As my stress rises, the ability to recognize faces and recall names goes away. At the levels of stress I am currently experiencing, it is a wonder that I am functioning at all. I just ran into an old acquaintance at the grocery. I blanked on his name. For that matter, I couldn’t think of anything to say beyond "hi." So I stammered and searched for words which only made things worse. It was very uncomfortable. I have had to deal with this feeling much of my life as my family moved frequently during childhood. Each move meant a whole new set of faces and names to learn and be able to recall.
If this is how someone with Asperger’s feels everyday, the social torment is understandably very isolating. The knots in your stomach are enough to dry you into never leaving the house.
