Do you carry around comfort objects?
greeneyeszengirl
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker

Joined: 16 Nov 2013
Age: 60
Gender: Female
Posts: 57
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Oh! I have a medic alert bracelet too that's also a stim toy, it's one of those silicone bands with surgical stainless ID and stuff on it, I'll have to add a picture later maybe. My momma was autistic, had the same genetic thing, and seizures too, that's how she died when I was 18. Anyway since Autism isn't the only differability in my life, and because some of my genetic differences can be life threatening my ID is tied to a secure online profile. I'm one of few autistics for whom a meltdown could be life threatening because the meltdown can trigger adrenal crisis and or shock and I could die if I don't get the right care. So the medic alert.
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"I'm written in a language even I don't understand - but I am learning."
"My weird life, just got a whole lot weirder, by becoming less weird."
I have a stress ball I use a lot. After learning I had ASD I decided to create a sensory kit, and that's one of the things I added to it. I didn't expect to use it too much, but now I find myself using it all the time. I even carry it in my purse in case I ever feel the need to use it.
Other than that, I consider my hair to be a bit of a comfort object. And I know that sounds weird, but I've always played with my hair since I was a kid. Just an unconscious habit of mine that I can't seem to break.
I wish I could carry around a comfort item. When I was a little kid (up to about age 8 ), I had stuffed animals that I took everywhere with me, and I took great comfort in them. They were more important friends than real people. Now I have a toy dog, Wolfie, that brings me comfort, but I'm too aware of other's disdain (I'm a 32 year old male) to allow myself to take him with me, even though I know he would be a great comfort to me. I know it's a 5-year-old child's thinking, but Wolfie really does help me to feel more brave and more relaxed when I can hold him and stroke his fur.
I do wear a ring that I stim with, and I never take it off. I spin it, take it on and off my finger, sometimes I take it off and do this flippy thing with it in a pattern because I love the way it feels on my fingers. But I usually only do the last one when I'm feeling happy or excited. When I'm nervous or anxious, I just spin, spin, spin the ring.
The odd part is that I, and probably many others, get really attached to certain objects, but then I stay really unattached to everything else, including pictures of people. Other people, NTs, seem to always want to hold on to everything; furniture, old phones, chargers that don't go to anything, decorative crap that sits on tables and collects dust, and pictures, pictures, pictures of everyone and everything. I don't care about pictures or stuff; I throw things away and keep only what is useful, which is very little.
I don't care about any of it except for those few items I get really attached to. And those things are more important than most people (except for the few people to whom I get really attached).
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You don't need to hide, my friend, for I am just like you.
I used to carry a yellow plastic box that had my phone, wallet knife pen flashlight and lighter in it. It looked strange probably but it was practical. I live on a boat. The box was waterproof. I liked having the things inside the box and that they stayed dry. I might leave the box in the car and only take my phone and wallet to the store, or what ever item was appropriate for the current activity. I don't like objects in my pocket, but like having them nearby.
Not so long ago I made a replacement box in the shape of a horse that has adjustable rope handles on it and looks nicer to me then the old one. It's covered with glitter! It's also very heavy and could probably be swung as a weapon. I made it out of fiberglass. It can be stood on, sat on, floats and is somewhat watertight (not as watertight as the yellow box which has a special rubber gasket)
It comes with me nearly everywhere. Not sure if it's a comfort object any more then a women's purse is. Since I am male I gets some looks , but people who know me already think I'm weird.
P
Not so long ago I made a replacement box in the shape of a horse that has adjustable rope handles on it and looks nicer to me then the old one. It's covered with glitter! It's also very heavy and could probably be swung as a weapon. I made it out of fiberglass. It can be stood on, sat on, floats and is somewhat watertight (not as watertight as the yellow box which has a special rubber gasket)
It comes with me nearly everywhere. Not sure if it's a comfort object any more then a women's purse is. Since I am male I gets some looks , but people who know me already think I'm weird.
P
I hate having things in my pockets, too. Pants pockets in particular, jacket pockets are ok. I don't even like having my wallet in my pocket. But I have so much stuff that I want with me; sunglasses, lip balm (I HAVE to have lip balm), wallet, phone, keys at the very least. I wish I could carry a purse like a woman, although I don't like the femininity of it (I'm a male). I just want to be able to take everything with me. There are other things I would bring if I could. A messenger bag is too big and too soft, and when I tried to carry one I got made fun of like it was a purse. Even people who are accepting are not always accepting. I need a bag that won't look odd for a guy to be carrying around in grocery stores, restaurants, everywhere.
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You don't need to hide, my friend, for I am just like you.

I'm the same way. Imagine having to carry around a security blanket. Surprisingly, I haven't gotten any weird looks. Either that or I just don't care to notice it. I actually had one employee at walmart ask me about my blanket today. It wasn't in a bad way, but she just asked if I was going to a movie or something. I told her no, and that it was a comfort object and security thing. She didn't even seem weirded out by it. Most people don't realize I have autism just by me carrying my blanket around. My autism isn't obvious and can easily be considered as invisible.
I also have my necklace. It has two pendants on it. One is a key with a heart shaped jewel, and the other is a pegasus holding a ball jewel underneath it. Both are bluish. I do stim with them a lot more than I actually realize it. XD As for the medical bracelet thing, my iPhone has all of my medical information on it. However, I don't know if anyone is going to realize it's there. :/ I have too many diagnoses and problems to get a medical alert bracelet or necklace.

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“It doesn't matter what your challenges are as long as you're ready to try to overcome them.” - Carly Fleischmann
Diagnosis: ASD Level one; speech delay until age four, learning disability, Requires some support.

I'm the same way. Imagine having to carry around a security blanket. Surprisingly, I haven't gotten any weird looks. Either that or I just don't care to notice it. I actually had one employee at walmart ask me about my blanket today. It wasn't in a bad way, but she just asked if I was going to a movie or something. I told her no, and that it was a comfort object and security thing. She didn't even seem weirded out by it. Most people don't realize I have autism just by me carrying my blanket around. My autism isn't obvious and can easily be considered as invisible.
I also have my necklace. It has two pendants on it. One is a key with a heart shaped jewel, and the other is a pegasus holding a ball jewel underneath it. Both are bluish. I do stim with them a lot more than I actually realize it. XD As for the medical bracelet thing, my iPhone has all of my medical information on it. However, I don't know if anyone is going to realize it's there. :/ I have too many diagnoses and problems to get a medical alert bracelet or necklace.

I love mlp too.
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Your Aspie score: 192 of 200 Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 9 of 200 You are very likely an Aspie PDD assessment score= 172 (severe PDD)
Autism= Awesome, unique ,Special, talented, Intelligent, Smart and Mysterious
Sweetleaf
Veteran

Joined: 6 Jan 2011
Age: 35
Gender: Female
Posts: 35,157
Location: Somewhere in Colorado
Not really, I notice I tend to play with my wallet chain when I am walking around since usually I have a wallet with a chain..as sort of a stimming thing and I do find it calming. Or if I am wearing a necklace or bracelet sometimes...aside from that I like to have my phone with me as well as head-phones so I can listen to music.
I also like to have a hat with me even if I don't plan to wear it, just good to know I have one...mostly beanies but I have a couple of other styles. Not sure if its more a stimming/comfort object thing or I just like to have some sort of hat if it gets randomly chilly since it helps significantly with that. I also sometimes wear sweaters when its not particularly weather for them like warm out just because it feels weird not having sleeves on my arms if wearing short sleeved shirts if its too hot for that and its bothering me then I have a few button plaid shirts and a plain brown one I can wear over the t-shirt...though other times I just wear wrist bands/bracelets.
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Metal never dies. \m/
i use to bring my blanket when i was young up to about 9 or 10 then it had to be thrown as it was to small and worn and i had a baby born who i love to have with me always until i was about 11 but then a mouse ate her face and had to throw her. i have a collection of stuffed animals and toys in the corner of my bed and i keep a 2ds with me all the time in my backpack (the backpack is a sensory issue use to be a handbag but i found backpack is better for even weight) in the back back i also keep a bag of sensory toys ( beads, squishy ball, felt piece, ear plugs, craft pompom, felt stick and other little things), hat , finger less gloves, sunglasses, water, pills, umbrella, straws and other stuff. i also dress in layers ( under shirt and leggings ) under my clothes and have a cardigan or jacket or coat or sometime a combo of each.i also wear makeup and jewelry or a scarf and my medi alert bracelet and watch and comfortable shoes and my walking cane or crutches or walking frame or wheelchair depending on how i am. and i constantly apply lip balm or lipstick if i'm wearing it that day otherwise just lip balm. and i wear perfume. and my right thumb as i still stuck it , it's a sensory issue i don't care what people think about it. it helps!
Not so long ago I made a replacement box in the shape of a horse that has adjustable rope handles on it and looks nicer to me then the old one. It's covered with glitter! It's also very heavy and could probably be swung as a weapon. I made it out of fiberglass. It can be stood on, sat on, floats and is somewhat watertight (not as watertight as the yellow box which has a special rubber gasket)
It comes with me nearly everywhere. Not sure if it's a comfort object any more then a women's purse is. Since I am male I gets some looks , but people who know me already think I'm weird.
P
I hate having things in my pockets, too. Pants pockets in particular, jacket pockets are ok. I don't even like having my wallet in my pocket. But I have so much stuff that I want with me; sunglasses, lip balm (I HAVE to have lip balm), wallet, phone, keys at the very least. I wish I could carry a purse like a woman, although I don't like the femininity of it (I'm a male). I just want to be able to take everything with me. There are other things I would bring if I could. A messenger bag is too big and too soft, and when I tried to carry one I got made fun of like it was a purse. Even people who are accepting are not always accepting. I need a bag that won't look odd for a guy to be carrying around in grocery stores, restaurants, everywhere.
Try out belt bags. Most of them don't look feminine and they are smaller than messenger bags.
I have quite a few... but I don't carry two around. One stays at home, the other I wear.
I have to have my bear when I sleep. I use to have a really huge obsession with stuffed animals, but now I'm down to three (mostly because they took up my bed.. parents got me to part with them). But my bear is over fifteen years old now, so he's getting a little worse for wear. Always sleep with him.
My eyes are really sensitive to light and glare, the fact I wear glasses probably doesn't help. But I wear my hat constantly to combat that, but I cannot be without it otherwise. If I have otherwise lost access to it, I will not do anything and I will be extremely unhappy. I'm so resistant to change, the dress code outlined by work.. I clashed for about four months until the stress of wearing the hat got to me. So I picked a different hat that was white.
Pencils use to be a big thing with me. As an artist, I always have them. But they provide a range of sensations or feeling/textures, sounds, and weight. Especially mechanical pencils. I like the side clicking ones, I have a couple that sort of have a telescoping eraser(replaceable) and I enjoy fiddling with it a lot. I'll constantly take it apart and put it back together. Keeps me a lot calmer due to work environment. Otherwise I aggressively stim everything I can touch with my hands.
Here's one of my comfort objects I like to keep with me.
I have become conditioned so that even just the scent of it is very comforting.
https://ostranderbellepoint.files.wordp ... aporub.jpg
When I was younger (in elementary school), there was a set of must-have objects I would always carry around with me. A Sudafed pill (in case I started getting the sniffles). An Aspirin (in case I got a headache). A Band-Aid (in case I got cut). A key (to get into my house). A mini-pack of Kleenex. And one other thing (I now forgot what). Those were “comforting” to me in that I would worry if I didn’t have them.
Nowadays my must-have objects are much simpler. Just my wallet, my keys and my smartphone.
right here
I also carry my Ipad with me wherever, headphones and a tin shaped like Sonic with various pills in it.
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Obsessing over Sonic the Hedgehog since 2009
Diagnosed with Aspergers' syndrome in 2012.
Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder Level 1 severity without intellectual disability and without language impairment in 2015.
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