Tag: thinking

Autism and Overthinking

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

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

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings!

Have a lovely weekend! 🙂

Aoife

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Autism and Daydreaming

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

In today’s post, I’m going to discuss the subject of daydreaming (or as my sister likes to call it “staring into the abyss”) and autism.

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*Cue six year old Aoife singing the Monkees ‘Daydream Believer‘ at the top of her lungs!*

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All of us daydream at some point or other in our lives, but according to researchers, autists daydream differently to others. When we daydream during times of rest, certain regions of the brain (known collectively as the default mode network) are activated to help us reflect and process emotions. However in the autistic brain, it appears that activity in these daydreaming regions is dampened due to lower levels of brain connectivity. As daydreaming is an essential component for self reflection, researchers believe that autists struggle to create a “normal” internal picture of themselves and others which could be linked to social issues often experienced in autism.

On the other hand, autism and ADHD have also been linked to maladaptive daydreaming. First described in 2002, maladaptive daydreaming is a mental health issues where someone daydreams excessively, sometimes even for hours at a time. People who tend to daydream like this conjure extremely vivid and detailed daydreams, often developed as a coping mechanism or a form of escapism. There is limited research on this topic as the condition has not been officially recognized yet, but some estimate it to effect as many as 20% of those with ADHD which often overlaps with autism. It is thought to be a compulsive issue, which given the issues of impulsivity and autism could explain the link.

In my own life, I’m a terrible woman for daydreaming. My mind is constantly drifting in and out of focus to daydream about potential future scenarios or to create elaborate fantasies to escape from my problems. There were certainly periods during more turbulent times where one might consider my daydreaming to have been maladaptive. If I’m being honest though, I think I tend to daydream more out of boredom than anything else- I just fill my head with all these interesting scenarios to keep my brain stimulated when I’m not doing much else with my time 🤣

So who knows- maybe daydreaming is a spectrum within the spectrum! 🤷‍♂️

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings!

Have a lovely weekend! 🙂

Aoife

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Autism and Art

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

This week I’d like to take a quick look at a more creative side of the spectrum- the benefits of art therapy 🙂

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Too often we focus on the logic driven mathematical and scientific skills that autists often possess (*cough* ‘Rain Man‘), failing to see the array of creativity that exists within the spectrum. In fact, research suggests that there appears to be a link between milder/higher functioning forms of autism and artistic creativity- with many citing Andy Warhol (who as mentioned in a previous post (celebrities with autism) is thought by several experts to have had Asperger’s Syndrome) as a prime example. You can read about some of his bizzare traits here:  https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1999/mar/14/vanessathorpe.theobserver

Personally, I love all things creative- I  paint, I draw, I sculpt, I knit, decorate cakes and as you all know, I write. Many a weekend has been spent consumed by an art project over the years 🙂

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In recent years, experts have begun to target creativity in autists by exploring the potential benefits of art therapy.

So what exactly is art therapy and how might it help?

With a key focus on sensory stimulation, art therapy is specifically designed with the aim of addressing deficits and problem behaviours, building life skills, promoting healthy self expression, communication and to help to instill calm.  As of yet, there is little research into art therapy, however, currently available evidence has shown that it promotes mental and emotional growth for autists through art making.

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In my experience, the calming effect of art can be quite powerful. As I’ve previously discussed, I often find it hard to switch off my brain at times. However, I have found sculpture to be a powerful way to quieten my mind in the past. I once spent an hour at Art Society in college making a sculpture of dolphins, realizing at the end that I had not thought about anything other than the movement of my hands for the entire duration! 😲 The physical effort can take up a surprising amount of your thought capacity! Granted, the moisture of the clay and drying sensation against the skin may not be great for some autists on a sensory level- but in exposing yourself to new smells and textures through a fun activity, this can greatly help to reduce your tolerance for unpleasant stimuli! 😀

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Knitting can also be quite useful to calm the mind, however, I found that the more I improved, the more room I had in my mind for thought- but hey, it’s still fun, and not as boring as it sounds (my approach should be renamed “extreme” knitting, I have in fact injured myself from my exertions and needed physio in the past… 😛 😂)!

All in all, art therapy offers us a unique way to help improve autistic behaviours by channeling them into something constructive, creative and above all fun 🙂

Enjoy the weekend Earthlings! 🙂

Aoife

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Autism Management- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

Today I’d like to briefly examine one of the most commonly recommended therapies for autism management- cognitive behavioural therapy or CBT.

So let’s all lean back in our chez long as we dive in! 🙂

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First off, what exactly is CBT?

Originally designed as a treatment for depression, CBT is a form of psycho-social intervention (i.e. counselling/psychotherapy) that is widely used to help improve mental health. Unlike other forms of therapy, CBT focuses on developing coping strategies to target our problems and to change unhelpful patterns in emotions, attitudes, negative behaviours,  and thought patterns.

In other words- CBT aims to change negative ways of thinking or cognitions in order to improve behaviour.

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As a result, CBT is widely used to treat anxiety, depression, eating disorders, OCD and a range of other psychological issues- many of which are co-morbid with an ASD diagnosis. It’s thought that CBT can be a particularly useful tool to treat anxiety and to help develop emotional recognition in autists.

CBT was personally recommended to me following my initial diagnosis in order help me to better understand autism and to conquer my social anxiety.

So what did I make of it?

Well, being honest (as we aspies must be 😛 😉 ), my opinions are slightly mixed regarding CBT. Whilst initially I found it helpful as it taught me a lot about autism and the reasons behind my behaviours, after a time, I felt that I didn’t really need it- especially given that I was in my twenties and had already overcome many of the challenges associated with ASD’s. In many ways, simply knowing and understanding Asperger’s Syndrome was enough to assuage much of the mental anguish I had inflicted on myself for being different 🙂

Nevertheless, I did find it beneficial to have a neutral party to talk to in those first initial months post diagnosis. It’s quite a lot to take on board, so it was nice to have that outlet to help guide me through the fog.

All in all, I felt that perhaps CBT may be better suited for a younger person with autism in helping them to develop lifelong coping mechanisms that will enable them to thrive. Had I better understood myself earlier in life through CBT intervention, many things could have been so much simpler 🙂

So if you think CBT may help you or your child, why not give it a try- get out your phone, book an appointment and take a seat on that couch (it’s surprisingly comfy 😉 )

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Enjoy the weekend everyone! 🙂

Aoife

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Autism and Pensivity

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

This week I’m going to talk a little bit about pensivity and autism, or as my sister describes it in my interview with her, “staring into the abyss.” 😛

We all have those moments where we retreat into ourselves. Our eyes glaze over, we tune out from our surroundings and make weird, subconscious facial expressions as we dreamily ride the thought train round and round.

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For an autist, these spells of introspection tend to happen a little more frequently. Our minds move so fast that we often find it hard to concentrate, and somehow we slip into this abyss of swirling thoughts:

‘What do I want for dinner tomorrow?’

‘Is evolution real?’

‘What would I look like as a blonde?’

‘What would it be like to have an Alpaca farm!?’ (genuinely spent a weekend considering the practicalities once!)

These are just a few of the millions of questions that I spend my time pondering in the abyss, proceeding to explore these thoughts in minute detail! 😛

I’ve been known to spend almost an hour lying on my bed, staring into space without saying a single word to anyone!

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Once I’ve fallen in, my mind could literally go anywhere-I’ve even conjured up a musical based on the music of My Chemical Romance during one of these particular spells!

It’s not a bad thing in my experience, I get some of best ideas wandering the abyss, but people just don’t know what to make of me in this state in social situations. As my sister says, it really creeps her out watching me! 😛

I suppose I can’t blame her when I often sit around staring like this for 40 minutes:

 

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Half the time, I’m not even aware that I’m doing it, which can be awkward on a night out.  If it get’s very loud or the conversation goes stale, I just slip down into the depths, awoken from my reverie several minutes later by bemused friends and colleagues! 😬

What people fail to understand however, is that I am perfectly content in my little bubble. Yes I look strange, and my face may not show it, but I’m perfectly fine 🙂 In fact I sort of enjoy thinking, just floating around exploring the darkness of the abyss. It’s actually a little bit soothing in an odd way.

Autists are not good with the unknown. We like structure, things we can predict and prepare for. By questioning, or pondering the unknown in our minds, this can help to make the world seem a little less scary. Knowledge is power after all!

So don’t panic if you see me stumbling into the abyss- I’m probably just wondering where I can buy an alpaca! 😛 😉

Enjoy the weekend everyone! 🙂

Aoife

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Should I Tell My Child They Have Autism?

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

So today we’re going to discuss a very important question when it comes to growing up with autism- should autists be made aware of their diagnosis?bitmoji185739333

Now this question is a little bit tricky.

On one hand, we have the parents who do not want their child to know at all; they want their child to grow up as “normally” as possible so that they may never be held back by the autistic label.

In a sense, part of me would agree with this approach. In a lot of ways, growing up undiagnosed was a blessing in disguise. I was never treated differently (well, by teachers at least- children are another kettle of fish!) and I grew up to be a “normally” functioning adult with a job and friends, never held back by the autistic label.

Buuuuuuutttttttt…

Whilst I can appreciate a parents desire for their child to thrive, the decision not to tell a child about their diagnosis ultimately amounts to sticking your head in the sand.

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We cannot ignore autism and pretend that it’s not happening. There needs to be interventions, strategies and most importantly, understanding.

We don’t just grow out of autism, we need to cultivate an environment so that we can grow around autism. Without self awareness, this will ultimately make life difficult for your child.

What if they found out some other way that they were autistic? If they overheard a teacher, accidentally caught sight of their notes or were taunted by another child? How would you feel if your parents kept something like this from you?

At the end of the day, your child needs to know about their diagnosis; maybe not today or tomorrow, but when the time is right, they will need to know.

Yes, there were some advantages to getting a later diagnosis, but ultimately, life would have been so much simpler for both my parents and I had we known that I was on the spectrum. We would have known how to manage meltdowns, my peers would have understood me better, I wouldn’t have tortured myself for being different- I would have understood and learned to better accept and love me all the sooner.

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So don’t worry about holding your child back, or upsetting them; take a deep breath and find a way to tell them- they will thank you for it in the end 🙂

Aoife

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