What's the difference between autistic obsessions and obsessions of an non autistic?

[Ruby]

How much does a special interest have to interest you for it to be an obsession?

 

[SallySlips]

Re: What's the difference between autistic obsessions and obsessions of an non autist

I don't get obsessions very often, but when I do, they last a long time. Usually they start with a movie or book.

When I was in middle school, I saw the movie The Mummy and wanted to learn about the real Egyptian history behind it. So I immersed myself in everything Egyptian to the point where I was actually reading and writing hieroglyphics.

That lasted a few years until I started reading historical fiction. I read The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory and found it fascinating, even though a lot of it was historically inaccurate. I continued to read every book written by her and similar authors, and then I moved on to non-fiction history of England. It's just now starting to fizzle out a little, but I've had this obsession for about 6 years or so.

Now I'm deep into crocheting! Only about 2 months in.

 

[Biblio-Love]

Re: What's the difference between autistic obsessions and obsessions of an non autist

When that is the only thing you can think about, and when forced to do something else it invades your thoughts. In fact, you structure your life around it and make decisions based on how it will affect your ability to do it. While working on it or researching about it, you forget to eat and block everything else in your life out.

 

[WildCat]

Re: What's the difference between autistic obsessions and obsessions of an non autist

From my experience, and from what I (think I) know, autistic obsessions are usually more (or sometimes less) narrow in scope, to the point where we need to gather numerous and sometimes irrelevant details about whatever. I'm not saying we aren't capable of building upon our obsessions and turning them into something beneficial (think - Temple Grandin and animals), but there are plenty accounts of autistics and even aspies who obsess over a certain topic, thing, whatever, without ever putting their knowledge to use in some sort of meaningful way. I used to be this type of person, especially so when I was younger, up until I realized that unless I'm gaining something from it that it's really not worth much effort or time. My obsessions these days tend to be relatively short lived now, more than they used to be, and I can share a variety of details about a handful of things if asked, but I just don't see the point in it anymore. You can rattle off the names of all the players on a sports team, their stats, etc., and you might get props for it or even land yourself (mistakenly) the title of "genius", but that's about the extent of it. To succeed, I need to expand myself - my single minded focus can only get me so far and that's it.

As for the other side, obsessions in that group may or may not override their lives - depending on who you're dealing with and what - but they tend to either burn out fairly quickly or, like us, they might linger around for a while. It might also not be as details-oriented and intense, though I've come across people who will go well into depth about something if you so inquire about it. That though is more of an assumption based on my experience here, as I'm not too familiar with how obsession really plays out in a non-autistic person.

 

[Soup]

Re: What's the difference between autistic obsessions and obsessions of an non autist

Seems to me that the big difference is that when an Aspie does it, it gets labelled differently. Many NTs have heaping collections of all kinds of things & obsessions with, for instance, hockey memorabilia or Barbies or those TY stuffed beanie animals. They join clubs & network with other obsessed people. Many have spent themselves into credit troubles because of it. They somehow escape the labels we get -even when their spending leads them into bankruptcy. It has to become a veritable heap before the label of HOARDERS gets bandied about.

Some Aspies may have unconventional interests in terms of what they collect, but unless what they're collecting is harming someone, why does a collection have to be anything other than good clean fun? Why does it have to be productive? Does productive mean potentially profitable? Non-Aspie journalist Larry King collects & is obsessed with women's rare high-end luxury handbags! Since he can afford his indulgence & he isn't an Aspie, this odd (& useless to him since he never uses them or sells them) hobby draws no ire.

Where some Aspies go off the rails with an obsession is when they corner some person who doesn't share their interest & ramble on in florid detail all about whatever it is.

 

[WildCat]

Re: What's the difference between autistic obsessions and obsessions of an non autist

...Some Aspies may have unconventional interests in terms of what they collect, but unless what they're collecting is harming someone, why does a collection have to be anything other than good clean fun? Why does it have to be productive? Does productive mean potentially profitable? Non-Aspie journalist Larry King collects & is obsessed with women's rare high-end luxury handbags! Since he can afford his indulgence & he isn't an Aspie, this odd (& useless to him since he never uses them or sells them) hobby draws no ire.
...

Sorry if I offended you. I just don't understand why people would completely dedicate their lives to one or several things at the expense of others, or their own self. This I don't think is healthy at all. I do agree with you, in that obsessions and hobbies for that matter for the fun of it are harmless and don't necessarily need to be profitable, but not to the point where you cannot function without it or that you feel compulsed to think and talk about it all day. That was the point I was trying to make but apparently didn't.