Non-prescription, non-expensive help?

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GibbieGal
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14 Apr 2014, 8:21 pm

Are there any natural, simple things that you use to manage autistic difficulties, such as supplements, 'toys,' etc.? I apologize in advance if the question is too general, but I'm not sure yet what I ought to ask specifically.



starkid
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14 Apr 2014, 8:37 pm

sound sensitivity: ear defenders or noise-canceling headphones + music
vision sensitivity: polarized sunglasses, looking down at the ground while outdoors
executive dysfunction: make lists, keep schedule on calendars, alarms
anxiety and perseveration: distractions such as computer games and su doku
migraines: caffeine (coffee or dark chocolate), covering one eye



GibbieGal
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15 Apr 2014, 10:22 pm

Thanks!



EzraS
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15 Apr 2014, 10:39 pm

I wear ear buds with either music or white noise, often wear these kinds of shades and have a lanyard clipped on a belt loop to stim with.



EsotericResearch
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15 Apr 2014, 10:54 pm

weighted blankets, but they can get expensive, but rubber ear plugs are the best! especially flents


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ouroborosUK
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16 Apr 2014, 6:22 am

About "natural remedies", the main thing I found to be both efficient, legal, non-addictive and reasonably cheap is kava. It helps with anxiety, and also makes me less socially inhibited and somehow help with social skills, it does not make my personality change unlike most prescription or recreative drugs (benzos, alcool, cannabis), and the impact on wakefulness and activity is marginal with reasonable doses (although higher dosages will make you sleep).

Sauna sessions help me a lot, too. I love the feeling of diffuse heat getting into my skin, and it also relaxes my body which in turn relaxes my mind. (It also helps with my back pain problems.)


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timf
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16 Apr 2014, 9:41 am

There are a number of supplements that can increase, decrease, and inhibit the reuptake of brain chemicals. You can research various supplements and what their effects are and experiment (low dosage first) to see if you observe anything helpful. Some of the supplements have side effects and you should be careful in conducting your experiments to avoid unwanted effects.

An introduction to brain chemistry can be found here;

http://www.wellcomecollection.org/whats ... brain.aspx

Serotonin and Dopamine are two that you might want to examine.

Fortunately most supplements do not seem to have an effect rather than produce an unwanted effect, but you may stumble across one that does provide an effect you desire. Then you have to think about habituation and that taking one thing continuously can cause it to lose effectiveness. This can happen with Ginko biloba. It can be helpful to find two or three supplements that produce the desired effect and alternate.

You may also want to read the reviews people have made for what supplements have been effective for them. Some supplement web sites provide reviews by their customers that can be helpful;

http://www.iherb.com/



GibbieGal
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16 Apr 2014, 5:38 pm

ouroborosUK wrote:
About "natural remedies", the main thing I found to be both efficient, legal, non-addictive and reasonably cheap is kava. It helps with anxiety, and also makes me less socially inhibited and somehow help with social skills, it does not make my personality change unlike most prescription or recreative drugs (benzos, alcool, cannabis), and the impact on wakefulness and activity is marginal with reasonable doses (although higher dosages will make you sleep).

Sauna sessions help me a lot, too. I love the feeling of diffuse heat getting into my skin, and it also relaxes my body which in turn relaxes my mind. (It also helps with my back pain problems.)


That's interesting. I struggle mostly with the social stuff. What is this "kava" of which you speak? 8)