Anxiety
I can tell you what it is. I can't tell you why we have it. Yet...
Anxiety is a physiological and mental state of readiness as the brain expects to have to deal with a problem - even if the problem for now only exists inside one's own head. The muscles tense up, like they do in an athlete at the ready who is just waiting for the start signal to race as fast as possible to the 100 yard line. The mind is also tense, hyper attentive, expecting the problem to materialize and ready to jump at it.
Being capable of anxiety is great: tensing up in anticipation, sometimes at the mere thought of the problem you will have to solve tomorrow or next week, is probably just what you needed to get started prepping for the job.
But being constantly anxious without reason, or exceedingly anxious when just a bit of tension would be enough, is exhausting. And constant, exceeding levels of anxiety are common features of those individuals in the autism spectrum. Whether that is a primary feature or one that emerges naturally from the constant cognitive effort of self-supervision to function in a neurotypical world is something that I believe has yet to be determined. Regardless, the remedy is the same: we learn to stay away from people and situations that are sources of stress - and in more insidious or extreme cases, medication may be the difference between crippling, paralyzing anxiety that leads to nausea and body pain, and being able to live well.
Being capable of anxiety is great: tensing up in anticipation, sometimes at the mere thought of the problem you will have to solve tomorrow or next week, is probably just what you needed to get started prepping for the job.
But being constantly anxious without reason, or exceedingly anxious when just a bit of tension would be enough, is exhausting. And constant, exceeding levels of anxiety are common features of those individuals in the autism spectrum. Whether that is a primary feature or one that emerges naturally from the constant cognitive effort of self-supervision to function in a neurotypical world is something that I believe has yet to be determined. Regardless, the remedy is the same: we learn to stay away from people and situations that are sources of stress - and in more insidious or extreme cases, medication may be the difference between crippling, paralyzing anxiety that leads to nausea and body pain, and being able to live well.
