Reprieve

I've read about some people with Asperger's having to zone out into their own world. I really can't say I do that but I do need a break from it all from time to time. I get overloaded with too much to process, noises, things, people, etc. and I just need to chill out in a quiet place.

I also find reading or gaming on my computer a good break. A distraction that helps me "reboot" so that I can go back to dealing with whatever I was getting overloaded with previously. I do subscribe to World of Warcraft but I generally stick with solo content (questing, professions, etc.) and don't run dungeons or raids with groups of other players. (I truly am an introvert.) To me, it's a virtual world that I can retreat to and find a sense of order.

Generally, anything computers do have some sort of order to them. Even "chaos" in a virtual environment is programmed to appear to be chaos but really isn't. There is a logical operation to it that for me provides the structure I desire to have in the real world but can only have to a limited degree. While I desire cleanliness and organization almost as much as someone with OCD, I'm unable to sort stuff out mentally enough to achieve those desires. I have issues prioritizing and planning and then usually negate any of that by forgetting what I needed to do anyway. I can't tell you how many times I've forgotten to put the wash in the dryer or some such task.

Anyway, there's so much more order to a virtual environment. It takes exactly this and exactly that to complete a task or quest or make something. You perform specific actions and the characters respond in a specific way, no random illogical actions that humans in real life are prone to. This makes my Aspie brain happy. Real people confuse my Aspie brain. Of course, there's no laundry to do or dishes to wash. My brain just doesn't feel as bogged down with a bunch of tasks to juggle as it does in the real world. Obviously, it's only a temporary escape but it's something I feel I need to stay sane. It helps me take a break and come back to the real world prepared to function again.