Just thought I'd post a link to an article on Aspie Employment which was posted on the Parenting Aspergers Blog today. It reinforces a lot of what I've been saying about the importance of the special interest.
According to wikipedia , stimming is; "a jargon term for a particular form of stereotypy, a repetitive body movement (often done unconsciously) that self-stimulates one or more senses in a regulated manner. It is shorthand for self-stimulation, and a stereotypy is referred to as stimming under the hypothesis that it has a function related to sensory input." The wikipedia article then goes on to propose some theories about the function of stimming and how it is designed to provide nervous system arousal. The theory being that it helps autistic people "normalize". I'm not sure how much I believe that theory - I helps us relax and it feels good... but normalize?? Not sure. The most commonly cited form of stimming is body rocking. Such is the prevalence of this form of stimming in Hollywood films concerning autism that you could be forgiven for thinking that autistic people stim by rocking most of the time. How far does stimming go? Stimming is much more than just...
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I'm currently undergoing treatment for clinical depression and the psychiatrist suggested I have autistic tendencies such as my inability to to "feel" for the last 15 years.
In the last couple years I found a hobby I am obsessed with and a man who makes my heart ache every time I think of him. I got injured and can't do my hobby anymore and the man is getting married to someone else. Now i'm flooded with grief.
I end up crying without realising it and I can't stop. I tried staying away from him and I had a physical breakdown, vomiting, stopped sleeping, crying and screaming 24/7.
I don't know what to do anymore. I don't know how to cope. I've never believed in love, what people label love isn't what I read in books. It isn't forever for other people. But I haven't thought about another man since the day I met him, he's my best friend, the most beautiful person i've ever seen and we met in the gym where I taught him my hobby, my sport.
I can't live without him, when he gets married, i'll die.
How can I go back to not feeling? How can I shut down again so it doesn't hurt anymore?
Asperger's is like a blessing and a curse all in one. For so long I wouldn't let myself feel, now it's overwhelming.
How can I love another?
Blessing and curse indeed.