(no subject)

[kippurbird]

Sometimes the autism can be hazardous to my health for two reasons, one I have a high pain tolerance and two I have to actually think things through.

Sunday I was going over to my parent's place so we could run some errands and I was going to take my laptop with me. Easy enough. Or so you would think!

I went to unplug the cord from the uninterrupted power source thingamawhatchit. My fingers touched the metal prongs of the plug while it was still connected to the socket. Cue electrocution. I felt my hand and arm going all ripply.

Cue pain tolerance: It didn't hurt.

Cue autism: Gee, that's a really funky feeling there. I wonder what's going on. Oh, I think it's because I'm touching the metal prongs and they're still plugged in. I guess I should remove my hand.

Cue removing hand and staring at it: Oh I guess I just electrocuted myself.

Cue autism again: I want t do it again. It felt funky!

Cue common sense kicking in: No wait, that's a bad thing, isn't it?

Cue autism: Oh. Right! Electrocuting yourself is bad!. I won't do it again.

Common sense: Good!

Autism: *longing look at the plug for a second*

Common sense: BAD. *whaps with newspaper*


Which is really a big problem with me and I think other autistic people. We don't have a survival instinct. That fight or flight thing that gets me out of the way of a moving truck. Nope! A moving truck is coming my way and I'll be thinking "Gee, there's a truck coming my way. I wonder what I should do about it. It looks like it might hit me. I wonder what that would feel like. I bet it would be an interesting experience."

As opposed to, "OHMIAGAWD TRUCK! MOVE!!!"

I actually had to learn how to not do such things like stand in the middle of the road and stare down a truck. (That is an extreme example and I never actually did that.)

I guess non-autistic people just aren't interested in having interesting experiences.

Comments

[sheherazahde.livejournal.com]

I like to have interesting experiences!

My therapist assures me I'm not autistic. But I always called those desires to do things I knew I shouldn't "The Imp of the Perverse" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Imp_of_the_Perverse)

[thelittlebudgie.livejournal.com]

:P Well, I don't know about non-autistic people being uninterested in learning experiences. I've done that with both a light socket and a soldering iron.

[ashen_key]

I guess non-autistic people just aren't interested in having interesting experiences.

Nah, I've got ADD to make life interesting here *g*

[palmer-kun.livejournal.com]

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

But did you do a repeat performance! :D

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

Neat!

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

FINGERS IN SOCKETS FOR ALL. :D :D

[ashen_key]

EXACTLY!

(Impulse control, what's that...?)

[arcturus_angel]

Oh yes, the pain tolerance. Sometimes that can be good. One time I had to have a nerve conduction test done, and all it did was tingle a bit, and make me giggle because my arm would jerk on its own. The technician was surprised because she said the test often makes people (usually men, haha) curl into a fetal position and cry.

[tawna.livejournal.com]

On the contrary, I think autism tends to make me have low pain tolerance. I'm way more sensitive to touch than normal people. Most people can get certain medical examinations done with some discomfort, but those same procedures just can't be done with me, or could barely be done at all, because I impulsively react by breathing fast & screaming.