I don’t know if it’s autistic burnout, peri, trauma, or some combination thereof, but I swear small talk has only gotten *harder* as I’ve gotten older. So much awkwardness! And I have to squelch the impulse to apologize because that only makes it worse! 🫣 - ThreadSky

psopheigh.bsky.social • 3 days ago

I don’t know if it’s autistic burnout, peri, trauma, or some combination thereof, but I swear small talk has only gotten *harder* as I’ve gotten older. So much awkwardness! And I have to squelch the impulse to apologize because that only makes it worse! 🫣

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lesmj.bsky.social•2 days ago

💔

dcapto.bsky.social•3 days ago

Omg SAME & think exact same reasons. I KNOW some is trauma, pandemic emergency never ended for me, learned to live safely w/ Covid 😷 But isolation/no socializing & heaviness of world events makes small talk impossible for me now. Really feel it waiting for a video meeting to start with 1 coworker 🫠

dcapto.bsky.social•2 days ago

Also autistic/ND burnout from going against the back-to-normal grain constantly. The cognitive dissonance trying to be happy for a friend’s air travel who doesn’t mask so as not to harsh her vibes, lose another friend. The small talk with coworkers of what they did over weekend, always bad now 💀💀💀

psopheigh.bsky.social•2 days ago

Oof. Jedi hugs. All of this is so relatable!

dcapto.bsky.social•2 days ago

Coincidentally, I found this interesting, wondered if it’ll resonate with you too. I def experience monotropism & burnout. “Moving in and out of channels of attention can feel challenging, each time costing more energy, which without effective ways to recharge and regulate could lead to burnout.”

psopheigh.bsky.social•2 days ago

Ooh, yes. This questionnaire was part of my formal assessment. Monotropism absolutely resonates, and I’ve deep dived on it. I also find Tendril Theory helpful. https://eisforerin.com/2015/08/10/tendril-theory/

dcapto.bsky.social•2 days ago

Thx for this! Resonates deeply! I’ve always known I was neurodivergent, just didn’t have the word for it until about 7 years ago & only just started to figure out I have ADHD, maybe AuDHD from hearing others talk about it/research. My life finally makes more sense! Now learning how to accommodate 😮‍💨

psopheigh.bsky.social•3 days ago

It’s wild because I can deftly run a formal meeting with a large group tackling a complex project (teammates have even given me unprompted compliments!), but take away the structure and it’s like this hilarious Sarah Andersen comic. 😅

mishiemishface.bsky.social•2 days ago

It’s why I hate having to go into the office once a week. Yes, it’s proof of life, and proof that I’m not just one of my cats standing on the shoulders of the other one & wearing a trench coat, but I swear if I have to talk about the weather one. More. TIME…

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