Sensory overload?

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I don't know, I feel like I might be the only person who feels it. Like, when my mom and dad and sister and her boyfriend all went out to a restraunt that was on a pier and there were seagulls and people laughing and chewing obnoxiously (read-like cows) and the fabric of my clothes was weird and it was too much.

I personally hate it, and I can't stay in my school cafeteria too long because of it. My friends will give me weird looks and they get really mad at me because I always ditch them. But what am I supposed to say without sounding completely crazy? I go to private school, so there aren't many (read-any) people who have Autism there.

I don't know if this happens to anyone else, but if it does, how do you guys ignore it? And what should I say to my friends?

i get overwhelmed in social situations... especially when it is crowded with people.

i am not sure if i have aspergers or social anxiety. I have been thinking about this for a long time already.


I believe the more you fight it, you are giving it strength, like all anxiety therapy says.

maybe focus more on the food next time. tell your friends that you are going to the washroom, or going home to play computer games etc. reasons that sound normal.

telling your friends that you have trouble with all the noise is indeed a good idea, even if you dont want to mention autism, explaining your sensory sensitivity might give some understanding.
other then that, you can indeed train yourself; dont hide from whatever hurts you, but face it head-on to grow used to it and let it lose its power over you, that worked for me a lot; i'm able to ignore/survive a lot of social situations and only minimal energy is needed to not be bothered by fluorecent lighting...

Crowds - I was in downtown Chicago (Michigan Ave) last weekend and I just couldn't handle all the people and their energy. I had to get out of there and retreat to the quiet of my hotel room. I just tell my friends that sometimes I feel overwhelmed by crowds and noise. They seem to understand.

thank you guys I'll try these now

It is very common as an Aspie to have sensory overload. I personally get very overwhelmed with social situations so with that and strong lights and loud talking, I completely crash. Yesterday this happened and I had to go home with a headache.

I get the same problems at times. I can control when I'm in a big crowded place to not freak out too much. One of the best coping skills is to yell at your brain: STOP!, step to the side, do some breathing excersizes and to calm your heat rate. That tends to help. A quick restart is better than a long crash, in my opinion. ^^

I just concentrate on the food when that happens to me and I remind myself that I'll be back at home doing the things that I enjoy in an hour or two.