7. Stress

Stress has multiple factors that produce heightened alertness and reduce the expression of a number of positive and negative signals. It is an altered state of consciousness (ASC) involving hyperfocus. For some, it stimulates creativity, practical intuition, physical strength and willpower, but it comes at an energy cost.

I knew someone, an AS person who ran on stress in all sorts of areas, in the morning when he got up and anxiety gripped his stomach. All the hormones needed for a good state of stress began to be distributed. He became Superman. It allowed him to shower quickly, eat breakfast, drive very fast to work, accomplish enormous tasks, be creative and productive, and run his business while doing lots of other things. When he was in a kind of happy trance, his stress was fed by oxytocin; when things were going badly psychologically, his stress was fuelled by adrenaline. He was rarely ill, because his immune system was boosted by oxytocin and adrenaline. He was very strong, very fast and very sturdy, obsessive and focused, but eventually adrenaline took over; in the long term, adrenaline is not beneficial, and stress, combined with other autism-related disorders, cost him years of his life. The lesson is that, as AS people, we have a great deal to learn in order to find balance.