I have a small circle of people I can spend time with nearly without limit, but yeah in general I avoid as much time around people as possible just because I find it a needless expenditure of energy.
Man, that’s totally true! I need at least few hors alone per day. I need this time to focus on my personal interests, otherwise I’m gonna be not regulated and with bad mood hehe.
I can spend most of a day with close friends but if I don’t spend a few hours alone then all of a sudden my vocabulary is limited to monosyllables and everybody’s too loud and annoying. Before I realized this, I thought I was just a really bad friend or something
If I recall… I have gone on at least 7-10 days without any beyond-surface-level human interactions and fared just fine (if not better than normal), so yes
More…
It depends on what I do with the rest of my time. I used to do solitary contract analysis in a cubicle/my home and I needed very little alone time outside of work. Now I work as a teacher and at a bakery and need a lot of alone time, like at least an hour per day and a day per week. I don’t always get it, but I’m much saner when I do.
Min. 3 hours a day just to not trigger my chronic migraines. More so a sensory than a social thing, but I run a much later schedule than most because of it.
It’s never enough. I wish I could test my limits and see, but even after a week alone I still crave more time to myself.
I did have an epiphany when I realized that spending time with my partner felt the same as spending time alone (which is a good thing.) Probably because he’s a natural loner just like me, so unlike most people, he doesn’t needlessly waste my social energy on inane things like small talk.
Enough that my girlfriend is threatening to leave me
Honestly, I’d rather be single than be with someone who demands more from me than I can comfortably give them. It’s been years since I dated someone neurotypical.
Both my partners are on the spectrum and we have a comfortable balance. The fact that nobody gets offended over bullshit like “tone of voice” goes a long way, too - we all have difficulty regulating that. We know it’s related to our energy levels, not to our emotions.
With that said, I hope whatever happens works out for you. I know it’s a painful experience to find such an incompatibility between yourself and a person you love.
Thank you, I’m glad you have a system that works for you.
Although good news, she just texted me and said “It’s fine, do what you want.” so, crisis averted!
all of it
yep
I have never met my limit for how long I can go without human contact (outside of incredibly minimal “contact” such as posting here). I never measured specifically, but I know I’ve gone at least a month without contacting anyone and been perfectly content. When people were going nuts after a week of lockdown, I truly did not get it. I could have done that forever. I’d prefer it.
I might be kinda broken.
I’m exactly the same.
At least one day per week.
Same for me. In my experience, after a week I need a day where I just play video games, read a book and relax (usually it is Saturday). If for two days I stay home and dont meet people, I feel unwell on the evening of the second day; but one day of pure regeneration is my sweet spot.
Actually I do not have a problem with two days either :-D For me it gets hard after a week I would say. Love me some good alone time.
Yes.
I lived alone for basically an entire year while my wife was deployed and it was the best fucking thing ever. I was so much more productive when I was allowed to just let my process unfold organically. The house stayed clean, I got a bunch of projects done, and I actually had time for hobbies. I never once felt lonely or in need of human contact. I had a Dog and he was the perfect amount of companionship.
Some of it.
Sometimes a lot.
