Getting Lost

[Aet1985]

I was wondering is it part of being on the spectrum? I know what's going on around me, yet at times I get ''super lost'' in my thoughts, forget where I am and have to get my thoughts together. I always felt disconnected or not on the same page as the other guys. I can also be alone for months at a time with my dog as well. I am not trying to be funny here but serious, I have read that Covid can cause neurological damage, is it possible having that messed with my mind even more?

 

[Neonatal RRT]

I have experienced the "long-CoVID" back in 2020-21. It was scary, especially when driving, as my sense of time and space were altered enough that I could have been in some serious accidents multiple times. I know of healthcare workers, doctors, nurses, therapists, not being able to work and had to stay at home for extended periods of time. This prolonged brain inflammation is no joke. Eventually, slowly, over several months it fades away, but it sucked not being yourself. People walking up to you, "Are you OK?" Seriously, people were taking notice.

Is it part of being on the spectrum? Yes and no. No, in the sense that this prolonged brain inflammation can occur in anyone. Yes, in the sense that the immune response in many autistic individuals (myself included) results in an over reaction of inflammatory mediator release, enhancing the inflammatory response. Google Scholar: "autism and the immune response" Google Scholar

There have been several cases where CoVID infections have led to tiny blood clots throughout the body, effecting heart, lung, kidney, and brain function.

Being in the medical field, I have a totally different perspective with regards to these CoVID infections. It's not a "cold". It's not "the flu". It's an entirely different thing in terms of what it does to the body.

 

[Masked Man]

It happens to me quite often and it's super embarrassing. The worst is when I am talking to a supervisor at work and want to make a point about something, and I completely forget my point about midway through my sentence. That's why I try to always send things in email or writing, because my verbal skills lack due to my social anxiety.

 

[Jumpinbare]

It used to be impossible for me to become physically lost. My sense of direction was always "on", indoors or out. Then I had an ear infection that permanently damaged one of my semicircular canals, leaving me feeling like I was constantly spinning for about 3 months. My doctor told me it would take a while for my brain to reinterpret the new vestibular input, and it did.
Now not only my directional sense, but also my balance is visually based rather than based on the vestibular sense. So if I let my visual attention wander at all, I can become lost super easily now.

 

[Aspychata]

Maybe it's autism related. If l am bored, then yes, l can check out. So l am considered socially awkward, or cold, or
whatever. Sometimes l just enjoy thinking about storylines, character development, which can be way more entertaining then staying in the moment, and also is a special interest. I have slowly trained myself to be in the moment in the last several years so that l don't come across so disinterested.

 

[Rodafina]

Long covid aside, I find I get lost in my thoughts in an uncomfortable and disorganized way when I am trying to figure out or process too many things at once. All my different thoughts are fighting for attention and tugging me in different directions in a disorienting way.

In these moments, I find the concept of mindfulness to be helpful. I try to figure out what needs my attention right now and what can wait. I actually sometimes visualize my thoughts as incomplete puzzles, each subject is its own puzzle with a box. Sometimes, I tell myself that I need to put certain puzzles away, back on the shelf to tackle at another time. Somehow, this helps quiet my mind and I can focus. Fatigue, illness, overstimulation and stress can definitely make this much harder and in those moments, I still get unpleasantly lost in my own thoughts though.

 

[FilterFreq]

I have read that Covid can cause neurological damage, is it possible having that messed with my mind even more?

From what I've read, most of this has to do with taking longer to recall some words on the fly and things like that. Also, considering the idea that almost everyone has already had covid (even those of us who tested negatively), the world has almost certainly been reduced to befuddledness (is that a word? Oh god, it got me, too!) equally.

What you're describing almost certainly sounds like some flavor of neurodiversity, especially if you've been this way all your life.

 

[AuAL]

Just in the past couple of days, I was driving with my wife to pick up some tech purchases. As we drove, she questioned me about why I was saying/doing something in another context, as we were approaching an intersection. I started to turn the corner, and she asked where I was going. While trying to reply to her comments, I had gone into “autopilot” and turned to take the road I do 90% of the time approaching that intersection. When I admitted as such and did a U-turn to get back on track to where we were going, she aggressively suggested I not blame her for me taking the wrong turn. This inability to gracefully deal with multiple thoughts and actions at once has been getting worse in the past few years, and I am still masking my confusion. So I demurred from telling her how discombobulated I had become in the moment, and the reasons for it.

 

[Rodafina]

Just in the past couple of days, I was driving with my wife to pick up some tech purchases. As we drove, she questioned me about why I was saying/doing something in another context, as we were approaching an intersection. I started to turn the corner, and she asked where I was going. While trying to reply to her comments, I had gone into “autopilot” and turned to take the road I do 90% of the time approaching that intersection. When I admitted as such and did a U-turn to get back on track to where we were going, she aggressively suggested I not blame her for me taking the wrong turn. This inability to gracefully deal with multiple thoughts and actions at once has been getting worse in the past few years, and I am still masking my confusion. So I demurred from telling her how discombobulated I had become in the moment, and the reasons for it.

I understand that discombobulation while driving and trying to interact completely. Being questioned or criticized while driving would be even worse. Driving alone feels safer and more effective to me.

The person I drive with the most is also autistic and we allow each other to pause the conversation at any moment and have agreed to keep conversation light in the car. Serious discussions or problems that need addressing are not for driving time.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

Based on my statistics years of temperature, oxygen level and, blood pressure readings, I catch covid frequently over come it in hours with very little lasting effect.

 

[Mono]

I have zero sense of direction and used to get upset about it with myself. I've since learned to joke about it instead

 

[Tom]

I think one important indicator would be if these symptoms occurred after Covid (I assume you mean you had it).

I experienced something similar after a extended chemo treatment. In fact it has a street name 'Chemo brain'. I do think it improved after a year or two, but am not sure my executive function came all the way back to where it was.

One small hopeful possibility is something I read in a study a year or two ago, which was Autistic brains retain the ability to grow new 'brain stuff'. Something seen less or perhaps not at all in NTs. Which suggest the possibility of greater potential or repair. However this was one study and I haven't seen anything on it since so take it with a big barrel of salt. But I like such positive possibilities to dwell on. It's like if I imagine I have a science fiction all-powerful self healing brain, it somehow helps.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

I very rarely get lost use visual mental maps.

 

[Jumpinbare]

I very rarely get lost use visual mental maps.

Mental maps reminded me of mental images. I had thought my memory structure was entirely word/concept based, rather than visual. Then yesterday someone asked me the name of something which I couldn't immediately recall. When I continued trying to think of the name, a clear picture of a sign I had recently seen with the name written on it appeared in my mind, and I literally read the name off the mental image.
Apparently I have visual backup for my verbal memory

 

[WhitewaterWoman]

When I was in my 40s, I once missed the turn off to my home, which I knew well of course. I was just thinking of something else. I also had the thought right then that had I been 65 instead of 45, people would start to think dementia.

Now I am over 70 and I still miss turn offs from time to time, but I don't tell anyone. I don't want anyone starting to assess me negatively.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

I just turned 70 great advice.

 

[Jumpinbare]

When I was in my 40s, I once missed the turn off to my home, which I knew well of course. I was just thinking of something else. I also had the thought right then that had I been 65 instead of 45, people would start to think dementia.

Now I am over 70 and I still miss turn offs from time to time, but I don't tell anyone. I don't want anyone starting to assess me negatively.

My first neuropsychological evaluation was because my wife thought I was slipping into dementia. I insisted my short term memory was just as bad as it has been since I was a kid, but she wouldn't hear it. I was not slipping.

Of course, if I ever do decline in that fashion, no one would be able to tell.

 

[AuAL]

I very rarely get lost use visual mental maps.

As I think I have mentioned in another thread somewhere, I rely heavily on mental imagery for navigation. That said, I can look at a map for, say, 10 seconds and capture a “path” to a destination I can follow in my mind. I do NOT remember street names. My “mental maps” are a series of images I can assemble of what I will see at each point on the path, from prior experience. I thought most people built “mental maps” of their neighbourhood, and just thought I did it a bit more. (I could mentally plot paths to get from one side to the other of some cities with which I was familiar without passing through traffic lights. I do not like traffic lights.)

 

[daniegirl6224]

I feel lost a lot… in conversation… driving… in situations… in my own thoughts. I also have terrible short and long term memory. Somehow I still function enough though.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

As I think I have mentioned in another thread somewhere, I rely heavily on mental imagery for navigation. That said, I can look at a map for, say, 10 seconds and capture a “path” to a destination I can follow in my mind. I do NOT remember street names. My “mental maps” are a series of images I can assemble of what I will see at each point on the path, from prior experience. I thought most people built “mental maps” of their neighbourhood, and just thought I did it a bit more. (I could mentally plot paths to get from one side to the other of some cities with which I was familiar without passing through traffic lights. I do not like traffic lights.)

I can easily see a map, no names just a map. look at a map memorize the route follow the route. when walking through the bush know where i was and where I'm going as long as I know from were I came to build a mental map. Have 17 acre property all trees wander around do not get lost. no trails just a few land marks like a rock out cropping. Drive with car use grid in my head visual map of things like lake should be there. works for me