Leading on from my previous post You don’t look autistic?, it seems that I might need to eat my words that no one looks autistic. Research in recent years indicates that autism may in fact have some physical attributes- in other words, there is actually an autistic look 🤯
Yep, I had to be peeled off the floor when I heard that- so many autists making jokes about not looking autistic and here we have science telling us that we do! 😂
So what does the research say?
Whilst there isn’t a specific definitive autistic look as with other genetic conditions like Down’s Syndrome, studies have identified the following facial features in autistic children:
Eyes are wider and spaced further apart
Broader upper face
Shorter middle face
Larger mouth and philtrum (i.e., the groove between your nose and mouth)
Others may also have a flattened nasal bridge, a longer philtrum, and a less pronounced chin
Similarly, studies suggest that 10-35% of autists have a larger head size than their neurotypical peers. The circumference of the head, particularly in males with autism, is much larger than average- a condition known as macrocephaly. This size difference is often linked to larger brain volume in childhood, thought to be caused by early brain overgrowth. Head size usually balances out in adulthood, but it may persist for some autists.
As with all autistic traits, not all autists may have these facial features (my mouth is so small my wisdom teeth had no room to grow), and the differences are so subtle it’s doubtful that the untrained eye will notice. The research is very limited, so these facial features may not even indicate an autism diagnosis, but still it’s a very interesting concept. Perhaps one day facial analysis may help speed up the autism diagnostic process.
This week I’d like to discuss the recent depiction of an autistic character in the medical drama Doctor Odyssey.
For those who haven’t seen the show yet (not that I’d recommend it, I mainly stuck with it for closure on how the series ended 🫠), Doctor Odyssey follows Max Bankman (played by Dawson’s Creek alum Joshua Jackson) who has just taken a job as the on-board doctor for the luxury cruise ship ‘The Odyssey’. This overhyped drama from producer Ryan Murphy (known for Glee, American Horror Story, Monsters and 9-11) was 90% unrealistic rubbish, BUT it did provide us with a somewhat true depiction of autism.
During episodes 9 and 10 of the first series (which by current reports seems likely to be it’s last 🫠), the ship receives a distress call from a group who’s charter ship sank after a shark attack. Among the rescued is first mate Ray (played by AuDHD actor Liam Johnson), a straight talking, literal thinking, awkward autist who is a little out of sorts on the ship as his routine has been disrupted following the shark attack. Following a rocky start after inadvertently annoying staff on the ship, Ray quickly becomes an asset using his mathematic and marine skills to chart the quickest course to port, in addition to advising the ships captain when The Odyssey is besieged by a pod of orcas (as if the sharks weren’t enough…).
Now while Ray’s onscreen traits and manner are relatively stereotypical (there’s a lot of scenes about sound sensitivity around using sound cannons and fireworks to get rid of the orcas), what was refreshing was how the show chose to depict him as a handsome, stoic, naval character. When men are depicted with autism, they are generally overtly nerdy, skinny, outcasts working in some form of STEM, but here we find a jock-esque first mate confidently navigating the seas, showing us all that with a little support and understanding, autists can do anything they set their mind to.
All in all, while the show is rather far fetched, it does sort of get autism right (though I still wouldn’t recommend watching it- stick with The Pitt and The Good Doctor 😉).
Leading on from my previous post about gender identity and autism, this week I’d like to discuss NHS proposed guidelines in the UK where children who are referred to gender clinics will also be assessed for neurodevelopmental conditions like autism and ADHD.
But is this a good thing?
While some people believe that this is part of the growing anti-trans agenda in the UK, the majority feel that this is a positive step for the autistic community as experts estimate that trans patients could be 3-6 times more likely to be diagnosed as autistic. As such, it’s important that gender dysphoric patients are properly assessed so that they can be fully supported. This is especially important given the long term ramifications if a patient transitions but their dysphoria was a temporary product of their autism.
I have read many stories over the years from families with undiagnosed autistic kids who identified with trans ideology as they did not feel like they fit in. These children then began the transitioning process, only to find that after an autism diagnosis, they no longer felt at odds with their birth gender. Statistics among de-transitioning patients are difficult to estimate, but studies have found that as many as 15-20% of these are autistic.
It’s actually quite common for neurodiverse children to temporarily disassociate from their bodies as they naturally approach puberty. In my own case, I often felt that life would be so much easier if I could just click a button around 9 years of age (after having the dress up experience of one’s first holy communion of course 😂🙈) to switch genders as being a man seemed so much better than the realities of womanhood. Other than these passing thoughts as an undiagnosed kid, I have never ever felt at odds with my gender. Despite being quite tomboyish in my younger days, my friends describe me as quite feminine in my 30s with a wardrobe that’s bursting with dresses. Were 9 year old Aoife to express such thoughts today, I would likely be landed in a gender clinic being assessed for gender dysphoria, when what I really needed was an autism assessment.
Whilst many autists may be genuinely transgender, we need to do due diligence in gender assessments to ensure that no decisions are rushed. In my opinion, this is an excellent plan from the NHS to ensure that autists and people with gender dysphoria are getting the best care possible.
On the other hand, this proposal begs the question as to why similar guidelines have not been recommended for other conditions that are often co-morbid with autism. Many people who are assessed for ADHD are receiving subsequent autism diagnoses. Overlap is estimated to be as high as 80%, yet an autism assessment is not always considered during ADHD assessment. Moreover, it’s thought that 23-32% of patients with eating disorders are also autistic, an issue that is quite common for undiagnosed women, yet autism assessments are not factored into treatment. These co-morbid issues impact an arguably higher number of autists than gender dysphoria, yet patients are generally not co-screened for autism.
A larger conversation is clearly needed around co-occurring mental health and neurodiversity if we want to properly support the autistic community.
I can’t even remember what I was planning to write about this week, so incensed am I about these comments that Robert F Kennedy Jr. (the US Health secretary) has been making about autism in recent weeks.
For those of you who haven’t heard, RFK Jr. has vowed to find the cause autism by September, as he believes that it is an entirely preventable epidemic resulting from exposure to environmental toxins. A vaccine skeptic, he plans to launch a major study to identify the right toxin to rid America of autism, going against the multitude of studies that indicate a genetic cause (he claims genes just make you more susceptible to environmental toxins🙄). This study is coming on the back of the Trump administration’s ban on research and services related to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. Naturally, the autism community is in uproar about these flippant, uneducated comments leaving RFK Jr. baffled by the “tsunami of anger” that has come his way.
Here’s just a taste of his comments:
“These are kids who will never pay taxes. They’ll never hold a job. They’ll never play baseball. They’ll never write a poem. They’ll never go out on a date. Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted.”
This sort of statement beggars belief… He has since clarified that he only meant the 25% of autists who are severe level 3, but that doesn’t make it any better. Let’s go through this checklist for a minute:
Never pay taxes or hold a job? My employers and Irish revenue would beg to differ (the latter have made a fortune from me!)
Play baseball? I could (badly) if I wanted to, but baseball is boring
Write a poem? I’ve written many (and this blog can attest to my writing skills)
Go out on a date? I recently sat through 32 speed dates (though it did require painkillers and chicken nuggets to reset after 🫠)
Use the toilet unassisted? Always- unless I need a hand getting out of a jumpsuit!
Every single neurodivergent I know will equally pass this list. As we have discussed many times on this blog, autism is a spectrum, you cannot make generalizations. We’re all unique and experience autism differently. Not to mention how damaging it is to claim that he intends to “cure” autism, seeing our existence as a problem to be fixed.
And when you think things can’t get any worse, it’s been reported that there are plans to monitor autism records and make major cuts to disability services. The National Institute of Health (NIH) is collecting private medical records to provide researchers with data for RFK Jr’s new study, with reports saying there are plans to craft a new registry to track people with autism🤦🏻♀️.
Compiling such a list could have huge implications for data security. Who’s to say this registry wouldn’t be made available for potential employers who could use it discriminate against candidates? As much as we’d like to believe we live in a society more accepting of neurodivergence, prejudices still exist when it comes to disability in the workplace. Whilst my current employers are very supportive (they’ve even asked me how to make the snacks more autism friendly 😂), I’ve had other experiences where I was discriminated against for my diagnosis.
Even worse, if this registry made it into the hands of criminals, they could create a campaign to defraud you, playing on your social inadequacies and trusting nature. It’s a disaster waiting to happen…
Just saying, it’s beginning to sound an awful lot like another person with harmful ideas who took a registry…
This will be an interesting story to follow over the next few months.
Hope you enjoyed this post (or at least my commentary since the subject matter sucks)!
Leading on my from my previous post about autism and ageing, this week I’d like to discuss whether or not people with autism look younger.
Yep, apparently there appears to be a link between autism and looking younger!
In my own experience, it has been mentioned that I look far younger than my age. I’ve always had a youthful complexion, but I’d just chalked it down to good skincare, genes and the lack of a man to turn my hair grey 😂 Never in my wildest dreams did I think that my autism might be linked to my appearance!
So let’s explore why autists look younger.
As I’ve discussed in my previous post about autism and joint hypermobility, some autists have co-morbid hypermobility conditions such as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). This causes structural tissues like collagen to be weaker and more elastic which causes stretchy joints. However, this increased elasticity can result in a more youthful appearance as the skin is more resistant to damage, which can delay or even prevent the appearance of wrinkles🫨
Facial expressions may also contribute to a youthful visage, as autists tend to produce facial expressions less frequently and for shorter durations than neurotypicals. A less expressive face = less wrinkles.
It’s also possible that our youthful appearance may be more behavioural than biological. A lot of autists tend to be introverted and prefer indoorsy activities away from the elements, especially those with light sensitivity. As a result, lower UV exposure may be preserving our skin from the ageing impact of the sun. My nickname was ‘Dracula’ as a teenager as I would spend summers indoors reading, often returning from sun holidays with little to no tan🙈. On another level, our tendency towards naivety, more childish interests and behaviours can make us seem younger by association rather than looks.
However, while the evidence does seem to suggest autists do look younger, there equally is evidence that some autists look a lot older. As much as EDS increases skin elasticity, it can also lead to thin, fragile skin that can be more prone to bruising, resulting in premature ageing. One study even suggests that autists experience a faster rate of ageing and that they have an older facial age. This may however be correlated to poor self care, lifestyle and the higher levels of biological stress experienced by autists, buuuttt the same can largely be said for neurotypical ageing🤷♀️.
This week I’d like to discuss autism in the brand new medical drama that everyone’s talking about- The Pitt.
So The Pitt is a unique new medical drama set in the emergency room of the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital (hence the name). Unlike conventional dramas however, the show happens in real time, with each episode focusing on one hour of the doctor’s shift. By the end of the season, there will have been 15 episodes documenting one single 15 hour shift in the E.R. The show has been praised for how realistic it is, not shying away from the squeamish reality of medicine like close up surgeries, gory injuries and uncovered birth scenes.
And before any of you guys ask, yes that is the guy from E.R.- Noah Wyle (a little bit typecasty bringing him back to lead another series set in an E.R. but everyone is raving about his performance!).
So to autism!
In episode 7, Terrance (played by autistic actor Coby Bird) comes into the E.R. with a sprained ankle. His autistic traits are immediately obvious to the trained eye (his lack of eye contact, constant questions, interrupting his doctor, monotone voice and language use) buuutttt his doctor does not pick up on any of it. Instead he leaves frustrated giving out that he couldn’t take a patient history from the constant questions. Thankfully another doctor’s spidey senses start to tingle, and she quickly spots his autism diagnosis in his medical history file in the hospitals computer.
Mel has an autistic twin sister (played by autistic actress Tal Anderson) and immediately volunteers to take over. She calmly enters the room, closes the doors to the noisy E.R., turns off the lights, and disables some alarms going off on the wall. This allowed her to have a calm conversation with Terrance to understand his concerns about his ankle and assess his injury. She quickly reassures him that his injury won’t keep him from a table tennis tournament, explains the scans that need to be performed, and even shows him a model of the bones in his foot to show what kinds of injury he could have.
Here’s a quick short from the episode:
This was such a heartwarming moment in the episode to see an autistic patient getting the proper care and understanding they need in a medical setting. Medical environments can be very overwhelming on a sensory level before you add in your fears, uncertainty and uncomfortable procedures. I’ve had minor meltdown’s every time I’ve had a cannula placed in my hand, but thankfully the nursing staff were aware of my diagnosis and made every effort to make things easier for me where others would have told me to grow up and stop crying. They got me to start talking about alpacas and my blood pressure dropped right back down to normal 🙃🦙
On another level, Mel herself has many neurodivergent traits, as is often the case with siblings of autists. Several members of the autistic community believe she is on the spectrum and feel seen by her portrayal. Taylor Dearden (daughter of Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston) is herself neurodivergent (she has ADHD) which she says has really helped her to shape the character of Mel. As Mel goes forward into the rest of this season and beyond (it’s already been renewed for season 2), I can’t wait to see what other neurodiversity story lines we may encounter.
Autistic patients come up a lot in medical dramas, but rarely are they treated with this level of understanding. It’s great to see The Pitt demonstrating the true reality of this experience. If medical drama’s are your jam, I highly recommend you check it out 🙂
As every year passes, I’m hearing about more and more celebrities that are on/suspected to be on the spectrum. So this week I’d like to continue on from my previous 3 posts on the subject and let you know about some more autistic celebs:
Bella Ramsey
The Last of Us non-binary actor Bella Ramsey has been in the news over the last few weeks disclosing their diagnosis after a crew member picked up on autistic traits. This person had a daughter with autism and assumed that Bella had also been diagnosed, sending them on their diagnosis journey, ultimately confirming what they had always wondered about.
Here’s a clip of Bella discussing how their diagnosis has made them a better actor:
Emma Langford
Irish singer-songwriter Emma Langford was diagnosed with autism at the age of 32. After getting involved in a fundraiser for autism charity As I Am during the pandemic, she started to do some research and noticed that she related to many of the experiences of autists. In retrospect after receiving her diagnosis, she noticed that all her songs were about the autistic experience as she used music to express the feelings that she couldn’t understand. The diagnosis has made her past clearer and the future brighter as she finally knows there is a place for her in the world, she just works a little differently.
Lee Ryan
Having recently watched the BBC documentary Boybands Forever, I did some ‘where are they now’ searching and discovered that Lee Ryan of Blue fame has been diagnosed with autism (Asperger’s syndrome) and ADHD in his forties. Of his diagnosis Lee wrote on Instagram:
‘I’ve struggled with various things since I was a child, but these things weren’t really known about back then or spoken about. What it means for me is that I have a high IQ but my brain works in a different way to others. For all the kids and adults out there who are going through the same thing, there’s nothing wrong with you. You might be very clever, highly creative – have highs and lows, but you might deal with social situations differently from others. You might react differently, particularly to sounds, sights, smells and even touch. People might think you’re being rude, difficult or chaotic. This is going to sound a bit weird but I’ve always hated the wind, the way it feels on my skin when it hits you. I’m particularly sensitive to touch, so when someone does that and I’m in a stressful situation then I might react quickly. There is so much I’m learning about myself and a lot is starting to make sense.‘
You can see a brief clip of him discussing his diagnosis below:
Sticking with British boybands, I again discovered post watching Boybands Forever that Abz Lov (Richard Abidin Breen) from the band Five was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome as an adult. Abz disclosed his diagnosis in 2013 after a stint on Celebrity Big Brother following encouragement from his CBB housemate Sophie Anderton. Of the diagnosis, Abz has said “It’s a personal thing but it makes it difficult for me in certain scenarios when people want the sparkly bright Abz all the time.” Abz struggled with addiction after Five first broke up and even went through a period where he paid people to be his friends 😢
Tylan Grant
Trans actor Tylan Grant (child of vocal coach Carrie Grant who I discussed in my previous post) was diagnosed with autism at the age of 7 and at age 16 made history becoming the first black actor to portray an autistic character in the British soap opera Hollyoaks.
You can see Tylan discuss his experience with autism in this interview:
Jess Kidd
London-Irish author Jess Kidd was diagnosed with autism in her late forties after one day her daughter asked “Mum, do you think you might be autistic?” She told her that she would look into it, likening the diagnosis process to the X-Factor where you keep getting through to the next round. She has embraced the diagnosis as a positive and advocates for awareness around the female experience of autism.
Josh Thomas
Australian comedian Josh Thomas was diagnosed with autism at 33 (and ADHD at 28), ironically after he had created the TV show ‘Everything’s Gonna Be Okay‘- a show that was celebrated for having a realistic autistic lead character played by Kayla Cromer who is herself on the spectrum. The diagnosis confirmed a nagging suspicion he had always had and described it as a positive experience that has helped him to better understand himself and for the people around him to do the same.
You can see an interview with him discussing his diagnosis in the video here:
Jacksepticeye
Irish Youtuber Sean McLoughlin (better known by his handle Jackscepticeye) was diagnosed with autism in 2024 having been previously diagnosed with ADHD. In the midst of his ADHD journey after medication didn’t work, he started to read about the overlap with autism and the penny started to drop, so he sought a diagnosis to satisfy his curiosity.
You can see him chatting about his diagnosis in the video below on his channel:
Tom Stoltman
The world’s strongest man Tom Stoltman was diagnosed with autism at the age of 8. He often felt very isolated as a young man and struggled in school with bullies and teachers who told him he wouldn’t go anywhere in this life. For him, autism initially felt like a burden often wondering why him? His attitude has since drastically changed, now viewing it as a superpower. Going to the gym completely changed his perspective, allowing him to see how useful his autistic traits like hyperfocus can be in his training regimen.
You can see him discuss his experience of autism in the video below:
Neil Gaiman
Controversial English writer Neil Gaiman has lowkey discussed that he was diagnosed with autism in posts on Twitter and Tumblr describing his experience as “From my point of view, it’s both my super powers and it’s my kryptonite. Your mileage (as they say sensibly) may vary.” However, he is currently embroiled in legal proceedings regarding multiple sexual assaults, and some people are trying to use autism to excuse his behaviour…. Let’s move on!
Damien Haas
Actor and writer Damian Haas, best known for his work with Smosh Games on YouTube, has openly discussed being diagnosed with autism, ADHD and OCD. He has described his diagnosis as a characteristic part of who he is, emphasizing that it is not something to be fixed, it’s just the deck of card’s he’s dealing with.
You can see him discussing his AuDHD here:
Bobby Fischer
Chess prodigy and grandmaster Bobby Fischer has long been in the subject of debate as to whether or not he was on the spectrum. Psychologist Rueben Fine has said “Some of Bobby’s behavior is so strange, unpredictable, odd and bizarre that even his most ardent apologists have had a hard time explaining what makes him tick“. However, he could also have been schizophrenic or had paranoid personality disorder which can be co-morbidities with autism, so take from that what you will.
The Founding Fathers
While we cannot officially diagnose them, historical records about the Founding Fathers of America suggest that they may have all been neurodivergent in some way or another showing signs of ADHD and autism. Just have a quick look at this summary short and you’ll see what I mean:
Taylor Swift?
Okay, now this one maaaaay be a stretch, but some psychologists have speculated that based on her public demeanor, dating history, food habits, stimming behaviours and her music that Taylor Swift is likely autistic. A lot of fans have been debating whether or not this could be true, especially as her music resonates quite strongly with some autists. Then again most people resonate with her music so who knows 🤷♀️
Leading on from my previous posts about autism and love and sexuality, this week I’d like to discuss the psychological state of limerence and autism.
Who in the what now?
Yes it’s not a term I had heard of either, but it’s certainly something that I have experienced many times as an autist- I just never knew it was a thing!
Limerence is a strong feeling of infatuation with another person that may be confused for romantic feelings (though it can also happen in platonic relationships). We’re not just talking your regular crush, limerence can be an intense, intrusive, all consuming involuntary obsession, mirroring the experiences of addiction, withdrawal and OCD.
You’re completely consumed by your feelings for the other person whether you want to be or not. It can occur in a romantic relationship, with someone you barely know, or even someone you’ve never met like a celebrity. Unlike with real love however, the obsession is usually one sided, marked by uncertainty and driven by excitement, adrenaline, stress and confusion. It plays havoc with your mental health and in extreme cases can lead to compulsive behaviours like stalking and harassment. Autistic women are particularly susceptible to limerence as we have a tendency to make people our specialist interests.
So many times I thought I was in love in the past, but more and more since my diagnosis I felt that these incidences were passing infatuations. Limerence really hits the nail on the head. When I would fall for someone, I would fall hard out of nowhere for walking red flags, people that I did not want to be attracted to, but drawn I was. Lovesick is a good description of it as it’s like an illness. I would obsess over them, they would invade most of my thoughts, I’d say and do stupid things, getting high off the slightest interactions and becoming irrationally jealous when they would spend time with others. It’s not a want, it feels like a need, this compulsion t0 be with that person constantly.
On the surface it seems like a typical crush, but no crush is this destructive. Limerence wreaks complete havoc with your mental health. Like addiction, you can think of little else other than your next fix. You spend nights tossing and turning thinking of only them, feeling like you could burst or die if your feelings go unreciprocated for one more minute. You over-analyse every single interaction you’ve ever had, searching for the slightest shred of evidence that they feel the same, clinging on to the slightest scraps to keep the dream alive. Your thinking is so clouded you totally ignore every red flag or paint it green to keep the fantasy alive. Any time spent with them is marked by exhilaration, stress and anxiety all at once. There’s no calm like there is when love is truly there.
And when the bubble finally bursts it’s the worst feeling in the world as you grieve what never was. Well, maybe not always! Sometimes it’s a simple “thank you- next” depending on the severity of your limerence.
Is there any scientific reason why autists are prone to limerence?
As with many neurological aspects of the spectrum, it comes back to imbalances in neurotransmitters and hormones. Limerence triggers many of the same chemicals in the body that are released when in love, and given that so many autists have issues with alexithymia, it’s no wonder we can’t tell the difference. Autists often have dysregulated levels of key love hormones such as dopamine, oxytocin and serotonin which are involved in pleasure, reward, and attachment. So if these chemicals are out of whack, this can easily develop into limerence.
The object of your limerence is usually filling a gap in an attempy to balance the chemicals that your brain is desperately craving, so it’s kind of like a twisted form of self regulation- your brain creates these attachments to get it’s fix. Certainly some of my more serious attachments were formed during particularly tumultuous periods in my life with my brain forging these highs to counteract the lack of stimulation I was getting. Paramore’s song Brick by Boring Brick sums this up nicely- “You built up a world of magic, because your real life was tragic!”. 🫠🙈
Much better to find a healthier specialist interest like crafting or music- something that will stimulate the same chemicals with none of the side effects! 😉
This week I’d like to discuss a topic that many autists struggle with- boredom. We all know the feeling, that mental itch that makes you want to jump out of your skin, but for autists boredom can be so much worse.
Many autists, especially those with co-morbid ADHD, crave constant stimulation. As a result, boredom occurs more easily than neurotypicals. A simple lack of interest in a topic, if a task is too easy, or feeling overwhelmed can trigger boredom and autists will tune out fast. When this happens, it can lead to negative behaviours where an autist will act out and be destructive and disruptive, it might even trigger a meltdown in chronic scenarios (I have had this happen in work following months of tedious tasks🙈).
Boredom has always been a challenge for me. I constantly need to be working on something. In school I often got in trouble for reading/drawing/writing during class as I would get ahead of my work and need to keep my hands busy while waiting for the lesson to move forward. If anything they should have encouraged my habit for productivity in my downtime! 🤷♀️
But what does the science have to say?
As I’ve discussed previously, autists have higher levels of stimulating neurotransmitters and lower levels of calming neurotransmitters, so their neurons are firing excessively in the brain. When they aren’t able to channel this excess stimulation into something, boredom takes over which can lead to negative behaviours that cause problems. Autists also have dysregulated levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine- the chemical involved in motivation, pleasure and reward systems. When dopamine levels are low, motivation is low, so when an activity is not enjoyable, autists won’t have the brain power to engage and boredom will set in.
On another level, there have been reports from doctors claiming that FMRI scans of ADHD brains show that areas of the brain associated with pain light up when they experience boredom, suggesting that boredom might actually be a painful experience for neurodivergents. However, other neuroscientists have refuted this claim as the human pain response largely remains a mystery, so making this assumption from the data is a bit of a stretch.
You can imagine my surprise this week to discover that I have never written a post about overthinking and autism!
Before I was diagnosed, overthinking was probably one of my strongest autistic traits. My brain was often compared to a washing machine set on high spin going round and round and out of control. I analyzed every single detail of my life, rehearsed potential conversations and social scenarios (usually catastrophizing them), and mentally abused myself daily with self critique. I would spend hours on the pillow staring into space unable to sleep as my mind raced out of control. My brain would be going so fast my head would be on fire on the pillow with all the heat generated from my neural activity!
Granted, I still have a tendency to rehearse and think through scenarios from multiple angles, but I find it much easier to rein in the horses before they start to race. Knowing why my mind works the way it does was a huge help, enabling me to be much kinder to myself, but also firmly stop the thoughts when needed.
But are there any scientific explanations for why we overthink?
There are a number of potential reasons why autists overthink. Sensory sensitivities and social anxiety may trigger overactive thoughts as an autist tries to process overwhelming stimuli and social interactions. As autists can be quite detail oriented and rigid in their thinking, it can also be hard to pivot from certain thoughts leading to overthinking. On another level, overthinking could have a physical cause in the way our brains are wired. As I’ve discussed previously, autists have too many synapses (connections between neurons where information is exchanged) so the brain is over-connected. With so many extra connections and ways information can travel, perhaps over-connectivity could be contributing to the issue of over-thinking.
So is there anything that can be done to manage it?
Here are some of my top tips for reining in your racing thoughts:
Weighted blanket or a weighted plushie– weighted blankets have been a game changer in helping me to sleep at night. They are scientifically designed to dampen the chemicals that stimulate your brain so less stimulation means less racing thoughts
Keep your hands busy– diverting all your nervous energy from your brain to your hands is great to slow your thoughts. I took knitting back up in college to try to slow my mind and found it immensely therapeutic. I was so busy concentrating on what my hands were doing that my brain didn’t have any capacity to think about anything else. Similarly, I’ve found sculpture and cake decorating have the same effect, so get your hands stuck into a project!
Exercise– is there anything a good walk can’t cure? Exercise can be great to help manage overthinking. I find that spin classes are great to switch off as you have to concentrate so completely on the task you don’t have any space in your head for anything else
Talk it out– discuss some of your thoughts with a friend or family member. A problem shared is a problem halved. I buried so many negative thoughts for so long my mental health suffered greatly, but things got so much easier once I started to talk through my problems. You don’t need to shoulder your struggles alone
Write it out– similarly, writing out your thoughts can be very therapeutic. I’ve often found that the simple act of getting my thoughts on paper was enough to get them to leave my head
A Is For Aoife Not Autism 