Posted @withrepost • @aut.in.sight_aut.in.mind My anxiety around social interaction has nothing to do with social anxiety. Yep, it’s true. In psychological terms, social anxiety is a fear of being judged, negatively evaluated, and/or rejected by others. I don’t feel fearful of these things. I do feel anxiety about impending overwhelm that comes with social interaction. I feel anxious about the cognitive resources I will have to use, and the time it will take me to recoup them afterwards. I feel anxious about the sleepless nights before AND after, as my body is on high alert due to upcoming unfamiliarity and then can’t unwind due to overstimulation. I feel anxious about the neuro-normative expectations associated with socialising, and the way people can take a lack of social contact really super personally. When I avoid social interaction, I am rationing my resources in an act of self-care. It’s not pathological or maladaptive avoidance. It’s healthy for me and my way of being in the world. Invite me to co-write an academic paper on a topic of mutual interest via a shared document in Dropbox- I’m in! But invite me to an event, or out for coffee, or for any face-to-face social endeavour and I’m likely to say “no”. It’s not a personal rejection. Just as declining an invitation from me to write an academic paper via Droppy of the boxes isn’t a personal rejection. We just have different ways of being in , and connecting with, the world. I’m not socially anxious; I’m anticipating the very real overwhelm that comes with socialising for me. #ActuallyAutistic #SocialOverwhelm #SocialAnxiety #AutisticWellbeing #Autie #autinsightautinmind https://www.instagram.com/p/B3UFsMYDmaHdZNyYR98kFqjh-kjCQ2liJJMuDk0/?igshid=1od7mamnxb3up
