Emotional Control/Brain Damage

[Aet1985]

I was wondering is it normal for Aspergers to get emotional unstable, depressed and withdrawn. I worry I might have ''deeper brain issues'' I got into an argument with a female friend via text, said I was ''obsessive'' or emotional issues. I am far from perfect, but have issues with the ''NT World'' can't relate to my family, want solitude, feel stress with relationships, and financial. I burn out easily or can't take on a lot at once. I don't know how people in my family can do all of ''with ease'', they found relationships, full time jobs and don't get angry quickly. I know what's going on just feel ''disconnected'' worried about my dog, and personal life. I don't know if I was ''weakened'' more, as I read Covid can affect the brain or neurological, or I am just ''getting older'' at 40. I consider myself ''very intelligent'' but with others I am ''lost''

 

[NB79]

I relate Aet, is like lots of autistics, withdraw from socializing too much, because something that always bring trouble/pain/no satisfaction, ends up as something you don't want to do.

 

[Aet1985]

I do want relationships and love Women, yet at the same time I don't really want to participate in the ''NT World''. I would want to be in solitude with my girlfriend and dog. I think maybe we aren't wired for what they do?

 

[Matthias]

Yes, it's very common. Around 90% meet the criteria for a mental health disorder. Reading books about emotional intelligence (EQ) can be very helpful as EQ plays a very large role in relationships.

 

[Outdated]

or I am just ''getting older'' at 40.

Age definitely plays a role.

I haven't shared a house with anyone since I was in my 20s, except for very short terms. I had many different relationships, some lasting longer than others, but I never wanted any of them to move in with me. I had my home and they had theirs and both of us were happier for it. I really don't miss the smell of all the cosmetics in my bedroom and bathroom.

 

[Jumpinbare]

I would not equate emotional disregulation with brain damage. I was extremely volatile emotionally when I was young. I used self-hypnosis to help get that under control.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

I was wondering is it normal for Aspergers to get emotional unstable, depressed and withdrawn. I worry I might have ''deeper brain issues'' I got into an argument with a female friend via text, said I was ''obsessive'' or emotional issues. I am far from perfect, but have issues with the ''NT World'' can't relate to my family, want solitude, feel stress with relationships, and financial. I burn out easily or can't take on a lot at once. I don't know how people in my family can do all of ''with ease'', they found relationships, full time jobs and don't get angry quickly. I know what's going on just feel ''disconnected'' worried about my dog, and personal life. I don't know if I was ''weakened'' more, as I read Covid can affect the brain or neurological, or I am just ''getting older'' at 40. I consider myself ''very intelligent'' but with others I am ''lost''.

You've clicked many of the boxes for Asperger's condition. Many threads and posts on these very topics. Welcome to the club.

Deeper brain issues... well, it's not damage, but rather a different brain, right down to the microanatomy of the brain cells. This is all well-documented in the scientific literature... quite obvious on post-mortem brain studies of the autistic brain... but also in functional brain imaging, PET scans and the like. Function follows form... and our form is different.

1. Stress, anxiety, emotional dysregulation/instability... enlarged amygdalas common to the condition.
2. Feeling burnt out, having a low "social battery", needing time for naps... the neurons in some areas of our brains have far more synaptic connections than normal... instead of a "tree", it looks like a "bush"... resulting in a significantly higher intracellular metabolism, neurotransmitter imbalances, oxidative stress, localized nutritional deficiencies... higher demands for nutrients, blood flow, and rest.
3. Feeling disconnected, marginalized, an observer rather than a participant, a glass wall, not understanding intent and meaning, acquaintances but not real friends... a general lack prefrontal cortex conduction and connectivity due to different migrational patterns of neurons during development.
4. Depression and feeling withdrawn... low brain serotonin and/or dopamine receptor binding, low receptor concentration, and/or metabolism. Throw in the feelings of being burnt out, stressed, and not being able to connect with people... and it's a "perfect storm" of contributing factors.

You may have heard of the term "neurodivergence"... the autism spectrum is a subset of that. We think and behave different because our brains are different. The best thing we can do is play to our strengths and not focus upon our weaknesses. Everyone has things they suck at... but best to do what you do well and not worry about the rest. There are often things that you do well that others do not... use it.

 

[Matthias]

Being emotional unstable, depressed and withdrawn is more an issue with the mind than the brain. Thinking more positively, adopting an attitude of gratitude, changing distorted beliefs, and embracing a healthier mindset can greatly improve or even eliminate these problems.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

I got a bit of brain damage from my stroke, a bit more emotional now the previously.