[CosmicWolfStorm]

Hello. I am doing some research for personal purposes, whereas I couldn't find allot of research nor anything that had been documented spesificly about this, it's really important for me and every response counts. (If you have something you think might be in interest please let me know).
I know that allot of people that aren't on the spectrum tend to do this as well, but especially those with a spectrum disorder.

I know allot of us on the spectrum(not necessarily everyone) tend to enter our own little world where one can think so very deeply about a thing to extreme detail, becoming quite detatched from everything going on around us, entering our own little world. I'd like to know, what you think about? Do you ever philosophize, think allot about your existence, why you're here, enternity and so on? Have you ever felt an extreme emotional detatchment from everyone around you, as you're the only person in the world due to some sort of an inability to relate to others, just feeling very lonely like that? If you have I'm very interested in listening to what you've got to say. The reason why I'm doing this is because I'm extremely afraid to lose my brother. He has High functioning autism and he's become more and more detatched from us lately, and it's brought him to tears as he is so afraid of his own thoughts, he wants it to stop because he's afraid he'll end up killing himself and others, he is afraid of himself. The first time he experienced this was when he used to philosophize allot as a child, the first time he felt this extreme emotional detatchment and just overall detatchment from the world he was eight, and he has been extremely afraid of it coming back as it got worse and worse when he grew older. The questions and thoughts that scared him was "How do I know this isn't just all up in my own mind?" "How do I know there are other people with individual thougts as I can't see what others think" "how do I know they are real", "how do I know they are not". And what else that really bothers him is enternity, he tells me thats the plot, that's what makes him feel this extreme emotional detatchment, because he feels like he has this deeper understanding of what it means. He is a fraid of his own mind. He feels as if he has some sort of further understanding of what it means, that he lives it.
From the research I've done I don't think this is Schizophrenia, I don't think it's psychosis, I don't think it's any dissociative disorder, but it DOES sound like a mixture of some dissociative disorder/asperger/psychosis. But he's afraid that because we couldn't find anything that perfectly described his situation they would reject him, not believe his thoughts were real, not understand him, cause he thinks this is all real that he just has a deeper understanding of the world and how things make sense he sees patterns in mathematics, physics, he just sees how everything (physics) make sense and so on, and I think this whole thing has something to do with his autism, because I know it's quite common autistic people develop these skills, or more common than it is for allistics.
[My brother used to detatch himself like this especially at night time where his thoughts would be come so overwhelming he some times passed out]
If you would be interested in telling me about your own experience on this please message me, feel free to make the message as long as you want. You can use my brothers story and the questions I asked earlier to help you write it? You can message me as well, you can post a reply on the forum. This is extremely important to me, and extremely helpfull.

I posted in the wrong forums the first time, sorry about that.

[Travelinglady]

Hi, CosmicWolfStorm, and welcome! Another way to possibly find some answers is to read some books and see some videos about people with autism. Here are some possibilities: https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?...homerun_portal. I hope this info helps! You are a dear brother.

Maybe I should tell you. A lot of NTs are under the impression that we are not aware of the world around us. It appears this way because we do not react to it the same. This is actually false. I always know what is going on but the things around me look as if they are not controlled so I have no idea how to respond to them. Let me explain a few things to you from my point of view.

Sensory: Colors are vivid. Pretty much everything is enhanced, and when I see certain things they look so odd to me that I just cannot look at them. If I have to continue looking at them I will not like it because it's like having something you don't want to see right up close and you can't get away from it. All sounds are loud, and some make my ears hurt. A lot actually, like sirens. The sounds also make my heart beat fast. This is not pleasant. Then. There are wonderful things. Like water. My skin is made to feel things at high frequency, and water is amazing at that level. Other textures are nice, too.

Social and verbal:
I most definitely always understand what is being said, except if it's a metaphor I may need a clarification. I don't always know how to respond though. I haven't always been verbal. My mind did not form the words at the time, and even now my speech isn't always controlled. I am listening to what is being said but not sure what to say back, or what to do. The speech sometimes feels like it is happening too fast and I cannot make the words. The same thing applies. Certain things that are said sound off, and hearing them is not good.

Aggression:
This is very frustrating. Things around us just aren't controlled, and sometimes it makes me angry. Everything is just moving, moving, going, going and it's too much. So I sometimes I hit myself. Because there is no control in anything, and the only way to make things stop is to feel something intense like pain, so that we don't focus on the weird stuff. I don't injure anyone else but the same thing applies. We are trying to control something.

Emotions:
These are difficult to understand. I understand with my room mate, if she loses her job it isn't good. But I don't completely understand her feeling. I understand the situation is bad. It is hard to tell with faces because it's just not what I look at. I don't look at people' s faces to see what they are feeling. I don't think to. Instead I think about situations or whatever we are talking about. It's not the way it works. I just don't notice.

Being touched:
Being touched feels bad sometimes, like something is on me and it feels strange. It's strange and if it doesn't stop it feels odd too. Especially if I don't know the person, because they touch me and it doesn't make me feel good since they are a stranger. I will hug my room mate because she is my best friend and I like her enough that it's okay. If someone touches me from behind it feels bad. Don't do that to anyone.

Stimming, obsession and repeating words:
This is nice because it has control and feels good. It feels really nice when I flap my arms or tap my chin. The way it feels is good, and I don't pay attention to if people are there. Sometimes I think when I do it, about college or my dog or any thing.
I have a few things I like a lot. Ninja turtles, South Park and Tennis balls. They all interest me, and I don't let other things distract me. Other things that I just don't pay attention to. I also have a superior memory so this helps me record it. Other people maybe don't focus so much on things because they have a whole bunch of little things they think about too, so they don't have time. I don't see those little things as important, so I don't notice them. My mind only focuses on things I actually like.
Some words I hear sound really good, or funny. When they sound this way I hear them over and over because I don't want to stop thinking about something that feels nice. They are really nice to hear and think about. So I repeat them out loud since I am having fun.

Eye contact:
The same as I don't notice what people's faces feel, I just don't think about looking people in the eye. My mind just doesn't. It's naturally not something I do, nor is it a priority. As a matter of fact I see no purpose in it.

Motor skills:
My body is sometimes hard to control . I may want to do something, but it happens a different way. That's just the way it happens, like I walk on my toes because it's how my body walks.

Honesty:
It never occurs to me to lie. I don't think about it, the automatic thought that comes to my mind is to tell the truth. The same is true for telling people things they don't like. Sometimes they get upset but whatever part of NTs mind can make something else to say, it's not there with me. I just say it because it's what I think to say.

Humor:
Some people might get upset with this because they do not pay attention to if the person is joking or not. I used to not be like I am now, but if people I know joke with me, it's okay because they are either joking or being honest. I learned to say something back (my best friend taught me) because sometimes its both honesty and joking. I have my own sense of humor, certain things are really funny because when I hear them, it sounds nice.

Metaphors:
I told you I understand everything people say. I even take it literal! When you say "raining cats and dogs" I always, always picture cats and dogs falling from the sky. But once you have explained to me what it really means, I am able to understand what you are saying, although my mind still sees the animals. So it's okay to use metaphors with me, just make sure you clarify if it's a new one.

Routine:
I said before about things being controlled. Some people prefer sameness in everything, every day. This is because if things are different and out of control, they don't feel nice. Like people don't enjoy doing certain things. I'm not that strict, but I do like to plan. For example, if I plan to go swimming but it rains, this feels bad, because I have already mapped out what will happen, I have already decided. When it changes, control is lost, and that's bad.

Friends:
Most people have a hard time making friends with us because they do not think the way we do or relate the same. I am lucky to have a best friend, and I prefer her because she understands. Since it's hard to respond the same, all of what I mentioned above, other people don't befriend us as often. This doesn't really bother me because I don't want people around who don't understand me. Most likely if they would rather do other things, I don't prefer them either. It's not important, so I don't notice.

Talents:
This is like the other things I mentioned, because we don't think too much on no important things, we are able to focus on things we like and get good at them, such as math, drawing, or foreign languages. Some of us have these talents but we aren't sure how to express them.

The main thing to remember is that we are not "trapped" in some other world. We are on planet Earth with everyone else. We respond and process things different than you, and we may do things that you just don't understand.
Try to make your brother comfortable and do things with him that he likes. When he does something that you don't "get". Remember that NTs do things we would never think of too, like state at someone's eyes for no good reason.
We can learn new things, too. Some, like me, find it easier to type or write than to speak. What will help us most is when people encourage us and let us be who we are. Trying to make the world more comfortable helps too.

If you have any more questions or need more explanations, PM me.

[Lexi232]

Very well said/typed, BlindedByTheDark!

[CosmicWolfStorm]

No, it's not something we assume is going on, it's something he wrote to me in his own words and then I made a forum..

[Lexi232]

Originally Posted by CosmicWolfStorm

No, it's not something we assume is going on, it's something he wrote to me in his own words and then I made a forum..

Sorry, i'm confused. has someone mentioned it was(or might be) assumptions? I am terribly sorry if that is the way any of this has came off.

[Spottheshark]

Hello CosmicWolfStorm. I have gone through similar stages and it is quite scary. Although I worked in a team I very detached and felt the only thing that kept me going was my job. It was the only thing in my life that gave me purpose. I don't take holidays as without the job I don't know what to do with myself. I have philosophised a lot but being of a very logical mind without fact and evidence it becomes an endless search for answers. Like your brother I loved physics and maths as there is always an answer. I did learn electronics years ago and could fix most things but studying theory was difficult. Your mind keeps going to the why. Even with basic electronic theory my mind kept wanting to go deeper right down to the atomic theory on why electrons and protons behave the way they do. I love computers I understand the logic but there seems to be no logic with people and while for most people that is not an issue it makes it difficult for me to connect.

[EllieGreene]

Originally Posted by CosmicWolfStorm

No, it's not something we assume is going on, it's something he wrote to me in his own words and then I made a forum..

Your brother is different than Anna is. Does any of what she spoke of ring true for your brother?

I really admire your love for your brother.

Sounds like he needs a psychiatrist.