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I have spent majority of my adult life operating under the idea that I'm on the spectrum. I have no problem sharing that detail of my life as I sit in front of

I have spent majority of my adult life operating under the idea that I'm on the spectrum. I have no problem sharing that detail of my life as I sit in front of a computer for more than 8 hours most days and would identify as introverted and eccentric in my own ways. What I found interesting is that as I experimented with lowering my screen time and doing more analog activities, my symptoms that had me believing I was on the spectrum started to disappear. I became more extroverted. I regained my attention towards a single task. I no longer exploded with anger or frustration when I was overwhelmed. I even started to accomplish things I never thought I would and see side projects to completion. At a certain point, I said enough is enough with regards to coping and dedicated each new day to working on these challenges. I don't think I'm the same person I previously identified as. I mean that in a good way. The article mentions this a bit later: > Most people who struggle to find stable employment also contend with things like intergenerational poverty and/or trauma, cycles of abuse, mental illness, systemic discrimination, disability or neurological disorders. Not only are these all chronically stressful and traumatic circumstances, they have all been linked to a high incidence of impaired executive function. I would agree here. As I started to face my childhood/generational trauma, mental illnesses, and other regular things you question as you approach 30, I started to find much more peace with everything. On-top of that, I started to find what I'm passionate for and continue to work towards that each day. I think everyone has their own journey to go through, but I do believe it's possible to change drastically as an individual.

appleflaxen 5y ago
> I have spent majority of my adult life operating under the idea that I'm on the spectrum Has this changed over time? Your opening sentence kind of suggests that it has, but you do not return to this idea. I'm curious what your current opinion is.
Pearse 5y ago
Really interesting to hear about the link between the things you were spending time on and thr person you were. We forgot how much the things we do affect who we are. It makes me think of the idea in that book the shallows: Where every tech advancement also removes a skill or connection. Writing meant we lost our oral tradition and the social bonds that came with it; Maps made us better at navigating but we lost touch with the spaces we were in; The clock gave our days structure but we stop depending on our bodies to tell us when we were hungry or tired. I do wonder how many subtle things we are giving up for the privilege of using computers and participating in a global digital culture. Thanks so much for sharing it was insightful.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
cjbgkagh 5y ago
I agree that everyone has their own journey, I don’t agree that life is equally difficult. But I do think we should think very carefully before making any attempt to try to equalize life to avoid making it worse. For example, I think grievance culture is counter productive. Personally, I have ADHD by way of a genetic mutation. As I get older (30s) I’m getting more and more chronically fatigued. Something I presume is plaguing Hannah as well - it tends to kick in ~20s. I also think my crazy math ability is liked to it as well. While I would swap CFS for a lot of other disabilities I’m not so sure about giving up my math ability.
- celdon25 5y ago
  Have you ever had a methylation profile done? Would highly recommend it. https://www.doctorsdata.com/methylation-profile-plasma/ https://www.doctorsdata.com/methylation-profile-plasma/
  - barbs 5y ago
    What's a methylation profile? I tried reading the link but it seemed quite technical.
    - __blockcipher__ 5y ago
      Methylation is a metabolic chemical reaction your body does, facilitated by enzymes, that sticks a methyl group onto stuff. There’s different genetic mutations for more or less copies or less efficient copies of the relevant enzymes. The idea is some people are genetically very low/poor methylaters so they’re methylation impaired. Generally the solution if found to be a poor methylater is to take forms of vitamins that are already methylated, like methylfolate
      - celdon25 5y ago
        > Generally the solution if found to be a poor methylater is to take forms of vitamins that are already methylated, like methylfolate Other possible treatments are L-Methionine or S-Adenosyl-Methionine (SAMe), as was recommended in my personal case of a deficiency in "methionine adenosyltransferase" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-Adenosylmethionine_synthetase_enzyme https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-Adenosylmethionine_synthetas...). If you are on a concurrent SSRI (as many with this problem tend to need), the L-Methionine is temporarily used in lieu of the SAMe in order to help wean off the SSRI without the risk of Serotonin Syndrome that comes with SAMe + SSRI combination. I'm not a doctor, just someone who has this as a patient.
perardi 5y ago
38 here, and really started to make headway with my spectrum issues in my early 30s. And I think you are absolutely onto something about having “analog” activities. I started playing sports in my 30s (oh god my joints), and learning to move through real 3D space and real the subtleties of other people’s body language and movement was a real breakthrough for me. Now…that does present a bit of a chicken/egg problem. Because I had just terrible proprioception growing up. Awful. Clumsy as all get-out. Which tends to go along with spectrum disorders.
- fivre 5y ago
  > Now…that does present a bit of a chicken/egg problem. Because I had just terrible proprioception growing up. Awful. Clumsy as all get-out. Which tends to go along with spectrum disorders. I was much the same way--absolutely abysmal at any sort of sport requiring the barest ounce of physical coordination. I semi-randomly ended up in ballet class in my early teens though, and started social dance in college because my friends did. I can't say I was amazing at those either, but not so awful as I was at youth sports, and it's developed into a great way to de-stress. My proprioception for dance is quite good now (even if I'm still shit at remembering specific steps), and while I can't compare it to others', I'd guess that sticking with it forced my brain to compensate for whatever normal proprioception pathways it lacks by building an alternate one. Neuroplasticity is great! It's hard to practice social basics when you're older because most of the adult population have mastered them and expect the same of others, but there are _plenty_ of people of any age who aren't any good at dancing and are trying to learn despite.
zeroonetwothree 5y ago
I played a lot of sports and I'm very much on the spectrum. I didn't have any coordination issues though. I do find physical activity makes me feel better in general but it certainly doesn't "reduce" my autism. I have gotten a lot better at dealing with it as I've gotten older though (I guess many would call this masking).
- white_dragon88 5y ago
  [dead]
Arete314159 5y ago
I was always "geeky" and a little behind in terms of socio-emotional development. In recent years I started wondering if I was on the spectrum. But the more I've delved into it, I've come to the conclusion that no, it's just that I was geeky + raised in a home with abuse, and that when you don't get your emotional needs met in childhood, you skip a lot of developmental milestones and have to make up for them later. There's more than one reason to feel like you don't "get" certain things about social interaction.

appleflaxen 5y ago

> I have spent majority of my adult life operating under the idea that I'm on the spectrum Has this changed over time? Your opening sentence kind of suggests that it has, but you do not return to this idea. I'm curious what your current opinion is.

Pearse 5y ago

Really interesting to hear about the link between the things you were spending time on and thr person you were. We forgot how much the things we do affect who we are. It makes me think of the idea in that book the shallows: Where every tech advancement also removes a skill or connection. Writing meant we lost our oral tradition and the social bonds that came with it; Maps made us better at navigating but we lost touch with the spaces we were in; The clock gave our days structure but we stop depending on our bodies to tell us when we were hungry or tired. I do wonder how many subtle things we are giving up for the privilege of using computers and participating in a global digital culture. Thanks so much for sharing it was insightful.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

cjbgkagh 5y ago

I agree that everyone has their own journey, I don’t agree that life is equally difficult. But I do think we should think very carefully before making any attempt to try to equalize life to avoid making it worse. For example, I think grievance culture is counter productive. Personally, I have ADHD by way of a genetic mutation. As I get older (30s) I’m getting more and more chronically fatigued. Something I presume is plaguing Hannah as well - it tends to kick in ~20s. I also think my crazy math ability is liked to it as well. While I would swap CFS for a lot of other disabilities I’m not so sure about giving up my math ability.

celdon25 5y ago
Have you ever had a methylation profile done? Would highly recommend it. https://www.doctorsdata.com/methylation-profile-plasma/ https://www.doctorsdata.com/methylation-profile-plasma/
- barbs 5y ago
  What's a methylation profile? I tried reading the link but it seemed quite technical.
  - __blockcipher__ 5y ago
    Methylation is a metabolic chemical reaction your body does, facilitated by enzymes, that sticks a methyl group onto stuff. There’s different genetic mutations for more or less copies or less efficient copies of the relevant enzymes. The idea is some people are genetically very low/poor methylaters so they’re methylation impaired. Generally the solution if found to be a poor methylater is to take forms of vitamins that are already methylated, like methylfolate
    - celdon25 5y ago
      > Generally the solution if found to be a poor methylater is to take forms of vitamins that are already methylated, like methylfolate Other possible treatments are L-Methionine or S-Adenosyl-Methionine (SAMe), as was recommended in my personal case of a deficiency in "methionine adenosyltransferase" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-Adenosylmethionine_synthetase_enzyme https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-Adenosylmethionine_synthetas...). If you are on a concurrent SSRI (as many with this problem tend to need), the L-Methionine is temporarily used in lieu of the SAMe in order to help wean off the SSRI without the risk of Serotonin Syndrome that comes with SAMe + SSRI combination. I'm not a doctor, just someone who has this as a patient.

perardi 5y ago

38 here, and really started to make headway with my spectrum issues in my early 30s. And I think you are absolutely onto something about having “analog” activities. I started playing sports in my 30s (oh god my joints), and learning to move through real 3D space and real the subtleties of other people’s body language and movement was a real breakthrough for me. Now…that does present a bit of a chicken/egg problem. Because I had just terrible proprioception growing up. Awful. Clumsy as all get-out. Which tends to go along with spectrum disorders.

fivre 5y ago
> Now…that does present a bit of a chicken/egg problem. Because I had just terrible proprioception growing up. Awful. Clumsy as all get-out. Which tends to go along with spectrum disorders. I was much the same way--absolutely abysmal at any sort of sport requiring the barest ounce of physical coordination. I semi-randomly ended up in ballet class in my early teens though, and started social dance in college because my friends did. I can't say I was amazing at those either, but not so awful as I was at youth sports, and it's developed into a great way to de-stress. My proprioception for dance is quite good now (even if I'm still shit at remembering specific steps), and while I can't compare it to others', I'd guess that sticking with it forced my brain to compensate for whatever normal proprioception pathways it lacks by building an alternate one. Neuroplasticity is great! It's hard to practice social basics when you're older because most of the adult population have mastered them and expect the same of others, but there are _plenty_ of people of any age who aren't any good at dancing and are trying to learn despite.

zeroonetwothree 5y ago

I played a lot of sports and I'm very much on the spectrum. I didn't have any coordination issues though. I do find physical activity makes me feel better in general but it certainly doesn't "reduce" my autism. I have gotten a lot better at dealing with it as I've gotten older though (I guess many would call this masking).

white_dragon88 5y ago
[dead]

Arete314159 5y ago

I was always "geeky" and a little behind in terms of socio-emotional development. In recent years I started wondering if I was on the spectrum. But the more I've delved into it, I've come to the conclusion that no, it's just that I was geeky + raised in a home with abuse, and that when you don't get your emotional needs met in childhood, you skip a lot of developmental milestones and have to make up for them later. There's more than one reason to feel like you don't "get" certain things about social interaction.