AboutPaul Johnson Expertise All questions regarding late diagnosis (Adults with Asperger's Or othe ASD's). Spirituality and ASD, Relationships, How our minds work,
Adolescent development with AS and Self Definition as an Autistic culture.
Experience Diagnosed with AS at age of 47, countless expereinces related to AS.
Journalist and highly self reflective. Two degrees in Psychology.
Conducting two Adult with Asperger's groups. Writer and lecturer in the area.
Organizations Toastmasters
Autism Society of Minnesota
Loft center for writers
Publications Double Dutch in the Nile Garden-Collection of poetry book 1996
Numerous articles
The Love Book-Unpublished
No Woman No Cry book regarding cultural aspects of grief-Unpublished
Education/Credentials High school diploma-Abraham Lincoln Brooklyn New York
Undergraduate City College of New York B.A. PSYCHOLOGY
Graduate school University of Minnesota M.A. Counseling Psychology
Awards and Honors Volunteer of the years-Mayors Award New York City 1980
Unsung hero in community-Minneapolis 2000
Community service award 2006.
Question QUESTION: Since I was a small child, I have had this strange quirk: I pace back and forth for HOURS while daydreaming, sometimes all night.
My father has the same thing except he has an abnormally high IQ (I'm normal). The psychiatrist diagnosed me with ADD but I can't accept that. There are lots of people with ADD and none of them have this abnormal routine quirk.
Anyway, in high school, the doctor prescribed Adderal XR for my "ADD." Result: After 5 days, I collapsed in school because, since beginning the medication, I had been daydream-walking all night without eating. I had lost 5 lbs.
My family knows about as do my friends and anyone who has ever lived with me. The neighbors downstairs always complain about "the stomping" from upstairs. Fortunately, you can't get evicted for "stomping."
Whatever it is, I'm certain it's genetic so I doubt there is a cure. I would simply like to know what it is that I have. Is daydream-walking a form of sleep walking? Is it autism? What is it??
ANSWER: Hey Jen,
You sure posed a challenging and unique question. I thank you for your thoughtful question. I do not know of anybody that routinely daydreams or paces at night or in the day for that matter. This is what makes this question so unique. I do not know what would make you daydream unless it is a habit of thinking, But that still does not answer why you do it so routinely.
I must conclude this is a mystery. It is not Autism and it overlaps with some characteristics of Asperger due to the routine. There is insufficient information to consider an ASD-Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Perhaps you will provide the need to have a new category for an ASD. As such the information as you shared it does not fit in any diagnosis that I know of.
Think about what other unusual behaviors might be associated with your range of reaction. follow up with that information and maybe we will be able to figure out what is going on.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thank you for replying so quickly.
Something you should know about my daydream-walking:
I'm not exaggerating the fact that I can daydream all night.
The strange thing is that usually I ponder a single scene in my head, not a whole set of various images. I always lose track of time.
If I don't follow my instinct to daydream-walk then my body starts to tingle, my heart speeds up, and I feel extremely anxious. (This is probably why the Adderal XR didn't work: the drug speeds up your heart so that it becomes impossible to not daydream-walk.)
99% of the time, I can fight the urge to daydream-walk in public or I will find a secluded place to walk i.e. the bathroom.
What triggers the daydreaming:
anxiety, boredom, or anytime that I feel excited, including moments of extreme happiness
I can control the daydream-walking during school hours except when I'm studying in the library. I always daydream 5-10 minutes after I begin studying or writing a paper. It's really annoying!!
In class, I usually twirl my hair between my fingers as an alternative to daydream-walking. I concentrate on the softness of my hair, and that seems to temporarily help. Images come to my head but they're normal, passing thoughts, not the repetitive kind that haunt me when I pace.
Once I begin pacing, I'm reluctant to stop until I've pondered every scenario of one or two scenes. The scenes usually relate to a film, song, or current event that I've read, watched, or heard.
I mentioned earlier that my dad has the same problem as me. Apparently, I talk while daydream-walking. He does it as well except that he talks to himself while driving, reading the paper, or any ordinary activity in which he is almost entirely immobile. He doesn't do it every few seconds but he does it often enough that I'm concerned that my quirk is heading in that direction.
When did it start?
I began daydream-walking when I was around 5-years-old. At the time, I would dance around the room after every bite of my dinner. The taste would conjure up a blissful emotion in me that would remind me of a happy thought. At that moment, I would find myself dancing around the room from one specific corner to another.
I should also mention that footing is crucial. I can't just step anywhere. My foot has to touch a certain spot on the floor. Eventually, I grow used to this choreography and mimic the footing everytime.
Family History:
My dad's family has a history of Alzheimers, diabetes, high blood pressure, and breast cancer (both my grandma and my dad's sister).
Is there anything else you need to know?
Thanks,
Jen
Answer Hey Jen,
Thanks for your question. The additional information was helpful up to a point. However the symptoms you described to me is still mysterious. I am beginning to now lean towards believing it is a type of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder with a lucid dreaming component. But what you are describing to me bear little to no resemblace to Autism.
