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saudsee
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03 Jan 2023, 9:52 am

Hi all,

I was diagnosed (ASD) about 10 months ago and have made a lot of progress on learning to live life in a way that works for me.

I've felt a main barrier in reaching some remaining goals (for participating in certain activities, relationships, etc.) is my generally low and ~unpredictable energy levels. Very small things (like being in a grocery store for 5-10 minutes) can suddenly suck the life out of me and require an hour or more to recharge. I rarely have energy for anything after work and struggle to eat healthy because preparing any kind of meal feels impossible [I work from home and live alone so already have pretty limited social interaction :)].

Any tips on ways to quickly recover from a draining sensory event, or for keeping your energy levels more consistent from day to day?



Canadian Freedom Lover
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01 Mar 2023, 3:13 am

saudsee wrote:
Hi all,

I was diagnosed (ASD) about 10 months ago and have made a lot of progress on learning to live life in a way that works for me.

I've felt a main barrier in reaching some remaining goals (for participating in certain activities, relationships, etc.) is my generally low and ~unpredictable energy levels. Very small things (like being in a grocery store for 5-10 minutes) can suddenly suck the life out of me and require an hour or more to recharge. I rarely have energy for anything after work and struggle to eat healthy because preparing any kind of meal feels impossible [I work from home and live alone so already have pretty limited social interaction :)].

Any tips on ways to quickly recover from a draining sensory event, or for keeping your energy levels more consistent from day to day?


Hey saudsee,

I can relate to this completely I have issues with keeping my energy level up also. I am often criticized for being unmotivated or lazy for my lack of action due to stress and exhaustion. I don't have a lot of solutions for you as I am dealing with a similar situation as you but I can list of the things that seem to help me:

Staying alone at home to reduce stimulation.

Spending time in nature. In the summer I have a secret swimming hole at a river close to my house that I go to decompress and cool off.

Caffeine and Nicotine seem to help me lift the mental fog that follows me around every day. Although I would not suggest picking up smoking just for that but it works for me.

Watching old movies help calm down my racing thoughts and help me relax and recharge. I find new movies made within the past 20 years or so are way too fast paced with a lot of music and talking.

Talking to a counselor or a trusted friend helps get all the thoughts out of my head that tend to weigh me down.

I Hope that you may find this helpful.



blazingstar
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01 Mar 2023, 5:36 am

I’ve had a lifetime of inconsistency in a lot of areas, work is the big problem because other people notice.

The only things that help me recover are sleeping, which I realize isn’t quick. Or doing something in the garden or in nature.


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ASPartOfMe
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01 Mar 2023, 10:59 pm

Welcome to Wrong Planet.

Two main things tend to drain energy from autistic people sensory overload, and having to deal with a lot of people.

Sometimes identifying what sensory input is draining you can be difficult because you are used to them or you think you are used to them.

Does the nature of your job involve a lot of interaction with people? Is your office noisy? Is there a lot of flickering fluorescent lights at home or at work?


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DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity

“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman


MechaOphidian
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27 Mar 2023, 7:27 am

Gotta love autism burnout eh?

When I'm burnt out I sit in the bath tub and watch anime for a few days till it goes away.

Without complete control of your environment, you will have some downtime and that is okay.

Sensory Deprivation tank possibly I will be buying and installing this year, I am theororizing that removing all senses should counteract over stimulation.



MatchboxVagabond
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31 Mar 2023, 5:54 pm

MechaOphidian wrote:
Gotta love autism burnout eh?

When I'm burnt out I sit in the bath tub and watch anime for a few days till it goes away.

Without complete control of your environment, you will have some downtime and that is okay.

Sensory Deprivation tank possibly I will be buying and installing this year, I am theororizing that removing all senses should counteract over stimulation.


Maybe. But, it might also lead to massive overstimulation from the inside of your head. I really, need to rent access to one of the local clubs that has them set up to see. But, I expect that I'd have issues with my tinnitus if I did so.

Please keep us updated if you do buy one.

As for the topic at hand, I get acupuncture. Years ago I had an acupuncturist that used a style of acupuncture that involved many dozens of needles being poked very far into me. I was a bit of a human pin cushion, but it relaxed and energized me in a way that nothing else I've encountered had. I'm guessing that the pain insensitivity might have been why she was able to put the needs in so deeply when most other folks would have issues. I think of the thousands of needles fewer than a dozen needed to be removed due to pain.



MatchboxVagabond
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31 Mar 2023, 6:03 pm

saudsee wrote:
Hi all,

I was diagnosed (ASD) about 10 months ago and have made a lot of progress on learning to live life in a way that works for me.

I've felt a main barrier in reaching some remaining goals (for participating in certain activities, relationships, etc.) is my generally low and ~unpredictable energy levels. Very small things (like being in a grocery store for 5-10 minutes) can suddenly suck the life out of me and require an hour or more to recharge. I rarely have energy for anything after work and struggle to eat healthy because preparing any kind of meal feels impossible [I work from home and live alone so already have pretty limited social interaction :)].

Any tips on ways to quickly recover from a draining sensory event, or for keeping your energy levels more consistent from day to day?


For the grocery store, don't do it. These days most chains have free pickup, just outsource the majority of it. Perhaps just handle the produce section and let the store do the rest. Or just hand off the entire thing to them if you have that much trouble with the stimulation. I regularly see people with large ear muff style headsets on while they shop, and sunglasses are definitely legal inside of grocery stores.

The better you get at distinguishing between autism related draining and the more typical fatigue that the brain creates to prevent you from overcomitting to something you might not be able to finish, the better you'll be able to predict the issue and manage it.

Autism is going to bring energy level challenges for most of us, unless we can completely structure our entire existence around that. Which is probably not a way to live as there just aren't that many options for doing so now.

As a general rule, I've found that if I'm doing something and I'm starting to get angry and frustrated, it's usually better to set it aside for a break.

EDIT: And sometimes social interactions with a chill and safe person does actually help. Even though it makes little sense to me.



RandoNLD
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01 Apr 2023, 10:05 am

Solitary stroll through the park, the woods or just down an uncrowded city street. I also have a confidante (in my possibly NT brother) who always seems to reset my energy/morale.