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criss
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06 Aug 2009, 3:50 am

Since my AS Dx two years ago, I have read much about sensory issues, and how stimulation from the environment enters our brain through our eyes, ears, skin, nose and mouths.

I understand how our nervous systems pass this information around our brain and body by the use of neurotransmitters. Being flooded by such information and the subsequent chemical reactions that take place within us, can be really distressing at times, and it has been well documented here at WP the various strategies and techniques people use to dampen down and manage the hyper arousal of their nervous systems.

However, what interests me greatly, is the effect of emotional stress on the person with AS and what strategies people have found useful in this respect?

Also, I am interested if people see their neurology as something separate from their emotional selves, or weather they see their emotional and neurological selves as interwoven together, and so when one is effected the other is too?


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whitetiger
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06 Aug 2009, 6:58 am

I believe that without a firm sensory foundation (balance,) emotional regulation is impossible. I also separate sensory meltdowns from bipolar episodes, since I'm also bipolar. A meltdown is from overwhelm, usually triggered by social issues being too much or from sensory stuff. A bipolar episode can be triggered by deeper issues at times. It also lasts much longer. The thing is.. if I don't keep my sensory environment at a minimum, I set myself up for bipolar episodes, because they can build on a shaky sensory foundation.


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ChangelingGirl
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06 Aug 2009, 7:38 am

IN my experience, emotional stress and sensory overload are veyr much interconnected. When I'm sensorially overloaded, I may have an emotional meltdown, and emotional stress worsens my sensory sensitivities. I also find it easiest to use "sensory-based" relaxation techniques evenw hen under emotional stress, eg. relaxation techniques, walking it off, soothing music/sounds, etc. I am not too good at copign with this though.



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06 Aug 2009, 10:58 am

I think the nervous system/the way we process things is most likely connected to emotions. When I am stressed out or something of that nature my senses become sharper depending on the nature & level of my tension. The phrase "mind over matter" can probably be applied b/c the way our senses process things & our emotional state (all of which are controlled by our brains (including the glands which secrete hormones for emotions & stuff)) affect how our bodies feel/react and such. Probably why puberty is so rough on people on the spectrum especially (I realize its rough on everyone) (mixed up/ hyper or hypo active sensory processing/neural signals, etc. probably causes even more confusion to do with ones emotional state due to mixed signals = total chaos). I'm no expert, so if I were you I'd look this type of stuff up on my own.

Man I need to stop thinking.

p.s. I tried to post this b4 but the site gave me an error b/c I forgot to log in 1st. :lol:


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criss
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06 Aug 2009, 1:26 pm

Thank you everyone.

I found it very interesting reading your responses.

Chris


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vessel
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07 Aug 2009, 10:28 am

Interesting subject, to be sure.

I've had some personal insight in how I can rapidly "redirect" the immense build-up too much sensory input often provides, which is very basically, telling myself that this is the AS, which clears out the initial fear of not knowing why I'm in such distress. Secondly, I have this way of sort of forcing myself to a place of deeper understanding about what that suffering could lead me to, which has the affect of letting me know that THIS moment of pain and confusion has an end, and that end is beautiful; that in itself sort of forces my brain to qualm any more pain. So yes, in its most basic form, I'm using an emotion to sort of lay the tense waters shallow, and as another poster had said, "mind over matter" plays an integral role for me. If I only lived within that moment of suffering, I would be in trouble. It's a personal adaptation to allow myself a window in to what that sensitivity can give me, and in the moment of realizing, the pain becomes muted.



criss
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08 Aug 2009, 2:02 am

Thanks Vessel.

Was just searching the internet and found this little piece about my book,


http://julielonneman.blogspot.com/2009/ ... -gift.html




Those that have expressed an interest on Emotions and Sensory overload might find my book (see link above) of interest.

Chris


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"We are here on earth for a little space to learn to bear the beams of love." (William Blake)

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RedTatsu
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10 Aug 2009, 8:37 pm

I have a lot of issues with emotional overload. I have to take medication, but not even that helps entirely.
I forgot my medication this morning, and got frustrated when my mom said I was using the chopsticks wrong. She kept trying to explain, and then she got mad because I couldn't seem to understand. Later, she told me I should try harder to copy other peoples behavior so I could seem to be normal. My sister talked to me privately about how I seemed to be using AS as an excuse for everything I couldn't seem to get right. Every time I tried to argue with either of them, they got mad and started saying abusive things. I really wish I didn't have to deal with them.
So, yeah, I do have some problems with emotional overload.



Doublefrost
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11 Aug 2009, 12:06 am

criss wrote:
Thanks Vessel.

Was just searching the internet and found this little piece about my book,
Those that have expressed an interest on Emotions and Sensory overload might find my book (see link above) of interest.

Chris


So, what you're saying is you started this thread solely to attempt hawking your book on us? Just looking for a bit of clarification here. It seems rather fishy to me with how you're posting and then trying to sell a book. I was expecting someone trying to get a little back and forth discussion going here, not trying to sell a book.

As far as keeping stress down goes, avoid drama queens. To use an internet term, srsly. So, srsly. Avoid drama queens. They induce a great deal of stress when in prolonged contact with them. Hope that helped.



criss
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11 Aug 2009, 1:20 am

Doublefrost

I am keen to connect with people, and I am a wounded person reaching out to others in the hope of finding a greater quality of life, and hopefully helping others to likewise.

I have little need for material success, and if you would have read previous posts, you would have seen that I have said that I would like to give my book away completely free to anyone here at WP, and that all they need to do is send me their email address so I can send them the complete book on pdf.

Such an action is very much against my publishers advise, but very in keeping with my anarchist principles.

Chris


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"We are here on earth for a little space to learn to bear the beams of love." (William Blake)

Thank God for science, but feed me poetry please, as I am one that desires the meal & not the menu. (My own)


Last edited by criss on 11 Aug 2009, 1:32 am, edited 1 time in total.

Doublefrost
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11 Aug 2009, 1:23 am

Well, my bad then. It is true what I said about drama queens, though. Even if I didn't present the information in any sort of directly useful way. I've had a lot of basis to distrust those who may want to attempt to profit off of autistics and you've probably seen quite a bit of that yourself.

As far as the drama queens go, attempting to be aware of unmet emotional needs toward others and evaluating how you get involved with the more dramatic, needy sort under that lens could keep you out of some trouble. Sometimes, it's easy to slip when you just need to have a friend and you wind up taking one on that's the sort that thrives, nay needs to have emotional drama to be really inwardly happy. Needs to make others suffer as much as they want to outwardly appear to be suffering to you in order to attempt garnering some degree of sympathy. Which is likely to not be a huge success on that direct delivery attempt, though it will still infect the nature of the interactions involved with them and poison you in the long run.



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14 Aug 2009, 2:48 pm

I easily get sensory overload when I am crowded by people. Or when I am at an electronics store. But the sensory overload comes more often when I become the center of attention, which is unwanted of course by me. But I have learned at times to control it.

I also hate it when things don't go my way. When I can't have my favorite spot in certain places. It just bugs me that people don't know that that's "my" chair or my spot on the staircase, etc... Or how I like some of my favorite foods to made certain ways, or like a restaurant chain doesn't make my food the same way twice. Meaning I go to Jim's Restaurant some times, and if it's a different one I hate that it's a different chef. Or sometimes when I am at the same restaurant, I usually like it when I get the same waitress.



jojobean
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23 Aug 2009, 1:13 am

Red Tatsu,

You need to tell your mom and sis....normal is a setting on the washing machine.
I have a friend of mine that has a fatal attraction to "normal" guys...she married this guy, turns out to be a pediphile and a sociopath who molested her kids and got away with it cause his mother is a social worker. She blocked my friend from getting justice for her children. The judge decided to rule in favor of him in child custody...despite the incredible amount of proof she had on him.
Now she has to drop her kids of once a week to this creep so he can screw them and there is nothing she can do about it until the next child custody hearing in 2 years. She kept telling me...."he seemed so normal"

normal people or the ones who try really hard to appear normal have more to hide than those who just let it hang out, so dont let ur mom and sis emotionally beat you into a mold. Be yourself. You are beautiful the way you are.

Jojo