Social Aftermath – Why Do I Forget?

For some I reason cannot remember how much social interactions zap me of all energy. I can remember for the most part with the kids because I begin to see telltale signs that they are “off.” Their energy becomes drained, they can show cold or flu-like symptoms, they cannot focus very well, they are drawn toward certain types of foods, and they start to stim more than usual. For Daniel, he begins to request his favorite movies such as The Tigger Movie or he begins to pull all of his toys from his room to the counters in the kitchen and lines them up or dumps them – more so than usual sometimes that is hard to determine. Another thing that Daniel does is attach himself to me.

He wants to know where I am going even if it is in the other room, why and how long I will take. 

Ariel and Joshua request to play particular types of games that require repetitive moves and levels. I have a hard time connecting my own signs until I realize that I am not as patient as I normally am. Things seem to be more intense, I find myself fatigued, drained, emotionally spent, and then, I start to feel the anxiety and depression creep in. My executive functioningis all out of sorts. I did not know any of this before learning about autism and anxiety, I simply thought that there was something wrong with me and that I SHOULD be able to handle socializing, going places, meeting new people, and I SHOULD be happy about it.

After all, I want to be social, I want to have friends, I want to go out and do things.

Continued ... Social Aftermath – Why Do I Forget?