Repetitive thoughts , technically called “perseveration,” can amplify both interests and memories. Perseveration causes me to remind myself, again and again, that I’ve lost someone I loved, and that things didn’t go as I hoped. Before I found out that this is a common autistic trait, I didn’t fight such thoughts, because I believed they were justified. When I began to recognize how it can deepen and prolong emotional pain, though, I started to handle all kinds of grief differently. I now see the value in setting aside periods of time specifically to process it, and then trying to redirect any
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