Anyone else feel like their symptoms have gotten worse with age?

[celestialregale]

I feel like my balance and gross motor skills have gotten worse. I use to dance well enough, now I find myself tipping over just from standing and walking frequently.

Also, after my school years and getting married, I just kind of withdrew and live in my own world a lot more, and feel like I lost a lot of the social skills I had. I remember being able to just go up and talk to people as a child, now just getting in the car and knowing I'll interact with people throws me into a panic attack.

 

[Judge]

Impossible for me to assess such a thing given I stumbled onto my own autism at the age of 55. Though in becoming self-aware I've started to "ration" when I feel a need to mask my traits and behaviors.

But then when you get to a certain age, I'm inclined to think that in general you lose a great deal of caring about what others think of you. A conscious decision whether it impacts my own neurological considerations or not. If I start stimming, so be it.

I suppose my symptoms haven't gotten any worse per se, but rather than I'm just a bit more aware of them than for most of my life when I didn't have a clue of who or what I was neurologically speaking.

Balance? LOL...stone cold sober I couldn't pass a policeman's field sobriety test.

 

[celestialregale]

Well, I hope I get to that point.
Even before becoming aware of my neurotype, I've been struggling with this. Just under the title of 'agoraphobia'. The problem isn't so much being withdrawn, it's that I don't want to be withdrawn. I want to get out and do things and make friends.

 

[Judge]

Well, I hope I get to that point.
Even before becoming aware of my neurotype, I've been struggling with this. Just under the title of 'agoraphobia'. The problem isn't so much being withdrawn, it's that I don't want to be withdrawn. I want to get out and do things and make friends.

Many years ago I once gave thought to the notion that I might have agoraphobia. Going to work in a capacity where I had to deal with people and use the phone on a regular basis helped to an extent, though it always kept my stress levels up daily.

 

[Mia]

The problem isn't so much being withdrawn, it's that I don't want to be withdrawn. I want to get out and do things and make friends.

You're young and likely enjoy the idea of making friends, meeting people and socialization in general in small doses. I used to encourage myself before I went out, by addressing my fears while looking in a mirror directly or indirectly and giving myself a kind of pep talk like a coach might. Kind of giving myself direction and courage, the way I would talk to someone who was worried about something that might or might not happen. It helped, and I usually had no difficulty after I did that. A kind of no nonsense approach, that really worked for me.

 

[isthisreallife]

It seemed that way to me for a bit, but looking back, I realized that unless I was playing sports, my movements were always stiff and disjointed. To the point that my peers would point it out to me. However, I am finding it harder to navigate stairs, I have to concentrate on not missing a step.

 

[WittyAspie]

Increased levels of stress could aggravate your symptoms. I’m not an expert but I would consider environmental factors first. You have the stress of parenting two small children. You have an accumulation of negative experiences to cause you anxiety about future experiences. You just figured out you are neurologically atypical. You have a lot going on that would make it harder to cope with difficult tasks.

Just like a professional ball player can’t perform at peak level with a broken ankle and the flu, we typically aren’t the best when dealing with lots of stress. No one is really, we just show it in unique ways.

The one exception to what I said would be balance issues. If you aren’t physically active and regularly practicing balance then it will tend to worsen over time. Exercise is an important part of being healthy, but I know all too well how difficult that can be to accomplish when caring for little ones.

 

[Bolletje]

I wouldn't say I've gotten worse with age, I think I just notice more. On the one hand, I am more aware of all my behavior that could be linked to being on the spectrum ever since I got diagnosed. On the other hand, since I have come to accept my diagnosis, I am more comfortable with who I am, so I no longer feel the need to suppress my behavior. Both lead to a perceived increase in symptoms, whereas overall I am functioning a lot better. That's just my case though.

 

[ksheehan88]

All the things that make me "different" are things I only pay attention to now that I know I have AS.

Before, I knew I did them but it was just "normal", some things I knew were different but I didn't pay much attention to them, some things I assumed everybody did. Until I started looking into it and I was like, "Oh, hold on yeah I do that, oh I thought everyone did that".

So its not so much my traits have worsened, but I am just more aware of them now, and how much they affect me.

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

All the things that make me "different" are things I only pay attention to now that I know I have AS.

Before, I knew I did them but it was just "normal", some things I knew were different but I didn't pay much attention to them, some things I assumed everybody did. Until I started looking into it and I was like, "Oh, hold on yeah I do that, oh I thought everyone did that".

So its not so much my traits have worsened, but I am just more aware of them now, and how much they affect me.

It's a bit like some comedians who start their act with.

'You know whenever youre in the kitchen and you accidentally stick ylur big toe up your nose just when your grandmother comes in'

To be greeted with complete silence by the audience.

'Well i guess that was just me'

So at least you weren't on stage

Definitely being more aware can make things 'seem' worse..
But awareness is good overall

 

[Streetwise]

I thought it was just me ,I have hypermobility syndrome and it's a known fact that you will get osteoarthritis in the future , mine is mild ,I don't think it's age- I think it's how much you injured yourself if you never injure yourself ( in the Old British English sense injure just meant hurt yourself not just a bone break but also psychologically hurt yourself- in the north-east where I'm from it's shown by tone of voice )you won't suffer the pain

 

[xudo]

I'd say I've got 'worse' in the sense that I'm not interested in going out and doing social things any more. I wouldn't count that as 'worse' but many would. I'm happier at home.

As for things like balance, I've never been great. I categorically cannot dance, and have never been able to because I lack any type of rhythm

Occasionally, I will make the effort to do something social but usually only for a special occasion. For example, today is the birthday of one of my sisters in law. She's pregnant and due in about 2 weeks, so her boyfriend wants to do something special for her before the baby arrives. He's planned a meal out tonight for her and invited us and we said yes (thankfully it's only 5 people altogether.)

 

[ksheehan88]

I'd say I've got 'worse' in the sense that I'm not interested in going out and doing social things any more. I wouldn't count that as 'worse' but many would. I'm happier at home.

As for things like balance, I've never been great. I categorically cannot dance, and have never been able to because I lack any type of rhythm

Occasionally, I will make the effort to do something social but usually only for a special occasion. For example, today is the birthday of one of my sisters in law. She's pregnant and due in about 2 weeks, so her boyfriend wants to do something special for her before the baby arrives. He's planned a meal out tonight for her and invited us and we said yes (thankfully it's only 5 people altogether.)

I went to a birthday party Saturday before last. It was awful. Only knew the birthday girl and spent most of the time I was there sat by myself staring at my drink. I left after an hour and a half, went to Tesco (in full halloween costume lol) bought some new PJs and was home by 10pm watching TV. I gave it a go, and I'm pleased with that but it wasn't a pleasant experience. Had I known other people it would have been better as I would have been sat in a corner with people I knew rather than feeling isolated in a room full of strangers.

 

[Ambi]

Yes - sort of. I think as I grew older, my ability to suppress my symptoms diminished in the face of cumulative stressors overwhelming me - resulting in burnout, and all of my symptoms coming out much more strongly. It forced me to recognize the problem and gave me a new understanding of myself, and I began to find new ways to approach my life and myself and others.

 

[xudo]

I went to a birthday party Saturday before last. It was awful. Only knew the birthday girl and spent most of the time I was there sat by myself staring at my drink. I left after an hour and a half, went to Tesco (in full halloween costume lol) bought some new PJs and was home by 10pm watching TV. I gave it a go, and I'm pleased with that but it wasn't a pleasant experience. Had I known other people it would have been better as I would have been sat in a corner with people I knew rather than feeling isolated in a room full of strangers.

Ahhh that's one of my worst nightmares! I never go to anything alone, so I always have at least my husband there but we avoid things where we don't know anyone else like the plague. The meal tonight is us, the sister in law whose birthday it is and her boyfriend and another sister in law, so that's ok. We went to the birthday girls house last night for fireworks (which I managed to stay outside for) and there were a few people, but all family so that was bearable too. It's good that you feel pleased for going, but for me...I wouldn't have gone

 

[ksheehan88]

Ahhh that's one of my worst nightmares! I never go to anything alone, so I always have at least my husband there but we avoid things where we don't know anyone else like the plague. The meal tonight is us, the sister in law whose birthday it is and her boyfriend and another sister in law, so that's ok. We went to the birthday girls house last night for fireworks (which I managed to stay outside for) and there were a few people, but all family so that was bearable too. It's good that you feel pleased for going, but for me...I wouldn't have gone

I wish I didn't lol. I rang my friend half way through and was like I hate it I want to leave and he said just stay for a polite amount of time and make your excuses, don't just leave without saying bye. I was the only one of her school "friends" that turned up, everyone else was family and she was really disappointed.

 

[Bolletje]

@celestialregale with regards to having more trouble (and anxiety) socializing than you used to:
I went through something like that, especially after both of my depressions. Having spent most of my time at home (alone, or with the "usual" people) I really had to train myself to go out and socialize again. You were able to do that at some point, so you know that you are capable of doing so. You just need to find a way to reduce the anxiety. Which is easier said than done, of course.

For quite a long period of time I could not go to a party without having a few strong drinks at home. I'm not saying I'm a social butterfly now, but I've gradually reintroduced myself into social life as much as I feel comfortable with. Usually with the help of a few close friends, who are very much aware of my issues regarding socializing. This really started with something as basic as walking around my neighbourhood with a friend, talking about things, but close enough to my home that I had the possibility to retreat whenever I got overwhelmed. Gradually I increased the radius of our wanderings and we got to switch up the activities a little. Steadily I got a lot of my confidence for interaction back, and my anxiety decreased (I still feel anxious when meeting people, but full-blown anxiety attacks don't occur over this anymore).

 

[Judge]

I'd say I've got 'worse' in the sense that I'm not interested in going out and doing social things any more. I wouldn't count that as 'worse' but many would. I'm happier at home.

Nothing negative about a conscious decision over that which makes you happy. This is good!

No matter what a social majority might think.

 

[onlything]

I found myself wthdrawing more and more from people and just leaving my room upsets me greatly. Due to not 'exercising', my social skills diminished greatly out of work environment. I would say that it happened due to high and prolonged stress exposure. Right now I live with depression, social phobia and adrenal fatigue syndrome among some. I would say that I become more sensitive and out of balance due to all of these, though possibly adrenal fatigue is one of the first sources. It's also logical. My adrenal is simply depleted.

 

[onlything]

It never worked for me. The more I would make myself go out, the worse anxiety and panic attacks would become. I can't stand parties especially. Never could, never liked them even before my anxiety got worse. It's something obvious about myself. Not my thing and that's fine.Though the fact that I can't go to the city centre during busy hours without having anxiety attack is definitely troublesome.

@celestialregale with regards to having more trouble (and anxiety) socializing than you used to:
I went through something like that, especially after both of my depressions. Having spent most of my time at home (alone, or with the "usual" people) I really had to train myself to go out and socialize again. You were able to do that at some point, so you know that you are capable of doing so. You just need to find a way to reduce the anxiety. Which is easier said than done, of course.

For quite a long period of time I could not go to a party without having a few strong drinks at home. I'm not saying I'm a social butterfly now, but I've gradually reintroduced myself into social life as much as I feel comfortable with. Usually with the help of a few close friends, who are very much aware of my issues regarding socializing. This really started with something as basic as walking around my neighbourhood with a friend, talking about things, but close enough to my home that I had the possibility to retreat whenever I got overwhelmed. Gradually I increased the radius of our wanderings and we got to switch up the activities a little. Steadily I got a lot of my confidence for interaction back, and my anxiety decreased (I still feel anxious when meeting people, but full-blown anxiety attacks don't occur over this anymore).