A few years back I watched the movie "Adam" starring Hugh Dancy. The movie best describes the routines of an adult with Asperger Syndrome like myself. Another movie "Being There" also describes the routines.
I think the difficulty I have as an Aspie is that I respond to routines better than I do unpredictability. For instance if my day is structured I find I am able to cope better but of course life in itself has many grey areas. My routine usually consists of getting up, having a shower, having breakfast and living my life around the clock. On work days for instance, I take notice of the clock in relation to my routines. I don't like being late for work so being on time is always important.
Much of my time is spent on the computer. It is here that I write blogs, check emails, keep up to date with the social media and the list goes on. In all honesty I don't really hear from many people and my life is mainly spent in seclusion. It's not that I don't want to socialise with people, it is more that I find the wider world at times difficult to navigate. I never really know how much or how little I am supposed to contact people and I really am clumsy in the process of making friends. If you think about this and can understand then you can begin to imagine how difficult relationships can be and why I find them difficult.
I often upset people just for being me. I never really know how to relate to people and find the socialisation process very difficult. In the movie Mary and Max the character Max describes his very existence and the struggles he had in finding employment and relating to people around him and responding to his many routines. Max is also very literal in his interpretation of the world and his routines. It describes my life in most ways.
An example of my Aspie routines can be.
1. Observing the clock in terms of daily living ritual.
2. Seeing the world literally
3. Describing attention to detail.
When I have travelled abroad for instance, I need to prepare in advance. I need to have the energy to navigate and negotiate customs. I also find that abroad having routines is also important. A holiday needs to be structured so that I can feel less anxious. I hope you enjoy the movie clips linked with this post. This scene shows from Mary and Max shows the anxiety associated with making friends.
I think the difficulty I have as an Aspie is that I respond to routines better than I do unpredictability. For instance if my day is structured I find I am able to cope better but of course life in itself has many grey areas. My routine usually consists of getting up, having a shower, having breakfast and living my life around the clock. On work days for instance, I take notice of the clock in relation to my routines. I don't like being late for work so being on time is always important.
Much of my time is spent on the computer. It is here that I write blogs, check emails, keep up to date with the social media and the list goes on. In all honesty I don't really hear from many people and my life is mainly spent in seclusion. It's not that I don't want to socialise with people, it is more that I find the wider world at times difficult to navigate. I never really know how much or how little I am supposed to contact people and I really am clumsy in the process of making friends. If you think about this and can understand then you can begin to imagine how difficult relationships can be and why I find them difficult.
I often upset people just for being me. I never really know how to relate to people and find the socialisation process very difficult. In the movie Mary and Max the character Max describes his very existence and the struggles he had in finding employment and relating to people around him and responding to his many routines. Max is also very literal in his interpretation of the world and his routines. It describes my life in most ways.
An example of my Aspie routines can be.
1. Observing the clock in terms of daily living ritual.
2. Seeing the world literally
3. Describing attention to detail.
When I have travelled abroad for instance, I need to prepare in advance. I need to have the energy to navigate and negotiate customs. I also find that abroad having routines is also important. A holiday needs to be structured so that I can feel less anxious. I hope you enjoy the movie clips linked with this post. This scene shows from Mary and Max shows the anxiety associated with making friends.
