Autism and Dissociation: Is There a Connection?

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@Eob306 Ай бұрын

I have engaged in maladaptive daydreaming since early childhood. I spend hours a day disassociating. I am convinced it is linked to my autism

@Minakie Ай бұрын

I honestly thing the fact that I was so heavily dissociated for so long was actually helping to mask my autism because it was helping me regulate my sensory overload. When I started working on recognizing the dissociation, grounding and feeling present in my body, I became less and less able to just dissociate out of reality (at least to the same level of intensity) and, all of a sudden, the world just felt too bright, too loud, too smelly. If I had never addressed my dissociation and worked on getting it under control, I honestly don't know if my ASD would ever have been seen.

@phantompyro6482 Ай бұрын

Having Dissociative Identity Disorder and AuDHD can be a nightmare sometimes, I didn't know there was a crossover between my Autism and my DID

@CircaBEFORE Ай бұрын

I used to dissociate all the time when I was a child. I think it’s how I survived all of the abuse.

@ThomasHenley Ай бұрын

Sadly we have to face a lot of difficult experiences in our lives... I'm sorry to hear that :(

@CircaBEFORE Ай бұрын

@ I’m 💯 sure I experienced more abuse bc I am autistic.

@meganmordecai7321 Ай бұрын

Me to

@leilameow9582 Ай бұрын

@@CircaBEFOREfuck this world

@AutisticBlackWomanChronicles Ай бұрын

@@CircaBEFORE me too. Late diagnosed autistic.

@Incantationem Ай бұрын

I dissociate when people speak at length without getting to the point, and/or when they are condescending. As I kid I dissociated quite a lot.

@jedimasterham2 Ай бұрын

There's a sensory dissociation. I had a physiological sense of dissociation when exposed to excessive sounds and bright lights, and it caused me to feel like I was floating. In reality, it was just the brain's way of dealing with sensory overload. The psychological dissociation is different. This often comes from emotional trauma. I work with forensic psych patients, and some have dissociation due to severe childhood trauma. This is not the same thing here. I think what Henley is referring to here is more of an existential dissociation that many autistic people experience, in which we question our existence and place in this world.ere's a sensory dissociation. I had a physiological sense of dissociation when exposed to excessive sounds and bright lights, and it caused me to feel like I was floating. Now I realize that it was just sensory overload.

@beingilluminous Ай бұрын

I really like how you visualized the layers of perceptions-and when I had to "be numb" to the environment, it created a much nosier inside. It's been refreshing to finally seeing so much discourse around this without having to dig through esoteric, philosophy, psychological paths to understand the autistic mind. Building these bridges to understand ourselves and our unconscious cultural commonalities, is a path towards feeling like we do "belong". I saw recently a post that "neurodivergence overthinking is just thinking" and that has lingered. Thank you for your time and take on this!

@zenvibrations4688 Ай бұрын

This brought a lot of awareness into my consciousness. I didn't realize how much I have dissociated out of self preservation. Recovering from CPTSD, in addition to realizing I'm autistic in my mid-30s has been a major integration. I have had anger outburst and experienced exhaustion when overstimulated. I've isolated myself intentionally to better understand , and watching videos like this has helped tremendously. I have often felt out of body and have had to learn how to integrate a lot of disciplines to stay grounded. Never a "harsh/recreational" drug abuser, but have def used cannabis/nicotine to cope/self medicate. With all that being said, thanks for your content bro!

@Themesyndrome Ай бұрын

@@zenvibrations4688 how do you stay grounded tho constistantly

@unraveledultimatefate Ай бұрын

Social isolation in people with autism can exacerbate existing depression and dissociative experiences or trigger dormant ones, which explains why there's a strong relationship between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and mental health conditions.

@darianricks2050 Ай бұрын

As a child I grew up in a trauma induced family home. Dissociated a lot. Poverty, abuse, and what not .

@sharonaumani8827 Ай бұрын

There is this dissociative quality to ADHD, particularly as a kid, but still there as an adult. I have this busy brain head that just checks out somewhere. Actually, if you ever listen to the comedian, Trevor Noah, he describes it well when he discusses his own ADHD. Sometimes I like drifting off. My head is always going somewhere during a long, typical drive, for example, but it can get you in trouble when that happens at inopportune times, like during an important meeting. As I reflect back during times in my life I experimented with drugs or enjoyed cannabis, I now realize it was that dissociative, dream-like quality my head was after. Perhaps living in a world too overstimulating in many ways, it gave me this sense of being distanced from it all, like in a dream....safe, cozy, untouchable. Numbness was pleasure. [I am actually very late diagnosed AuDHD]

@SloweddieSpaghetti Ай бұрын

Arguably one of your best videos. Experience well described. Love the humor!

@starfoxloves Ай бұрын

I definitely dissociate when I'm overwhelmed. I never thought about it in terms of autism. Great video Thomas!

@vvvvv9041 Ай бұрын

Such an interesting topic! For me, it was going to therapy to attempt to address chronic dissociation that led to my autism diagnosis, in my 40s and to my extreme surprise. I was a decade plus into a career as a neuroscientist at that point and had never before considered my own neurotype for even a second, even with all the struggles. Brains are absolutely wild sometimes...

@Gaya-ch1ff Ай бұрын

Loved the little disconcerting intro… it’s quite accurate. Ps just got my AuDHD diagnosis today… thanks for being a part of my discovery journey! What you do is good and useful!

@anthonygriffiths6113 Ай бұрын

Thank you. After recently discovering and accepting I'm on the spectrum at 45, I feel this has always been my life, I've smoked weed the majority of my life and have pretty much depended on it, I've hit rock-bottom multiple times and lost myself along the way. I feel I am now recently starting to understand who I am better and am currently trying to find out who I actually am. ( I still laugh, talk and argue with my brain. It can be funny as hell but its also my worst enemy at times ). Thanks for every video I've seen, they have all been great. Still one I need to back to though. Sorry for the long mess 🤣👍

@jandl1jph766 Ай бұрын

I've got a very vivid memory of the first time I experienced derealization as a child. It was such a strange experience, I couldn't describe it to anyone in a way they understood. As if the world had just... Hit pause. I had jumped right as it started and felt like I was frozen in the air. Everything slowed to a crawl. My vision felt incredibly vivid, but also just... completely wrong. At the same time, it felt like someone had forced some particularly thick earplugs into my ears and I could barely hear. And then it went away, just as quickly as it had started (and I hit the deck hard, being too confused to catch my fall). It was only years and many similar episodes later that I learned what this was. Unfortunately, I'm often left with varying degrees of nausea after, which isn't fun. I suspect that's because it hits my vestibular sense as well, but that first episode was too short for me to notice that. For me, the most likely trigger seems to be a sudden change in visual input, especially if I'm not expecting it. I've had it happen in other sensory overload situations, though. The unfortunate part of this is that I don't usually get any warning - it's pretty much always been as sudden as the first time it happened. However, these episodes don't usually last very long and I can mostly keep it together if it happens in a potentially unsafe environment.

@ThisisPam Ай бұрын

This is what started to happen when I was teaching and it alerted me gradually that something was wrong, and led me eventually to leave the classroom in June of 2024. Thanks for talking about this.

@charlygestern6556 Ай бұрын

wow I love how you speak so slow and don't use so many cuts like in a lot of other KZbin Videos for other people. I didn't even notice until now how overwhelmed I can get. And I can focus a lot better on you talking and don't feel rushed!

@AnnSan95 Ай бұрын

Dissociation was the only thing getting me through school. Thanks a lot for this video!

@joob40 Ай бұрын

I'm under mild dissociation most of the time, but it was severe for 6 wks after getting COVID. I felt like I was floating in the air over the Atlantic (I flew back home from overseas just prior). People want to see this as only psychological, but mine is very much a product of brain inflammation.

@sksk-bd7yv Ай бұрын

Yes! So much, so often. As a kid, it happened every time I was a:bused. It's so often I feel like I'm sitting alone in the cinema, and my life happens on the screen.

@isabellammusic Ай бұрын

This is very relatable and everyone in the medical field should learn from you! Also you are very important to us in the Autistic community but you already know that. Thank you for a great video as always.

@thuggie1 Ай бұрын

i like the surrealists part at the stat it draws you in and get the point across

@wtspman Ай бұрын

When I have experienced depersonalisation I get a sense that my self doesn’t fill the space inside my body. I had the feeling several times before I actually learned the name for it.

@lisaskinner1710 Ай бұрын

This is how I’ve felt most of my life. I feel people think I’m dumb, my brain just doesn’t work like everyone else’s. Thanks for sharing, I feel less alone now.

@firecatcybertail463 Ай бұрын

Far end of dissociation is DID and natural lack of connection and dependence on others. we turn inward in traumatic and high anxiety situations. It's more than one person can handle so we find help. So we find help within.

@victoryamartin9773 Ай бұрын

Sometimes, shutting down inside is the only safe place to hide. I have lived deep inside all my life to escape from controlling people. They are everywhere. There is no physical place of escape.

@gothboschincarnate3931 Ай бұрын

I cant easily recall 1/3 of my life. I can recall most things if i can trigger memories that further trigger other memories. I disassociated so hard last night, that when came back there was a cat right in front of me. It was like my vision even faded out. A cat friend died today. Had to put here down. Donna Douglas showed up yesterday. Felt three waves of advance grief. Karra, Donna and Heather O'Rourke are greatly connected at this time. They never let me down!

@yes3858 Ай бұрын

Never really considered that most people aren't dissociated, now the world makes a lot more sense, lol

@meryluk Ай бұрын

I'm not autistic but find this both faciating and confusing which keeps me coming back for more of the autistic world. Thank you Thomas for helping me understand. My great neice is waiting for an assessment and in the meantime I am learning and seeing how it effects her.❤

@stephenie44 Ай бұрын

I love how you illustrated dissociation in the intro

@ThomasHenley Ай бұрын

Thank you! Thought I’d spice things up a little

@chelly_belly11 22 күн бұрын

I, too, enjoy your company. Thank you kindly for the insightful video, Thomas. You have helped me to understand myself better. 🐦

@materia8802 Ай бұрын

Ohhhhh thank you for this topic!!! Super actual for me

@PaulaRoederer Ай бұрын

When things are bad, I make up my own world and people who will give me what I need when the world will not. I fully immerse myself in my fantasy world every chance I get, and any interruption makes me extremely annoyed. I know which world is real and which is fantasy; it's just that my fantasy world is more important to me than the real one. Is that dissociation, or something else?

@Joshdifferent Ай бұрын

My basketball coach is the one who noticed this. But I didn’t put a name to it until I got older.

@dreadpiratelenny1348 Ай бұрын

Dude. I lost my last job a few years ago because I would dissociate on my way to work and come back to my senses in a parking lot in a city two or three hours away. That happened more and more frequently until I was missing one or two days a week at work, so I was fired for poor attendance. That happened maybe 35 or 40 times or so It was very scary knowing I was driving over a hundred miles a day on roads I don't know while completely unaware, and then waking up in a parking lot half-a-state away, then have to navigate my way home.

@МарияГодуйко-е6и Ай бұрын

I distinctly remember 6yo me lying in my bed and inventing the concept of matrix. I came to the conclusion that i am an nps and still can’t shake this feeling off 20 years later

@jonnyenough1531 Ай бұрын

Dude, I had this same thing, then I knew I'm not bipolar. That's how I found you all. So happy I did tio

@davekendall9749 Ай бұрын

Dissociated from life and my self, my dreams seem more real then life dose, yet in my odd dreams I don't have Autism. So times I wish I didn't have to wake up "I guess like Avatar film" Life is the real dream and I ask myself why am I here, what's it all for, how long before I can turn back into dust from where I came, there must be different dimensions to the universe, different energy levels, this one seems so Alien to me. And being normal well in this world is to close your eyes and ears and do what you want,,,, not for me thank you, going back to my shell now .🐢

@gothboschincarnate3931 Ай бұрын

Of course you don't have autism, the physical brain holds the disability. The soul does not. I can do math outside my body. How far have you gone across the border? What is your spiritual resume' ? I've made is as far as the far side of 5.3. couldn't locate a portal to go beyond.

@meganmordecai7321 Ай бұрын

I dissociate everyday all the time

@icqme8586 Ай бұрын

can this be related to changes in perceived time? sometimes i lose track of time or feel like I've slipped through time. feels like it's more than simply having fun/being distracted.

@wenus4391 Ай бұрын

"Is there a connection"? No, there's disconnection

@ThomasHenley Ай бұрын

Ayyy I see what you did there 😆

@jen.gilder Ай бұрын

Your comment makes lonely people hurt more

@kellyschroeder7437 Ай бұрын

My exact situation currently amidst ASD D and physical ailments

@burntumber Ай бұрын

What's the difference between dissociation and meditation?

@tori6056 Ай бұрын

Intentionally

@CircaBEFORE Ай бұрын

I get it just 30 seconds in.

@MichaelStealth8 Ай бұрын

64% of autistic people also have comorbid Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome or CDS. CDS or Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome is similar to inattentive ADHD but it can cause a lot of dissociation.