72 Results in anxiety

Familiarity vs predictability

I've been thinking about what makes a situation easier for me. One aspect I talked about recently was how immediate a situation is. I debated whether doing something very soon is sometimes easier than planning it ahead of time. Something else I think makes a difference is how predictable and how familiar something is. Let's find out more.

Planning in advance vs spontaneous activities

There is a big problem with planning in advance and agreeing to things ahead of time, and that problem is, that it allows anxiety to accumulate and often means that I end up panicking and cancelling. Let's have a look at this in more detail and consider in which sort of situations planning in advance might be helpful vs when it might not be.

How do I know if someone will want to talk to me?

I sometimes want to interact with someone but I am unsure how to. There are lots of worries that go through my mind any time I am about to initiate an interaction with someone (be it a colleague or even a friend). 'Working' interactions By 'working' interactions I mean interactions with colleagues, peers or strangers rather than friends. These interactions are most difficult when face to face in a public setting and there are lots of other things going on (for example, we're in a shop, in the office, or in a doctor's waiting room). I cannot read a person's body language to be able to tell if they are going to hear what I say, if they are even going to recognise me (if it's someone I don't know/know well), or to work out whether they are busy or not and therefore do they even have time to speak to me, or will I just be disturbing them?

Cues for better mental health

I consider a cue to be a reminder or an instruction. Cues are incredibly helpful for people on the autistic spectrum. It might be a good idea to come up with some cues that you or your loved one can use. Cues can be helpful for reminding us to do physical or practical tasks, such as reminding us to post a letter or to do a certain piece of work - but that's not the limits. For people on the autistic spectrum, cues can do a lot more.

How to help someone who is in shutdown

In comparison to meltdowns, shutdowns are not talked about much in literature about autism. For many people on the autistic spectrum and their families however, shutdowns are a significant aspect to learn to cope with. What are shutdowns? They might be different for different people but some things to look out for might be: Becoming unresponsive Being unable to talk Being unable to think A need to be alone Appearing 'lost in one's own mind' A massive lack of physical and mental energy

Different behaviours at home vs when out

One of the most common things I hear from parents is that their child is well behaved at school but has terrible outbursts at home. Because the teachers don't see these difficult behaviours, it might cause them to disbelieve the parents or not believe there are any 'problems.' Similarly with adults, an adult may get on very well at work and appear friendly and kind to their co-workers, yet can behave very differently and be difficult at home. Professor Tony Attwood refers to this as the Jekyl and Hyde character. It has been highlighted in many sources that individuals on the autistic spectrum display significantly different behaviours in different settings. In this article I will look at some reasons why this might occur and how the people around the ASD individual could better support them.

Ignorance is bliss

The phrase 'ignorance is bliss' is very pertinent to me. I have noticed that I very much try to 1) live in the moment and 2) focus only on one thing at a time. These two tactics enable me to feel control in the world as it makes me feel grounded and causes me not to overthink anything. I think there are at least three common reactions when a human being is faced with a task. They are:

ASD adjustments to the interview process

The National Autistic Society suggests that more than 1 in 100 people are affected by an ASD. They also suggest that as many as 80% of people with an ASD are not working, yet are willing and able to. If you are an employer it is likely that you will come across a person with an ASD at some point. However, it is down to the individual whether or not they disclose their condition on their application form. Some are afraid to do so in case of discrimination by the employer. (My advice to people with an ASD would be to generally always disclose (if not at interview, disclose when you start the job.) If a person has disclosed to you that they have an ASD when they apply, there are some reasonable adjustments you can make to make things better (more productive and sincere) for both of you. In this blog article, I will briefly give some suggestions on the sorts of things you could do to help a potential candidate with an ASD when you see them for interview.

Person with ASD and exercise – things to consider

Exercise, for me, has been the number one treatment for managing my depression. I have found a sport that I truly enjoy and am very good at. I believe that one of the easiest most natural ways you can help yourself or your loved one to improve their mental (and physical) well being, is to move more. It doesn't have to be a sport, or even a particular exercise - indeed, you don't even have to think of whatever it is as 'exercise' - but rather just increasing the amount of physical activity you do. Here are my thoughts on the things to consider about ASD and exercise:

What happens when plans suddenly change?

Lots of people with ASD like to have plans and be able to follow them. Let's look at what happens and how a person might feel when a plan is suddenly changed.