**Anxiety** is the most commonly reported feeling by people with AS. Causes include: coping with the confusion of the NT world, frequent change, demands of work and school, fear of "not getting it right." **Depression** is also common. Sources include: feelings of failure, hopelessness, helplessness; rejection by NTs who find AS hard to understand; not living up to potential due to communication difficulties. Rejection can turn into anger, which becomes depression when turned inward. Both take their toll and can have negative health consequences. ## Coping Strategies ### From p156: Three Ways to Cope When Overwhelmed 1. **Relaxation techniques** — deep breathing, yoga 2. **Calming activities** — something known to calm you. Case: a man played over 14,000 games of solitaire to manage stress 3. **Challenge "awfulizing" (catastrophizing)** — ask: *"Will I die from this?"* If no, it's not truly awful ### From p158: Managing Negative Emotions - Regular exercise (strong medical evidence) - Listening to favorite music - Staying healthy (diet, weight) - Excusing yourself when becoming upset — *"I need time alone to get my thoughts together"* - Journaling to sort thoughts and feelings - Counting to ten before responding - Envisioning calming scenes (walking on a beach) ### From p158: Understanding Unusual Behavior **Laughing when someone gets hurt** — nervous default when unsure how to respond. Tell people in advance this is sometimes uncontrollable. **Difficulty with long verbal instructions** — stress causes anger or silliness. Say: *"Sorry, I'm not sure what you would like me to do"* and write tasks down. **Source:** Lovett, *Solutions for Adults with Asperger Syndrome*, Ch 6 (pp156-158) See also: [[Emotional Competence in AS]], [[AS Emotional Regulation Skills]], [[AS Sensory Coping Strategies]]