AspieCast - Asperger Syndrome Podcast

In this episode, I discuss various aspects that probably sound disconnected at first, but the overall frame in my mind is the idea that I don't like to be alone (it hurts a lot for some reason), and the reasons that have contributed to me being alone, and some ways that I've tried to not be alone.  The ways I have tried include putting out major efforts that are worth something to other people whenever I can, specifically in the business realm where I have some confidence in my ability to bring noticeable / measureable benefits to folks.  But, I don't see the return on what I give, and in fact I get awkward and negative results as a result.   I attribute this in part to not being good at following up socially in my process of giving value to other businesspeople.   If I were not so scared of making a mistake in my interactions with folks I'm engaging with, I'd probably have more incoming possibilities in return for my outgoing efforts.

In this episode, I mention the great book that I have been listening to (and why I prefer to listen, not read.)   The book is called The Like Switch and can be bought online in readable and audible formats here: bitly.com/aspiecast1 [http://bitly.com/aspiecast1] Thats the first part of the episode..... then I get into what I've considered the lifelong painful intersection of hormones (aka sex drive) and Aspergers. The 2 have a profound opposing effect on each other - and from my perspective, Aspergers makes for a very very frustrating life.  In fact, I believe the 4 meltdowns I've had - in which I've been in a state of undescribable, unforgettable mental pain for at least 5 minutes or more - are directly traceable to the inability to interact with other human beings in a way that might bring about physical intimacy.  Jealousy and sadness after learning about others' successs in the area has always been painful to endure and long-recurring. If you have experiences in this realm that you feel are powerful and worth mentioning on a future episode, anonymously of course, please don't hesitate to send an email to aspiecast@gmail.com [aspiecast@gmail.com]. Thanks for listening!

In this episode I mention how I had received an email saying it could be great if I could provide solutions to some of the problems I encounter or have identified in these podcast episodes.  I also mention how I wasnt aware that a recurring theme on these episodes is my shame, and I have been thinking more about how I'm letting shame really get to me these days. The idea about providing solutions struck me nicely, because my entire career has been about solving problems and finding solutions to very complex situations. I've continually amazed myself at the types of bizarre problems I've been able to solve within communications networks, so I enjoyed thinking about how I could offer some sort of advice that might help to guide an aspie toward a solution of some sort, given some particular ASD-related problem such as interacting with people in a certain scenario. However, I believe that the solutions to such things are only available with preplanning. Choosing a great blue collar work environment is my best recommendation if preplanning is possible. However, if current solutions are needed to deal with a certain behavior, and when there isn't an authority figure present to offer corrective advice,  there is a huge, painful roadblock in place: The aspie doesnt know there is a problem, and the people on the other side of any interaction with the aspie almost never will have the guts to say anything, for fear of being impolite, or hurting the aspie's feelings, or because the nature of the relationship isnt intense enough to warrant getting into such intimate details as telling an aspie something crucial about his/her voice, as an example. Feel free to email thoughts anytime: aspiecast@gmail.com [aspiecast@gmail.com] Thanks!

In this episode of the Aspiecast, I get a bit detailed but also a bit random, with my experiences on what its like to excel at work and get promoted, and then be struggling with issues that relate to the aspects of having the responsibilities and new types of work interactions that are part of moving up the ladder in an organization.   A big aspect for me that I came to realize a bit too late in life was that I had gained too much of a feeling of self-importance because my workplace authority carried over into the rest of my life. This carryover can lead to people not wanting to be around you or not wanting to help you - including doctors who normally would want to help solve a medical issue.

In this episode I mention how I have received sudden anger in conversation with another person, yet I have no idea how the conversation could have caused me to suddenly be treated like I've done somethign wrong. I suspect I might have unknowlngly or unconscously brought about the anger I received by expressing what may have been strong antagonism after hearing the other party in the conversation say something that I considered fundamentally incorrect.   But I am only guessing since I have no recollection of being antagonistic. In searching for any indications of whether I could have let out some angry comments without being aware, i found the concept of vocal tics, and became aware that I suffered frome these for at least several years from 4th to 7th grade, and got very embarassed because I didn't have the control over my noises and in some cases didnt realize I was making noises. I got over the vocal part, but still suffer to this day from a sniffling version of vocal tics, for at least the last 17 years.  It isn't constant but I do find that when I am in a situation where anxiety is present in my body, I start sniffling every minute or more, and most of the time I dont realize I am doing it.  People I am interacting with start asking me on a regular basis if I have allergies or a cold. Thanks for listening and always feel free to email aspiecast@gmail.com [aspiecast@gmail.com]with any comments or suggestions for new episodes.