Odd Spectrum Habits

[ems]

Mine is that I LOVE pairing up odd socks.

It's a really irritating chore to labour through, but I love the way I can give it only half my attention & deeply think at the same time.

Needless to say, it takes me ages to finish the job (and yes, there's loads leftover, unmatched) but it's relaxing because I'm physically standing still feeling contented...

Normally I cannot stand still for any length of time without getting intensely bored with suffering an over-active mind.

 

[Kisa the tea]

Picking at fingernails (i know at least one other asd who does this)

 

[ems]

Picking at fingernails (i know at least one other asd who does this)

Oh I do that too! Also have an irresistible urge to rip off skin that's trying to heal, and even to the point of being sore won't stop me.

Really hate people complaining about watching me do it. That just makes me do it more in private!

 

[Alaska]

I have been thinking how to answer you. I am not sure I am able to do it at this time. I am not diagnosed and not very interested in being diagnosed. I am, however, sure that I have Aspergers.

I have so many odd habits that it will take me quite a while to catalog them in my mind and work out which ones are due to Aspergers, maybe all of them. I am not sure this is something I want to put a lot of time into, so I might not do it at all.

Maybe I work differently in my brain than you do, since I sometimes put quite a bit of energy into hiding my Aspergers traits in public. This is a dauntingly large task to face. I gather that most of the people here do not try that much to conceal Aspergers traits and behavior.

I am not ashamed of having Aspergers, but you can really be made to pay for having it by NTs sometimes. I am not sure that attempting to hide Aspergers traits and behaviors is not a fruitless task, but I will keep at it until I decide it is either not possible for me or not useful.

It is probably about as much as I can hope for, to be regarded as slightly eccentric. What an aspiration! Lol.

 

[Chance]

I dont know my ASD from my OCD so I'm not real sure on this.

I cant stand for any of the white to show on my finger nails. I will mess with them otherwise.

I tuck my shoe laces in my shoes. I have done this since I was able to tie them. The bow tie and strings showing drives me mad, plus they cant come untied tucked in...

I have more but I think OCD, not ASD

 

[isthisreallife]

It's not odd if you're on the spectrum, LOL!
I have too many to list, including my habit of constantly trying to figure out which traits of mine are ASD, and which are NT.

 

[wight]

Oh, I guess the thing I do that falls under AS is lining things up. I used to spend hours as a kid lining up my Matchbox cars. I still will line things up without thinking about it. Talking to my boss, I'll absentmindedly line up his stapler and Post-Its and what-nots on his desk corner.

 

[Judge]

I'm inclined to think mine are relative to my OCD. Too many things to list.

Just glad most people never seem to notice them.

 

[ems]

I have been thinking how to answer you. I am not sure I am able to do it at this time. I am not diagnosed and not very interested in being diagnosed. I am, however, sure that I have Aspergers.

I have so many odd habits that it will take me quite a while to catalog them in my mind and work out which ones are due to Aspergers, maybe all of them. I am not sure this is something I want to put a lot of time into, so I might not do it at all.

Maybe I work differently in my brain than you do, since I sometimes put quite a bit of energy into hiding my Aspergers traits in public. This is a dauntingly large task to face. I gather that most of the people here do not try that much to conceal Aspergers traits and behavior.

I am not ashamed of having Aspergers, but you can really be made to pay for having it by NTs sometimes. I am not sure that attempting to hide Aspergers traits and behaviors is not a fruitless task, but I will keep at it until I decide it is either not possible for me or not useful.

It is probably about as much as I can hope for, to be regarded as slightly eccentric. What an aspiration! Lol.

I tried to hide my traits constantly in public.

Then my mother died a traumatic death.

After that I asked myself what am I hiding for?

I WOKE UP.

I'M NOW FREE.

Instead of dreading going shopping & dealing with the public, dreading confrontation and allowing anxiety to constantly consume me, I did the opposite.

I stood up to all the bullies in every single area of my life.... From rude shop staff to pushy social workers and overbearing psychiatrists.....

Stood up for my beliefs & did a fair amount of 'Ghosting'.... (Suddenly cutting off unhelpful people like an amputee saving their limb)

And guess what? From the higher to the lower heirarchy of Society, I've won every battle to date and climbing

Try it.

 

[ems]

Oh, I guess the thing I do that falls under AS is lining things up. I used to spend hours as a kid lining up my Matchbox cars. I still will line things up without thinking about it. Talking to my boss, I'll absentmindedly line up his stapler and Post-Its and what-nots on his desk corner.

And while you are doing that and your Boss is watching you, he is listening far more intently to what you have to say.

Why?

Because he's relaxed in your company, watching you enjoying your forgivable habit.

A bit like a friend who zones out watching a family member do something they no longer pay attention to... Because it has become normal...

Like, say, a daughter comes home and isn't bothered by her mother noisily loading the dishwasher whilst trying to concentrate on her own phone ... After a while the daughter just accepts that her mother has a job to do .... and we all need clean dishes... So she stops noticing it.

 

[Alaska]

I tried to hide my traits constantly in public.

Then my mother died a traumatic death.

After that I asked myself what am I hiding for?

I WOKE UP.

I'M NOW FREE.

Instead of dreading going shopping & dealing with the public, dreading confrontation and allowing anxiety to constantly consume me, I did the opposite.

I stood up to all the bullies in every single area of my life.... From rude shop staff to pushy social workers and overbearing psychiatrists.....

Stood up for my beliefs & did a fair amount of 'Ghosting'.... (Suddenly cutting off unhelpful people like an amputee saving their limb)

And guess what? From the higher to the lower heirarchy of Society, I've won every battle to date and climbing

Try it.

I DID try it. I do not have enough energy to fight that many battles. I have to pick which ones I go for. I have had some great wins and some pyrrhic victories, and worse. I have not given up.

I do not limit my battles to Autism issues, however. Some of the issues that I tackle are quite big, so take a lot of effort and time.

 

[ChibiChick]

Oh, I guess the thing I do that falls under AS is lining things up. I used to spend hours as a kid lining up my Matchbox cars. I still will line things up without thinking about it. Talking to my boss, I'll absentmindedly line up his stapler and Post-Its and what-nots on his desk corner.

My mother often tells me how, as a toddler, I used to line up all my books over and over again for hours.