Do you feel detached from others?

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A friend of mine on my teen forum had been having trouble with relationships. He PMed me about feeling cold and jaded and this was my response:

That's pretty much how I've felt my entire life.

Being on the Aspergers part of the Spectrum I can tell you this.

People don't ask me for advice.
I have never kissed or had a relationship.
I feel totally detached from other people.

I always had that feeling that my life is not entirely real visiting this board now I understand why.




Lack of expression on my face no wonder we can not connect with the world hence it does not feel real to us.

I'm aware that other people are real, but it is pretty rare for me to actually feel a sense of connection with another person. If we're defining "connection" as "understanding and being understood," it hardly ever happens. I don't know if that's "detached" or not, but other than with my kids, I don't often feel connected.

I'd like to, it's nice when it happens, but I understand that connection is not going to be a real frequent occurrence in my life.

Yeah, it's like they only exist when they are with me. So, like when I am by myself no one else exists, it's strange. I can also only ever get to a certain stage with making friends, like it never gets to the bit where they are actual friends, like people at college/school etc have only ever been/are school/college friends. It's quite annoying at times but it never changes.

Yep. That feel when autistic.

I think that to an extent that is autism across the spectrum in a nutshell. From the most mild Aspie to the most severe and profound classic autistic there is a bit more detachment and one is a bit more "in their own world" than neurotypical people. I'm guessing the extent of how detached and the extent to which one is "in their own world" largely corresponds with just how autistic someone is.

Word Origin:

from Greek autos self + -ism


autism

1912, from German Autismus, coined 1912 by Swiss psychiatrist Paul Bleuler (1857-1939) from comb. form of Greek autos- "self" (see auto- ) + -ismos suffix of action or of state. The notion is of "morbid self-absorption."

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/autistic

Always.

It's funny:

I don't feel detached from people and the world--but I don't feel attached, either.

I don't really form "full" attachments with lovers and others who are "close" to me. I tend to "love" them on an intellectual level. As for lovers, I feel for them, and I get turned on by them--but they always feel that there's "something missing."

Ezra: For some reason, I don't feel that you are totally detached from people--especially your family. What would happen, say, if your dad was hit by somebody in the street? I would bet that you would be quite upset about it--and perhaps feel like getting revenge upon the person who hit your dad. I know you really appreciate your dad very much.

I also don't sense that you'll be totally dependent when you grow up. I think you'll rely on your parents quite a bit--but I think you just might be able to live at least somewhat
independently eventually. I think you'll acquire lots of knowledge, and be useful with it.

No attachment whatsoever. It's uncomfortable, almost to the point of being frightening.

My question is, though, what is it like to be attached? I mean, you always here people talking about connections and attachment, what is that? How do you define it? Would you even know if you were? I don't know if I understand the idea enough to rule either way.

Just something I've been wondering about...

Yes I do feel that but it doesn't bother me much if it was when I'm around nice people

All the time.

I felt detached from others all my life.