As an Aspie often I encounter rumination which can be explained in the following video Rumination
What I have found is that this rumination causes me looping thoughts which if not controlled keeping going around in circles and get bigger and bigger if not controlled. It is like a wound up spring and if the spring is not stopped it keeps 'ruminating' until it spirals out of control causing anxiety.
Conversation can be especially difficult if rumination is not controlled and I think all Aspies ruminate but some more so than others. Within friendships one Aspie ruminating as well as another can cause a doubled up affect. There is just no way of controlling or stopping it. From my own experience I think the Aspie brain has a moderate level of anxiety but this can be exasperated when rumination occurs at higher levels. In a recent friendship I found myself experiencing a lot of rumination as I was more concerned about keeping the friendship with the other Aspie more so than overcoming the rumination. Although the other Aspie was younger than me, the person did not seem to realise nor was able to control the rumination I was experiencing. This is why I think Aspies cannot help other Aspies. I have in the past tried to help other Aspies and found myself almost a mental wreck at the end of the day as I just can't seem to put the brakes on. They have their rumination and i have my own and something has to stop or put the brakes on it.
I think younger Aspies are better prepared socially than what I was in my mid 20's. Nothing was known about Asperger Syndrome when I was 24 for example. I used to exercise a lot by mainly bike riding and walking to keep my anxiety levels down. There was nothing known about Asperger Syndrome but some limited information about Autism. I find personally and again speaking from personal experience that persons and not all with mental health issues can cause Aspies grief. I have found that for instance bipolar disorder and other conditions can overly tax the Aspie brain.
It is interesting that persons on the Autism Spectrum experience difficulty and again this has been discussed with other Aspies of a connection between both hemispheres of the brain. Apparently if both hemispheres of the brain were to connect then we would technically be cured of the condition. Apparently talking to one's self is the one side of the brain trying to connect with the other. Perhaps rumination in itself is the inability of both hemispheres of the brain connecting to cause us difficultly. Rumination perhaps at higher levels causes obsessions and as an Aspie obsession is not always easy to stop. One Aspie told me that his means of controlling assumptions and analyzing is to control his thoughts and not the thoughts control him. However, is this easy for everyone to do. I know of another Aspie who practices meditation and mindfulness to reduce anxiety levels. It seems that within the adult population different strategies can be used.
Within friendship rumination can be a problem because again speaking from personal experience rumination can create an obsession with wanting a friend than actually sharing interests. Dr Tony Attwood describes how Aspies admire each others intelligence more so than it seems sharing of interests. It seems that having interests can create a distraction from friendship obsession which in itself is not healthy in that it causes high intensity and boundary issues. I think the Aspie mind is often confused between multi skilling and interaction. Aspies can be very blunt with each other and often not always aware of their actions.
When observing an Aspie perhaps you can understand that rumination is part of the condition and depending on the level of severity rumination levels may vary from one Aspie to another. I find forming and making friendships difficult. If two Aspies have similar experiences of difficulty in making friendships for instance and again through personal experience there may be a means of trying to sabotage the friendship if anxiety levels are too high. I also speak from personal experience in saying that Aspies are often wrongly diagnosed as depressed because of our monotone voices and the fact we may not always have the energy to engage in social situations. Ask yourself as an Aspie do you think you ruminate and if so how do you control it or manage it? Does it affect your interactions with others and do you find it hard to make friends?
What I have found is that this rumination causes me looping thoughts which if not controlled keeping going around in circles and get bigger and bigger if not controlled. It is like a wound up spring and if the spring is not stopped it keeps 'ruminating' until it spirals out of control causing anxiety.
Conversation can be especially difficult if rumination is not controlled and I think all Aspies ruminate but some more so than others. Within friendships one Aspie ruminating as well as another can cause a doubled up affect. There is just no way of controlling or stopping it. From my own experience I think the Aspie brain has a moderate level of anxiety but this can be exasperated when rumination occurs at higher levels. In a recent friendship I found myself experiencing a lot of rumination as I was more concerned about keeping the friendship with the other Aspie more so than overcoming the rumination. Although the other Aspie was younger than me, the person did not seem to realise nor was able to control the rumination I was experiencing. This is why I think Aspies cannot help other Aspies. I have in the past tried to help other Aspies and found myself almost a mental wreck at the end of the day as I just can't seem to put the brakes on. They have their rumination and i have my own and something has to stop or put the brakes on it.
I think younger Aspies are better prepared socially than what I was in my mid 20's. Nothing was known about Asperger Syndrome when I was 24 for example. I used to exercise a lot by mainly bike riding and walking to keep my anxiety levels down. There was nothing known about Asperger Syndrome but some limited information about Autism. I find personally and again speaking from personal experience that persons and not all with mental health issues can cause Aspies grief. I have found that for instance bipolar disorder and other conditions can overly tax the Aspie brain.
It is interesting that persons on the Autism Spectrum experience difficulty and again this has been discussed with other Aspies of a connection between both hemispheres of the brain. Apparently if both hemispheres of the brain were to connect then we would technically be cured of the condition. Apparently talking to one's self is the one side of the brain trying to connect with the other. Perhaps rumination in itself is the inability of both hemispheres of the brain connecting to cause us difficultly. Rumination perhaps at higher levels causes obsessions and as an Aspie obsession is not always easy to stop. One Aspie told me that his means of controlling assumptions and analyzing is to control his thoughts and not the thoughts control him. However, is this easy for everyone to do. I know of another Aspie who practices meditation and mindfulness to reduce anxiety levels. It seems that within the adult population different strategies can be used.
Within friendship rumination can be a problem because again speaking from personal experience rumination can create an obsession with wanting a friend than actually sharing interests. Dr Tony Attwood describes how Aspies admire each others intelligence more so than it seems sharing of interests. It seems that having interests can create a distraction from friendship obsession which in itself is not healthy in that it causes high intensity and boundary issues. I think the Aspie mind is often confused between multi skilling and interaction. Aspies can be very blunt with each other and often not always aware of their actions.
When observing an Aspie perhaps you can understand that rumination is part of the condition and depending on the level of severity rumination levels may vary from one Aspie to another. I find forming and making friendships difficult. If two Aspies have similar experiences of difficulty in making friendships for instance and again through personal experience there may be a means of trying to sabotage the friendship if anxiety levels are too high. I also speak from personal experience in saying that Aspies are often wrongly diagnosed as depressed because of our monotone voices and the fact we may not always have the energy to engage in social situations. Ask yourself as an Aspie do you think you ruminate and if so how do you control it or manage it? Does it affect your interactions with others and do you find it hard to make friends?
