[muffinhead]

When my father died about 1 1/2 years ago, when I was aged 16, I felt numb and shocked over what had happened, which is supposedly a normal initial response. My mindset at the time was "get over this and move on", which is basically what I did. I feel I never cried over his death; I cried for the impact it had on the lives of those around me. In addition, I felt a bit irritated at the way in which my family members grieved. Try as I might to empathize, I couldn't understand how one could so easily break down at the mention of his death. At the risk of sounding callous, I couldn't cry over my father's death if I tried. Did I love him? Yes. Am I sad that he died? Yes again. People around me were a bit taken aback that I never really showed any signs of grieving, and I can understand why they felt this way. I've been reflecting over my response to this traumatic event ever since it happened, and have concluded that my Asperger's syndrome largely prohibits me from grieving in an emotional way. I feel profound emotion in so many areas, and I guess grieving is one that I can't. Any thoughts from people regarding this issue would be appreciated.

[CANDC]

I am sorry muffinhead of your difficulty in expressing grief. Not sure about your particular situation, but for me it is difficult to grieve when the pain is so deep it is considered a threat to stability. There are safety valves that can sidetrack emotions that are considered a risk.

There is much more in articles here at PC.
Psych Central - Search results for Asperger syndrome expressing emotion

Many people find compassionate, caring people here at PC. Some people find the forums give them the compassion and empathy they seek. http://forums.psychcentral.com

Please feel free to private message me or any of the Community Liaisons by left clicking on the name in blue to the left of their post) for questions or just to share.