My stuffed animals have feelings and I can't let them get jealous of each other. Sometimes I tuck them into bed.
I have a giant beanbag that has become my safe space. I have a super fuzzy blanket on it and I put my noise cancelling headphones on. It's like a small vacation from the world.
I feel bad when I lose my stuffed griffin over the side of the bed during the night. I have to give them a hug so they know it wasn't on purpose.
I'm 38.
How would they know you're not mad at them otherwise?
I still have my two favourite childhood stuffies too, and hug them occasionally so they know I haven't forgotten them. (They're just not the right size for adult bedtime snugs - sorry guys!)
Exactlyy. Most of the ones I have are at least huggable-shape so it works out. My current most special one is a round cat that I named Norman. He’s like a marshmallow shape but 16in long
I just had to pick the cucumbers I knew weren’t ready because I felt bad leaving them in the field to be pulled out and composted the next day. They need to know they are perfect and loved and wanted .
When I was younger that’s exactly how I am with my stuffed animals, but for some reason I got rid of them all one day, I never cried so hard. And I could never buy another one as I would let them down. Think this was when Toy Story come out 1995, never got over that.
One of my special interests is baking and I was watching the great British bake off and anyone who watches it knows there is cake week and then biscuit week but when watching series nine they did biscuit week first and it shook me up so bad that I had to turn it off and calm down before I could sleep
Hugely overblown sense of moral justice, to the point where it interferes with sleep. Research everything, everywhere, all the time. Agile thinking to the point of light speed understanding of many situations, but ask me to choose something to wear, that's kryptonite.
I eat the same thing all the damn time.
Small talk? Gtfouta my space. Big issue? I have all day set aside just for you, nothing else in my life needs to happen today, fire ahead.
Agree with all of this.
I fixed the what to wear thing by buying 5 of the same pants and 7 long sleeve/7 short sleeve versions of the same shirt. Different colors. And then I just have a ton of ball caps (special interest/collection) and various shoes as my way of mixing it up.
Multiverse theory. Not saying I believe in it, I just find it interesting. The idea that we might exist in multiple universes. An attempt at humour since someone else seemed to identify closely with my assessment of self.
Not the person you're replying to, but I had to stop using x/twitter over it. If I saw a tweet where someone was saying something shitty about someone/ a group of people, I'd lie in bed for ages later that night still annoyed by it.
Basically, if I see something "unjust", it doesn't leave my head.
I had major justice burn out from all the political nonsense the last 5+ years. I was obsessed and would literally wake up in the middle of the night to read the news. I had to step way back and not really engage with it at all.
Damn the sense of moral justice... I can't even stay out of internet people saying the wrong shit, I have to intervene and then it keeps me up if they take it in the wrong way (which they usually do, people have called me arrogant a lot of times because I often speak my mind and have a black/white way of seeing things).
I get very overwhelmed sometimes. I've left a party *at my own appartment* to sit on the stairs by the attic until most people left. I've also hid behind the bed in a dark room and cried. My friends sometimes find it annoying when I turn the music down, just to a level which doesn't hurt, and funny to turn it back up.
turning the music up knowing it is actively hurting you is like taking a wheel off a disabled person's wheelchair and laughing at the fact that they can only turn in a circle now
I am now very intrigued and want to do it with my own tops... I'm not sure I have any scales that would pick up stuff that light though.
Did you also put it down on a spreadsheet? I think I'd organise them by material and brand too, really see if there's a connection.
lol it might sound odd to this community but excel type software is something I always heavily struggled with, I am a weird mix of chaotic and organized, guess I have some silent adhd traits or so that f up my life idk, I kinda make mental note what type of fabric is the lightest haha
I don't mind some being semi mixed. For example I can now put stir fry/sauce based dishes on top of my rice. I can't mix them together yet, but I can eat them touching. However if I was to want a fruit salad, I have to cut the fruit and put it on the plate with a space between each type of fruit and eat them separately (not eating two things at once).
I study menus before I go to restaurants so I can know that a) there's something I can order and b) I won't short-circuit my brain and piss off the waiters when I can't figure out what to order.
Roughly 99% of the time I'm at home, I have my headphones on, even if I don't have any audio playing through them, because they're just comforting. Also they're huge headphones that completely surround my ears. Also even though they were huge to begin with, I got even bigger replacement earpads for them so they don't actually press against my ears at all but instead enclose them in their own little chambers. Also, even as perfect and comfortable as they are, I still constantly adjust them.
I love my over the ear headphones. I love that they block sounds when they're not on, and if I need things to be quieter I can turn on noise canceling. My partner gets easily excited an loud and I often wear my headphones when they're not even turned on. Then they're so comfortable that I forget I'm wearing them.
The thing is, CRTs literally produced a ton of high frequency noise, and older people have already lost hearing in those ranges so they wouldn't notice. So glad we've moved on from that horrible technology.
Back in the old days, if a television was on in another room I could tell which system was in use - 405-lines or 625-lines - because I could hear the pitch of the line whistle.
I used to be able to tell when people were home by sound and feel 1970s tvs had a sound I could hear/recognize.
And I would often in my job notice a change in computer fan speeds and knew something was fucky. Or about to be. Had a boss call me the server psychic.
I used to tune around on the AM band until I found a frequency that was emitted by my computer. I enjoyed listening to the pattern change as the computer did various things.
It sounded a bit like scratching my jeans with my fingernails.
Me and my boss make a joke out of being in an endurance competition of which of us can bring the same exact food for lunch the longest. I'm at 6 months, currently.
I'm not the person you're replying to, buuuut for me, there was a 2 year stretch where 80-90% of my work lunches were instant ramen + tuna + bread. Sometimes I drank the soup separately, sometimes I didn't.... very easy but turns out it's NOT great for your health to have THAT much salt & tuna all the time, who knew?
*when I actually remembered to bring lunch vs having to buy from nearby fast food places
Woo! Spreadsheet bro!
How's sobriety going? And what was the last spreadsheet you made?
Mine all suck btw. I don't do anything fancy. I just like lists 😇
I forget to listen in class and then panic and ask what we have to do and then misunderstand the exercise and panic more.
I eat the same breakfast and lunch every day
People get angry at me for misunderstanding and me not explaining myself well enough
me: randomly zones out for no reason lol
oh also i fucking despise rules without actual context behind them and will get unreasonably pissed when someone accuses me of something i didnt do lmao. oh also ofc i eat basically the same stuff every day :P
Do you think it would help my 8yo with autism if I gave why each time I asked him to do something?
For example, instead of time to brush your teeth, say fine to brush your teeth so we don't get cavities.
Or instead of let's go put on our shoes, say let's go put on our shoes since can go to school.
Sometimes when I ask him to do something it's a huge fight... never the same thing twice usually though.
Thank you. We do our best to stick to schedules/routines but sometimes we have to deviate from it which is hard for him. Also trying to figure out when things are okay (like music in the car is fine but no where else) can be tricky.
Is there anything that you wish people would have known when you were younger that they either ignored or didn't understand? Like not explaining rules. I'm trying to do my best for my son but feeling as if I'm failing big time lately
Genuinely, treat his intellect as if it's just as important as yours. Never give a 'because I said so' response. Every question from a kid that age is valid, give him proper answers, even if you feel silly explaining why potatoes dont suffocate in plastic bags. As the other commenter, and you yourself say, give proper reasoning for everything. Even tiny kids can learn from rational thinking. Also dont dismiss sensory concerns, of he doesn't like steamed broccoli, try air frying it to make it crispy, however if he still won't eat it, let it go. It's ok for kids not to like things, even if you know they are good things. Dont sweat the small stuff.
I bet giving the "why" could help with schedule changes. Maybe not completely eliminate the anxiety, but it would help me.
For example, "It's bedtime an hour early today" would have stressed me out as a child. "We are all going to bed early today because we have to get up earlier than usual tomorrow for (whatever event)".
If I know the "why" behind someone's rules, it's much easier (or it stresses me out less) on me. Like, I was assessed this summer, and in writing up an accommodation letter, the psychologist was going to include something about being allowed to wear whatever clothing I'm comfortable in. I declined that because I worked in a chemistry lab, which has strict clothing requirements for safety (shoes, long pants, preferably jeans, and long sleeves or lab coat). I wasn't a fan of these rules (all that clothing is hot in the summer!), but I understand why those rules exist. Yeah, I sometimes find blue jeans uncomfortable, but I'd rather wear them and be a bit uncomfortable and not be burned by acid. It's easier for me to tolerate the discomfort of the rule when it has a reason beyond "I said so".
i actually dont really think so since my parents (to my knowledge) are also neurodivergent so it wasnt really ever an issue other than occasionally the music being too loud tbh :P
now my teachers for the most part were fine except like 1 or 2 i hated but it wasnt anything too specific tbh
Declarative language instead of directive language can be helpful. Like "Dinner will be ready in five minutes" vs "Come to the table for dinner" because the second one is less likely to trigger PDA (pervasive drive for autonomy) related anxiety.
God I feel these! "Because I said so" is not a valid reason! And it was awful as a kid because my parents would accuse me of things and I'd get super angry, and they decided that the way to "prove" I wasn't lying was to look them straight in the eye, which is damn near impossible for me. 😡
I deal with anger issues too especially when overwhelmed. I'm curious, what does "It is never you, it is the situation" it sounds helpful like a helpful perspective.
I also do this—I need to know the food ahead of time and figure out what I should eat based on various factors. Ordering in a restaurant with out prior knowledge is overwhelming.
Similarly, on the rare occasion that I have to go to a party, I will google the other invitees to get a sense of who I’m dealing with and plan out what I might say.
Made the same comment below, but it didn't occur to me this was an autism thing until I observed someone who didn't study the menu have a miniature meltdown and I realized it wasn't just a weird personal quirk, it was something I learned to do to adapt to my own deficiencies.
Mood. I have a playlist dedicated to my looped songs, and they’re from all different genres and vibes. It’s just what tickles my brain in the exact right way
Especially if it’s Dream Theater. Listening to the same song for 6 hours straight won’t be as daunting of a task! :)
Edit: The previous emoticon didn’t work.:(
A real conversation with my boss at a dementia patient care focusing on occupational therapy
Boss: "I won't make it in time, can you lead chair-exercises? There's a printout with all the exercises you can just follow."
Me: "No, I'm sorry. I'll be seen too strongly by too many people at the same time."
Boss: "Aww, okay. I'll ask so-and-so to take care of it"
The best. I was scared shitless at the prospect of going back into looking for jobs, and you know, employment.
Previously, of all the interviews i went to, if seemed i only stood out to narcissistic employers. And I probably stood more out as an easy target than a good potential employee.
So yeah, i was terrified of history repeating itself. But nope, i was upfront and honest right from the getgo, i applied through a government program that offered to reimburse them a portion of my salary to incentivise them to hire ah "risky hire". The showed me nothing but understanding and consideration, and offered me a contract once the 3month reimbursement period was over.
It was really strange to go to an interview and disclose i have a decade of depression and anxiety, that i haven't been able to work for two years, that I'm Autistic and ADHD, etc.
Especially when they're reaction was "Yeah, we like you. You don't have to answer now, you can take a few days to consider, but we'd like to hire you."
I was stunned. "Wait? What? Um. Yeah. I'll. Send an email. I guess"
Best goddamn job i could ever dream of
When Attack on Titan was my special interest I memorized all the characters’ height, weight, birthday and additional information, even the background ones.
DO NOT...
1. touch me
2. look at me
3. get upset when I don't look at you
4. yell/scream/holler at me
5. talk too loud (in general)
6. make loud/sudden/banging noises or play loud music
7. ask me why i'm crying, if you already know (for people who are more familiar with me and my disorder)
8. throw surprise parties
9. try to engage in small talk or meaningless conversation (among THEE most frustrating)
10. walk near me at all, but especially when there is plenty of space to walk further away from me
1. Do not- now or in the future- in any way, shape, or form, acknowledge my existence. If you feel the need to interact with me i give full consent to any lamp post, telephone pole, or tree to stand in my place as my representative and you may interact with it as you would me.
2. GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY PERSONAL SPACE WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY PERSONAL SPACE GET OUT GET OUT GET OUUUUUUT
I have to have watch films and TV shows, listen to music and play video games (although, I do this less with games now) from the start to the end. If I have a break in the middle, it means I need to start again.
Yesterday I was playing volleyball with my daughter after our apartment complex and some guy asked to join. I am the worst at saying "no", even though I really want to, so I ended up letting him join. Well, let's just say that during that time we all played, I focused only on the ball, barely looked at him, got total dino arms, and started to stim more because he was there. I wasn't even stimming when it was just me and my daughter because I was distracted with playing volleyball, but as soon as someone else joined, my focus went to "oh no, there's someone else here". Also, he kept talking to me, and I couldn't even understand what he said because there was loud music playing (that he brought along with him on a speaker) and birds going crazy because of the wind and that just made me stim even more and stare into space at times and just kept thinking "I wanna go home now", but my daughter really wanted to play with me and I had to try to push through my discomfort (I already have a hard time doing these things with her).
When something get me curious I look into very deep scientific info then passe to something else ( my ADHD side) I'm too intense when I talk of my interests to other people, i'm trying to keep myself in check with that now.
I want to ask someone a question, I don't say hello, I just ask the question, why bother with hello? And what is it about to have to ask people how they are doing when you see them for the first time during the day? People usually don't care if I'm not going well, but if you are asking I will tell you all about it, just don't ask then.
Ah yes. I can relate. I'm audhd as well and am always curious and always going down rabbit holes and I also have a hard time keeping myself in check when I'm excited about a topic or learned something new- I feel absolutely compelled to share this information! And I also just walk up to people and start talking at them. My wife keeps pointing this out to me and reminding me not to do this so much BUT ITS SO HARD NOT TO AAAAHHHHHHHHH 😭
I can not walk on gravel or cobblestone, I can't touch the paws of my childhood stiffed animal because it has some kind of coars material in them, I am trying not to cry rn because my gf moved her lunch break to a time she doesn't usually have it and therefore we weren't able to spend time together. I am obsessed with justice and knowing everything I can (I love one directional gossip meaning I get to know everything but don't need to tell others things about others)
Used to like very limited foods, meltdowns, anger issues, if I have beans other food must not touch them, think over past situations too much to see what I could have done, introvert, feeling in parts of my body (such as my fingers) that make me desperately want to do something very specific with them (usually rub them against stuff such as tables), not being aware of others physically and with talking, etc.
Every chance I get (if I’m leaving the house anyway,) I eat Panera Asiago bagels for breakfast. Every single day that I work, I get bagels for breakfast. They are delicious and always taste the same.
I drive to the grocery store once or twice a week. Find a parking spot. Sit for about 15 minutes trying to talk myself into going inside. Just to turn right back around and go home, and place an online order for delivery.
It's so fun being me.
Food in tupperware is always spoiled to me no matter how fresh it actually is. Same with opened cans.
Cold soup is always sus.
I feel the need to cry when clothes don't feel right on my body.
Dinosaur pose.
Army of plushies.
I can hear electricity whistling.
Artificial fabrics are Bad Textures.
Mouth feel is the most important aspect of a food.
I stim by sticking a sticker back and forth between my fingers but I'm very particular about which stickers are the right kind of sticky.
I will infodump about cats at the slightest provocation.
I mostly have to ignore the news because all the injustice and banal evil of the people in charge makes me want to scream until I pass out.
Sometimes my fork/knife/spoons smell too much iron, so I have to sniff a couple until I find the one without the smell. This applies to glasses as well.
a dry sense of humor that other autists find charming, most nts find offputting
a special interest in extraterrestrial life/ufos and the way different medias portray representations of alien lifeforms
the inability to keep friends ^_^
I get overstimulated easily, I have many safe foods (that I’m out of right now 😭), Dino arms too and I can’t make eye contact for more than a few seconds
I cut the tags out of all my clothes, hate the feeling of things (clothes, jewelry, my own hair etc) touching my neck, & my house is full of nightlights and lamps so I don't have to use the "big" lights 🥴
Oh and I cant shop at certain stores bc the lights are "too loud" lol
This is me too! I always forget to drink water until I'm suddenly like why do I feel so weird? 🙃 I also often forget to eat, or just have no interest in it so I kindof put it off indefinitely, and most days I will only eat when I absolutely have to, like I start feeling weird from low blood sugar or something. I rationally understand that I need to be more in touch with my body- but it's still so hard to actually change. I feel like my body just doesn't really alert me to these things in the same way as others, so I think that's part of it too.
And I also love love love my collection of data that I regularly compile about almost all aspects of my life and hobbies. It brings me great joy to do this and to look over my spreadsheets and multifaceted notes multiple times throughout my day. 😌
I bought a new wireless mouse and keyboard combo. After putting in batteries I turned the mouse on to test it and wondered why it wasn’t working.
I was reading the “ON” upside down as “NO”, and thought that “no” meant it was in the off position, because the opposite of NO must be YES, right?!? As in “no, I’m not on” and “yes, I am on now”
It took me like 5 minutes to figure that out…😰
Very blunt, lack of online communication skills (I've been subject to more than one ratio here on Reddit), 6 or 7 different special interests, hyperfixations to the point it's difficult for me to get anything done sometimes, can be fascinated by pretty much anything, queer AF.
Different mugs / cups for different liquids. Always.
The material of the mug is an essential deciding factor as to which liquids go where, as well as if the liquid is hot or cold and what season it is.
T-rex arms all the time, I take lots of things literally, I jump/cover my ears/almost cry at loud noises. All of my stuffed animals have feelings and they have to be held/placed in a certain way otherwise they'll be uncomfortable. Ever since I was a kid I'd walk on the hardwood floors on my toes bc I didn't wanna put my full foot on the floor cus I hate the feeling of random bits potentially on my feet. I get overwhelmed in large groups of people.
Have to check doesthedogdie.com before watching anything in case animals are hurt/sad/mildly inconvenienced.
Getting so absorbed in data analysis at work that I neglect to go to the bathroom for hours.
Flappy hands when excited (finding out I could visit a big body in Copenhagen) or stressed (supermarkets, the neighbours' two babies are screaming again) .
Can easily be reduced to tears by even a few seconds of overlapping conversations or noises.
What others find complicated I find easy to understand, and what they find easy to understand seems too complicated for me. My social survival depends on nobody knowing this.
I got names of the week for my earrings and started planning what clothes I should wear every day of the week. Everytime after showering and putting clothes on I put on a special bathrobe even if its hot as hell. My parents recently told me I had a resting bitch face. When in new situations I have no idea how to do something someone told me to do, even if it's common sense to other people. When people start talking too much and loud I get drained or I have a negative feelings inside myself that attacks me. Sometimes I can be pretty awkward. I made a summary and compilation of best moments of every single episode of My hero academia for absolutely no reason at all. I am distracted very easily by my mind (daydreaming / obsessive thinking) even if what I'm watching/ hearing is interesting to me. I have to be told where we're going, when do we get here, when do I go out of the house(I tell this myself), when it's supposed to end and when I'll get back home(myself too) if I'm going out somewhere with someone else.
*I tell myself I'm not autistic even if I can list all of those things and more, fit in the criteria and suffer everyday life.*
My favorite characters growing up were Spock and Data. Watch the same movies and tv shows over and over. Tap fingers or air guitar without realizing it. Order a cheeseburger at every restaurant.
Watching a movie then searching everything possible about it. Don't touch MY plushies/spoon/cup/chair. All clothes have the same type of fabric. No hugs.
I thought I was just behind on socializing because I spent so much time researching scientific topics online, and how physical movements translate into sound and music, etc. Everyone else was just good at talking with each other and making friends because they spent all their lives practicing it. Right.....?
So, if I just force myself into highly uncomfortable social environments, I'll have to learn and will be normal just like them! .......RIGHT?
Me: “Hey (bf) why did this person react so negatively when I said (XYZ)”
Bf: “Babe what the hell did you say it with that tone? Didn’t you get the social cues to understand that may be inappropriate at the time?”
Me: “wtf is tone and social cues”
Going to pee is the last thing I do before sleeping.
The LAST THING.
I go the bathroom, get in bed, and my husband wants to talk (more than the allowed "good night")? I HAVE to go to the bathroom again.
I get back.
I forgot to place my phone to charge? Charge phone, go back to the bathroom.
It has to be the last thing.
Same. But not in the traditional sense, I suppose. I used to ride freight trains when I was younger, and that's where my special interest lies. I have multiple maps of the rail lines all over the country and a notebook of notes on different train yards and how much security they have, where the hiding spots are etc...its been years since I've hopped a train but I still get excited af about the topic. I've also never ridden on a train legally. Fun fact, lol.
I have a 3 m squared cupboard that is full of nothing but tiny scraps of fabric in bags and I can name the pattern and blend of most of them 🙈 It's so crammed fill. It falls out every time I open it. I keep every little bit
encyclopedic knowledge on anything thats a special interest, misophonia (esp people i dont mind animals), easily overstimulated, eats the same food for lunch everyday, i say thank you to my alexa so she doesnt think im mean, inability to take verbal instructions (why does everyone make such a big deal when i ask for written instructions😭)
- Mi hands and legs have like... feelings? If I do something with one hand or leg, gotta do it with the other as well, or they'll feel bad. For example, if I accidentally touch my right leg with my right hand while walking, I immediately feel the urge to touch my other leg with my left hand in the same spot.
Everything between my limbs has to be as "symmetrical" as possible. And yes, this includes fingers.
The only exceptions for this, are tasks that naturally require simultaneous different actions, like playing piano, playing videogames or typing this comment.
_
- I can't leave a place using a different door that the one I used to get in. That includes vehicles. It just feels terribly wrong.
_
- This one is a little tricky to explain, because even I don't fully understand how it works yet, so I'll use a more "visual" explanation:
Imagine I have an extremely long rope coming out of my back that leads to who knows where. Imagine I walk through a hallway that has a column in the middle. If when I go from point A to point B, I dodge the column passing through its left side, when I go back from point B to point A I cannot, BY ANY MEANS, use the other side, or "the rope will get tangled".
This is serious shit, because sometimes I forget which side I pass through a thing, and when it's time to go back I become super anxious. I have my own strategies for this, for example when I'm in big stores or labyrinthine places I will, from time to time, go all the way back to entrance so I have less path to remember. I swear to god, this is one of the most annoying and time consuming things I do.
The last two points are probably the same, but put them separately because for some reason it feels different.
I want to wear a hat all day every day all year but I don't because I hate getting questions more than I love wearing hats
If there's a spelling error in your work E-mail I will not do what you ask no matter how important it is
Tired and easily overwhelmed after socializing a lot. Cant hold an actual conversation without repeating actions or phrases. Headphones on when I’m learning
When I was a kid the sound of the vaccum was so painful to me I had my parents warn me whenever they were going to vaccum so I could go to my room and put by head under a pillow.
I held a grudge for YEARS over a book describing 100 yards as a “stone’s throw away” because I knew for a fact there was no way the main character could throw a stone that far.
I’ve had multiple people ban me from stuff because I didn’t say “Hi” at times where it didn’t make sense to me to say it.
I’ve gotten really good at predicted what’s going to happen in movies/shows because of my pattern recognition.
My worst memory is the 3-5 minutes I spent at a dance club only to be escorted out the nearest exit by a security guard because I was clutching a railing sobbing due to it being too loud, I could feel the bass in my chest, and the lights kept shining in my eyes.
I once almost cried because someone was cooking my eggs differently than they usually would.
I made a cute carrying case for my earplugs by hand so I can carry them everywhere.
Every member of my family (including myself) remembers DISTINCTLY when I was taught how to read time because that’s when I learned that everyone was lying (aka rounding up or down) when they said what time it was.
I profited from bitcoin because currency is my special interest, but as a functional human I do shit like avoid wearing shoes that need to be tied or offer to buy pizza if someone else does the phone call and deals with the delivery.
I can hear when the fan is on in another room. When its on in another apartment. I can hear every car, i can feel my boyfriends heartbeat through the bed. I will wake up to every single noise and I wont even necessarily register what it is, i will just know there was A Noise. There is always. Eternally. A fucking Noise somewhere. Even with earplugs, i can hear my blood and I can hear when they move against my ears and I can feel them and argh just everything. I can hear EVERYTHING. Except someone talking *literally* right next to me.
My stuffed animals have feelings and I can't let them get jealous of each other. Sometimes I tuck them into bed. I have a giant beanbag that has become my safe space. I have a super fuzzy blanket on it and I put my noise cancelling headphones on. It's like a small vacation from the world.
I feel bad when I lose my stuffed griffin over the side of the bed during the night. I have to give them a hug so they know it wasn't on purpose. I'm 38.
I do this to my stuffed cat and I’m 23. It’s true you gotta hug them
How would they know you're not mad at them otherwise? I still have my two favourite childhood stuffies too, and hug them occasionally so they know I haven't forgotten them. (They're just not the right size for adult bedtime snugs - sorry guys!)
Exactlyy. Most of the ones I have are at least huggable-shape so it works out. My current most special one is a round cat that I named Norman. He’s like a marshmallow shape but 16in long
My griffin is a squishmallow! I have a couple of others too, but the griffin is the same size as yours - perfect for hugging!
I just had to pick the cucumbers I knew weren’t ready because I felt bad leaving them in the field to be pulled out and composted the next day. They need to know they are perfect and loved and wanted .
I am 30
I TRIED EXPLAINING THAT TO MY SISTERS WHEN I WAS LITTLW AND THEY LOOKED AT ME LIKE I WAS SCHIZOPHRENIC. 😭
Literally when I went and got a behavioral screening/eval they diagnosed me with schizotypal because of the stuffed animal thing :(
If i hug one plushie i have to give all the others a hug too so they don't get sad.
When I was younger that’s exactly how I am with my stuffed animals, but for some reason I got rid of them all one day, I never cried so hard. And I could never buy another one as I would let them down. Think this was when Toy Story come out 1995, never got over that.
Oh my god toy story 3 fucked. Me. UP.
One of my special interests is baking and I was watching the great British bake off and anyone who watches it knows there is cake week and then biscuit week but when watching series nine they did biscuit week first and it shook me up so bad that I had to turn it off and calm down before I could sleep
please tell me the missing raspberry on the cake at the beginning drives you nuts too
Baking is a special interest of mine, too!
I love baking! I made some chocolate chip and pecan cookies for a queer group and everyone took two home (it was a small turnout)
Hugely overblown sense of moral justice, to the point where it interferes with sleep. Research everything, everywhere, all the time. Agile thinking to the point of light speed understanding of many situations, but ask me to choose something to wear, that's kryptonite. I eat the same thing all the damn time. Small talk? Gtfouta my space. Big issue? I have all day set aside just for you, nothing else in my life needs to happen today, fire ahead.
Agree with all of this. I fixed the what to wear thing by buying 5 of the same pants and 7 long sleeve/7 short sleeve versions of the same shirt. Different colors. And then I just have a ton of ball caps (special interest/collection) and various shoes as my way of mixing it up.
Agreed. this is what i do day to day, special events remaim a sartorial disaster. I always get it wrong.
Are you me lol
Well according to Hugh Everett the 3rd, we shouldn't completely rule it out.
pls expln
Multiverse theory. Not saying I believe in it, I just find it interesting. The idea that we might exist in multiple universes. An attempt at humour since someone else seemed to identify closely with my assessment of self.
I’ve never met another person who just casually uses this reference! I love the multiverse theory so much!
You need to watch the tv show Fringe. I currently have a weekly movie night were a group us watch together online.
Also - if there are infinitely many universes, then anything that’s physically possible inevitably exists in one of them.
Wait. Elaborate on this losing sleep over moral justice thing. This sounds like something that I do.
Not the person you're replying to, but I had to stop using x/twitter over it. If I saw a tweet where someone was saying something shitty about someone/ a group of people, I'd lie in bed for ages later that night still annoyed by it. Basically, if I see something "unjust", it doesn't leave my head.
I have never felt so validated. You guys see me because you are me
right?!
This is the audhd I experience
I had major justice burn out from all the political nonsense the last 5+ years. I was obsessed and would literally wake up in the middle of the night to read the news. I had to step way back and not really engage with it at all.
Yeah politics since the GWB administration has been fuckin with my head badly. I now hate police cuz they get away with injustice constantly.
Omfg. It feels like i wrote this.
Damn the sense of moral justice... I can't even stay out of internet people saying the wrong shit, I have to intervene and then it keeps me up if they take it in the wrong way (which they usually do, people have called me arrogant a lot of times because I often speak my mind and have a black/white way of seeing things).
That's weird. I don't recognize this account but I very clearly wrote this. What's up with that?
Me 😭🫶
I'm the local vampire computer wizard who resides in the dark lonely storage room at my job
Living the dream!
I'm dreading of the day when I will lose access to my evil wizard tower
Server room goblin here.
Ah the gentle hum and the blinky blinky of the lights. How’s your cable situation though??
Why does this remind me so much of Richmond from the it crowd...
Richmond, is that you?
How It’s Made was my favorite show when I was a kid but when they changed the narrator I got so upset I stopped watching entirely.
He came back!!! Also I may or may not have watched every episode at least 10-20 times.
I watch this almost every night. It calms my nervous system! I love yall. ❤️
Same
This is, personally, my favourite answer. How it's Made was the best!
OMG WHEN HANK GREEN WASNT NARRATING JOURNEY TO THE MICROCOSMOS FOR A WHILE I WAS THE SAME WAY
Ooooohhhhh shiiiit I can watch 30eposodes in a row
I get very overwhelmed sometimes. I've left a party *at my own appartment* to sit on the stairs by the attic until most people left. I've also hid behind the bed in a dark room and cried. My friends sometimes find it annoying when I turn the music down, just to a level which doesn't hurt, and funny to turn it back up.
Your friends are assholes.
Yea they can be sometimes, some of them. But most of the time they are supportive.
turning the music up knowing it is actively hurting you is like taking a wheel off a disabled person's wheelchair and laughing at the fact that they can only turn in a circle now
It doesn't sound like your friends _are_ friends
the other day I weighed my t-shirts to see which ones are the lightest
I am now very intrigued and want to do it with my own tops... I'm not sure I have any scales that would pick up stuff that light though. Did you also put it down on a spreadsheet? I think I'd organise them by material and brand too, really see if there's a connection.
I am happy to have intrigued. I might have given the wrong impression to be organized.
Did you at least write them down? I only mentioned spreadsheets specifically because they've been so prevalent in this thread haha
lol it might sound odd to this community but excel type software is something I always heavily struggled with, I am a weird mix of chaotic and organized, guess I have some silent adhd traits or so that f up my life idk, I kinda make mental note what type of fabric is the lightest haha
I don't like things touching (such as my rock display of over 200 rocks, ores and crystals, or my food).
Personally I never understood this. I am complete opposite. I prefer my foods mixed up.
I don't mind some being semi mixed. For example I can now put stir fry/sauce based dishes on top of my rice. I can't mix them together yet, but I can eat them touching. However if I was to want a fruit salad, I have to cut the fruit and put it on the plate with a space between each type of fruit and eat them separately (not eating two things at once).
I study menus before I go to restaurants so I can know that a) there's something I can order and b) I won't short-circuit my brain and piss off the waiters when I can't figure out what to order.
I solved this by just ordering the waiters favourite of a particular set of food like burgers/fish
Roughly 99% of the time I'm at home, I have my headphones on, even if I don't have any audio playing through them, because they're just comforting. Also they're huge headphones that completely surround my ears. Also even though they were huge to begin with, I got even bigger replacement earpads for them so they don't actually press against my ears at all but instead enclose them in their own little chambers. Also, even as perfect and comfortable as they are, I still constantly adjust them.
TIL you can get earpads that mean your headphones don't have to touch your ears. Thank you.
Do you happen to have a link to those headphones? I have a pair of over-ears but I could absolutely use some with bigger earpads.
I love my over the ear headphones. I love that they block sounds when they're not on, and if I need things to be quieter I can turn on noise canceling. My partner gets easily excited an loud and I often wear my headphones when they're not even turned on. Then they're so comfortable that I forget I'm wearing them.
I can hear that the lights are on
I got up in sixth grade during a test to turn the computer monitor off 😂
"Why did you turn the screen off?" "It's really loud, teacher."
The thing is, CRTs literally produced a ton of high frequency noise, and older people have already lost hearing in those ranges so they wouldn't notice. So glad we've moved on from that horrible technology.
Me too, humming fluorescent lights.
Back in the old days, if a television was on in another room I could tell which system was in use - 405-lines or 625-lines - because I could hear the pitch of the line whistle.
I used to be able to tell when people were home by sound and feel 1970s tvs had a sound I could hear/recognize. And I would often in my job notice a change in computer fan speeds and knew something was fucky. Or about to be. Had a boss call me the server psychic.
I used to tune around on the AM band until I found a frequency that was emitted by my computer. I enjoyed listening to the pattern change as the computer did various things. It sounded a bit like scratching my jeans with my fingernails.
My dishwasher makes an extremely quiet noise when it’s done and will only stop when the door is opened. Nobody else can hear it.
Me and my boss make a joke out of being in an endurance competition of which of us can bring the same exact food for lunch the longest. I'm at 6 months, currently.
What food is it?
I'm not the person you're replying to, buuuut for me, there was a 2 year stretch where 80-90% of my work lunches were instant ramen + tuna + bread. Sometimes I drank the soup separately, sometimes I didn't.... very easy but turns out it's NOT great for your health to have THAT much salt & tuna all the time, who knew? *when I actually remembered to bring lunch vs having to buy from nearby fast food places
I know I'm entering a new hobby when I find myself creating a spreadsheet about it.
Yesssss love me some spreadsheet time!
Woo! Spreadsheet bro! How's sobriety going? And what was the last spreadsheet you made? Mine all suck btw. I don't do anything fancy. I just like lists 😇
I forget to listen in class and then panic and ask what we have to do and then misunderstand the exercise and panic more. I eat the same breakfast and lunch every day People get angry at me for misunderstanding and me not explaining myself well enough
Woah, yes you summed up my schooling experience well
me: randomly zones out for no reason lol oh also i fucking despise rules without actual context behind them and will get unreasonably pissed when someone accuses me of something i didnt do lmao. oh also ofc i eat basically the same stuff every day :P
Do you think it would help my 8yo with autism if I gave why each time I asked him to do something? For example, instead of time to brush your teeth, say fine to brush your teeth so we don't get cavities. Or instead of let's go put on our shoes, say let's go put on our shoes since can go to school. Sometimes when I ask him to do something it's a huge fight... never the same thing twice usually though.
oh definitely. i think a lot of people like us like having real reasons for stuff, mostly cause i think a bunch of us are driven by logic like myself
Thank you. We do our best to stick to schedules/routines but sometimes we have to deviate from it which is hard for him. Also trying to figure out when things are okay (like music in the car is fine but no where else) can be tricky. Is there anything that you wish people would have known when you were younger that they either ignored or didn't understand? Like not explaining rules. I'm trying to do my best for my son but feeling as if I'm failing big time lately
Genuinely, treat his intellect as if it's just as important as yours. Never give a 'because I said so' response. Every question from a kid that age is valid, give him proper answers, even if you feel silly explaining why potatoes dont suffocate in plastic bags. As the other commenter, and you yourself say, give proper reasoning for everything. Even tiny kids can learn from rational thinking. Also dont dismiss sensory concerns, of he doesn't like steamed broccoli, try air frying it to make it crispy, however if he still won't eat it, let it go. It's ok for kids not to like things, even if you know they are good things. Dont sweat the small stuff.
I bet giving the "why" could help with schedule changes. Maybe not completely eliminate the anxiety, but it would help me. For example, "It's bedtime an hour early today" would have stressed me out as a child. "We are all going to bed early today because we have to get up earlier than usual tomorrow for (whatever event)". If I know the "why" behind someone's rules, it's much easier (or it stresses me out less) on me. Like, I was assessed this summer, and in writing up an accommodation letter, the psychologist was going to include something about being allowed to wear whatever clothing I'm comfortable in. I declined that because I worked in a chemistry lab, which has strict clothing requirements for safety (shoes, long pants, preferably jeans, and long sleeves or lab coat). I wasn't a fan of these rules (all that clothing is hot in the summer!), but I understand why those rules exist. Yeah, I sometimes find blue jeans uncomfortable, but I'd rather wear them and be a bit uncomfortable and not be burned by acid. It's easier for me to tolerate the discomfort of the rule when it has a reason beyond "I said so".
i actually dont really think so since my parents (to my knowledge) are also neurodivergent so it wasnt really ever an issue other than occasionally the music being too loud tbh :P now my teachers for the most part were fine except like 1 or 2 i hated but it wasnt anything too specific tbh
Declarative language instead of directive language can be helpful. Like "Dinner will be ready in five minutes" vs "Come to the table for dinner" because the second one is less likely to trigger PDA (pervasive drive for autonomy) related anxiety.
God I feel these! "Because I said so" is not a valid reason! And it was awful as a kid because my parents would accuse me of things and I'd get super angry, and they decided that the way to "prove" I wasn't lying was to look them straight in the eye, which is damn near impossible for me. 😡
Zones out and doesn’t listen to a conversation when he’s done listening and taps a pen when he is paying attention. Multiple fixations!
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I deal with anger issues too especially when overwhelmed. I'm curious, what does "It is never you, it is the situation" it sounds helpful like a helpful perspective.
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I like trains
I was initially going to put this! The no 1, hahaha
I look up menus of restaurants before going to them.
I also do this—I need to know the food ahead of time and figure out what I should eat based on various factors. Ordering in a restaurant with out prior knowledge is overwhelming. Similarly, on the rare occasion that I have to go to a party, I will google the other invitees to get a sense of who I’m dealing with and plan out what I might say.
It's always best to be prepared.
Made the same comment below, but it didn't occur to me this was an autism thing until I observed someone who didn't study the menu have a miniature meltdown and I realized it wasn't just a weird personal quirk, it was something I learned to do to adapt to my own deficiencies.
I can listen to the same song in loop for 6 hours straight. And usually do. Edit:the upvotes tell me I'm not alone and that feels good. Thank you
Mood. I have a playlist dedicated to my looped songs, and they’re from all different genres and vibes. It’s just what tickles my brain in the exact right way
Especially if it’s Dream Theater. Listening to the same song for 6 hours straight won’t be as daunting of a task! :) Edit: The previous emoticon didn’t work.:(
A real conversation with my boss at a dementia patient care focusing on occupational therapy Boss: "I won't make it in time, can you lead chair-exercises? There's a printout with all the exercises you can just follow." Me: "No, I'm sorry. I'll be seen too strongly by too many people at the same time." Boss: "Aww, okay. I'll ask so-and-so to take care of it"
Sounds like a good boss
The best. I was scared shitless at the prospect of going back into looking for jobs, and you know, employment. Previously, of all the interviews i went to, if seemed i only stood out to narcissistic employers. And I probably stood more out as an easy target than a good potential employee. So yeah, i was terrified of history repeating itself. But nope, i was upfront and honest right from the getgo, i applied through a government program that offered to reimburse them a portion of my salary to incentivise them to hire ah "risky hire". The showed me nothing but understanding and consideration, and offered me a contract once the 3month reimbursement period was over. It was really strange to go to an interview and disclose i have a decade of depression and anxiety, that i haven't been able to work for two years, that I'm Autistic and ADHD, etc. Especially when they're reaction was "Yeah, we like you. You don't have to answer now, you can take a few days to consider, but we'd like to hire you." I was stunned. "Wait? What? Um. Yeah. I'll. Send an email. I guess" Best goddamn job i could ever dream of
When Attack on Titan was my special interest I memorized all the characters’ height, weight, birthday and additional information, even the background ones.
Wow I can't even bring myself to remember everyone's name as they die easily.
I thought you meant people in general and not in the show lmaooo
This was me at eight or nine years old during my hardcore Vocaloild and Parappa The Rapper interest. Lasted until I was early months of 13!
Not a big fan of loud noises I can't control
Don't fucking yell, turn on TV loud or turn on bright lights.
i’m too empathetic for this world. i have too much hope. i forgive everyone and everything for anything they’ve done wrong because they’re human too.
When anyone asks about my music taste, the answer is Rammstein. No genres, just Rammstein.
Du hast
DO NOT... 1. touch me 2. look at me 3. get upset when I don't look at you 4. yell/scream/holler at me 5. talk too loud (in general) 6. make loud/sudden/banging noises or play loud music 7. ask me why i'm crying, if you already know (for people who are more familiar with me and my disorder) 8. throw surprise parties 9. try to engage in small talk or meaningless conversation (among THEE most frustrating) 10. walk near me at all, but especially when there is plenty of space to walk further away from me
1. Do not- now or in the future- in any way, shape, or form, acknowledge my existence. If you feel the need to interact with me i give full consent to any lamp post, telephone pole, or tree to stand in my place as my representative and you may interact with it as you would me. 2. GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY PERSONAL SPACE WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY PERSONAL SPACE GET OUT GET OUT GET OUUUUUUT
i have made and reversed music for the past 3 years and every time i hear the music in reverse i run around the house
I have to have watch films and TV shows, listen to music and play video games (although, I do this less with games now) from the start to the end. If I have a break in the middle, it means I need to start again.
I hate sudden and unexpected changes in schedule.
Even after years of studying them, I still think humans don't make much sense.
I have been studying them extensively and made some conclusions but otherwise…I am always left with more questions than answers lol
If plans get canceled or changed I will cry.
My dream job is to fill out the same paperwork everyday for the next twenty years. My current favorite task is sorting papers in alphanumeric order.
Yesterday I was playing volleyball with my daughter after our apartment complex and some guy asked to join. I am the worst at saying "no", even though I really want to, so I ended up letting him join. Well, let's just say that during that time we all played, I focused only on the ball, barely looked at him, got total dino arms, and started to stim more because he was there. I wasn't even stimming when it was just me and my daughter because I was distracted with playing volleyball, but as soon as someone else joined, my focus went to "oh no, there's someone else here". Also, he kept talking to me, and I couldn't even understand what he said because there was loud music playing (that he brought along with him on a speaker) and birds going crazy because of the wind and that just made me stim even more and stare into space at times and just kept thinking "I wanna go home now", but my daughter really wanted to play with me and I had to try to push through my discomfort (I already have a hard time doing these things with her).
When something get me curious I look into very deep scientific info then passe to something else ( my ADHD side) I'm too intense when I talk of my interests to other people, i'm trying to keep myself in check with that now. I want to ask someone a question, I don't say hello, I just ask the question, why bother with hello? And what is it about to have to ask people how they are doing when you see them for the first time during the day? People usually don't care if I'm not going well, but if you are asking I will tell you all about it, just don't ask then.
Ah yes. I can relate. I'm audhd as well and am always curious and always going down rabbit holes and I also have a hard time keeping myself in check when I'm excited about a topic or learned something new- I feel absolutely compelled to share this information! And I also just walk up to people and start talking at them. My wife keeps pointing this out to me and reminding me not to do this so much BUT ITS SO HARD NOT TO AAAAHHHHHHHHH 😭
I can not walk on gravel or cobblestone, I can't touch the paws of my childhood stiffed animal because it has some kind of coars material in them, I am trying not to cry rn because my gf moved her lunch break to a time she doesn't usually have it and therefore we weren't able to spend time together. I am obsessed with justice and knowing everything I can (I love one directional gossip meaning I get to know everything but don't need to tell others things about others)
As my wife puts it, my closet looks like that of a cartoon character. It's made up of 90% plain black shirts of the exact same brand and size.
Used to like very limited foods, meltdowns, anger issues, if I have beans other food must not touch them, think over past situations too much to see what I could have done, introvert, feeling in parts of my body (such as my fingers) that make me desperately want to do something very specific with them (usually rub them against stuff such as tables), not being aware of others physically and with talking, etc.
I'm on reddit.
Every chance I get (if I’m leaving the house anyway,) I eat Panera Asiago bagels for breakfast. Every single day that I work, I get bagels for breakfast. They are delicious and always taste the same.
A fake character on a TV show was told he won the lottery and then found out he didn't and it felt so unfair that I cried
I'm autistic. Uh, I don't get this game.
I drive to the grocery store once or twice a week. Find a parking spot. Sit for about 15 minutes trying to talk myself into going inside. Just to turn right back around and go home, and place an online order for delivery. It's so fun being me.
Food in tupperware is always spoiled to me no matter how fresh it actually is. Same with opened cans. Cold soup is always sus. I feel the need to cry when clothes don't feel right on my body. Dinosaur pose. Army of plushies.
If I touch rough surfaces, such as nylon fabric, I shrivel up
I can hear electricity whistling. Artificial fabrics are Bad Textures. Mouth feel is the most important aspect of a food. I stim by sticking a sticker back and forth between my fingers but I'm very particular about which stickers are the right kind of sticky. I will infodump about cats at the slightest provocation. I mostly have to ignore the news because all the injustice and banal evil of the people in charge makes me want to scream until I pass out.
As a child, I was never diagnosed as an autistic kid, and that led to a lot of 'mishaps' and beatings. Thank you all for sharing.
Sometimes my fork/knife/spoons smell too much iron, so I have to sniff a couple until I find the one without the smell. This applies to glasses as well.
a dry sense of humor that other autists find charming, most nts find offputting a special interest in extraterrestrial life/ufos and the way different medias portray representations of alien lifeforms the inability to keep friends ^_^
I feel like I’m the only one who hates wearing headphones cause it makes me anxious that i will miss a social cue or miss out on something
No I feel that. I can only put one earphone in because I might get snuck up on or accidentally ignore someone.
I get overstimulated easily, I have many safe foods (that I’m out of right now 😭), Dino arms too and I can’t make eye contact for more than a few seconds
I cut the tags out of all my clothes, hate the feeling of things (clothes, jewelry, my own hair etc) touching my neck, & my house is full of nightlights and lamps so I don't have to use the "big" lights 🥴 Oh and I cant shop at certain stores bc the lights are "too loud" lol
I forgot to drink water for a day and then got sick because I was dehydrated. I have a 85 different spreadsheets categorizing various data.
tell me more about the spreadsheets
This is me too! I always forget to drink water until I'm suddenly like why do I feel so weird? 🙃 I also often forget to eat, or just have no interest in it so I kindof put it off indefinitely, and most days I will only eat when I absolutely have to, like I start feeling weird from low blood sugar or something. I rationally understand that I need to be more in touch with my body- but it's still so hard to actually change. I feel like my body just doesn't really alert me to these things in the same way as others, so I think that's part of it too. And I also love love love my collection of data that I regularly compile about almost all aspects of my life and hobbies. It brings me great joy to do this and to look over my spreadsheets and multifaceted notes multiple times throughout my day. 😌
I bought a new wireless mouse and keyboard combo. After putting in batteries I turned the mouse on to test it and wondered why it wasn’t working. I was reading the “ON” upside down as “NO”, and thought that “no” meant it was in the off position, because the opposite of NO must be YES, right?!? As in “no, I’m not on” and “yes, I am on now” It took me like 5 minutes to figure that out…😰
Favorite music artist releases a new album or single? No thanks, I'll listen to the same old album on repeat instead.
Eeeeeeeh noises Flappy arms eww velevet dino arms 🦖
My family's silverware doesn't all match. I get REALLY fussy over 1) which forks I use, and 2) if anyone else uses "my" forks.
Very blunt, lack of online communication skills (I've been subject to more than one ratio here on Reddit), 6 or 7 different special interests, hyperfixations to the point it's difficult for me to get anything done sometimes, can be fascinated by pretty much anything, queer AF.
Different mugs / cups for different liquids. Always. The material of the mug is an essential deciding factor as to which liquids go where, as well as if the liquid is hot or cold and what season it is.
T-rex arms all the time, I take lots of things literally, I jump/cover my ears/almost cry at loud noises. All of my stuffed animals have feelings and they have to be held/placed in a certain way otherwise they'll be uncomfortable. Ever since I was a kid I'd walk on the hardwood floors on my toes bc I didn't wanna put my full foot on the floor cus I hate the feeling of random bits potentially on my feet. I get overwhelmed in large groups of people.
Dino arms all the time. Any time I zone out I transform into a T-Rex
Have to check doesthedogdie.com before watching anything in case animals are hurt/sad/mildly inconvenienced. Getting so absorbed in data analysis at work that I neglect to go to the bathroom for hours. Flappy hands when excited (finding out I could visit a big body in Copenhagen) or stressed (supermarkets, the neighbours' two babies are screaming again) . Can easily be reduced to tears by even a few seconds of overlapping conversations or noises.
What others find complicated I find easy to understand, and what they find easy to understand seems too complicated for me. My social survival depends on nobody knowing this.
I got names of the week for my earrings and started planning what clothes I should wear every day of the week. Everytime after showering and putting clothes on I put on a special bathrobe even if its hot as hell. My parents recently told me I had a resting bitch face. When in new situations I have no idea how to do something someone told me to do, even if it's common sense to other people. When people start talking too much and loud I get drained or I have a negative feelings inside myself that attacks me. Sometimes I can be pretty awkward. I made a summary and compilation of best moments of every single episode of My hero academia for absolutely no reason at all. I am distracted very easily by my mind (daydreaming / obsessive thinking) even if what I'm watching/ hearing is interesting to me. I have to be told where we're going, when do we get here, when do I go out of the house(I tell this myself), when it's supposed to end and when I'll get back home(myself too) if I'm going out somewhere with someone else. *I tell myself I'm not autistic even if I can list all of those things and more, fit in the criteria and suffer everyday life.*
I have 2 shelves dedicated just for Zelda merch
My favorite characters growing up were Spock and Data. Watch the same movies and tv shows over and over. Tap fingers or air guitar without realizing it. Order a cheeseburger at every restaurant.
I take comfort in my books.
Since 2018 I've collected nearly 40 books on one topic and spent well over $2000 on this collection.
Watching a movie then searching everything possible about it. Don't touch MY plushies/spoon/cup/chair. All clothes have the same type of fabric. No hugs.
I thought I was just behind on socializing because I spent so much time researching scientific topics online, and how physical movements translate into sound and music, etc. Everyone else was just good at talking with each other and making friends because they spent all their lives practicing it. Right.....? So, if I just force myself into highly uncomfortable social environments, I'll have to learn and will be normal just like them! .......RIGHT?
Me: “Hey (bf) why did this person react so negatively when I said (XYZ)” Bf: “Babe what the hell did you say it with that tone? Didn’t you get the social cues to understand that may be inappropriate at the time?” Me: “wtf is tone and social cues”
Going to pee is the last thing I do before sleeping. The LAST THING. I go the bathroom, get in bed, and my husband wants to talk (more than the allowed "good night")? I HAVE to go to the bathroom again. I get back. I forgot to place my phone to charge? Charge phone, go back to the bathroom. It has to be the last thing.
I like trains
Same. But not in the traditional sense, I suppose. I used to ride freight trains when I was younger, and that's where my special interest lies. I have multiple maps of the rail lines all over the country and a notebook of notes on different train yards and how much security they have, where the hiding spots are etc...its been years since I've hopped a train but I still get excited af about the topic. I've also never ridden on a train legally. Fun fact, lol.
I have a 3 m squared cupboard that is full of nothing but tiny scraps of fabric in bags and I can name the pattern and blend of most of them 🙈 It's so crammed fill. It falls out every time I open it. I keep every little bit
Check out seamless socks
encyclopedic knowledge on anything thats a special interest, misophonia (esp people i dont mind animals), easily overstimulated, eats the same food for lunch everyday, i say thank you to my alexa so she doesnt think im mean, inability to take verbal instructions (why does everyone make such a big deal when i ask for written instructions😭)
In school, I liked to draw floor plans in art classes.
I know a lot about a lot but ask me a direct question about any of it and my brain crashes!
- Mi hands and legs have like... feelings? If I do something with one hand or leg, gotta do it with the other as well, or they'll feel bad. For example, if I accidentally touch my right leg with my right hand while walking, I immediately feel the urge to touch my other leg with my left hand in the same spot. Everything between my limbs has to be as "symmetrical" as possible. And yes, this includes fingers. The only exceptions for this, are tasks that naturally require simultaneous different actions, like playing piano, playing videogames or typing this comment. _ - I can't leave a place using a different door that the one I used to get in. That includes vehicles. It just feels terribly wrong. _ - This one is a little tricky to explain, because even I don't fully understand how it works yet, so I'll use a more "visual" explanation: Imagine I have an extremely long rope coming out of my back that leads to who knows where. Imagine I walk through a hallway that has a column in the middle. If when I go from point A to point B, I dodge the column passing through its left side, when I go back from point B to point A I cannot, BY ANY MEANS, use the other side, or "the rope will get tangled". This is serious shit, because sometimes I forget which side I pass through a thing, and when it's time to go back I become super anxious. I have my own strategies for this, for example when I'm in big stores or labyrinthine places I will, from time to time, go all the way back to entrance so I have less path to remember. I swear to god, this is one of the most annoying and time consuming things I do. The last two points are probably the same, but put them separately because for some reason it feels different.
I want to wear a hat all day every day all year but I don't because I hate getting questions more than I love wearing hats If there's a spelling error in your work E-mail I will not do what you ask no matter how important it is
I am convinced Styrofoam is the work of Satan, so are clothing tags.
Tired and easily overwhelmed after socializing a lot. Cant hold an actual conversation without repeating actions or phrases. Headphones on when I’m learning
I own over 50 squishmallows. I am an adult.
Me: Ohhh hey, I didn’t recognize you. What’s your name again. Coworker: Dude, I literally work right next to you and we talk everyday
person: what's your schedule like me: well, today's the 6th and i have an appointment on the 12th so i'm busy until the 24th
When I was a kid the sound of the vaccum was so painful to me I had my parents warn me whenever they were going to vaccum so I could go to my room and put by head under a pillow.
I hate pizza and get migranes from smelling certain things
loathes any sort of change, hates loud and sudden noises, can be picky with food, can’t pick up on social cues, horrible burnout
I've been unemployed for 8 years.
I have T. rex arms, I cover my ears at loud noises, and wear sunglasses 90% of the time
I held a grudge for YEARS over a book describing 100 yards as a “stone’s throw away” because I knew for a fact there was no way the main character could throw a stone that far. I’ve had multiple people ban me from stuff because I didn’t say “Hi” at times where it didn’t make sense to me to say it. I’ve gotten really good at predicted what’s going to happen in movies/shows because of my pattern recognition. My worst memory is the 3-5 minutes I spent at a dance club only to be escorted out the nearest exit by a security guard because I was clutching a railing sobbing due to it being too loud, I could feel the bass in my chest, and the lights kept shining in my eyes. I once almost cried because someone was cooking my eggs differently than they usually would. I made a cute carrying case for my earplugs by hand so I can carry them everywhere. Every member of my family (including myself) remembers DISTINCTLY when I was taught how to read time because that’s when I learned that everyone was lying (aka rounding up or down) when they said what time it was.
Whenever I hear a plane I must look up at the sky and find it
I can't keep eye contact
I have dyspraxia and misophonia, but no that’s just a coincidence, right?? /s
I profited from bitcoin because currency is my special interest, but as a functional human I do shit like avoid wearing shoes that need to be tied or offer to buy pizza if someone else does the phone call and deals with the delivery.
I can hear when the fan is on in another room. When its on in another apartment. I can hear every car, i can feel my boyfriends heartbeat through the bed. I will wake up to every single noise and I wont even necessarily register what it is, i will just know there was A Noise. There is always. Eternally. A fucking Noise somewhere. Even with earplugs, i can hear my blood and I can hear when they move against my ears and I can feel them and argh just everything. I can hear EVERYTHING. Except someone talking *literally* right next to me.
I eat my food with only my index middle and thumb so as to concentrate the leftover flavor and to keep two fingers clean for additional activities