Probably my main source of stress around here is crossing the street (seriously... the drivers are psycho, and I get sensory overload from Asperger's syndrome very easily). Which, come to think of it, is something I've had to do all semester, which is about the same amount of time I've been having difficulty sleeping. Hmm... you're probably onto something with the stress theory, though I don't think the source of the stress is finals.
There are statistics somewhere about sources of stress for American adults, and it turns out moving is a big one. Even if it's for a good reason like a better job or a marriage, there's learning your way around a new place, meeting zillions of new people, figuring out how you fit in and finding friends among those people, new routines, new food, new everything-all-at-once.
Given the drastic change in your environment from your parents' house to the university, and some of your recent posts discussing the process of making friends, and the way both of those may combine with the Asperger's, I humbly suggest that the whole thing has been a New Improved Stress-O-Matic 3000 for you, and that it's no surprise that the stress is showing up somehow or other.
Now, I'm in no position to hand out advice on dealing with stress in a healthy manner. (If you want a list of really toxic ways to react, I'm your woman.) But my SO has taught me some meditation techniques that help some. Plus he finds that when his sleep schedule gets messed around (he's an astronomer, so to some extent that's inevitable), meditating for an hour or two can be-- well, it's not a substitute for sleep, but when sleep is not an option, it's restorative for both emotional and intellectual functionality.
If I'm on the right track here, then at least it's an idea for where to start researching solutions. Does the university have counseling services attached to the health center? "Dealing with stress" is a common topic for such services to address. |
