Published on 12, July, 2020
I had a bit of a meltdown today. The incident that tipped me over the edge was actually something others may not have even given much thought to, but to me it was huge. I had not long finished work for the day so the mental adjustment may have contributed to my overloaded, overwhelming feelings. Anyway, since I calmed down, I have had a severe headache and have had to fight the overwhelming urge to sleep. I wish I could cope better.
I’ve always had headaches since I was a kid because of sensory issues (eg- I’ve never been able to watch certain movies like action movies in the theatre because I’d always end up getting a headache). Right now, I get about 4-5 headaches a week on average and it’s usually because of loud noises, bright lights, stress or less sleep. I had read about sensory issues and how they lead to meltdowns in autistic people and I always knew I was more sensitive but I never related to the meltdown aspect of ASD. I’ve had a few (like when I start crying because noises or lights are too overwhelming) but it’s never been as intense as has been described by other autistic people. Most of the time, I’ll just get a headache and have to remove myself from the situation so that could be one reason I don’t get meltdowns too often but I was wondering if anyone else with autism also experiences this.