Searching for Answers.
Firstly it can be hard to open up, and then it can be hard to stop me when I do open up.
I have not been assessed. After a two year battle with myself when it occurred to me that in the last few years the five times I have had people say they think I could have asperges (And if I do it is mild), I finally plucked up the courage to ask one of the doctors in my surgery to enquire if I may have it? Why two years? Well, I am a little nurvous about doctors, and also get on edge waiting in waiting rooms. (It is a big thing for me to join this site as I don't normally veer off the few sites I am normally on and as they are not able to answer my questions (I do go on a bit and to be fair, I was asking on a model railway site which took ages for me to open up)).
Now while I have been doing a little research, there are quite a few aspects I also get but there aee many things which I don't get. (As in symptoms).
Now I was assuming assessment would be relatively quick and simple so I would not be wasting anyones time to be assessed. It is a thing which I want to do to see if there is a possibility that energy loss symptoms I get and have had almost as long as I can remember, (Certainly from the age of around seven or maybe earlier) as when I get them they are rather annoying and also it is extremely hard to push through them without going deeper into the energy loss situation if I am in a work enviroment etc.
For many years I was with a doctors surgery who just used to say it was one of those things... and it was believed to be caused by some sort of allergy. I seem to have been tested for the usual things it can be. Then about three years ago after finding that at the last doctors it would often take about eight months of phoning to get an appointment where one man I know would just turn up with no appointment and almost walk in... I decided to change surgeries and so did my mother. What a difference! However all my old records seem to have vanished. All the complaints of energy lossover many years since I was 18 (My mother said not to tell them before as I don't think as a child she believed me or I could not describe it). Since we changed doctors surgeries, while they may not be perfect, I found it was almost as if they were in two different worlds!
About two weeks ago I happened to twig that maybe this energy loss could be related to asperges but different, as I was looking at prosoprognosia which I know I get and so does my Mum. I found a link between prosoprognosia and the autistic spectrum and started looking at many youtube short films about it.
I had to wait three days to actually phone to book an appointment as three days they were closed due to mayday and the weekend, and I had an appointment for the end of that week. You can imagine how nurvous I was just to try and ask. I had to get my Mum to come with me which I found so embarissing but have found the last few doctors appointments that it is much better to have my Mum there then to try to remember what doctors say, as trying to retain information when nurvous without writing everything down is so difficult... It is as if I am deaf but I can hear if that makes sense? I hear what is said word for word but somehow it does not get to my brain? Nurves can do strange things at times I guess.
Back to my question as I keep going off on tangents.
Is it possible to have mild symptoms of asperges, but then have (I don't know a lot about this) shutdowns or meltdowns in a different form? (I will describe what I call energy loss as best as I can).
It feels like I am fainting but it is slightly different. When I faint (I hate blood tests! Once took me six hours to recover!) I recover from fainting by the following proceedure. As soon as I can get my body to sit up and then get up and walk, If I can make it down those hospital corridors and into the outside I will quickly recover. The more I can get my body to walk around the quicker I recover. I feel if I could get on my bicycle and hit a crusing speed of 35mph flat out I would be fine, as I did this in my teenage years after having dentistry work and leaving the dentist in a semi fainting condition, and jumping on the bicycle and really going for it... It was an incredible recovery. However, with this energy loss, if I try anyting like that I would be in difficullty. While they almost feel the same, the harder I try to resist by trying to push through the worst it becomes and the longer it takes to recover.
Energy loss. It feels like I am a ni-cad battery which has run out of charge. I have just enough energy to survive and function, but all I want to do is lie down somewhere quiet and I get a sudden urge to eat some chocolate or sugary things like coco cola. (Diet does not work and I get issues with anything diet of throat closing etc).
Now if I feel the energy loss coming on and I have something sugary I can prevent it or limit the effects if it. If I don't have anything suitable on me at the time I tend to go deeper into it. I go shakey and almost shivery. I also (When it is bad) hear a medium pitch sound in my head which gets lower pitch as I almost pass out. I don't think I have ever totally passed out. It is more that I almost pass out and give time will recover. I have gone into these situationsat night and fallen asleep to aake in the morning fine, and remember nothing about it, but this is very rare as I hardly ever get them when I am either in bed or going to bed. (I have only had it like this when I should have had a light snack before bed).
The energy loss situations happen far more often when I am stressed. I didn't know it was called stress before. A few years ago it was my mum who said it is stress. I now know what stress is I guess! Putting names to feelings is never easy!
Anyway.
I had better list possible known asperges aspects I share.
Prosoprognosia (Faceblindness, which my mum also has... I can tell some funny stories with this one. I only get it with certain types of people, or if I meet people where I don't expect them to be. I tend to "Group" people.
With this I sometimes find eye contact uncomfortable and at times I can't concentrate on what people are saying if they demand eye contact. My mind goes blank! Anoying when someoe is trying to tell me off! I habe learnt to turn my face towards people but look slightly to the left or right. I also will occasionally glance at them directly out of politness, but I find if I try to do this I end up staring at them directly which they don't like!
I have never liked crowded places especially indoors. I hated school because of this. In secondary school I would find somewhere outside to stand in the rain at lunchtimes and hope teachers wouldn't find me as to cram me in the hall with all those kids who would be shouting and screaming! I just wanted to put my hands over my ears and not be there!
To cope if I have to walk through our town and it is busy in the centre of town, I go into "Tunnel vision" mode where I concentrate on walking forward quickly and all the people turn into a surrounding blurred two dimentional tunnel type of wall.
I can't think of more as I am tired and will be driving my mum to a meeting in the morning. Oh... I tend to always need something to drink with me, especially when on edge and nurvous, so I also need lots of toilet breaks. I seem to know every edge around as the few public lavatories tend to close after half past four or five pm depending which town or village in these parts. I have not been caught behind a hedge yet. It is a concern though! I am ok living in a rural area so I get by as long as I avoid built up areas at night when I may need the loo.
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I wrote a lot last night. I probably better sum up.
Is there a link between energy loss (As in it suddenly arrives when stressed and other times it arrives almost at random) and Autism/Asperges? (I do tend to write round the world and back to get to the point).
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Is there a link between energy loss (As in it suddenly arrives when stressed and other times it arrives almost at random) and Autism/Asperges? (I do tend to write round the world and back to get to the point).
A few seemingly unrelated points.
Energy loss is not an Autistic trait but it most certainly can be caused by trying to cope with it.
Getting assessed for ASD is not a simple process.
Surgeons are the wrong people to ask for an opinion about ASD. If you do get assessed go to a psychologist with knowledge of how ASD presents in adults.
I find that many people underestimate how “severe” their autism is, they think they are a lot “milder” then they are.
You are ascribing your need for drinks and frequent toilet breaks to anxiety. That may very well be the reason, but those are also core symptoms of diabetes. Fatigue is a diabetic symptom also. You should have that checked out.
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DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity.
I have asked about that over the years. If it is diabetis. The previous doctors surgery tested me for other things which would also show up diabetis I think. (Liver. Pancreas etc. Hence the many blood tests over the years. Everything always comes up clear). The newer doctors surgery has tested me directly for diabetis via another blood test. I don't like the smells or waiting in crowded hospital rooms so by the time I get to have a blood test after a 30 minute or more wait, I tend to start to faint when the needle comes even though I have my eyes closed and my hand over my eyes... Haha! Aparently a lot of grown men like me are like that.
Diabetis was one of the first possibilities so it was one of the first things I went to my doctor for to try to find the issue. Usually when I get the weakness, if I lie down for a bit it does not take long to recover, but I find something sweet and sugary makes recovery quicker. Metatone tonic sometimes perks me up almost instantly on occasions...
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Also. I do tend to drink lots of water when I am nurvous, for example when I am waiting at my dentist. I am drinking and back and fore to their loo many times and I am only saiting about 10 to 15 minutes. I am allowed to wait outside the building in the dentists with my mum calling me if my appointment is ready. My dentist has called me from the toilet on occasions! She is a lovely lady though. Very patient with me even though I go to peieces at even a routine examination as I find I need to swollow a lot... Throat starts to block etc.
Many many thanks for your reply. I know I tend to come across as selfish. I really do appreciate replies and those who've taken time to write even though I may not think about appreciating them at the time. Thanks for your patience.
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I think I will need a full test to understand myself. Sometimes I think I would be far better off seeing a vet instead of a doctor as a vet is used to looking at animals who can't talk so goes straight to solving the problems! I feel that to open up and speak to a doctor would take a whole day just to offload, and then the doctor would have so many things to fathom out the poor doctor would likely have a meltdown! Is like inside me feels like one of those golfballs that once the shell comes off they keep unravelling! Haha! The thought of it I find amusing!
I habe to laugh. Years ago a local doctor passed my mother in the next village where the doctors is, and he made the mistake to ask "How are you?" so she told him! The poor man never asked that question to my mum again. My mum was embarissed as well when she realized it was a general question to be answered with such words as "OK".
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First off, none of us are qualified to give you an assessment. There are tests on the Internet that can give you an approximation. Take the online Asperger’s Test
As far as the energy loss condition that you are describing. Aspies experience a lot of stress in their lives. Stress is cumulative in nature unless it is vented. Too much stress can result in panic attacks or a condition called tonic immobility. In tonic immobility, a person completely shuts down. Their bodies goes limp. They even lose their ability to talk. Sometimes when they try and talk it comes out as jibberish. So if the condition you are describing is tonic immobility then it is due to an overload of stress. It is like having PTSD. The best treatments for this condition are the same treatments that are effective for individuals suffering PTSD. If you are able, I would recommend reading the following book. The book is called "In An Unspoken Voice" by Peter A. Levine. You might be able to obtain it from the local library.
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A great many thanks for your reply.
Yes, my body goes kinda limp in that I can't do much other then lie down... (Depending on how deeply I go into it as if I catch it in time and eat something energetic I can lessen the effects). I have a control of my body in that if I eeally wanted to move I usually can, except in such a weak state I don't want to move as it would take so much effort. The same goes with speaking. I can talk but prefer not to. Normally I will recover fairly quickly... About ten to twenty minutes if I have gone deeper into it, but if I try to quicken the recovery I will go back into it. (If I rush for chocolate or something like that when I feel it starting the recovery is usually much quicker and I will not go into it at any depth (If depth makes sense). A few times when it has happened at depth I will go very deep in that my eyesight starts to go and even m earing as my body seems to shut down. Yet it usually recovers after lying down for a little while (Usually twenty minutes) though I have to relax as if I don't I will go into it again. Also, I feel a bit tired or... How to describe... As if I am recovering from being knocked out after having anasthetic (Groggy?) after I come out of it if it has been deep.
Thanks to all who take the time to read this. I am very greatful.
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If you are entering a panic attack, one tool that you can use is deep breathing.
Our lungs take in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. The shortness of breath that occurs during panic attacks and anxiety is often caused by a change in your normal breathing pattern. Typically, we are not conscious of our breathing. When panic and anxiety occur, our breathing may become more shallow and restricted. Instead of filling the lungs with full, complete breaths, we take in quick and short breaths.
Both panic and stress researchers have examined the fleeting effects of the increased carbon dioxide levels. Elevated levels produce breathlessness, dizziness, and minor anxiety in most participants and panic attacks in those with or at risk for panic disorder.
Research into panic attacks showed that: Notably, the researchers found that patients' carbon dioxide, or CO2, levels (using a portable capnometer to measure CO2 collected from exhaled breath) were in an abnormally low range, indicating the patients were chronically hyperventilating. These levels rose significantly shortly before panic onset and correlated with reports of anxiety, fear of dying and chest pain.
One technique for controlling panic is to implement deep breathing techniques. Force the body to take very deep slow breaths and vent the carbon dioxide buried deep within the lungs. Deep diaphragmiatic breathing can be performed as follows:
1. Take a long, slow breath in through your nose, first filling your lower lungs, then your upper lungs.
2. Hold your breath to the count of "three."
3. Exhale slowly through pursed lips, while you relax the muscles in your face, jaw, shoulders, and stomach.
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Ah. Usually if I try to take deep breaths I get a little dizzy when the energy loss comes, though I have not tried the method you have suggested. I will give it a try the next time it happens.
You mentioned sholders. That is one thing I habe noticed the last few years on and off is often I find my sholders raised and rigid. It sometimes takes place when my throat swells. They are raised a little now. I am assuming it could be stress?
Something my mother said today was that I could be going through a mid life crisis. I said "But I can't aford a Porsche or a motorbike!" ![]()
I then had a thought. I am 47 so if this is a mid life crisis, I am going to live to be 96 years old. So that is comforting to know. ![]()
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