Quote:
Originally Posted by bluebicycle
Yeah, the guitar guy got back to me quickly. I called him on Thursday and he actually had an opening for Friday (the next day), but it was at the same time as my therapy appt, so it would've been impossible to do.
I don't think I'll be a Santana. lol. I do have lots of prior music experience, though, as I mentioned a while back, so I know half of what I need to know (how to read music, all the intricacies of music theory, etc.).
And yeah, I do have flat affect and flat vocal tone. All of my psych evaluations have said that, as have all my pdocs and therapists.
My therapist thinks that my flat affect "pushes people away." She claims that I make people think I'm "uninterested in them." I'm not sure if that is true or not, but everyone says there is a major disconnect between what I'm feeling and what my face is showing. My therapist even admitted that she can't read me. She told me to tell her how I'm feeling (e.g., if I'm happy, sad, etc.). I mean, I try to practice showing emotion, but I suck at it because I either over exaggerate it or I don't do a good job at all, so I've just kinda given up and let it be.
The weird thing is that my therapist told me not to worry about whether or not I have Asperger's, yet here she is saying that I likely have it (when I asked her) and that it's causing social problems for me???
|
And so... she is kind of contradicting herself?
I wonder if certain types of therapists might work with Aspergers-like clients, specifically working on affect?
You are an amazing person, Blue! Truly, in every way!
On the one hand, I think, oh well, if someone is somehow put off, then they do not know what they are missing.
On the other hand, I don't want you to suffer in any way because of this, if YOU feel it might get in your way?
So, just as you can/do mask your mood/status by showing little affect, I do it by showing affect very different from how I am feeling. I am smiling away and telling jokes while I am dying inside. We are both masking our feelings.
I think, socially, there is definitely and advantage to being able to show affect, esp in response to others. Yet, I don't think it is a requirement, as once people get to know you, it will not matter, in my own opinion.
When you write here, I perceive your thoughts/ideas to be expressed by affect. I am wondering if I am projecting this upon you , or
If you feel an inner experience of "affect?" I feel like you do feel affect when you write here. Maybe I am wrong?
I just want you to be as happy as you can be!