I need advice on coping with sensory issues.

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SteelMaiden
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27 Sep 2014, 1:55 pm

How do you cope with leaving the house?

I struggle badly with that. I cannot leave the house during school run or rush hour unless I am with a supporting person. But when I do eventually leave the house, the sky is too bright (I need darker prescription sunglasses but they cost money that I don't have). I cannot leave the house without earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones with music on them because even the sound of cars on a road sends me into mental distress. The smells of outside overwhelm me; I have to hold my breath when I walk near a bin or if there is a shop selling smelly food. If I go into central Morden, the visual overload of colours and movement necessitates me staring at the ground most of the time. I cannot go to central Wimbledon alone as Wimbledon is even worse than Morden.

Going on a bus is very hard and I have nearly been involved with the British Transport Police a few times. Going on the London Underground, no matter how much I love the London Underground map, timetables and signalling equipment, needs a support worker and earplugs AND noise-cancelling headphones, as well as sunglasses.

I haven't gone to Central London on my own for a few years now, since I was nearly escorted to a police station for what happened during a meltdown. Going to uni only happens because the government pay for me to get a nearly completely free taxi service to and from uni. I also have a government-funded full-time support worker at uni.

I have to go to Wimbledon with my mum tomorrow as there is a certain shop I need to go to badly.
Can anyone suggest how I can go there without having a catastrophic meltdown? Any tips on how to cope with a sensory assault? Wimbledon Police already know me enough.


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BirdInFlight
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27 Sep 2014, 2:13 pm

For the bright sky issues, can you feel comfortable wearing a hat that has a deep brim or bill? I'm troubled by the brightness of the sky even on cloudy days, and I wear hats to shade my eyes and face. A deep-brimmed hat over my eyes also helps me feel psychologically "protected" from the world in a similar way that sunglasses do.

If you tip your head down with a deep brim hat or cap on, you can't even see people around you, just the ground. I wear baseball caps, straw hats and visors in the summer, and a woolly beret hat but one with a "peak" or bill to shade my eyes, in the winter. Anything that overhangs my face seems to comfort me, shade me from brighntess, and also block out my view of people when I need it to.

When you go tomorrow, definitely strive to avoid the school letting out and letting in times. Be sure to make the visit between those hours. Also, I check on school term times, as I don't go somewhere if I find that it's a school holiday and lots of children might be in that location, shop, park, etc. I don't hate kids, it's just the noise and sometimes unpredictable behavior that startles me.



SteelMaiden
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27 Sep 2014, 2:18 pm

BirdInFlight wrote:
For the bright sky issues, can you feel comfortable wearing a hat that has a deep brim or bill? I'm troubled by the brightness of the sky even on cloudy days, and I wear hats to shade my eyes and face. A deep-brimmed hat over my eyes also helps me feel psychologically "protected" from the world in a similar way that sunglasses do.

If you tip your head down with a deep brim hat or cap on, you can't even see people around you, just the ground. I wear baseball caps, straw hats and visors in the summer, and a woolly beret hat but one with a "peak" or bill to shade my eyes, in the winter. Anything that overhangs my face seems to comfort me, shade me from brighntess, and also block out my view of people when I need it to.

When you go tomorrow, definitely strive to avoid the school letting out and letting in times. Be sure to make the visit between those hours. Also, I check on school term times, as I don't go somewhere if I find that it's a school holiday and lots of children might be in that location, shop, park, etc. I don't hate kids, it's just the noise and sometimes unpredictable behavior that startles me.


Thanks. I'll get my baseball cap out and wear that tomorrow.

It will be Sunday tomorrow so busy, but I don't have any choice as my mum works during the week. I have sensory issues around clothes so there aren't many shops I can buy trousers from.

I'm considering taking Clonazepam and extra Olanzapine before I go out.

This outing is guaranteed to induce diplopia and migraines...


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DevilKisses
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27 Sep 2014, 2:27 pm

There are some diets that can actually reduce your sensory issues.


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SteelMaiden
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27 Sep 2014, 2:32 pm

DevilKisses wrote:
There are some diets that can actually reduce your sensory issues.


Can you suggest any? I am a strict vegetarian which won't change though.


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JSBACHlover
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27 Sep 2014, 3:48 pm

Hi, Steel. Seems like you have it rough.

I always wear very dark sunglasses, and I use cologne that I like so that I can "control" my smell environment. I also bring headphones with me so that I can either play Classical music or white noise. Try to control what you can control. Also this is big:
Practice keeping your head up, so that the "weight" of all the people (their "presence") will slide below your neck and around your body and won't be pushing down on your head and shoulders.

Tell me how you do!


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BirdInFlight
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27 Sep 2014, 4:42 pm

Oops -- I forgot it was Sunday tomorrow, and there I was going on about school hours! :oops: :lol:

At least that's one thing that won't be a factor. I hope you do okay; just bring or do or wear everything you can to control what you can control, as others have said.



bungleton
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27 Sep 2014, 7:11 pm

What a relavent topic!

I'm going back to work today, Sundays are the busiest day of the week. I am a kitchenhand and work in a very small, cramped space. I have had the last week off sick as I became worried for my safety and of those around me. The noise was unbearable and people blocking me into the corner saw my anxiety levels rising to unacceptable levels, which resulted in me screaming at people and having to use my entire being to stop from throwing things around, flipping trolleys etc.

How can I help to manage the aspect of being around other people? I have bought some decent earplugs which has worked relatively well in the past, but I'm not looking forward to the possibility of being stuck in the corner again. Thanks :)



DevilKisses
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27 Sep 2014, 7:29 pm

SteelMaiden wrote:
DevilKisses wrote:
There are some diets that can actually reduce your sensory issues.


Can you suggest any? I am a strict vegetarian which won't change though.

I haven't had sensory issues in a long time, but the raw diet can be helpful for detoxing the body and brain. Maybe you should talk to goldfish21. He reduced his sensory issues with his diet.


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EzraS
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27 Sep 2014, 7:38 pm

I absolutely love walking around downtown where I live now....But....I need a support person, a hat, sunglasses and ear buds. My dad alternates between walking me on the sidewalks and taking me down quieter alleys (my town has an alley for every street :) ). That's the only way I can cope with it so far. Wish I had a a good suggestion for you.



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27 Sep 2014, 7:39 pm

I'm sorry I couldn't offer you advice as I don't have sensory issues like that, but I have a younger brother who has very severe sensory issues and he has meltdowns almost every day.

The problem with him is that he's very low functioning and he can't speak, so we never know what's bothering him. He refuses to wear anything that's unfamiliar to him, so it's impossible to introduce him to ear plugs or sunglasses. He just slaps it off my hand when I try to introduce him to it.

My question to you is - can you identify with my brother for not wanting to wear sunglasses or ear plugs? Do you know if there might be any reason other than the fact that they're unfamiliar?



NicholasName
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27 Sep 2014, 7:57 pm

Sensory integration therapy from an experienced occupational therapist would do you a world of good.

Do you find pressure calming? I can't go out unless I'm wearing shapewear and/or tights.

I need darker sunglasses and can't afford them too, but the previous suggestions of a hat might work.

As for smells, if I breathe only through my mouth a certain way so that no air is going in or out of my nose, it completely or almost completely eliminates my sense of smell. I don't know how to explain it. It sort of feels like contracting the muscles in your soft palate.

I have no idea what to do about visual overload (other than staring at the ground as you mentioned). The best I can do with that is stim and hope it's enough to prevent a meltdown.


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Raleigh
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28 Sep 2014, 3:29 pm

I know this probably won't help now because it takes practise:

Have you tried My Left Foot meditation? The challenge is remembering to do it when you're in such an anxious state. You could maybe try it next time you're on the bus. You can also do it while walking.

http://mindfitmove.com/2014/05/16/secre ... s-anxiety/

It's weird how this works. It seems to help. Does take practise though.


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