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Sora
Love all, trust a few
Joined: Sep 16, 2006
Age: 20
Posts: 2857
Location: Europe
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 Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 3:45 pm Post subject: AS without special interest? |
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I read some of the recent responses in various topics about special interests and obsessions.
Are they really uncontrollable and involuntary obsessions?
That kind of surprised me, because mine have never been like that. I just get obsessed when I am bored.
I can stop when I want to, I never talk about them either and never have, nobody usually knows what I am interested in. When I was a kid, my family rarely knew what I was interested in either. I also get very bored even with my obsessions (that should cure me from boredom) if I don't take enough breaks.
The only thing I'm totally drawn to is reading. If that counts as an obsession? I read when I am not bored though I don't love it like a hobby. I just... do it. Reading is pleasurable.
So... do I have AS without AS typical obsessions?
Or are there more people who have obsessions like I do?
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The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. Terry Pratchett |
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Reodor_Felgen
Counting down till Castro bites the dust
Joined: Sep 29, 2007
Age: 20
Posts: 1633
Location: Aspies for Freedom
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| Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 4:09 pm Post subject: |
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I'm not a doctor, but I think this is more common amoung the PDD-NOS people than the aspies.
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dtoxic
Deinonychus
Joined: Jun 23, 2008
Age: 38
Posts: 313
Location: Boston MA
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| Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 4:18 pm Post subject: |
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I would be careful to distinguish between "special interest" and "obsession".
I myself think of "obsession" as unhealthy - a special interest taken too far, to the point where pursuing it is self-destructive (or at least counterproductive).
A special interest is just that - an area you enjoy spending time and effort on, where you know your stuff better than most. I don't even think aspies are necessarily better "at" a special interest than anyone else - we just lack the social gift of knowing when to stop talking to others about it, so we're viewed as "obsessive".
As Felgen said the mindset here can vary depending on what part of the spectrum you occupy. I can set aside my special interests at will if I need to deal with some mundane life stuff. But if you're OCD maybe you have trouble with this. |
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ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo
Phoenix
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Joined: Jun 19, 2008
Posts: 1762
Location: US, midmap
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| Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 4:22 pm Post subject: |
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It's not easy explaining what they are like. I have been thinking about my astrology obsession.
I think it started with me reading the paper and seeing the daily horoscope inside, then seeing those rolled horoscope scrolls at the grocery store, one for each sun sign. I think it is egocentric too because I could look up the different meanings of different parts of my chart and find out what it said about me so it was self centered self interest. I think all this calmed my anxiety or something, I felt better while reading about it and I just absorbed the info and suddenly I knew everything about every part.
Of course, I wanted to tell people about it and relate to them through this topic. Thing was, no one else was interested at the time. |
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krex
Phoenix
Joined: Jun 21, 2006
Age: 45
Posts: 4995
Location: Village of the Damned
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| Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 5:41 pm Post subject: |
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This is complicated for me, as well. I do think books or particular authors were also an obsession for years....so were "guys" that I would get obsessed with and want to know everything about and think about constantly. I think this is an area that needs to be clarified with more research with female aspies.
I did have the traditiona lguy obsessions before I hit puberty, (bugs, rocks,native Americans, climbing stuff, wrestling) but it was guys and books from 12-30. I did have a fewer other interests at those times but those 2 things really dominated my attention.
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2ukenkerl
Phoenix
Joined: Jul 20, 2007
Posts: 4860
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| Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 6:12 pm Post subject: Re: AS without special interest? |
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| Sora wrote: | I read some of the recent responses in various topics about special interests and obsessions.
Are they really uncontrollable and involuntary obsessions?
That kind of surprised me, because mine have never been like that. I just get obsessed when I am bored.
I can stop when I want to, I never talk about them either and never have, nobody usually knows what I am interested in. When I was a kid, my family rarely knew what I was interested in either. I also get very bored even with my obsessions (that should cure me from boredom) if I don't take enough breaks.
The only thing I'm totally drawn to is reading. If that counts as an obsession? I read when I am not bored though I don't love it like a hobby. I just... do it. Reading is pleasurable.
So... do I have AS without AS typical obsessions?
Or are there more people who have obsessions like I do? |
I CAN stop, etc... Obviously, because I work. But I may do them through work, etc... MANY don't know about my obsessions. Still, they are STRONG! |
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zghost
Phoenix
Joined: Oct 29, 2007
Posts: 767
Location: Southeast Texas
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| Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 6:13 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | The only thing I'm totally drawn to is reading. If that counts as an obsession? I read when I am not bored though I don't love it like a hobby. I just... do it. Reading is pleasurable. |
Me too. No obsessions (and never had any), and no hobbies even. |
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Hodor
Phoenix
Joined: Mar 18, 2008
Age: 19
Posts: 834
Location: On a dumb island
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| Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 6:20 pm Post subject: |
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I used to have obsessions but don't anymore, srsly. I used to be hyper-obsessed with insects, and I would bore my family to death with the intricate details of how Great Diving Beetles obtain their oxygen, or about the grey areas between the relationship of butterflies to moths.
My obsession with insects has turned into a lifetime (I hope) interest in entomology. It's not something that I'll pursue as a career, but it's something I'd like to keep up as a hobby. I don't, however, monologue to people about insects and I wouldn't devote my whole life to seeing or filming rare species.
My current 'special interest' is linguistics, but this is more than just an obsession. I'm going to be taking a 3-year university course in Linguistics, and plan to make a career of it. I don't have to spend hours a day comparing the phonologies of Khoisan languages, but I do enjoy linguistics as a (albeit geeky) hobby.
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NeantHumain
Phoenix
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Joined: Jun 25, 2004
Posts: 3717
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
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| Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 6:32 pm Post subject: |
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Let's look at the diagnostic criteria in the DSM-IV-TR, shall we?
| DSM-IV-TR wrote: | B. Restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities, as manifested by at least one of the following:
(1) encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus
(2) apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals
(3) stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g., hand or finger flapping or twisting, or complex whole-body movements)
(4) persistent preoccupation with parts of objects |
Criteria B.1 and B.4 are really trying to capture the same thing: interest/attention as narrow and intense focus. For people with more severe autism, the brain breaks down even basic environmental stimuli such that they cannot see and hear simultaneously or even can see only a small area in their field of vision.
What we see is that people with Asperger's syndrome pursue their interests obsessively; they will continue learning facts about the subject that has caught their fancy until they have exhausted sources of knowledge. As they learn about the subject, they make develop hobbies or activities as an outlet of this interest. For example, an aspie interested in geography may draw maps.
Whether this harms adaptive functioning varies by individual. For some, their interests may merely be a strong tendency to spend time with activities related to their interest; for others, they may neglect to eat if left to their own devices. Others may sustain a couple of major interests at a time. Some change interests over the course of their life; others have one big interest that has sustained them from childhood through adulthood.
What makes the interest a sign of Asperger's syndrome is the way it is pursued and the focus given. |
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pschristmas
Blue Jay
Joined: Apr 02, 2008
Age: 41
Posts: 90
Location: Buda, TX
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| Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 6:51 pm Post subject: |
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I didn't particularly choose my interests, but I do find them enjoyable. They are pervasive, too, in that I will turn to them even when I'm supposed to be doing something else. This can cause problems at work, since I have internet access.  This is the part I find most annoying about them, too. Even though I still enjoy them, it takes a lot of will power to put them away, and I'm irritated and mildly resentful when I have to do so. It helps if I can leave the computer and don't have access, although I sometimes find myself thinking about them while I do other things.
I have tried to force myself to develop a special interest in a subject before, sometimes just to broaden a current special interest into another area, but I just can't do it. For instance, I'm very interested in Greek mythology, but not Roman or Norse, and I can't make myself care about the other two.
Patricia |
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Sora
Love all, trust a few
Joined: Sep 16, 2006
Age: 20
Posts: 2857
Location: Europe
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| Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 7:47 pm Post subject: |
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| NeantHumain wrote: |
| DSM-IV-TR wrote: |
(4) persistent preoccupation with parts of objects |
Criteria B.1 and B.4 are really trying to capture the same thing: interest/attention as narrow and intense focus. |
Ah, thank you!
I never usually look at the DSM-IV-TR criteria (only ICD).
I have that but I don't know whether it is 'narrow'. I know it is intense and abnormal in how much time I can keep switching lights or opening and closing stuff or fiddling with things. Other people don't do it after all.
If narrow and and intense must apply to my interest, then I know I am still unsure whether I have (1). I don't think so, but I'll not totally exclude the possibility. I have the impression other people's interest are way more intense than mine and certainly more narrow (I am interest in almost everything), but my evaluation is of course subjective.
Anyway, it does again indeed point to having PDD-NOS rather than specific AS.
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The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. Terry Pratchett |
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Tim_Tex
WP's Resident Simpsons and South Park Aficionado
Joined: Jul 03, 2004
Age: 28
Posts: 22319
Location: San Marcos, Texas
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| Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 7:59 pm Post subject: |
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My interests generally stay constant.
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equinn
Phoenix
Joined: Apr 20, 2007
Posts: 652
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| Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 8:35 pm Post subject: |
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My son seems to accumulate interests and they remain with him in varying degrees. He will acquire a new one, and then it sticks.
He asks a million questoins about his interest and is compelled to surround himself with his latest interests.
Thankfully, his school integrates his interests (as much as possible) into the curriculum. But, he remains inattentive and has difficulty do class work despite his intelligence.
This is when it becomes an issue. When it interferes with your funtioning in society.
Reason for not being a full blown Aspergers was my son's ability to shift topics fairly easily despite his perseerating on his interest. Someone with AS, I'm assuming, isn't as flexible?
equinn |
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Ana54
International Incident Initiator
Joined: Dec 27, 2005
Age: 20
Posts: 6493
Location: Channelview, Texas, USA
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| Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 8:37 pm Post subject: |
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AS without the special interest is NLD.
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equinn
Phoenix
Joined: Apr 20, 2007
Posts: 652
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| Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 8:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Ana54 wrote: | | AS without the special interest is NLD. |
Yes, according to my reading of NLD, this is what I surmised.
I wanted to say that if I ask my son why he likes a particular thing, he can't tell me why. He seems drawn to certain things for whatever reason (for example-neon signs).
equinn |
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