‘Don’t overthink it‘, they said. And the panic rises… if this is overthinking, how do I just do thinking?
When someone tells me not to overthink it, it can bring up a combination of exasperation and shame. Please excuse these shouty caps, but DON’T YOU THINK I’VE ALREADY TRIED THAT? If I could find this magical other way of thinking, I’d already be doing it. I’m trying most of the day to modulate the amount of thinking, or my way of thinking, or to find a different, easier way towards decisions and actions.
When you’re autistic, that’s kinda the story of your life. So a flippant (albeit well-meaning) comment from the outside can rekindle a well-worn path of frustration and self-judgement.
The idea of overthinking suggests that there’s a ‘normal’ amount of thinking that you’ve exceeded. That you’re doing more thinking than you should for the decision or task at hand.
In some ways that’s subjective – my way of thinking about something could be perfect for me, even if it seems excessive to you.
At other times though, overthinking can be painful and ineffective for the thinker. The proof of the ‘too-muchness’ being the overwhelm and paralysis when you just can’t exit the loop. You feel like there should be a quicker cognitive route to your destination, but you can’t find it.
So if you’re autistic and you’re still telling yourself that you should just be able to hurry up… let’s overthink this together.
I’m going to deep-dive into some of the cognitive and neurological differences and their impact. So just a reminder first – the idea is to understand how our brains work so that we can leverage our amazing strengths!
High definition processing and the autistic deep-dive
What people call overthinking in autism isn’t just more thinking, it’s a completely different way of processing information. It’s deep, it’s hyperconnected, it’s detailed, and it can be pretty exhausting – especially in situations that call for quick decisions or changes on-the-fly.
Autistic people are incredibly good at picking up on details. We have what’s known as a local processing bias, meaning that we tend to zoom in on the many facets of a given situation. Allistic (non-autistic) brains, on the other hand, prioritise global processing – meaning they see the bigger picture, and incorporate the broader context automatically.
Another way of understanding this difference is through applying the Dual Process Theory to autism. Dual Process Theory, popularised by Daniel Kahneman in his book ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’, distinguishes between ‘fast’ and ‘slow’ thinking:
- Intuitive processing, which is rapid, effortless and non-conscious.
- Deliberative processing, which is slower, sequential and conscious.
It’s said that intuitive processing is the preferred default in general, since deliberative processing requires more energy and is less efficient neurologically speaking. The Dual Process Theory of Autism has shown that autistic people tend to prioritise deliberative processing instead. This means thorough, logical, informed decisions, which is a brilliant thing in some situations.
During this process, our brains are focused on making sense of the system at hand in any given situation. Most autistic people can relate to this feeling of needing to map out the system and get to the bottom of it – whether that’s how you’re going to organise your cupboards, or how you could set up systems and automations to run your business.
This drive to analyse or create systems and detect patterns can be one of our biggest gifts, but it can also be a source of overthinking. When you want to decide what pair of jeans to buy, mapping out a system of all the available options and parameters can feel like total overkill. But when that’s the only way you can decide, it’s not possible for you to ‘just pick one’ or adjust your processing style. You know it’s not a big deal if you don’t get the perfect pair, but you don’t know how else to get from A to B.
Sensory input and hyper-connectivity
Those tendencies for deliberative processing and systemising can be explained by differences in the physical wiring of our brains, among other things. They’re not just habits or thought patterns, they’re based on physiological differences and how our senses take in the world around us.
Autistic people have been found to have superior low-level perceptual processing, which means our brains are highly efficient at processing detailed information from sensory input. We know that sensory processing differences have an impact on our experience day-to-day in big and small ways. But they can also underpin that systemising tendency discussed earlier – because we’ve got so much information coming through, we need to find ways to deal with it.
The “Intense World Theory” suggests that the fundamental building blocks of the brain (local neural microcircuits) are highly reactive and plastic in autistic people. There’s a ‘hyperconnectivity’ going on, making it harder to sift through the huge amount of information that’s coming through to be dealt with. The autistic brain is “constantly working to process every facet of input”, trying to understand every rule and link connected to a system or decision.
In this context, you can sort of say that we are ‘overthinking’ – all the time. And in conjunction with executive functioning challenges, we can fall into ‘analysis paralysis’. That state where you’ve thought something through to such a degree that you get stuck; you can’t move forward because you’re overloaded with factors and possibilities.
It’s not something you can just sidestep or avoid – and a lot of us wouldn’t want to either. It might be nice to have a break once in a while, but our access to such a vast level of sensory input can be an incredible gift, and a powerful strength in the right circumstances.
Leveraging your sophisticated, detailed processing powers
What we’ve explored here is a deeply ingrained processing style, set in the context of a world that doesn’t understand it. Because the majority of people think primarily in a different way, it takes some self-acceptance and confidence to advocate for your ways of processing.
The challenges are real, the frustration is real. When you feel drained by the challenges, it can feel ridiculous or impossible to consider the good bits. That’s ok, I get it. I don’t believe in putting a positive spin on everything either.
But I do genuinely believe in the power of autistic processing; that our ways need to be valued rather than only seen as flaws.
So I’m just planting the seed, even if it doesn’t feel accessible right now.
Consider the conditions that support you the most, and how you can communicate this. For example:
- Having extra time to consider choices rather than being rushed.
- Getting information ahead of time rather than being put on the spot.
- Being offered closed questions rather than open ones.
- Getting reassurance rather than criticism.
The internal dialogue and life choices that fit
What changes internally when you know that there are tangible, neurological differences rather than ‘character flaws’ or a lack of effort on your part?
Perhaps you’re able to be kinder to yourself, take the pressure off, and give yourself a break. It doesn’t always solve the rumination or paralysis, but it can ease the extra stress and pressure that are piled on top by internal criticism.
In the long-run, your understanding of this hyper-connected, in-depth processing can inform the choices you make in your life too.
- What kind of thinking comes naturally to you, and brings you joy and satisfaction?
- What kind of work, environments or interests could align more fully with the way you think?
- What are the benefits for you of this way of processing and thinking?
Understanding your own brain is the foundation of self-advocacy, and sets the stage for telling others what you need too. I’ve seen this change in myself, and in clients too. It’s always work-in-progress, but I don’t hide it anymore when I can’t think something through at the expected pace or time.
I’m not trying to get better at allistic processing – I’m clear about my strengths, and I’m dismantling the shame I historically felt about my differences.
Let’s dismantle the expectation that we should all be able to think a certain way. Your way of thinking is valid and valuable, so remember to ease off the pressure and self-criticism when you can.
References:
Enhanced perceptual functioning in autism: an update, and eight principles of autistic perception https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16453071/
The Intense World Theory – A Unifying Theory of the Neurobiology of Autism https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3010743/
Thinking, fast and slow on the autism spectrum https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10291371/
Is functional brain connectivity atypical in autism? A systematic review of EEG andMEG studies https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0175870&type=printable