Published on 12, July, 2020
Like most with autism I dont like change and I am finding everything really overwhelming and was wondering how others were coping?
It may seem daft but I am not worried about catching it, well obviously I don’t want to catch it but I am not anxious and thinking that I am going to catch it. It’s the lockdown and lack of routine that is sending me mad. I have my set routines and now I have to stay in I cant follow my weekly routines and this is what is causing me the stress. I do feel like your going to think I am being selfish as all I have to do is stay at home and others are putting their lives at risk, I just cant snap out of it.
A few years ago I had bit of a breakdown when things changed too much and it made me really ill, I am worried this may happen again, I live on my own and am really considering ignoring all the rules and just getting out of here but I no that is wrong and I think the stress of breaking the rules would then cause me an issue.
maybe I am over reacting, what is everybody else doing to get through this?, anybody else struggling too?
Hello there.
I myself have been struggling to cope with certain aspects of my lifestyle since the lockdown began. I live on my own, and whether I go shopping, watch TV, listen to the radio or whatever, it is very difficult to completely avoid seeing or hearing any news headline, advert or whatever with the word 'coronavirus' in it. If I was shopping in a convenience store, which I find easier than shopping in a major supermarket at the moment, I would get visually distracted by those newspapers. Furthermore, if I was to not talk about coronavirus yourself, someone near me would do so with other people, and it gets so stressful.
The way in which I am at least trying to cope with the anxiety of the reduced-service or closed facilities such as cafes and restaurants is by replicating those experiences at home. I would get some supplies of the beverage drinks and refreshments that most closely resemble what I would have ordered at a Costa Coffee, Caffe Nero, Starbucks or whatever, and put some music on in the background. All adverts and news bulletins in the background would be reduced to just above zero, so that the speech is edited out, but I would still hear the next song, which would prompt me to increase the volume. Replicating a restaurant meal is easy - by getting whatever supermarket foods resemble my favourite meals. Things like chicken dippers, burgers, burger buns, chips and chilled drinks should be easily obtainable, even from the convenience stores.
Anyone who is interested in buses or trains can soon search for some useful videos on the YouTube website. I would actually recommend watching any terrestrial programmes (BBC1, BBC2, ITV or Channel 4) on catchup, using the BBC iPlayer, ITV Player or All4. You might end up watching the programmes slightly later than originally broadcast, but there will be no newsflashes. Specialist channels such as Challenge TV (game shows) do not broadcast news bulletins, so anyone that has a specific interest in game shows can watch them on that channel.
All of the things I have done recently are not just for the present, but for the future, such as in the unlikeliest case of another coronavirus crisis occurring in the future. If my experiences and tips are useful to you, or any other forum members, so much the better.
One thing that was getting to me is a change of routine. I would not have said I am a 100% routine sort of person, but somehow the routine of driving in the countryside if stressed and other changes like that are getting to me. Not in a major way but they are.
I did not think I did routines until my youngest brother pointed something out. "Why do you always have to do things a certain way? Like you have to hang the garage locks in their shackles if you open them etc. You have lots of things like that that must be done a certain way and you are not pleased with us if we do different".
It was then when I realized what is meant by autistic routines. I had always assumed that every aspect of the day had to be planned and stuck to, and when I was working I actually was like that to some extent.. (Not to a major extent, but I dis not like surprizes. I would jot like it if the order of the bikes I was fixing or assembling got changed from the order on the list as somehow it mattered? Yes, I could alter things... But it could throw me and I would have to re-assess my whole list from the start and mentally start again...
I hated it when I was interupted half way through a job where I was asked to help with another job. I am a "One job at a time" sort of person when I am in work if that makes sense? Yes I can fit rhings in and alter, but it can throw me.