Boyfriend with asperger, difficult..

Page 1 of 1 [ 13 posts ] 

Kristin1
Emu Egg
Emu Egg

User avatar

Joined: 23 Mar 2013
Gender: Female
Posts: 1

24 Mar 2013, 8:09 am

Hi! I am an Norwegian 32 year old women. My boyfriend have asperger, and I found my self often very lonely in this relationship.
It seems like he is all gone in his own world, and he keeps talking without stop about all these things that doesent interested me at all. He keeps talking all day long about how things work, how to use things, what things that you can buy to uppgrade the things, how they are build. And its everything. It makes me so eksosted, and I get more and more tired every day. Now all I want is to sleep.
He ignore almost everything I want to talk about, at dosent really respond to anything. I feel so lost, lonely an invinseble. I have been working so hard to connect with him, but now I dont have energy for that anymore. What to do? It doesent help him to tell him this, i have tryed so many times, nothing changes.



IlovemyAspie
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 7 Mar 2012
Age: 47
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,030
Location: Alone

24 Mar 2013, 11:13 am

He isn't going to change. You may want to consider whether or not you can deal with him the way he is. Do you care for him enough to learn to adapt?



ShamelessGit
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 9 Jul 2010
Age: 32
Gender: Male
Posts: 718
Location: Kansas

24 Mar 2013, 11:35 am

I always wondered how NT women can fall in love with aspie men who ignore everything they say/do and/or only talk about their nerdy interest. There appear to be quite a few, based on the number of posts on wrong planet, but I surely haven't met any, or I would have picked one up by now. Showing a lack of interest in what a woman finds interesting seems to be the exact opposite of what works in all my experiences.



IlovemyAspie
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 7 Mar 2012
Age: 47
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,030
Location: Alone

24 Mar 2013, 11:54 am

ShamelessGit wrote:
I always wondered how NT women can fall in love with aspie men who ignore everything they say/do and/or only talk about their nerdy interest. There appear to be quite a few, based on the number of posts on wrong planet, but I surely haven't met any, or I would have picked one up by now. Showing a lack of interest in what a woman finds interesting seems to be the exact opposite of what works in all my experiences.


My Aspie guy pays attention to me. He has special interests and has a way of trying to stop himself when he's in the middle of something. He'll say "Nevermind" and I tell him keep going. I let him talk as long as he wants and he let's me talk as long as I want. This is the way he's always been. So it worked right away. Sometimes we have misunderstandings but he takes the time to talk it out with me. He's never shut me out and I make sure to thank him for it. So it just depends on what the other wants and the other is willing or capable of giving.



creampuff
Hummingbird
Hummingbird

User avatar

Joined: 27 Dec 2012
Age: 48
Gender: Female
Posts: 20

24 Mar 2013, 1:12 pm

Kristin1 wrote:
Hi! I am an Norwegian 32 year old women. My boyfriend have asperger, and I found my self often very lonely in this relationship.
It seems like he is all gone in his own world, and he keeps talking without stop about all these things that doesent interested me at all. He keeps talking all day long about how things work, how to use things, what things that you can buy to uppgrade the things, how they are build. And its everything. It makes me so eksosted, and I get more and more tired every day. Now all I want is to sleep.
He ignore almost everything I want to talk about, at dosent really respond to anything. I feel so lost, lonely an invinseble. I have been working so hard to connect with him, but now I dont have energy for that anymore. What to do? It doesent help him to tell him this, i have tryed so many times, nothing changes.


It's biology and if he is into his world this much, it will be difficult. Get therapy, learn about AS, it is not going to change, but you could talk to him. Yes it can get very lonely...



uwmonkdm
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 5 Mar 2013
Age: 34
Gender: Male
Posts: 764
Location: Canada

24 Mar 2013, 2:53 pm

Quote:
he keeps talking all day long about how things work, how to use things, what things that you can buy to uppgrade the things, how they are build.


Is this about a video game? lol

Anyway, if you can't handle it just leave, don't try to change him.



Night_Shade917
Blue Jay
Blue Jay

User avatar

Joined: 3 Apr 2012
Age: 31
Gender: Female
Posts: 95

24 Mar 2013, 5:32 pm

If you're really serious and care about him a lot, then you should do all the reading you can about Asperger's so you can understand him better. It will take a lot of reading and experimenting with different strategies to see what works with him, but it'll be worth it in the end. The understanding won't make the problems disappear, but it will make it much easier for you to adapt to the way he thinks and it'll help you to see things from his perspective. Once he's aware you have an understanding of him, he will be more likely to open up to you and discuss with you how it affects him. This will help you to communicate your needs to eachother more effectively and you'll at least be on the same wavelength once a solid understanding between the both of you is achieved.



ShamelessGit
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 9 Jul 2010
Age: 32
Gender: Male
Posts: 718
Location: Kansas

24 Mar 2013, 6:01 pm

IlovemyAspie wrote:
My Aspie guy pays attention to me. He has special interests and has a way of trying to stop himself when he's in the middle of something. He'll say "Nevermind" and I tell him keep going. I let him talk as long as he wants and he let's me talk as long as I want. This is the way he's always been. So it worked right away. Sometimes we have misunderstandings but he takes the time to talk it out with me. He's never shut me out and I make sure to thank him for it. So it just depends on what the other wants and the other is willing or capable of giving.


What you described sounds like what a healthy relationship with an aspie guy should be. What I don't understand is how women can sometimes be attracted to aspie guys who don't do this. The OP makes it sound like her boyfriend does not take the time to listen to what she has to say.



Tequila
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 25 Feb 2006
Age: 35
Gender: Male
Posts: 28,897
Location: Lancashire, UK

24 Mar 2013, 6:03 pm

Have you tried telling him exactly how you feel and what the consequences might be if he refuses to change, to listen to you and to take what you have to say on board and put it into practice? If he steadfastly refuses to change, then you have to start wondering what on Earth you are getting out of this.



IlovemyAspie
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 7 Mar 2012
Age: 47
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,030
Location: Alone

24 Mar 2013, 6:20 pm

ShamelessGit wrote:
IlovemyAspie wrote:
My Aspie guy pays attention to me. He has special interests and has a way of trying to stop himself when he's in the middle of something. He'll say "Nevermind" and I tell him keep going. I let him talk as long as he wants and he let's me talk as long as I want. This is the way he's always been. So it worked right away. Sometimes we have misunderstandings but he takes the time to talk it out with me. He's never shut me out and I make sure to thank him for it. So it just depends on what the other wants and the other is willing or capable of giving.


What you described sounds like what a healthy relationship with an aspie guy should be. What I don't understand is how women can sometimes be attracted to aspie guys who don't do this. The OP makes it sound like her boyfriend does not take the time to listen to what she has to say.


I have a feeling that's not what initially attracted her. She probably didn't know about Aspieness. She was probably attracted to other aspects and then once they got into a relationship and he got comfortable then BAM!! I didn't notice anything different at first. But once I started spending more time with him I started noticing different things. I knew he was "different" but that's what attracted me to him.

But I hear ya. If she tries everything that's been suggested and she's still at ground zero, it's time to seriously consider if there is any possibility of a healthy relationship.



CranialRectosis
Raven
Raven

User avatar

Joined: 5 Dec 2010
Age: 54
Gender: Male
Posts: 111

27 Mar 2013, 9:52 am

I think the trick is to convince him to see you as a special interest.

Of course then, he might never stop asking you how you are doing and what you are thinking (I sometimes drive my wife nuts like this).

The key, in my opinion, is to have MUTUAL interests. That way he can go down the rabbit hole and take you along for the ride. If you establish mutual interests, he may start to diversify interests and at that time, you may become one of them as he attempts to accommodate your interest in his interests (which appears to be what he wants and needs from you).

Remember, he only talks about his interests because he is obsessively compelled to try to interest you and engage you in conversation. This in itself may be a HUGE leap for him. I think this is an opportunity for you.



Geekonychus
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 15 Nov 2012
Age: 38
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,660

27 Mar 2013, 10:04 am

Both people need to be equally accomidating to the other person in a relationship. AS may be an explaination for some of these issues but it isn't an excuse.



Ravenfeather1
Butterfly
Butterfly

User avatar

Joined: 16 Dec 2012
Age: 50
Gender: Female
Posts: 16

29 Mar 2013, 4:26 pm

Sometiimes i throw my hand up and say my turn. And sometimes i tell him it isnt about him. Right then and there. I dont wait for it to fester. Speak clearly and concisely. My husband is very smart, but small words work best in the moment you are feeling left out. I dont yell. I state it calmly. This has helped me. :)