Over stimulated

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Today I went to a new restaurant and I don't know. It was filled with smells of food I knew I hated. Then when I sit down and get drinks the syrup is wrong. The lights have some problem. My waiter has a (no offence but it actually hurts me) lisp. I just start to get winey and agrovated and just not pleasant to be around. I must have been looking weird to some other people who saw me rocking and asked all sorts of (degrating) questions acting like I am mental. That s one of my most hated things. when people think I don't understand them. So I just had my mom bring me home. I knew if I did stay I would have melted down. Has this ever happened to you?

Yes this has happened to me a few times. Once at work I walked off as everything was getting too much, had some explaining to do when I got back. A few people at work understand however a lot of the staff are older and believe I should just deal with changes as everyone else does.
On a uni placement I also felt very overwhelmed and ended up shutting myself in a empty office with the lights off

Is there something you could do in these situations to help yourself feel more relaxed? Like a small comfort object you can take along? I listen to music pretty much everytime I leave the house I have earphones in, even in restaurants I've been known to have them in

Yup, have been in so many of these situations and each time, the only way I've been able to deal with it and prevent a full-on meltdown is to just remove myself from the situation.

Those who tell you to just "deal with it" obviously don't suffer over-stimulation problems. I think the only mature way of dealing with it is to let someone walk away when it's getting too much and don't judge them/ criticise them since a melt-down is much more dramatic and difficult to deal with/ manage.

I have a huge problem with scents, particular smells can easily send me over the edge, so I tend to avoid places like restaurants, and especially the meat section at supermarkets because of the use of chlorine and other chemicals.

I agree judgements are not helpful at all, as I said I have the most trouble with older staff. They are very 'old fashioned'

I have problems with being overstimulated but sounds. I hear everything (hence my earphones and then I have 1 sound to focus on) also blinking lights and lines on the ground preoccupy me

Not been in a situation like that since my diagnosis. Looking back, I know I getting fidgety (often with the steak knife if there is one), getting angry and snapping at people. If I can get some solitude immediately after, I might recover. If not, the meltdown usually happens about when I get home. My poor bookshelf. I've beaten the hell out of it.