• Welcome to Autism Forums, a friendly forum to discuss Aspergers Syndrome, Autism, High Functioning Autism and related conditions.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Private Member only forums for more serious discussions that you may wish to not have guests or search engines access to.
    • Your very own blog. Write about anything you like on your own individual blog.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon! Please also check us out @ https://www.twitter.com/aspiescentral

Stupid Habits and Genetic Components

Blog details

I have certain little habits, bad habits, that drive me a bit crazy. One of those little habits is picking at my toenails, specifically the pinky toe. The toenail grows in unevenly, and maybe that's too much information, but I can't stop ripping the darn thing off. Like completely off, leaving me with bloody and sore toes.

One of the interesting things about this habit is that while, at least to me, it sounds like a unique compulsion, it is one my sister, E, also holds. I didn't find out that she does it, or she that I do it, until this last year.

My sister isn't autistic, but she does have the amazing ability to seem to read my mind at times. And, occasionally, I feel like I can read hers. A few little examples: My father was going to put her call on speakerphone in a restaurant, and I stopped him off the bat, knowing it would set off her anxiety. My dad told her that, not on speakerphone, what I did, and she instantly agreed that that would have set her off. She reads my mind on all kinds of things, like the fact that I wear certain sunglasses because I think they make me look cool. She agrees they do, by the way.

We're 6 years apart, and very, very different. She is an amazing artist, with an excellent eyes for color and understanding of color theory. I still don't really know what that means. She's definitely an extrovert, while parties and people make me nervous. She is very open-minded and accepting, while I am rule-oriented and tend towards judgement. She dreams of travel, while I get nervous any time I have to sleep somewhere besides my apartment. We even look completely different: she has dark curly hair, and dark eyes, while I've got light hair and grey eyes. She has a gorgeous olive skin tone that makes my "burn at the thought of the sun" pastiness very jealous. We have different tastes in clothes, different religious views, dating ideas... And yet, we both end up with sore toes.

E is actually a huge part of what helped me to understand and accept my autism diagnosis. My diagnosis came as a bit of a shock, honestly. It wasn't what I was expecting when I went in for tests. I didn't fit the stereotype set in my head of what autism looked like, and didn't know anyone diagnosed whose autism presented like mine. So I figured the test must have been wrong, even though I couldn't deny the psychiatrist had definitely picked up on some very definite truths about me. Eventually, I realized the diagnosis was accurate, but didn't see how it helped me at all. But E did. She did her own research into how autism expresses itself in girls, and used my diagnosis to gain understanding on how my mind works. She is now even more patient with me, and encourages me to advocate for myself.

Anyhow, my toe hurts.
  • Randomcomic.jpg
    Randomcomic.jpg
    28.3 KB · Views: 37
Top Bottom