Yesterday morning I attended local church congregation. I find it good to go to church but what I find difficult is the social aspect afterwards. Just to simply talk to other people is in itself a daunting experience. It can be easy to avoid social situations but often this comes with consequences. You can push yourself more into social isolation and loniliness.
I often wonder with church if people are attending to connect with God or what other reasons? Church in itself should be a place for a congregation to attend in order to find enlightenment and acceptance. Sadly sometimes people go for the wrong reasons. At church yesterday I enjoyed hearing some stories from the Old Testament. These stories mainly focusing around the Philistines and the story of David.
The church at least is a somewhat community atmosphere where there are some healthy people more so than a toxic environment. It really depends on what your beliefs and core values are as a person.
Social situations require a lot of work and use of mental energy. Simply being able to talk to a gathering or to a person one to one requires full use of thought and speech. At the church yesterday I managed to speak to a few people and received a greeting upon exiting the church but what I find very difficult is to talk in a lighter side. Often as I think so much I tend to have difficulty in replying to others. I have learned that when I talk with someone that I have to try and ask them about themselves more so than focus on my own introspection. Communication is not like a tennis volley but more so an ability to find connections with others. Often this can be very difficult. How much and how little are you supposed to contact a person?
I find with a lot of Aspies that conversation is often one sided. They talk a lot about themselves but seldom if at all ask me how I am. Even if you try and explain from things you have learned yourself it can be sometimes difficult to get through to them. I may have had more help through the years but I sometimes find myself introspective at times and find it difficult to ask other people about themselves. It just seems to be the way people are I guess?
I simply would describe the social challenges as:
1. Confronting crowd situations (which even non Autistic people find difficult).
2. Trying to make small talk and having a lighter side
3. Knowing how to respond and finding the mental energy to do so.
4. Dealing with the anxiety of confronting a social situation.
5. Knowing what clothes to wear or how to act etc.
6. Difficulty in talking to people in a group situation.
7. How to respond to people's comments and responding correctly
The social challenges at work are also difficult. Often it can be hard to talk socially when your mind is on specific tasks within the work environment. People often dismiss me as being aloof or uninterested but the difficulty is more so that I cannot understand why a work environment is also a social one to a large extent.
Everyone has their own social challenges but I guess it depends on person to person?
I often wonder with church if people are attending to connect with God or what other reasons? Church in itself should be a place for a congregation to attend in order to find enlightenment and acceptance. Sadly sometimes people go for the wrong reasons. At church yesterday I enjoyed hearing some stories from the Old Testament. These stories mainly focusing around the Philistines and the story of David.
The church at least is a somewhat community atmosphere where there are some healthy people more so than a toxic environment. It really depends on what your beliefs and core values are as a person.
Social situations require a lot of work and use of mental energy. Simply being able to talk to a gathering or to a person one to one requires full use of thought and speech. At the church yesterday I managed to speak to a few people and received a greeting upon exiting the church but what I find very difficult is to talk in a lighter side. Often as I think so much I tend to have difficulty in replying to others. I have learned that when I talk with someone that I have to try and ask them about themselves more so than focus on my own introspection. Communication is not like a tennis volley but more so an ability to find connections with others. Often this can be very difficult. How much and how little are you supposed to contact a person?
I find with a lot of Aspies that conversation is often one sided. They talk a lot about themselves but seldom if at all ask me how I am. Even if you try and explain from things you have learned yourself it can be sometimes difficult to get through to them. I may have had more help through the years but I sometimes find myself introspective at times and find it difficult to ask other people about themselves. It just seems to be the way people are I guess?
I simply would describe the social challenges as:
1. Confronting crowd situations (which even non Autistic people find difficult).
2. Trying to make small talk and having a lighter side
3. Knowing how to respond and finding the mental energy to do so.
4. Dealing with the anxiety of confronting a social situation.
5. Knowing what clothes to wear or how to act etc.
6. Difficulty in talking to people in a group situation.
7. How to respond to people's comments and responding correctly
The social challenges at work are also difficult. Often it can be hard to talk socially when your mind is on specific tasks within the work environment. People often dismiss me as being aloof or uninterested but the difficulty is more so that I cannot understand why a work environment is also a social one to a large extent.
Everyone has their own social challenges but I guess it depends on person to person?
