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

[Judge]

For me at least I like to think that being self-aware has allowed me to "channel" my traits and behaviors to my advantage. To be myself or when need be, mask them on occasion rather than simply mask myself all the time as I once did, when I didn't have a clue that I was on the spectrum.

That was when I was just another one of a majority I wasn't even aware of that didn't really understand autism and didn't really care.

Getting older doesn't preclude me from getting smarter. Though it doesn't happen in a linear fashion, either.

 

[Streetwise]

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.

Have you had your thyroid checked ,vitamin b levels checked ,potassium levels checked ,apart from anxiety if any of these are low it will make it worse.
If any of them are you can get potassium tablets on eBay and vitamin b complex at supermarket or chemist and seaweed tablets for your thyroid .
If you drink any kind of diet soda pop check that it doesn't have phenyalanine (Aspartame)in it that will make anxiety worse and cause panic attacks

 

[Streetwise]

Have you had your thyroid checked ,vitamin b levels checked ,potassium levels checked ,apart from anxiety if any of these are low it will make it worse.
If any of them are you can get potassium tablets on eBay and vitamin b complex at supermarket or chemist and seaweed tablets for your thyroid .
If you drink any kind of diet soda pop check that it doesn't have phenyalanine (Aspartame)in it that will make anxiety worse and cause panic attacks

Look up tryptophan on the forum or on Google this is a happy chemical its present in a lot of foods you could also buy it online but if you're taking SSris you can't take them together

 

[Judge]

If you drink any kind of diet soda pop check that it doesn't have phenyalanine (Aspartame)in it that will make anxiety worse and cause panic attacks

That was one of the best things I ever did. Consciously eliminated Aspertame from my drink intake.

Interesting to observe a few years later to see my primary source of such products also chose to cease producing/retailing them. Bad stuff, Aspertame.

 

[Streetwise]

That was one of the best things I ever did. Consciously eliminated Aspertame from my drink intake.

Interesting to observe a few years later to see my primary source of such products also chose to cease producing/retailing them. Bad stuff, Aspertame.

I can't believe I decided to try diet Coke no caffeine unbelievable when I'm having diet and no caffeine and what do they put in it phenylalanine. same for Pepsi why can my local British supermarket take it out and a huge giant multinational like PepsiCo or Coca-Cola refuse !?? =!

 

[Utini]

I feel most people do their best socializing in their 20s as that is the time we look for a potential mate. After marriage, I lost modivation to hang out or catch up with anybody. I also received my diagnosis recently so I am not sure if being more aware of myself has made me curl up in a ball even more so. Could be all of the above. *shrug

 

[Judge]

I feel most people do their best socializing in their 20s as that is the time we look for a potential mate. After marriage, I lost modivation to hang out or catch up with anybody. I also received my diagnosis recently so I am not sure if being more aware of myself has made me curl up in a ball even more so. Could be all of the above. *shrug

I suspect for most of us coming to a realization of who- and what we are does come as a shock for a time. But that things will improve as you adjust taking advantage of your own hindsight. Without any specific timetable.

Hang in there!

 

[Streetwise]

I suspect for most of us coming to a realization of who- and what we are does come as a shock for a time. But that things will improve as you adjust taking advantage of your own hindsight. Without any specific timetable.

Hang in there!

Nah not for me just gave it a name

 

[Judge]

Nah not for me just gave it a name

Wait long enough and the DSM will change it along with the diagnostic protocols.

 

[Streetwise]

Wait long enough and the DSM will change it along with the diagnostic protocols.

Oh God now i'm having an anxiety attack

 

[wadorama]

HUGE ditto on balance loss with age here. Never been coordinated but am truly dangerous now. As for other symptoms, recent self-diagnosis so no reliable trend but they do feel like they are trending worse. As others have opined, the awareness itself may be a factor and eventually improve the ability to deal.

 

[Bro'Freak]

Interesting point by orig. poster... one I can't help but feel is or has more to do with (please without sounding negative) a kind of mental boredom.. In that as we develope our self rationalisation/rule set... , randomly in times of not exercising & being diligent with our self learning.., we rebound internally in case we'd missed something of the day. Then we start to basically eat our selves.

The state you described earlier celestialregal reminds me of such a deep contemplative state & why looking at other things is jarring you.

 

[Coupe]

I can relate to a lot of what you talked about, @celestialregale - since I completed college two years ago and moved out of the house I lived in with my dad and stepmother for 11 years, I too have felt that I have been experiencing in increase in the autistic traits I do have. After moving, I slowly came to realize (with the help of the family members I now live with) that my stepmother was in fact emotionally abusive off and on during those 11 years, which has left me with a great amount of conflicting feelings about myself, my relationships and capacity to form/maintain them, and about people in general.

I feel that 20-something years of passing as NT with little to no accomodations in the school environment, going thru a revolving door of therapists/diagnosticians/behaviorists/psychiatrists since the age of 5, coercive therapy and social skills training and 10+ years of emotional abuse pretty much just led to what is known as "autistic burnout." I experience sensory processing issues related to noise and touch where it wasn't such a big deal before, I've developed IBS, I can never leave the house (not that I do very often) for any length of time without a shoulder bag full of my favorite stuffed animals and stim toys, I no longer sleep very well, and I have meltdowns with intense SIB (self injurious behaviors). Basically everything about myself that I thought I managed to leave behind me in childhood and early adolescence has returned. I wish it wasn't this way, but I don't know what to do except ride it out and give myself the breaks, self care and acceptance that I needed as a kid but didn't really get. My sympathies to anyone else experiencing burnout as well. <3

 

[Ming of Mongo]

I would check with a doctor about the balance issues. That is not necessarily an autism thing, though it will definitely add stress to your life that will aggravate autism symptoms.

Social skills, particularly for us, are learned skills that wither without practice.

 

[Adora]

I do sometimes feel like im withdrawing even more,I always had issues with being withdrawn but at the moment I have become more house bound,I live near beaches yet I don’t go to them very often and I spend a lot of time in my room,I also have issues with coordination and motor skills and swear I’m getting worse,but I’m going through a phase where I just want to be alone and I don’t know if that part is due to being a bit stressed with things at the moment.

 

[catherine.]

I find this question very intresting since I've too in fact been pondering if my symptoms have indeed "gotten worse" by age or am I just more aware and sometimes accepting of my AS features than before. I withdraw from social life at early age. I didn't go to parties or such, didn't date anyone until I was 18yo, didn't make and / or keep friends. As an adult I finally started to "accept" I'm just not able to connect with people in general and that eased my mind a bit. Now as 30yo I've noticed that sitting or standing in crowded places, or even being with few unknown people who are staring at me, has become more difficult than before and I'm avoiding that kind of situations. I'm now aware of my tics too. I'm not sure how big role they've played before but now they can be quite annoying. Throat clearing occurs while I'm feeling nervous (oh, and I do that A LOT) and self-grooming (clothes, accessories, hair etc.) while I'm about to cry or while having a meltdown. Also, finding comfortable clothes has become more troublesome! Have they put something on all the fabrics or am I just too sensitive these days haha! All jeans and trousers make the skin of my legs feel itchy after wearing them only for few hours and oh boy, how much I hate covering my arms and wrists with long sleeved shirts! So maybe some sympotoms can "get worse" but the main thing is to learn to live with all your features even if they occur more. It'd be intresting to see some studies of the subject though.

 

[megacomic]

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.

Social skills like any skill is a use it or lose it situation. And we are in a position where we're severely handicapped. You might be able to build those skills again because you are still young but as you reach your 40's and 50's it might be near impossible.

 

[Littlemissnaughty9]

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.

Thats awful , poor thing. The Birthday Girl could have at least made you feel more welcome considering you did make an effort to show up!

 

[kazuki]

I know how it feels. Then someone told me why and I felt as if no one wanted to teach me at all how to do that

 

[Gracey]

In answer to the o.p, yes, most definitely.

I wonder if, in part, co ordination and the like is lack of practise? Unused neural pathways?
My younger self was a gymnast, hockey, netball, abseiling, rock climbing, cycling, cross country running, dancing person.

My older menopausal self resembles a floret of broccoli, difficulties in remaining vertical without some form of support.
I can do non of the above mentioned sports any longer. I trip and over balance. I get vertigo easily. I avoid what I used to enjoy because I no longer have the co ordination and balance.

Possible vitamin deficiency? Possible brain change due to OCD? Who knows?