[Joheishan]

So, I had an open discussion about the way I experience social situations with one of my closest friends after going to a birthday party with a mate.

Primer Info: I'm Autistic with ADHD and a survivor of childhood abuse, so psychologycally vulnerable and I analyze everything, but I'm also 6 foot 1, around 200 pounds and a kickboxer, so physically not very vulnerable.

My mate's autistic, depressed, morbidly obese and currently disabled due to an accident, so psychologically AND physically vulnerable.

Another friend had invited the both of us to her birthday, but frankly, she hangs with a lot of low-lives and I expected them to be at the party.
We wanted to be there because we care for her, but didn't expect to enjoy the company at the party.

My mate went in with the intention of keeping his head down, I went in with the intention of;
A. Trying to blend in
B. Keeping my eyes peeled for trouble
C. Making sure anyone who hurt my mate woke up in the hospital

When I decribed my mental process when entering the appartment where the party was held, my close friend was completely baffled.

Here's the thing from my perspective;

(Door opens)

-Identify subject; (Censored)- Female friend, threat level 0%
Detecting substance abuse; increase threat level 20%...Acceptable

(Kiss, kiss, walk two steps)

-Identify subject; Jojo; -Dog, threat level 10%...Acceptable

(Enter living room)
Identify subjects; Low-life males 1-6, threat level 22%, Low-life females, threat level 6%. -Nominal
Male subject 3; Steroid case, Male subject 6; Creepy eyes, recalibrate threat level by 20% -Nominal
Threat factor remodulation per alcoholic beverage 5% -Mounting

(3 hours into the party)

Male subject 3; unsuccessful attempt at denigrating witticism.
Lowering perceptible IQ by 46%, pretending to enjoy joke, offering alcoholic beverage, prefiring counter-measures, chances of situation escalating into violence now 68%,warming up muscles.

In the end I took my mate home before things got ugly and returned to find the steroid case gone (alcohol ran out)

what I want to know is; are there more autistic people who experience social situations like this?
Like some kind of unreal firs person HUD where you get a list of calculations of every possible factor involved or am I really, really weird?

[shezbut]

Maybe you would get more helpful responses if you were to post this in another forum? An ADD/ADHD forum may give you the info that you're looking for. Maybe not?? Sorry, I'm unsure. But, it's worth thinking about. Below is the link.

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD) - Forums at Psych Central

[Joheishan]

Originally Posted by shezbut

Maybe you would get more helpful responses if you were to post this in another forum? An ADD/ADHD forum may give you the info that you're looking for. Maybe not?? Sorry, I'm unsure. But, it's worth thinking about. Below is the link.

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD) - Forums at Psych Central

thanx for the tip, I'm kinda new to this site and don't know my way around yet

[Joheishan]

Oh, on that note; is there any way to move the thread?

[unaluna]

Originally Posted by Joheishan

Oh, on that note; is there any way to move the thread?

See the little red triangle in the lower left corner? You can use it to contact a moderator about a post or a thread - push it and a box will appear, and you can write a request to move the thread to another forum.

This reminded me of the way my friend who's an Iraq veteran and former sheriff's deputy analyzes situations. I don't think he uses numerical percentages, but his ability to size up people astonishes me.

[eskielover]

I'm Autistic with ADHD

This sounds like something you would get more replies to on the Autism forum which most that post there do deal with Asperger's....probably get more replies from that forum than from the ADHD forum as it sounds like something more associated with ASD than ADHD IMO

Autism and Asperger's Syndrome - Forums at Psych Central

[Joheishan]

Originally Posted by hankster

See the little red triangle in the lower left corner? You can use it to contact a moderator about a post or a thread - push it and a box will appear, and you can write a request to move the thread to another forum.

Ok, I did that, thanx 4 the tip...

[Agarwaen]

I have always analyzed any situation I enter. I just call it a threat assessment. It's just as reflexive as being completely aware of cars around me when I drive and their threat level. I don't do it by numbers, but by instinct.

Intoxication factors in, but it depends on who it is. And what substance.

I just don't see it from a HUD point of view or do it mathematically (although the final assessment comes from a variety of factors which feels very mathematical). But I think it amounts to the same thing. Just a different way to arrive at conclusions. I have never been diagnosed autistic, but I used to think I had a very mild, subtle case. Probably wrong. But I can relate. Just not exactly.

[kim_johnson]

Hi. I think that given the situation.... Where safety was a legitimate concern... Your way of interacting with the situation is kinda normal.

What might be less normal... Is doing this in a situation where you are with people who you know aren't threats to you. Though... I think that a lot of people drink alcohol in social situations precisely to help them relax / turn the threat detector off. I am not recommending that you drink alcohol. I am just saying that you see fairly normal to me

[Joheishan]

Originally Posted by kim_johnson

Hi. I think that given the situation.... Where safety was a legitimate concern... Your way of interacting with the situation is kinda normal.

What might be less normal... Is doing this in a situation where you are with people who you know aren't threats to you. Though... I think that a lot of people drink alcohol in social situations precisely to help them relax / turn the threat detector off. I am not recommending that you drink alcohol. I am just saying that you see fairly normal to me

The problem with 'drinking to to relax/turn the threat detector off' is that you might get suckerpunched while you are hammered.
If anything, I get MORE focussed on actively detecting threats when I drink, because I know my passive defences are being lowered.

I used to pretend I was an android, scanning things and seeing a HUD coming up with all sorts of gibberish. I don't know that I had the detail of observation that you describe in your opening post though, it was just roleplaying and fantasising being an android, scanning people, being emotionless, and so forth.

Originally Posted by Joheishan

what I want to know is; are there more autistic people who experience social situations like this?
Like some kind of unreal firs person HUD where you get a list of calculations of every possible factor involved or am I really, really weird?

Yes, I think all autists do it to some degree, because we just don't have the social gifts to cope with social situations, so we analyse everything, take averages, make calculations, and summon the most appropriate response to any situation we find ourselves in at that particular moment.

That might not be good for our spontaneity, but it sure gives the brain a good workout.