Sensory shutdown, or just plain panic?

Post Reply New Topic

So, with the crowded nature of Fresher's, I haven't been having the easiest of weeks. This was particularly notable when we went to an extracurricular festival which was way too busy, at first I was fine but then I started to feel uncomfortable and although I tried to appear calm for the sake of my friends, it was clear that something was off I'm sure.

I was able to stay inside the festival for a short while, unfortunately I couldn't get to my music or anything that could calm me down, so instead I just kept touching random walls to feel the edge or any bumps. Sometimes I do things like that to make sure I stay in the moment and don't zone out too much. If I zone out too much, then I find it hard to keep focused on what my friends are saying to me, and what is happening can feel a bit surreal as if it's not actually happening.

Thankfully, it was only a mild discomfort this time, since it's usually a lot worse. I was fine after staying outside in the quiet for a bit.

Damn, no replies? Shame really. Maybe this was explained badly...

*shrugs*

Hi Lost Dragon,

I have no idea what "Freshers" is.

I do that sometimes. I assume everybody knows what I'm talking about, without providing specific context. That gets on my mother's nerves.

This is a characteristic found in Aspergers.

It seems like you were upset by all the noise--but that you adjusted well with some good strategies.

How are you today?

Ah. "Freshers" is what most Universities call the first week for freshmen/first years, often there are several different events on that you can go to where advertisers try to sell merchandise, and also you can learn what kind of clubs/societies there are that you could join. I made this thread in September, during my first week of University.

I went to some of these events, and from the post above you can tell how that went. Mainly I just made this thread to see if others here have used/use similar techniques.



Huh, the more you know. Sometimes I wonder if I should look into that.



Thankfully I did, yeah.



I'm...hmm...well I'm mainly procrastinating, and feeling terrible about random life decisions I've made in the past, but other than that I'm fine.

The good thing is that you're still quite young, and can learn from those "terrible" decisions. You can also rectify the effects of these decisions.

First-year University (known as "college" here in the States) is tough on everyone.

Make sure you get your proper nutrition, and keep to the syllabus. Are you in a dorm, other student accommodations, or home with your parent/parents?

I do the thing of zoning out too much and not being able to focus on what people are saying to me, feeling like I'm in a dream or something. It seems like it's a kind of dissociation and it can be a coping mechanism. Sometimes (actually often) I will also zone out for no apparent reason, but if it's in a situation like the one you described then it's to help cope and stay calm.

Touching things can also help me stay in reality and stay calm. Or counting things works for me, like counting cars on the street, or items that are green or whatever. Having something in my pocket I can fiddle with helps.

I don't know what the right terms are though or anything. I would also say to people sometimes "it's a bit crowded in here for me so I'm going to go get some air". People know I have anxiety in crowds so it's fine. I would rather get out when I feel panic come on rather than wait for it to escalate. But if the mechanism works for you and you're happy being there, that's good.

Home with parents.

How is University so far? Do you still feel like you still need to adjust to your situation?

Sounds like derealization. I used to get it pretty badly when my sensory problems or anxiety was acting up. Things become kind of "flat" looking, or dream-like. Grounding (like what you did with the walls) only works for so long, and it's easy to give in to the sense of panic. But while it can turn into panic or shutdown, I think it's a distinct phenomenon. If you want to get rid of them, I found that the best thing to do is ignore them. Try to ride out the panic and accept the fact that it's uncomfortable, as hard as that is, I know. Someone gave me the same advice, and once I mustered up the courage to accept the experience, they faded away almost completely.

It's certainly busy, but I don't mind some of the people there. So, I guess it's going OK.

Sounds like derealization to me. My shutdowns/meltdowns generally start with this.

That's a daunting prospect. Granted, I realise that grounding only works for so long (hence why I usually leave the situation shortly after when I can) but riding it out does not sound fun. What if I do end up shutting down? Typically I don't wait around to find out...you might be right though...