Hi everyone

[Lastbutnotleast]

Hey guys,

I got diagnosed with level 1 autism at the "tender" age of 30 last year. I still have so much to learn about this condition. I hope I can contribute with my life experience and support others on their journey. We all are in this together!

My biggest issue is that my thinking is obsessive and my thoughts therefore revolve around only a few topics: usually past mistakes of mine and my former bullies being mean to me. I was wondering if any of you could give me some advice as to how I could channel this symptom into something positive? I think this makes me more sensitive and vulnerable than allistic people. It is so hard to move on after something happens even if it is something that most people don't even consider major - just one seemingly unimportant thing can affect my whole day or week or month..I have tried many things such as therapy but it didn't help. Can you guys relate to this?

 

[Marcus]

I've been bullied my entire life, I treat it as something unavoidable, but I try my best not to allow fear of them to consume me.

I try and think about what possible problems they could be facing themselves, and become sympathetic towards them in a way.

"You can beat the tar out of me every day of the week, but I will still consider you a human being just like me."

But other things aren't so easy for me to handle, and I dwell on those until it eats me alive, even if it happened years ago, it still replays in my head, while I try to learn from the mistakes I made and mentally say "if I had done this instead of this" to try and help me push forward, but it doesn't always work.

 

[Nitro]

 

[Major Tom]

Welcome to AC
I too have obsessive thought patterns, usually dwelling on the past, or imagining the future. I did it for decades literally before I even realized that I was doing it.. When I finally came to the realization, I started making myself focus on the present. It seems to help me a lot. Also the Wim Hof breathing technique helps me to remain calm and more focused.

 

[SusanLR]

Oh those thoughts.
How they get in the way.
It is an everyday battle for me to keep my mind off the fear of the panic attacks when I feel anxious
since I started living with someone I hadn't known more than a few months before the person
I'd lived with all my life died.

Trying to keep it from showing and from everyone knowing is difficult.
I find meditation and relaxation therapy helpful.
If it starts happening around the person I live with or out
in public, the best I can do is focus on the present and give myself a mental pep talk to settle down.
Learning that I am now the only one to talk myself through the anxiety attacks isn't easy.
Always had someone to be there for me which made me feel more secure.

That's the best I can offer from my experience.
And

 

[tree]