Hi. I am a 36yr old female with AS and like a lot of people on the spectrum I hate being hugged or touched in anyway.
The problem I am having is how to convey this to other people. I don't no why but people just seem to hug me without asking. This can be anyone from relatives to total strangers and now I am angry and confused.
When anyone touches me or gets into my personal space I experience sensory overload and an overhwlming sense of fear. Unfortunately, because I have difficulty in predicting what the other person will do, they often grab hold of me before I have had chance to stop them
My gut reaction is to lash out at them as my reflexes are completely hyper but I know that this is not acceptable. How do I let them know that I don't like to be touched and for those that do it without asking, how can I react to them without being aggressive. I need to be able to stop them before the event happens but I don;t know how - short of wearing a "do not touch" sign on my head!
I am getting as I don't want to go out alone now for fear of getting into difficulties but staying in alll day makes me angry and frustrated.
Any help would be greatly appreciated as I am just about at the end of my tether
Many thanks
lol