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Sensory Overload

Moogle

Hello, 

I do not yet have a diagnosis, so I'm not sure if it's ok to post on here. Please let me know if it's not and I'll remove my message.

I had my ASD assessment 3 weeks ago, and I'm awaiting the report, but things seem to be getting more and more unmanageable. Sensory overload in particular, especially noise. I just wondered if anybody may have some advice please? I wear ear plugs all the time and sometimes defenders too. But I find myself so worn out all the time for so much sensory input, leading to meltdowns and leaving very little if anything to give. I have recently moved house and so anxiety is definitely alot worse at the moment, could things being more heightened be linked with stress in some way? Forgive me if this is an obvious question. 

Thank you 

Parents

  • Stress would definitely heighten things, any noises in your new home are new to you and you don't yet know what they all mean, so your brain is in overdrive processing them all. Is the new place nice? Is it quiet? If the move was positive then you can hope for things to settle down as you get used to it. If the move was for unhappy reasons or to a less good place then that will be making things worse too.

    Try to make your new home as beneficial to your senses as possible. If you have free rein then that's great, but even if all you can do is make a little sensory corner to retreat to then that is useful. It might be possible to find a way to soundproof at least part of it? If it is somewhere which is just too loud all the time then can you try to go somewhere quiet each day to recharge, maybe in nature or a library or museum?

    It's fine to post here as self diagnosed, pre diagnosis or fully diagnosed, or even non-autistic but wanting to know more!

Reply

  • Stress would definitely heighten things, any noises in your new home are new to you and you don't yet know what they all mean, so your brain is in overdrive processing them all. Is the new place nice? Is it quiet? If the move was positive then you can hope for things to settle down as you get used to it. If the move was for unhappy reasons or to a less good place then that will be making things worse too.

    Try to make your new home as beneficial to your senses as possible. If you have free rein then that's great, but even if all you can do is make a little sensory corner to retreat to then that is useful. It might be possible to find a way to soundproof at least part of it? If it is somewhere which is just too loud all the time then can you try to go somewhere quiet each day to recharge, maybe in nature or a library or museum?

    It's fine to post here as self diagnosed, pre diagnosis or fully diagnosed, or even non-autistic but wanting to know more!

Children
  • in reply to AuTriker

    Hello, I hope you are doing ok today. 

    Thank you so much for your reply, I really appreciate it. The house move is actually a positive, or at least I can see it being that way once things are settled. It's much much quieter than the last place, which was part of the reason for the move. So hopefully  once the changes become familiar, things will calm down there. 

    Oo a sensory area is a brilliant idea, thank you. I'm sure I speak for many when I say I'm so used to masking that I even mask when I'm by myself. But actually having a sensory area at home could really help with that. 

    Thank you again, I shall spend some time today creating that space. 

    Thank you for the reassurance about posting here. I wasn't sure what the rules are, so thank you for that.

    Take care Blush