freak outs and phobias

[bernievictoriahh]

Hi everyone,

 

just a quick post to ask about freak outs and phobias. For those of you that have not read my post in the welcome area, I am a 16 year old girl with no recognised diagnosis, but i have been quoted as "having likely autistic tendencies" by our ASD specialist at the college. I am currently wondering on whether or not to seek diagnosis. (Can anybody tell me how to go about this?)

 

Anyway, the reason I was posting was that I have a few little freak outs and phobias, and I am unsure as to whether they could possibly be related to these "tendencies" that I have.

 

The first is my extreme dislike of cameras. A lot of people say that they do not like having their photo taken, but if I have to have my photo taken and I do not know in advance, I totally freak out. I become very stressed, restless and start pacing. I start to feel nautious and start sweating. This makes events quite difficult and often isolates me from my peers when I don't want to join in with their photo taking. Does anyone else share this?

 

The second one is strangers touching me. It really weirds me out. Like, when people put their hand on your shoulder to get past, or shakes your hand when they meet you. I always feel as though the contact lasts too long, and it makes me feel really awkward. Which sort of fits in with the third one, which is being alone with people that I don't know well, for example in elevators. If i am going up in an elevator, and somebody else gets in, I have to get out, and then re call the lift in hopes that it is empty :/ is this normal?

 

Any thoughts on these would be great.

 

Thanks a lot for your help.

[smiley1590]

having 'weird' 'strange' freak out /phobias can be closely linked to ASD especially touching this is ASD as we don't like physical contact including shaking hands , being brushed past etc is all part of ASD and causes alot of stress anxiety etc do you feel like an official diagnosis would help you understand more about yourself and your life and make positive impact/difference gaining knowledge on ASD more etc?

 

XKLX

[Tally]

Anxiety and phobias are not part of autism, but can be common as additional problems in people with autism.

 

The problems you have described do not seem normal - I do not mean that you are weird, I mean that these are genuine, serious problems that make your life difficult. I also think they are problems you can overcome with the right support.

 

What do you think would happen if someone took your photo or you were in a lift with a stranger?

You might not even know the answer at the moment. But normally phobias like this are associated with a fear that something bad would happen. A good therapist can help you understand what, realistically, is likely to happen in these types of situations and help you overcome your fear of them.

[Archie]

Creams and lotions are my personal phobias, i'm ok with gels, foams, liquids and funnily toothpaste, which i suppose could be classified as "cream". I have no idea why, but due to this i often have to use the spray on type of sunblock, when it gets sunny enough around the last week of april for a few days

[Tally]

due to this i often have to use the spray on type of sunblock

Is that majorly disabling?

[bernievictoriahh]

having 'weird' 'strange' freak out /phobias can be closely linked to ASD especially touching this is ASD as we don't like physical contact including shaking hands , being brushed past etc is all part of ASD and causes alot of stress anxiety etc do you feel like an official diagnosis would help you understand more about yourself and your life and make positive impact/difference gaining knowledge on ASD more etc?

 

XKLX

 

 

Thank you for your reply. I do feel as though an official diagnosis would help, because it's really hard to get accurate information about ASD and such where i live, if you have no diagnosis. But at the same time, I worry about seeking diagnosis because, if they were to turn round and say that I had no autistic tendencies or wasn't on the spectrum, then it's mean i'd most likely be forced to put certain issues that I've had down to other mental health issues.

 

Even so, I think I would like to see somebody about it, I just really don't know where to start. Being 16, I think that I would most likely be refered to CAMHS, because I am under 18, but I believe they consult with families? I don't really want to get my family involved right now. If I am old enough to see my GP by myself, surely I am old enough to seek diagnosis too? I really don't know. Any help on this would be appreciated.

 

 

Anxiety and phobias are not part of autism, but can be common as additional problems in people with autism.

 

The problems you have described do not seem normal - I do not mean that you are weird, I mean that these are genuine, serious problems that make your life difficult. I also think they are problems you can overcome with the right support.

 

What do you think would happen if someone took your photo or you were in a lift with a stranger?

You might not even know the answer at the moment. But normally phobias like this are associated with a fear that something bad would happen. A good therapist can help you understand what, realistically, is likely to happen in these types of situations and help you overcome your fear of them.

 

Thanks for the reply. You're probably right, it probably in rooted in some sort of fear of a bad result, u just don't know what. I guess the same applies to this as the post above; how would I go about getting the right support? the local PCT here are hardly helpful. I went to my GP once, because of my rapid mood swings and anxiety, and she said to me: call CAMHS. you can find their number on the internet. that was it.

 

Creams and lotions are my personal phobias, i'm ok with gels, foams, liquids and funnily toothpaste, which i suppose could be classified as "cream". I have no idea why, but due to this i often have to use the spray on type of sunblock, when it gets sunny enough around the last week of april for a few days

 

Wow, that must be a horrible phobia to have. A lot of spray on lotion comes out in cream form, right? Is it more expensive to have to buy spray ons rather than lotions?

 

 

Thanks a lot for everyone's replies.

[tom'smom]

Hi, I too am totally freaked out by anyone taking my photograph, it has caused more arguments with my husband than almost anything else. It also makes me even more anxious at social events when someone always seems to want to get the camera out. I usually disappear to the loo at this point, even managed to avoid getting photographed at all at my sister-in-law's lavish wedding a couple of years ago which was quite an achievement as there seemed to be someone being photographed every second of that very long (and trying) day. A recent holiday was totally ruined for me by the fact that some newspaper snapper had photographed me and husband unknowingly on out way out of Gatwick airport during the snow (we were being bussed to another airport) and my photo was plastered all over the front of the London Evening Standard. Without my knowledge or consent. Someone found this out just as we were leaving the country and phoned my husband, who found the image on their website and then insisted on showing it to everyone on the plane. Couldn't see what I was upset about. Grrrrrr.

 

I also have a fear of people invading my personal space even if they are people i know well. For example I have a lovely elderly neighbour who is just a wonderful man very funny and great to talk to EXCEPT that he always takes my arm or puts his hand on my shoulder (or even worse, when I was pregnant, my bump AAAAARRRGGGGHH ). Its quite awkward cos it makes me feel quite anxious and jumpy, I start to shake and my palms sweat, and I make excuses to get away. So I know how you feel!

 

Tom, on the other hand, who is the one officially diagnosed, LOVES cameras and will make all sorts of weird faces (but won't just look normal or smile) when one is pointed at him and can't wait to see what the picture looks like. He has a total fascination with mirrors (cannot walk past one without mugging at it for several minutes; changing rooms with mirrors at swimming pool are nightmare!) so I suppose this is the same thing. He doesn't like hugs and physical contact though and will hit out at classmates etc who come too close, especially if he's doing something he considers private (which can include drawing, reading etc).

 

Helen

[bernievictoriahh]

Hi, I too am totally freaked out by anyone taking my photograph, it has caused more arguments with my husband than almost anything else. It also makes me even more anxious at social events when someone always seems to want to get the camera out. I usually disappear to the loo at this point, even managed to avoid getting photographed at all at my sister-in-law's lavish wedding a couple of years ago which was quite an achievement as there seemed to be someone being photographed every second of that very long (and trying) day. A recent holiday was totally ruined for me by the fact that some newspaper snapper had photographed me and husband unknowingly on out way out of Gatwick airport during the snow (we were being bussed to another airport) and my photo was plastered all over the front of the London Evening Standard. Without my knowledge or consent. Someone found this out just as we were leaving the country and phoned my husband, who found the image on their website and then insisted on showing it to everyone on the plane. Couldn't see what I was upset about. Grrrrrr.

 

I also have a fear of people invading my personal space even if they are people i know well. For example I have a lovely elderly neighbour who is just a wonderful man very funny and great to talk to EXCEPT that he always takes my arm or puts his hand on my shoulder (or even worse, when I was pregnant, my bump AAAAARRRGGGGHH ). Its quite awkward cos it makes me feel quite anxious and jumpy, I start to shake and my palms sweat, and I make excuses to get away. So I know how you feel!

 

Tom, on the other hand, who is the one officially diagnosed, LOVES cameras and will make all sorts of weird faces (but won't just look normal or smile) when one is pointed at him and can't wait to see what the picture looks like. He has a total fascination with mirrors (cannot walk past one without mugging at it for several minutes; changing rooms with mirrors at swimming pool are nightmare!) so I suppose this is the same thing. He doesn't like hugs and physical contact though and will hit out at classmates etc who come too close, especially if he's doing something he considers private (which can include drawing, reading etc).

 

Helen

 

Thank you for your reply. I am so glad that I have found somebody else who has this problem. I was starting to think that I was the only one. My family have plastered pictures of me at school (which i was forced in to getting take when i was younger) all over the house, and it makes me so unbelievably on edge. The only recent (ish) event where I had my photo takes was my dad's wedding, where I was forced in to being a bridesmaid and posing for pictures. I was not very happy about that at all, and look like the furthest away from happy that I could possibly be.

 

After talking to a few people, it seems that personal space seems to be quite ASD related, and is probably just another reason why i should go try and get diagnosed. I can totally sympathise with the situation with your neighbour, we have a neighbour who is very similar, and occasionally i will have to go round to borrow sugar or milk, as my mum can't do it herself (she is a stroke patient) and he ALWAYS puts his hand on my back when showing me out of the house D:

As a small child, I never had so much of an issue with this, because I didn't socialise much with other children, and when i did, they were family friends that I was used to and knew me well. I wonder, I've heard that strong emotional attachment to certain items can also be an indicator. When i was younger, I had a teddy bear that I would not leave the house without. This carried on up until teh age of about 10. I took him to school, to the bath and to the dinner table. I remember throwing myself at the floor and screaming once, because he wasn't where i'd left him. I wonder if there's any connection between this and my possible ASD.

 

 

 

Thanks for your reply.

[Archie]

It's a little wierd, i'm fine with creams as long as the lids are on them. the spray ones are slightly more expensive and come out more liquid than the other type of sunblock and are therefore gels or liquids rather than cream. thats my humble opinion anyway

[lsw146]

Hi all,

Archie my DD hates creams and much prefers the invisible spray sunblock but she has had occasions when cream has been the only solution; it has taken until this last year (she's now 16) for her not to scream but I can see how uncomfortable she feels until the cream us absorbed.

Maybe it's the sensory part if ASD?

I would agree that if you feel a diagnosis would give you y and comfort then seek help. We are still trying to get answers for our DD ( daughter) more so now because she has asked for help understanding why she feels so different.

Jo

[smiley1590]

yeah jo i'd say it physical touch sensory issue personally!!!

 

XKLX