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Question as to what extent is restricted interests are unhealthy
- Thread starter Oz67
- Start date
If I have an idea that is too esoteric for most people. I just keep it to myself. Example my interest in physics this the first place I have ever discussed it in detail 16,000 views and growing. Wow.
Can you explain what "esoteric" mean?
Basically means "strange."
What do you mean by healthy? Does this refer to mental health, or physical health?
Mental health - if the special interest makes you feel calm, happy, keeps your mind engaged, then it's healthy. If it somehow causes you stress, frustration or anxiety, then maybe not so healthy.
Physical health - if it involves sitting still for long hours every day without your getting enough exercise or feeding yourself adequately, then not healthy. If your special interest is a sport or other outdoor or physical activity like cycling, then that's healthy.
Mental health - if the special interest makes you feel calm, happy, keeps your mind engaged, then it's healthy. If it somehow causes you stress, frustration or anxiety, then maybe not so healthy.
Physical health - if it involves sitting still for long hours every day without your getting enough exercise or feeding yourself adequately, then not healthy. If your special interest is a sport or other outdoor or physical activity like cycling, then that's healthy.
I agree with @Progster
What I've learned from personal experience:
In most social situations I don't talk about my special/restricted interests very much at all, though I would like to. I have just learned over the years how off-putting they are for most people and I don't like being humiliated.
Plus, almost everyone is annoyed by infodumping, especially when it isn't relevant to the topic at hand. So I keep them to myself unless there is some reason I should bring them up.
Interest-related activities are a totally different thing.
What I've learned from personal experience:
In most social situations I don't talk about my special/restricted interests very much at all, though I would like to. I have just learned over the years how off-putting they are for most people and I don't like being humiliated.
Plus, almost everyone is annoyed by infodumping, especially when it isn't relevant to the topic at hand. So I keep them to myself unless there is some reason I should bring them up.
Interest-related activities are a totally different thing.
Do you want to socialize normally, or happily?
Should've emphasized this in my own post. In my experience, socializing "normally" is not happy for me.
Unfortunately the fear of humiliation and rejection sometimes outweighs this
It's not 'healthy' to say this, but normal socializing sucks. I don't want to do it
"Healthy" is a nebulous term, but when a restricted interest, special interest, or obsession begins to impinge upon one's mental and physical health is when one should be concerned. Now, if you are concerned enough to ask this question, you might be there already. What that is for one person versus another is individualized. No straight answer on this one.
What are examples of "restricted interests"? I don't think I understand what that means. The only thing that comes to mind for me was TV viewing was severely restricted for me when I was a child and it was an interest of mine. As an adult, is a "restricted interest" something that's illegal?
Ella Spell
Well-Known Member
It means a very strong interest which can become all-encompassing, so the person won't have time or energy for other "normal" pursuits of daily living. Think of them like rabbit holes.
It doesn't matter what the topic is. They could be very average, common topics like "Dogs" or "Classical Music". It's not about the topic being narrow or unusual, but the intensity with which they get involved at the expense of everything else. The rest of the world is "restricted" from people, not the interest itself.
For me just about any interest becomes restricted because I go down rabbit holes easily.
They become unhealthy when the person can't maintain employment or practise self-care because they are too engrossed in their interest to attend to "real life". I've had that happen. Sometimes it seems my house could catch fire and I wouldn't even know. I don't eat or sleep or brush my hair and teeth, because I"m obsessed with some fleeting topic and can't snap out of it.
It doesn't matter what the topic is. They could be very average, common topics like "Dogs" or "Classical Music". It's not about the topic being narrow or unusual, but the intensity with which they get involved at the expense of everything else. The rest of the world is "restricted" from people, not the interest itself.
For me just about any interest becomes restricted because I go down rabbit holes easily.
They become unhealthy when the person can't maintain employment or practise self-care because they are too engrossed in their interest to attend to "real life". I've had that happen. Sometimes it seems my house could catch fire and I wouldn't even know. I don't eat or sleep or brush my hair and teeth, because I"m obsessed with some fleeting topic and can't snap out of it.
Restricted interests in this case are not interests that others restrict from you but instead having only a few intense interests. While others may want to watch many kinds of movies, do many kinds of activities, and talk about many kinds of topics somebody with a restricted set of interests may ONLY watch one or two movies or want to talk about only a couple topics.
OP: for me I realize that my interests have gotten too restrictive if I find myself properly obsessed. All my thoughts are about this interest, all I wanna talk about is this interest, all I wanna do is this interest etc. I often will feel anxiety and if I try to do anything else I will feel that anxiety until I can engage in the interest again. If this happens I know it's time to try and step back.
Unusual, not what typical people would be interested in.
Then I would say a "restricted interest" is unhealthy if it impedes and/or negatively impacts the person's interaction with others....IF they have others they're obligated to interact with. Case in point:
Years ago when our kids were in diapers I had an all-consuming special interest related to collecting and restoring certain types of antiques. For about three years that's all I thought about. I spent every spare moment related to that interest. My family was an imposition and although I "pulled my own weight" in familial duties, if they got in the way of my special interest time, I would become crabby. There was a certain breaking point that happened and only then did I realize how bad things had gotten and how much I'd lost not being as "present" as possible during such an amazing time in our lives. That was unhealthy and regrettable.
I will counter that example by sharing this opinion on the subject: IF someone does NOT have familial obligations, if someone is single and responsible for their own life and devoting all of their time to their "restricted interest" impacts no one else but them....who is anyone else to tell the person that their "restricted interest" is unhealthy?
"That person is missing out on life"
"It's not healthy to be a recluse."
"It would be better for them to have other activities as well."
"They're going to regret ignoring other aspects and opportunities in life."
^I don't agree that others should be able to judge or direct an individual's life in relation to the choices they do or don't decide to make in their own life.
Years ago when our kids were in diapers I had an all-consuming special interest related to collecting and restoring certain types of antiques. For about three years that's all I thought about. I spent every spare moment related to that interest. My family was an imposition and although I "pulled my own weight" in familial duties, if they got in the way of my special interest time, I would become crabby. There was a certain breaking point that happened and only then did I realize how bad things had gotten and how much I'd lost not being as "present" as possible during such an amazing time in our lives. That was unhealthy and regrettable.
I will counter that example by sharing this opinion on the subject: IF someone does NOT have familial obligations, if someone is single and responsible for their own life and devoting all of their time to their "restricted interest" impacts no one else but them....who is anyone else to tell the person that their "restricted interest" is unhealthy?
"That person is missing out on life"
"It's not healthy to be a recluse."
"It would be better for them to have other activities as well."
"They're going to regret ignoring other aspects and opportunities in life."
^I don't agree that others should be able to judge or direct an individual's life in relation to the choices they do or don't decide to make in their own life.
"Restricted Interests". Not a term I've seen used here, though it's very much one that exists in the neurological sense. Something that is far broader than the term "special interests" that most of us are more than familiar with.
One conclusion I can only draw from the following, is a sense that NT medical professionals have outlined such things implied as less-than-healthy, and in accordance with their neurological sensibilities rather than our own. So I understand why some of us on the spectrum might question just how valid this may- or may not be.
Quoted:
Restricted interests and repetitive behaviors may include:
www.psychiatry.org
One conclusion I can only draw from the following, is a sense that NT medical professionals have outlined such things implied as less-than-healthy, and in accordance with their neurological sensibilities rather than our own. So I understand why some of us on the spectrum might question just how valid this may- or may not be.
Quoted:
Restricted interests and repetitive behaviors may include:
- Inflexibility of behavior, extreme difficulty coping with change
- Being overly focused on niche subjects to the exclusion of others
- Expecting others to be equally interested in those subjects
- Difficulty tolerating changes in routine and new experiences
- Sensory hypersensitivity, e.g., aversion to loud noises
- Stereotypical movements such as hand flapping, rocking, spinning
- Arranging things, often toys, in a very particular manner
What Is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Learn about Autism Spectrum Disorder, including symptoms, risk factors, treatment options and answers to common questions.
www.psychiatry.org
My first position involved measuring colour with a Hunter colourimeters which I knew nothing about, so I got the manual out and started reading it explained the theory behind how this instrument worked fascinated me. changed position a few years late New position use a spectrometer specifically made to measure colour this was now another special interest, something I dedicated my career to, how could this be seen as unhealthy. So context is important.
I would interpret a "restricted interest", in this context, as a "narrowed" interest, for example "planes, trains, or automobiles", perhaps what others may consider a "special" interest.
You know, I was told a lot, and well into adulthood things like "You spend too much time on that...", "It's not healthy to spend so much time on your own...", "A healthy young person like you should be...","Everything you do is pointless and indulgence...","Why can't you be more like...","No one cares about your interest...","You are such a sad case..."
Lots of fun stuff like that.
I've tried hard in the past to explain it in terms a "conventional thinker" can understand. I've tried explaining that for me, spending countless hours learning how obsolete computers works gives me a real buzz, probably the same sort of buzz they get when they are sitting in a bar, talking about the latest reality shows, while consuming large quantities of alcohol.
I've tried explaining that for me, being forced to sit, in a bar, with loud music, talking about reality shows, while consuming alcohol, is about as exciting to me, as they would find a 4 hour long lecture on the architecture of a Z80 CPU.
If I only could have my time over, I'd reduce my time spent in bars down by 99% and spend that time on the things that brought me real joy. You get one life and you really ought to choose how you want to live it.
Lots of fun stuff like that.
I've tried hard in the past to explain it in terms a "conventional thinker" can understand. I've tried explaining that for me, spending countless hours learning how obsolete computers works gives me a real buzz, probably the same sort of buzz they get when they are sitting in a bar, talking about the latest reality shows, while consuming large quantities of alcohol.
I've tried explaining that for me, being forced to sit, in a bar, with loud music, talking about reality shows, while consuming alcohol, is about as exciting to me, as they would find a 4 hour long lecture on the architecture of a Z80 CPU.
If I only could have my time over, I'd reduce my time spent in bars down by 99% and spend that time on the things that brought me real joy. You get one life and you really ought to choose how you want to live it.
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