Still struggling a LOT with #monotropism in terms of tasks/obligations.
It's very very very difficult to do anything else if something on my future to do list is very daunting for me.
It may take days or weeks (or months) to finally tackle said daunting task and meanwhile I'm wildly unlikely to be able to get much done apart from small, well spaced out chores.
It's somewhat helpful to reframe by rescheduling the task to some later date and then assuring myself it's ok to breathe between now and then—that can open up some space *sometimes*....
But even so. Daunting tasks aside, I have such a hard time with reorganizing what I need to do if I've already 'set' a task and then that task is being avoided or gets delayed... If I don't set a task then I just feel bombarded by a slew of obligations and I freeze up.
Trying to work my mind around this feels very much like trying to push my body through a solid wall. And yet the idea of setting the task down for awhile or reorganizing priorities *sounds* so simple. I'm then left with my face pressed up against that wall wondering why the fuck I can't just take a step back.
Very, VERY helpful conversation!
Explaining Autistic experience: Monotropism: Fergus & Tanya educate Aucademy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEtLOGcTA0A
#FergusMurray #DrDinahMurray #autism #ASD #autistic #ActuallyAutistic #education #neurodiversity #TanyaAdkin #Monotropism #Aucademy
My (#hyperallistic) wife and I have been watching the series "Atypical", about an #autistic high-schooler. Even though the series appears to be better than its reputation, I haven't enjoyed it as much as I expected to, because of an inability to identify with the autistic protagonist Sam. And it isn't just the age difference; I remember quite vividly what high school was like. It's more that I'm atypical even among the atypical — different from Sam in several ways:
(1) #Monotropism versus #kaleidotropy: Sam has a few stereotypically restricted and repetitive interests; for example, Antarctic penguins. Any one of my interests, viewed in isolation, might look like that from the outside — yet unpredictably, at any time, they can easily be pushed aside by other, even more fascinating special interests.
(2) Sensation avoidance versus sensation seeking: Sam must wear noise-cancelling headphones to avoid shutdowns and meltdowns, for example. I do have some sensation-avoidant characteristics; in particular, I detest clothing tags as torture devices. But my attitude toward bright light is an example of the opposite tendency. I wish the bright fluorescent panels at work were even brighter; it annoys me when old ones that are starting to dim aren't promptly replaced. And both at home and at work, I find myself staring at light sources without even thinking about it. It's a stim, or would be if I didn't consciously restrain myself from doing it, reminding myself that it isn't good for my eyes.
(3) Visual thinking versus verbal thinking: although Sam is quite articulate in words, he has a special talent for drawing, and at least some tendency toward "thinking in pictures". Although I have a vivid visual imagination, I can't really draw or paint at all; and even when I see vivid images in my mind, "left-brain" abstraction, logic, and calculation remain firmly in the driver's seat. I have a tendency to remember generalizations, and forget the examples or statistics that established them — which can be inconvenient when I'm trying to persuade someone else to agree.
(4) #Alexithymia versus no alexithymia: Sam has almost as much difficulty perceiving his own emotions as in reading other people's. For example, several episodes are devoted to his struggles to decide whether or not he is in love. By contrast, although I have stereotypically autistic difficulties in reading other people's emotions from their speech and behavior, I have never had any difficulty at all in perceiving my own emotions.
I'd be interested in hearing other people's reactions to the series "Atypical", or to the contrasts I've drawn here.
I also talked about monotropism; the distinctive depth and narrowness of autistic attention.
The tendency to go very deep, to struggle with switching, to get overwhelmed by competing demands - and to experience the world with such a particular intensity.
Again: not just ‘life is hard’, but a very specific way of processing and experiencing.
#TIL about #monotropism
"One of the positive aspects of being monotropic is the capacity to enter a ‘flow state’ – a term used to describe deep immersion in an activity, heightened focus, creativity and satisfaction.
For Autistic individuals, engaging in activities aligned with their special interests and passions can lead to such flow states, contributing to wellbeing and a sense of fulfilment."
https://www.autism.org.uk/learn/knowledge-hub/professional-practice/what-is-monotropism
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klebriger Fokus
Und wieder sitze ich meiner Therapeutin gegenüber und esse. Es ist 12 Uhr, wir wollen arbeiten, mein Treibstofftank ist leer.
Ich habs gewusst, ich hatte einen Timer und ein safe food dabei und hab’s trotzdem nicht gemacht. Mein Fokus hat noch an einer Aufgabe geklebt, die ich unterbrechen musste, um zu ihrer Praxis zu laufen. Der Timer ist an mir vorbeigeflogen.
In my latest article, I explore how monotropism creates a vertical temporality. This concept bridges quantum physics and Jung's Spirit of the Depths. It represents a form of existence that functions elsewhere, far from the logic of the clock.
Read the full piece here: https://medium.com/@christian.gajewski/when-time-flows-elsewhere-autistic-life-between-quantum-and-hyperfocus-b66e7c8f946e
#AuDHD #Neurodiversity #Monotropism #Autism #actuallyautistic #Psychology #psychoanalysis
I uploaded the Korean article of #monotropism today!
J.
P Gurgel-Segrillo
Buridan's procrastinator ⁂
Douglas Edwards 
Parnuuna | Feel Good Rebel ✨
K.J. Elphinstone
Strypey
Hannah C. Rosenblatt
Christian Gajewski
ellif d.a