Weird experience at a party-- is this related to my Autism?

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I was at a grad party for this kid I know. It was actually a grad party for him, his college graduate sister, and two cousins. A lot of people were there. There was loud music and at first I was okay. I'm getting a lot better at socialization and I thought I did okay talking to his mom and sister's friend, though I was certainly feeling awkward and anxious.

It was okay, but it lasted like six and half hours. Somewhere in the last two hours, I felt different. Kind of dizzy and shaky, more anxious, the music was really getting to me but I also felt kind of deaf? Idk like my head was in a bubble.

So I go to find my brother and our friends. Brother has SA but not Asperger's, but he was super gregarious as he hung out with the other kids. I stopped speaking for about twenty minutes. I managed say "hi" quietly and when my brother asked where people were going I muttered "train tracks", but I got really quiet.

I finally muttered to my brother, "I want to go home", but he said, "call mom and dad", but I didn't feel like speaking on the phone. I said "thank you" and "no thank you" to some people and tried to play Frisbee but I kept dropping the Frisbee.

I just couldn't think of anything to say. A girl asked me if I was ready to catch the Frisbee and I just hopped kind of because it didn't occur to me to say yes, she made fun of me in a nice way but I felt bad.

Finally I got a ride home. I said "bye" and "thanks" and then went home. I went up to the bathroom and took a half hour long shower and then I was able to speak again and felt more normal.

I've had anxieties when I'm out to late, certainly gotten tired, but this is the first time I've had such an extreme reaction. I felt like a zombie. I was really dazed, in a strange place with a lot of people I didn't know with loud music for six hours... People all must think I'm really weird now.

I don't know if I should be concerned about this. Is it related to my Autism perhaps? Or is it normal?

This definitely sounds to me like autism. I don't do well at parties, either. Actually, I commend you for lasting until just a couple of hours before the party was over. I wouldn't have lasted an hour, especially with a lot of people around and loud music playing. I mean, if it was the kind of music I like, which is hard rock and heavy metal, then I wouldn't mind it so much. But yeah, I find myself just going off somewhere by myself to another room when I'm at a party. I hate socializing. Not that I'm anti-social, just social phobia. There's a difference. I especially hate small talk. I can't STAND it. I can only talk to someone if they have something I'm interested in to talk about; a good, deep conversation. That's why I rarely go to parties. Only if my close family members are there. I noticed nobody else replied to your post. I know how that feels. That's usually what happens to me when I post something original on this site, too. I get a maximum of only a few posts, like 3 or 4. Oh well. Ok, so don't feel like you're the only one going through this, because you're not. I think a lot of people on the autism spectrum don't do well at parties. We would rather be alone, doing our own thing; we aspies, I mean. Ok, hope this helped you out at least a little bit. The best of luck to you.

What you describe sounds to me very much like it's a mild form of Shutdown, which is apparently common, but not ubiquitous, among those of us with Aspergers. The triggers (sensory overload plus the stress of a prolonged social situation) and the symptoms seem about right. I'd say it's very like related to your Autism.

I think so yes.

Base on my experience last month in a PWD seminar that lasted for 2 days... Note that I don't have any form of long term anxiety, and I really do enjoyed the event as I maintained to socialize 2 separate groups.
It'll take me more than 15 hours before having signs you described.
Go longer than that, I end up being more vulnerable. I could take more in my mind, but my body couldn't.
And went more than that -- about 33 hours or so, I end up getting sick and vomiting. Seriously. Took me about a week before recovering from exhaustion.

Before that, last I ever had exhaustion and ever needed a break was 6 years ago.
I just have the stamina and threshold to take on high school, college, and full time for years job without exhaustion. That I almost forgotten about it.

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It sounds like sensory overload, which is a fairly common problem for people with autism. I get that to in some situations, I really don't like large parties that much I prefer smaller get togethers with people I know and maybe a couple new people but its hard for met to socialize much with new people until I've gotten to know them better. I can handle concerts ok usually but I guess at concerts most everyone is there to hear the music and see the band so there isn't a bunch of different random things going on, except for between bands when they switch sets but that's tolerable because its only like 10 minutes.

I certainly wouldn't want to be at a party for 6 hours, I will go sometimes if its with people I know...but 6 hours would still be too long.

Yes, that's a classic description of an autistic reaction to overwhelming social an physical stimuli. As someone else said, it's amazing you lasted as long as you did, and speaks well for your coping mechanisms. I get like that after about 30 minutes in such an environment. Some days, when I have to go out shopping and such, I feel that way almost from the moment I hit the door of the store I'm going into.

All the ambient sounds seem like the roar of ocean waves, if anyone speaks to me, I can hear them, but I have trouble making out what they're saying (much less comprehending it), I'm walking around in a sort of daze, not quite like being drugged, but as though nothing that's happening is quite real, either. At that point, I have to focus on my shopping list, and just shut out everything and everyone around me that isn't essential to my mission.

As for loud music at parties - it doesn't matter to me what kind of music it is - what matters is that I cannot control the volume, and it interferes with my ability to both navigate physically through the unfamiliar space, and understand conversations, and that irritates me no end. If I were listening to it at home, where I could turn it up or down at will, the loud volume wouldn't bother me at all. I love music and I like it loud, but loud music and socializing are a bad combination for me.