #neurodiversity #neurodiverse stuff #neurodivergent stuff #belphegor luna

[muiromem]

Autism question of sorts

I don't know if it's an Autism thing, an Autism + Anxiety thing, or just a Me thing but...

Does anyone else feel really bad if someone "rejects" something about a hyperfixation or special interest of theirs?

For me, when someone criticizes, pokes fun at, or doesn't like something about a special interest of mine (especially if I tried to share it with them), it feels like that person is rejecting me.

Am I just over-sensitive? Is it because I'm autistic? Is it because my special interests feel so important and integral to who I am for some indescribable reason? I don't know if I've ever heard other people talk about feeling like this.

But even then, it's not always involving my special interests. It's much less frequent, but sometimes it's just that I was interested or excited about something, and the person I tried to share it with doesn't like it. I end up feeling so incredibly hurt and rejected even though I know I shouldn't take a difference of taste/opinion so personally.

I legitimately want to know if this happens to anyone else and if anyone knows why. Hell, I'd love to know if anyone has any idea how to not feel this way - you know, other than trying to tell myself over and over again not to take things personal.

#Autism #neurodivergent #Mental health #autism questions #Autistic #Personal stuff

[scenicphoenix]

Autistic question, do you ever eat something more for the texture? Like tge taste has to be at least neutral but it's the texture that keeps you coming back to the food more often than not? A lot of my favorite foods are like that. I used to fold tortillas and eat them like that as a kid because the texture when biting through the layers of tortilla was fun to kid me

#autism #autistic #autism questions #food mention #mental health #autistic adult

[aroorchid-slenderman]

Peer reviewed autism haver here. I don't think I've got it and doctor says nope but I've got an autistic friend who says I've got it 100% so I've got the secret third thing.

I've always been obsessed with space and programming (and tally hall) and I've wanted to call them special interests but I wasn't sure if that was an autism exclusive term. After googling it I don't think it is? But I thought I'd ask first anyways.

It's not a hyperfixation, I hyperfixate about games mainly.

Programming is probably a hobby, I don't memorize stuff about it like with the other two. Space and tally hall definetly aren't hobbies.

From the autism wiki, I fit the memorizing facts part, I could probably teach a seminar on space and tally hall

I don't fit the focus only on special interest category. I'm very productive.

I suppose I'll run a poll

Reblog for bigger sample size or whatever. I only need like 3 opinions really

Oh I guess bonus poll in comments/reblogs of tell me if you think I'm autism, might self diagnose

#autism #autism questions #autistic #special interest #question

[wethinkweknow-you]

I don't know if I'm high functioning/low support needs or the other way around help

also. I know some people don't like the functioning labels like this but I honestly don't know what other words to use. so I'm sorry for if I offend anyone.

I don't know if I should be considered "high" or "low" functioning. I can speak, but I often go nonverbal. I am both hyposensitive and hypersensitive depending on many different factors. I have a job and I go to school, but honestly I hate school and it makes me very overwhelmed every day and I cry a lot. My friends say they see me as "normal" (???) but I usually am just masking. I feel like in my brain I'm "low" functioning but I am able to mask so in social situations I am "high" functioning.

I am able to do things on my own, but very rarely. I need help on almost everything I do. at the same time, I hate hate hate when people watch me and I hate asking for help. I never ask mentors such as teachers and parents for help on things, I usually just try to figure it out myself or ask my partner. I don't think I'd be able to live on my own because I need help and support doing basic things. My executive function is so low I can't even get out of bed most days.

so does anyone know what this means? am i high support needs and high functioning? am i high functioning because of my high support? I know it's not always necessary to put a label on yourself and I wouldn't encourage others to do so. I just want to know for myself.

#high support needs high functioning #neurodiversity #autistic things #actually autistic #asd #neurodivergency #autistic #audhd #neurodivergent #autism #advice #questions #autism questions #neurodiverse stuff #help

[halo-crow]

I'm curious because one day I told my friend how my special interest (doctor who) is recurring that makes me wonder if any other autistic person has a recurring special interest?

#autistic experiences #autism questions #actually autistic #autism #autistic things #special interest

[my-chemical-cas]

hello fellow autistic people i have a question-

do you occasionally walk around your home blind? and by this i mean do you close your eyes and walk around as if you were blind because seeing is just Too Much™️ at the moment?

i ask this because i regularly shower, get a drink, or go back and forth between my room and the bathroom completely blind. it’s just nice. it’s better when it’s dark too, so you don’t see the light behind your eyes

#reblog with your thoughts #need bigger sample size #and so more people see this #autism #this might just be a weird thing i do #however i blame it on my #sensory issues #autism questions #adults with autism

[cryptidwithaninternetconnection]

hiii again, this is for the autistic ask game :D

📝- what did the process of discovering you're autistic look like for you? Do you have a formal diagnosis? (This one is rlly important to me bc I rlly think I'm autistic and I'm not in the place to get a formal one)

🔎- do you have a special interest? If you do, what is it and what's your favorite things about it?

Tysm for allowing me to still ask! :D (and if you wanna be mutuals plz let's ur rlly cool)

hope ur having a good dayyyy!!

Hi thanks for the question!

1 - I personally self-diagnosed, my realization came from watching creators that I thought acted really similar to me I specific ways, when I discovered that certain creators I liked had autism, I decided “well, I act really similar in these ways and this creator I like say it was because of their autism, so maybe I’m autistic!” I’m still unsure and my symptoms are probably ADHD bleeding over lmao

2 - OH BOY DO I- I have alot! A main hyperfixation that’s been taking over my life is called Milo Murphys Law! You can pirate the show here! :DD another that I’ve had for a long time is Lego Monkey Kid, you can pirate it on YouTube or watch it on prime video! :DD I have alot of others but I’ll be writing for a while if I list all of them lmao

#autism #self diagnosed autism #autism questions

[disabledautisticgreen]

i don't know my support needs and it's hard to tell which of it is autism and which is from my other issues. i get scareed because i don't think i can live on my own without help. i don't think i can get a job but my family keeps pushing me to try. i tried to learn how to drive but it just doesn't click for me. the iadl stuff is all stuff i need help with. but a couple badls are issues for me too.

i don't remember who diagnosed me with autism so i don't know what level i am. i feel more autistic than my partner and he sometimes get upset when i do things that are more autistic than him. i don't know how to figure it out. everyone says i should be able to do this or that and when i say i need my hand held i get corrected and told i just need a little help and encouragement. but i know i'm not level 3. is level 1.5 a thing?

my aunt is trying to help me get on disability but i need to call doctors to do that and while i can it's really really hard because i don't understand what people are saying on the phone and i can't ask them to repeat themselves because i get stressed and just say "okay" because that's the only response my brain can give sometimes

i don't know how to end this. i know low support and level 1 can and do have issues. but i don't know if i fall under that. it doesn't feel like i do, i feel like i can't relate to my friends' issues and like i get judged for being different from them, i don't know if i'm faking or pretending having it worse off than them or if my mom medically neglecting me included the autism. i don't want to take from people worse off than me

i also am starting to wonder if i'm semi verbal because i've seen people say things that seemsimilar to how i experience stuff. feeling like jaw is clamped shut. wrong words coming out. stuttering and tripping over my words. i make grunts and growls when upset and it scares people. i think in concepts and it's hard to put words to the concepts. i forget words a lot and pause mid sentence. and talking is hard, not thoughtless. i can use text. but i have to sit for a long while to make words and have them make sense. sometimes i'm okay at words and sometimes i'm not. like right now

but i don't want to take words that don't belong to me or labels that don't apply. so i'm confused and i don't really know what to do or ask besides please help (advice?) and i know people here probably aren't professionals. but i don't know where to start. this has been making me really anxious all the time. thinking about it makes me want to cry if i think about it for too long. please let me know if i'm being hurtful by asking for help. do i just stop worrying about it ebcause i'm probably just low support level 1 with speech loss episodes?or is it fair to suspect that i'm not... i don't know. does low-mid support exist does level 1.5 or 1.7 autism exist??

#autism #actuallyautistic #actually autistic #autism questions #support needs #please help #vent post #autism level #long post

[belpheg0r-luna]

Is it an average neurotypical occurrence to feel the alcohol under your skin and in your tears when under the influence or is that an autism thing?

#autism #actually autistic #autistic things #autism questions #autistic life #autism posting #autism brain #autism community #autism creature #autism acceptence month #autism stuff #autism discourse #autism experiences #autism ramblings #autism things #belphegor luna

[b-theshittyhuman]

Hey ASD community, I have a question.

So, I'm not fully sure when I'm masking and when I'm not, but I'm finding when I get frustrated/irritated I enter a sort of semi-emotionless state and feel like there's something covering my face.

Idk, could be me trying to be one of those "emotionless geniuses that are typically associated with the autistic stereotype in media when there is a lack of research on the writers end" because I've always found them to be cool and it's a comfort thing of trying to fit in with being autistic even though I have been diagnosed.

Can you mask in an attempt to fit in with your own community that is known to mask to fit in with others?

And also, does masking include emotional suppression?

In fact, just explain what masking is pls. Coz I hardly understand and I barely understand myself and don't know if I ever mask, what I'm like when I'm not masking, who even am I? Am I a tired boy pretending to be the emotionless genius bc I've grown up thinking that's how I should be but with etiquette? Am I an overexcited goof that runs at the slightest utterance of the word treat? Am I everything I was and will be? Am I all the characters I learned from?

Idk.

Help me.

Pls.

#autism spectrum disorder #asd #autism #actually autistic #masking #autistic #autism questions #autistic masking

[imtransanddragonobsessed]

Sup fellas, I’m currently confused about being neurotypical or not again for the 99999th time?

Might have autism or adhd, anyways I have a few questions about some experiences that I think might be signs;

Is getting along and understanding and being friends with other autistic people a sign? (I’ve had two close friends, two of them had diagnosed autistism.)

As a kid (0-10) I went to lots of doctors for other stuff, apparently one of them started suspecting me of autism according to my dad.

Is dissociating extremely easily in crowded / loud environments a sign?

One of my first memories was, what I now realise is, stimming with my hands and messing with them, is that a sign?

All my life I’ve been obsessed with dragons and how to train your dragon, is that a sign?

In loud and crowded environments I stop talking and stay quiet even though alone and with close people I’m not quiet at all! I try to be my true self in these environments but it never works, is that a sign?

I do these weird things that I think might be stimming??? I chew my mouth, used to happen more often a few years ago but I stopped, I sometimes do it now when concentrating by accident, I like to fiddle with my hands and anything I get a hold of, eg messing and taring up paper (I remember this one time I was really nervous in a test and I tore the paper up so much that the bottom half was unreadable!)

I use to be in special needs class with well known autistic kids in my first school, I thought it was because I had a different disability and they lumped me in with them, but looking back I don’t know. I did have struggles learning language.

Awlways struggled with making friends.

I have trouble concentrating on stuff, even if I want to concentrate on it, my mind always distracts me.

Forgets crap easily + struggles staying organised + rooms a mess!

I have weird modes of brain fog, and weird modes of being extremely concentrated on stuff.

Chronic procrastinator (even procrasting rn)

I hate bright lights so much! When I was a wee child they gave me a migraine, sometimes still do.

My uncle is autistic.

Please help me lmfao ;-;

Edit, forgot to add this;

#autism #adhd #adhd questions #autism questions #please help me what the fucccckkkk #mental health #neurodivergent #i’m sorry if this makes no sense #I don’t think I’m normal aaaaaaa #Aa #a #aaa #help #questions

[chaotic-neutral-toga]

Bro how do you use chewlery without it getting all slobbery drooly wet, am i doing it wrong or something

#my biting stim is so bad but i never use my chewlery anymore cuz it gets gross #just a bit of chewing and its covered in saliva yuck ick #its a bracelet if that matters #chewlery #chewelry #chew stim #bite stim #autistic #autism #stim toys #stim #autism questions #autism help #biting stim

[ellie-probably]

question about autism cause im confused about myself

can someone define being nonverbal, semiverbal, demiverbal, etc? i dont know how to differentiate between them and i want to know how i can describe myself cause like sometimes i feel like i would really rather not speak unless someone needs my answer, in which case i put on a mask of "happy interesting person," cause i mostly feel like that when ive got good music on drowning things out but also thinking about deep shit like this that makes me feel sad, and when im like this and people try and make small talk im just like "omg shut up" (conveyed as a sigh) and put my headphones back on

this is just so fucking HARD TO figufe out cause like when i tryh and pinpoint when it happens like im not feeling particularaly stressed out im just liek "oh yeah id rather not speak now" or like "uhm yeah idk how to talk rn cause its loud and shit" but im never like "yeah im very stressed out by this shopping centre cause its too loud and aaaaaaaaa help" its more just like i wanna listen to music more than the shopping noise and other people and try and just focus on trying not to walk into people, its never like full on stress. idk how to explain it im just so confused fuck (sorry for bad typing this is like hard to figure out for me so like its not gonna make sense to you probably and like its a way to portray annoyance)

i think a lot of times my sensory overload only happens when im in a socially stressful situation (people being annoying or mean to me) or thinking about stuff like this. like its always a result of the social situation or thinking about stuff, it never causes it.

sorry for the vent but i guess thats why these little autistic peeps in my laptop are for and also why i created the blog, so yknow im not sorry for the vent i really just need answers and a space to vent

funny thing - when i vent about stuff i always realize how to describe my experiences to myself, so aidan here is more knowledgeable than aidan at paragraph 1 so yipiee

&

#nonverbal #semiverbal #autism #autistic #actually autistic #neurodivergent #send help #autism questions

[sophinthealps]

can autistics have hyperfixations because i defo get hyperfixations all the time

#autistic #autism questions