How Do You Act When This Happens....

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How do you relax when experiencing stress or a sensory overload meltdown. If anything, what could someone help you do to calm down?

Well, something like that happened yesterday... i was taking some antibiotics, but since i was with some acquaintances i took a sip of sake... needless to say i wrecked... especially since the bus on the way back was REALLY crowded... with people talking, looking at my face, pushing each other... the loud noises... the headache... it was horrific...

Sometimes I need someone to notice that I am getting stressed, because I don't always notice myself until I am nearly a wreck. I have asked others to actually lead me away from the overloading event or place, or place their hand on my shoulder (only my fiance can touch me when I am overloaded). Earplugs help a lot, or being able to listen to soothing music on my walkman.

sitting in a dark room alone helps
+some music can help
doing some kind of interest activity helps

Wow, thanks! That is good information!

You are welcome!

I have the same tendency to not notice I'm upset until it's a crisis! I try to observe my own behavior and draw conclusions.

I enjoy laying in bed and smashing my head with pillows. I sometimes do that when friends come over to my house and talk all at once. Ten minutes of head-smashing to each hour of trying to follow conversations.

Unfortunately, I can't even have my fiancee touch me when I'm overloaded. He does have an amazing ability to let me thrash around in the car and make squealing noises, without taking it personally. He can stand back and let me deal with it on my own, and understands that things that would comfort a normal person, like hugs and talking, are going to make my frustration and meltdown a thousand times worse.

What helps me the most are a few methods I use to push the mental "reset button". Sometimes it's as simple as making a cup of tea(the same tea I have been drinking for about 12 years, prepared exactly the same way every time), or as complicated as coming home, tearing my clothes off, and taking a bath to wash off my anger/frustration/overstimulation. Occasionally, I have to take a nap, wake up, and start the whole day over.

When I am in the early stages of overload, my fiance can place a calming hand on my shoulder. But if I am already melting down, even his touch is overwhelming. That is when he has to back off and leave me alone until I calm myself.

This is very insightful and helpful to me. Thanks!

When I get overloaded it's like my thoughts mirror the chaos around me. My thoughts won't stop rushing. It's like getting infected by the chaos of the world. Instead of the typical meltdown or shutdown that Aspies seem to experience, I mostly just get headaches. Things have to be really bad for me to experience something as extreme as a meltdown. I tend to do the shutdown thing more frequently.

When I get overloaded, the biggest thing that helps me isn't always to retreat somewhere quiet and dark. It helps, but it doesn't completely quiet the chaos going on in my head. To stop that, I usually have to immerse myself into something familiar. Music is particularly helpful for this, as long as it's music in headphones and under my control. It's like the familiar pattern hijacks my chaotic thought processes and gets them back on track. If my headache is particularly bad, sometimes the music just makes things worse, but generally it helps.

I'll try to leave the situation if possible, especially if it is a public place. I know that a public meltdown would cause chaos and make the situation even more stressful and unbearable for me.

When leaving the situation is not possible or impractical, such as riding the bus, all I can do is focus my mind on something else. That helps to prevent meltdowns or shutdowns, but doesn't always completely eliminate stress or sensory overload. I'll just look out the window and if necessary, change seats.

The majority of my meltdowns happen at home rather than out in public (in public my way of coping is to "put up a wall" and shut everyone and everything out), so I just take my medication (as prescribed), sit in my room and engage in one of my special interests.

Before I go out in public, I arm myself with my music, something velcro in my pocket, and a head full of imagination. It's sort of like imaginary role playing.