Interesting about avoidance of conflict/competitiveness leading to hatred of sports for you. I avoid conflict (which I have started to think of as a good thing, at least some of the time) but I like sports OK.
Um, when other people are playing the sports. I don't like playing competitive-against-other-people games of any sort. I'm OK with competing against a computer or against myself.
Inability to ask for things - OK, I'm wondering if this is playing into your dislike of making phone calls. Do you relate to the phrase "I don't want to be a bother?" That is part of my upbringing, and it's connected to my dislike of making phone calls. I consider a phone call potentially interrupting, even if I think I'm phoning someone who wants to talk to me.
Anxiety and depression are very strongly linked for me. I think what happens is that when I feel anxiety, my body tries to suppress the unpleasant physical sensations that go along with anxiety by shutting down as much activity as possible. Which is depression.
As for figuring out your mood, asking other people who know you well is one way to calibrate those things. Same goes for distinguishing between what you feel and what you "ought to" feel. Given the amount of stress in your life right now, I personally would consider it sufficient evidence that your AD is working if you can get through your day without meltdowns.
From here, which, mind, is not a particularly up-close vantage point, I see fewer reports of meltdowns and I see fewer really-unhappy-sounding posts and I see more thoughtful posts. And to me that looks like progress.
no subject
Um, when other people are playing the sports. I don't like playing competitive-against-other-people games of any sort. I'm OK with competing against a computer or against myself.
Inability to ask for things - OK, I'm wondering if this is playing into your dislike of making phone calls. Do you relate to the phrase "I don't want to be a bother?" That is part of my upbringing, and it's connected to my dislike of making phone calls. I consider a phone call potentially interrupting, even if I think I'm phoning someone who wants to talk to me.
Anxiety and depression are very strongly linked for me. I think what happens is that when I feel anxiety, my body tries to suppress the unpleasant physical sensations that go along with anxiety by shutting down as much activity as possible. Which is depression.
As for figuring out your mood, asking other people who know you well is one way to calibrate those things. Same goes for distinguishing between what you feel and what you "ought to" feel. Given the amount of stress in your life right now, I personally would consider it sufficient evidence that your AD is working if you can get through your day without meltdowns.
From here, which, mind, is not a particularly up-close vantage point, I see fewer reports of meltdowns and I see fewer really-unhappy-sounding posts and I see more thoughtful posts. And to me that looks like progress.