Emotions

[ceecee]

As an adult with suspected as I have been told that I show no emotion when others would expect me to show emotion.Yet at other times I can be completely over emotional.Is this common for people on the spectrum.For me there seems to be no middle ground I am either completely over emotional or show no emotion whatsoever.Just wondered if anyone else had any thoughts or had come across this before.It's like there is no middle ground and i show two completely different extremes. :

[Kerre]

It is the truth.

[ceecee]

Just as an example.I managed to sob through almost the whole of my mother in laws funeral and my nans.Yet I wasnt particularly close to either.Everone was completely amazed, including me

Edited December 6, 2005 by ceecee

[mossgrove]

It is a myth that people woth Autism do not experience emotions, They can APPEAR unemotional because they often have difficulty recognising thier own emotions (and those of others) and responding appropriately to them.That isn't the same thing as not having emotions.

 

Simon

[ceecee]

Thanks mossgrove, that explains things a bit.Much appreciated.

[LizK]

Agree with Simon. A lot of people express surprise that my son has ASD as they say he is sociable and is not emotionally withdrawn. He can be quiet and withdrawn and anxious but he can also be the opposite and be overly sociable and emotionally incontinent! He experiences emotions but can't process them properly. It is like his emotional regulatory system is off kilter so he can go to either extreme with his emotions and sociability. It still means he has social difficulties, just not in the typical way that people seem to expect kids with ASD to. Our paed however said this is quite common, just under recognised

 

Liz x

[ceecee]

He sounds like me.I can either not stop talking.My husband says I give him earache or i don't want to be sociable at all.Same with emotions it's either all or nothign.I loved your description 'emotionally incontinent' I guess that sums it up.

[lindy-lou]

i think my daughters too young to assess her emotional feelings but my nephew(AS)is very sensitive and emotional,even getting upset about different types of popcorn!one of his friends got run over earlier in the year and it was very difficult for him,but me and my sister are both very emotional people,although sometimes i do have a lack of emotion where i should have some,i sometimes feel my life is dictated by my emotions too.

[littlenemo]

I like the idea of being 'emotionally incontinent'

 

there's a thread in general about ASC kids and beauty and I just wrote a bit about it maybe having something to do with the way they use their faces to express emotion. ASC people often have lax muscles so their features tend to be soft and relaxed, possibly under-expressing the emotions the person is really feeling.

 

Zemanski

[LittleRae]

LizK

 

'emotionally incontinent'! Perfect description. I sometimes think my DS has too many emotions, all expressed at extremes. Either he's so happy he's annoying, or so sad he's suicidal.