autism and anxiety

[faraway 4]

I am autistic and a lot of anxiety has developed that is associated with that. I had a hard time with understanding social situations, especially once we hit middle school, and got picked on for reasons that I didn't understand and was very isolated after that.  I had some unusual movements when excited that I got teased about that I became preoccupied with preventing.  Certain routines or preoccupations became huge obsessive compulsive fixations that served as coping mechanisms.

 

  I have had a lot of therapy and social skills groups and can get by socially for the most part, but have a hard time accepting that I often come off as odd, as far as I can tell.  I have a hard time with avoidant behavior in social situations, quite frequently.  My ocd type behavior waxes and wanes.  I would like to be able to accept this and try to function socially and meet people.

[JOYCICLE 654]

I'm sorry if this sounds naive. I have only a very limited knowledge of autism. Do you think it's something you can ' work through' same as anxiety ? Or are you saying your anxiety is compounding it and once you can work through the anxiety and only have left the autism, it will be a lot better?  

I have a very hard time with social situations myself, even the very smallest of them. I did not back in my drinking days. I could socialize for hours on end with dozens of people and engage them all without a care. 

[faraway 4]

My autistic characteristics can cause me more anxiety and anxiety can cause me to be more shut off and obsessive.  It makes me overly ashamed of anything previously judged as "odd" like tic like things.  Autistic disorders don't go away, but therapy can help with not being limited by it.