What do you do when you get overwhelmed?

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I am having trouble lately. Scouting for new ideas.

Put on your earphones and listen to your favourite music, or turn the TV on and watch a soap opera.

It depends what kind of trouble. But generally, look for someone sympathetic for advice, exercise, or shower/bath. And in the moment, there's always focus on breathing.

I usually listen to music, write or try to play a game. It takes my mind off things and helps me cope with what's going on. I also try to huggle my plushies I love a lot, and it helps.

What trouble are you having? I have to do different things depending on what is going on with me.

Since starting seroquel, I haven't had too many issues, but today was awful.

I went to a soccer game for my nephew and brought my kids. The parents shouting commands really did a number on me. It wasn't just the noise, I had a moment when it felt like I was a kid on the field and people were shouting at me to do this and then do that and then what I should've done after I already made a mistake. I felt awful. I felt awful for all the kids on the field, but everyone acted like this was normal.

Then, my nephew, my sister-in-law, and my two kids went to my parents' house. The two older boys' voices echoed in my ears and made my head hurt. I went into a quiet room with just my daughter and we colored quietly. But, soon, I couldn't cut anything out. I could hear all of the clocks ticking and the boys talking and the kitchen stuff and the colored pencils marking all at the same noise level and I couldn't separate them out.

I asked my mom to watch my kids and I went home. I hate that.

See if you can find the time during the day to take brief sensory breaks. When I'm pushed to social or sensory overload, the only solution is to completely isolate, away from everyone in a silent dark room under my weighted blanket. Usually I stay there for as long as I need to until I return to baseline tolerance level, however if I don't have that kind of time, I'll try for ten minutes, which usually takes the edge off. Depending on whether my problems are more social or sensory related (though the two generally go hand in hand) if I can tolerate it, I'll put a specific song on my ipod or computer on replay and listen to it over and over. This helps a great deal with anxiety, as it envelops me in a sort of coccoon of familiar, comforting sound. Good luck screen_name, feel better.

Pop a klonopin, and/or pour myself a drink, depending upon the situation.