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My Wildlife holidays.

Zo
1 month ago

Iv decided to do a forum on my wildlife holidays where I can tell you about my holiday rather than just sending pictures 

cause iv been on lots of them this year rather than only sending photos. also proper  trips il tell you about and add photos to go with it on this post aswell.  cause it will be easyer and better for me but is also  for holidays cause im going on lots of holidays this year and it deserves its own thread in this sense. 

my first holiday I went on this year was Wales. I went to Snowdonia near the national park 

we saw a lamma and a  pony

with  the view we got from the cottage we stayed in was of the sea 

Jackdaws perched on the buildings when we watched tv we went for a walk and I got great pictures of the moutains 

you could see them on the beach outline at the beach the waves I saw a literally called gray heron fly past 

the waves crashed against the rocks and became fully submerged until they broke and forced its way over.  my long lens saved my life by getting me up close enough to photograph the waders and I saw Great crested grebes.

back at the cottage herring gulls at Jackdaws

 the next day we went to the waterfalls I saw yellow gorse.

the water level was high but not flooded. it was a adventure and the gorse made it look colourful

it was massive then we went down the mountain the next day we went to the sea again and I saw a cormerent. there was lots of bladder wrack which is a type of seaweed. 

seaweed are actualy a type of algae. some can surve out the water for a certain period of time. others dont survive as well it depends on the type cause theres different types of seaweed. 

this one is normaly mistake for seaweed but is actualy a type of animal instead 

in July 

im very used to wildlife watching in the uk and while I have been to menorca I havnt wildlife watched there cause I didnt have an interest in Wildlife then so this was my first time wildlife watching in a different country. 

I allways have to wear ear defenders when i go to the air port but they had disability asistance. I had to improvise cause the person that supports me that went with me hasnt gone on holiday with me before and didnt know what to say or do with my sensory challanges at the airport. the person that was with me said she thinks il be fine but I knew cause of my autism cant deal with crowds so I said I have autism and I dont like crowds so would it be ok to go where its less busy or quiter and so she took me through. there was a point where we wernt sure if I had to take my ear defenders off at the part where you have to walk through and them see if you got metal on you so I asked the lady there if I could keep them on and she went off to ask the person behind the thing you have to walk through. I was very anxious at this point. it was time to put our items on the coveyerbelt and walk through the metal thing. The person with me for the holiday and me still didnt know so I was panicing inside and i was told to take them off by the person taking me which i was reluctant to do but the plaine lady came over and thumbed up us saying not to take them off and that  i can keep them on and we went through. the flight was delayed by an hour. but it was no ones fault cause they had to help somone who couldnt walk onto the plane. so we walked and stopped every 5 minutes so people were joking about that and inpatient at the same time. eventually we got on though at last. I filmed the take off and we went over the bay of biscay on the way to Tenerife 

when landing I saw mount tede from above the clouds.

the next day I saw a canarian chiffchaff 

and I saw a Spanish sparrow for the first time. they were breeding at the hotel.

but one of my biggest highlights was snorkeling for the very first time

and the dolphins which i got to see for the very first time

 and mount tede a active volcano with many species only found on that mountain I saw crystal on a rock 

that was the last day. the next day we went on a trip but when it came to packing bags for the trip. I put my bag with the plastic bag on it ontop of my suitcase then gave it to her with the plastic bag on it but took it off and thought that she was going to put the bag in cause it didnt only have my stuff in the bag and as far as I knew the plastic bag was in the boot but at some point in the journey I wondered where the bag was and thought it might be in the boot cause i couldnt see it in the back. we checked the boot and it wasnt there. 

my ear defenders got left behind which was problomatic cause the person with me wasnt willing to go back and get the ear defenders and  soon we had to go to the air port. I was highly anxious and I found it diffucult getting her to understand the why it is important enough that we do have to go back anf get them we bought some silenceing headphones as an emergancy cause otherwise I wouldnt of been able to get on the plane. we went through disability asisstance. the plane was delayed by a couple of hours and we wernt able to get on until midnight. a teenager had a go in a wheelchair and a little boy was going up and down a slope behind me which i found acted as visual stimulation and made my anxiety worse. it isnt thetre fault its just cause im autistic but thanfuly things did cam down and at 12 o'clock we  lined up and got on the plane and came back to the uk by 4 or 5 oclock in the morning. 

Parents
  • 2 hours ago

    out of curiosity does anyone ever get this  sort of thing it usualy happens when im anxious I can display repeatative behaviors but by that i mean things like needing to open and close a cupboard a certain way like it needs to be shut a certain way or if I put a plate in the cupboard they need to be catogarised. plate with the plates.

     bowls with the bowls big bowls then small bowls after in a certain way and certain position. crisps even though they all look the same to everyone else im very choosy when getting crisps at the shop or anything at the shop even though they all look thr same i need to choose the one on the right or a certain packet in the row otherwise my brain exspects if i pick the one  in the middle then whicheber anxiety im anxious about could happen. if Mums poorly she could get worse or some other anxiety like a baby or toddler starting to cry cause of my hearing or anything im anxious about anywhere at all and if i pick the middle my mind unconciously becomes convinced my anxiety is genuinely going to come true or happen so It then is compulsary  to pick the one on the right for example. when my anxiety is at its worst I can end up standing there forever and not pick any. 

    when it comes to choosing a packet from my crisp back it has to be a specific one wherevet it is in the pack or have to choose between two so that my brain can weigh up the risks of any of my anxietys happening depending on which packet i choose otherwise i become very anxious ifni pick the wrong one and i have to put them in a certain way. 

    or if my room was in a certain order when something stressful happened durinf that time period or ocured every time by coincidance my brain percieves it as a threat and feells like it needs to change the order of my things and it must stay that way otherwise it could happen again so they cant be in the same order or look the same as when it coured or my brain becomes convinced if will happen again its like my brain interprets itself as being in the same situation unless it doesnt look the same as the situation the stressful event cocured in. it can get really bad where i cant put anything in any place or any order at all if im very very anxious and things like having to put thinggs a certain way and or repeat certain things a certaim amount of times either actions or words can become exausfing if say it lasts half an hour, an hour or more than that which it can do at its worst. at its mildest only 5 minutes but it usualy only sets of if im particularly anxious and usualy out of nowhere and at anytime so it isnt all the time but when it does how many days it goes on for and how many times a day varys when its really bad it can become exausting but its a way of coping my brain developed when i was little but it was more subtle when i was younger i would have to repeat certain gestures people may consider odd or certaim words so that my brain is reassured and if i dont its convinced my anxietys will genuinly happen. I was just wondering if any other autostic people have similar coping mechanisms to this or not 

Reply
  • 2 hours ago

    out of curiosity does anyone ever get this  sort of thing it usualy happens when im anxious I can display repeatative behaviors but by that i mean things like needing to open and close a cupboard a certain way like it needs to be shut a certain way or if I put a plate in the cupboard they need to be catogarised. plate with the plates.

     bowls with the bowls big bowls then small bowls after in a certain way and certain position. crisps even though they all look the same to everyone else im very choosy when getting crisps at the shop or anything at the shop even though they all look thr same i need to choose the one on the right or a certain packet in the row otherwise my brain exspects if i pick the one  in the middle then whicheber anxiety im anxious about could happen. if Mums poorly she could get worse or some other anxiety like a baby or toddler starting to cry cause of my hearing or anything im anxious about anywhere at all and if i pick the middle my mind unconciously becomes convinced my anxiety is genuinely going to come true or happen so It then is compulsary  to pick the one on the right for example. when my anxiety is at its worst I can end up standing there forever and not pick any. 

    when it comes to choosing a packet from my crisp back it has to be a specific one wherevet it is in the pack or have to choose between two so that my brain can weigh up the risks of any of my anxietys happening depending on which packet i choose otherwise i become very anxious ifni pick the wrong one and i have to put them in a certain way. 

    or if my room was in a certain order when something stressful happened durinf that time period or ocured every time by coincidance my brain percieves it as a threat and feells like it needs to change the order of my things and it must stay that way otherwise it could happen again so they cant be in the same order or look the same as when it coured or my brain becomes convinced if will happen again its like my brain interprets itself as being in the same situation unless it doesnt look the same as the situation the stressful event cocured in. it can get really bad where i cant put anything in any place or any order at all if im very very anxious and things like having to put thinggs a certain way and or repeat certain things a certaim amount of times either actions or words can become exausfing if say it lasts half an hour, an hour or more than that which it can do at its worst. at its mildest only 5 minutes but it usualy only sets of if im particularly anxious and usualy out of nowhere and at anytime so it isnt all the time but when it does how many days it goes on for and how many times a day varys when its really bad it can become exausting but its a way of coping my brain developed when i was little but it was more subtle when i was younger i would have to repeat certain gestures people may consider odd or certaim words so that my brain is reassured and if i dont its convinced my anxietys will genuinly happen. I was just wondering if any other autostic people have similar coping mechanisms to this or not 

Children
  • 1 hour ago in reply to Zo

    This is all quite 'normal' for us. I don't have learning difficulties, but have similar things. If I don't even do them, I still have the urge to do them.

    Worrying about things like your mum being poorly and imagining the worst outcome is called "catastrophising". I know that I do this a lot

    This is a BBC article about it

    https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220725-catastrophising-how-toxic-thinking-can-lead-down-dark-path

    So it is 'normal' for us (and non-autistics can do it too), but it still isn't good for our mental health.

    Here are some techniques that I found that may help. Maybe just look at one or two of these instead of trying to look at all of them

    1. Reality Checking (Evidence-Based Thinking)

    • Ask yourself: “What evidence do I have that this worst-case scenario will happen?”
    • Write down the facts that support or contradict your catastrophic thoughts. This helps distance yourself from emotions and look at the situation more rationally.

    2. Decatastrophizing

    • Ask, “What is the worst thing that could happen?” Then, ask, “If the worst happens, how will I cope?”
    • Often, when you break it down, the worst-case scenario isn’t as bad as it first seemed, and you can see ways to handle it.

    3. Focus on the Present

    • Ground yourself by paying attention to your immediate environment, focusing on what is happening now instead of worrying about the future.
    • Use mindfulness techniques like deep breathing, or focus on the sensations in your body to anchor yourself to the present moment.

    4. Challenge “What Ifs”

    • Replace “What if this terrible thing happens?” with “What if things turn out okay or even better than I expect?”
    • This shifts your perspective toward more balanced possibilities rather than focusing solely on negative outcomes.

    5. Set Small Action Steps

    • If you’re worried about a specific outcome, break down the situation into smaller, manageable parts. Ask yourself, “What can I do now to help prevent this?”
    • Taking action, even in small ways, helps you regain a sense of control and reduces anxiety.

    6. Distance Yourself from Your Thoughts

    • Practice labeling your thoughts: “I am having a thought that something bad will happen,” rather than assuming it’s true.
    • This reminds you that thoughts are just thoughts—not facts.

    7. Positive Reframing

    • Ask yourself, “What’s a more positive or neutral way to look at this situation?”
    • Reframing the problem in a less negative light can help reduce the intensity of your fear or anxiety.

    8. Limit Time Spent on Worrying

    • Set aside a specific “worry time” for a few minutes each day. During this time, allow yourself to think through the worries but then let them go once the time is up.
    • This keeps catastrophic thinking contained instead of taking over your entire day.

    9. Use Physical Grounding Techniques

    • If you feel overwhelmed, simple physical grounding techniques like pressing your feet into the floor, squeezing your hands, or focusing on your breath can bring your mind back from spiraling thoughts.

    10. Talk It Out

    • Share your thoughts with a friend, family member, or therapist. Sometimes, vocalizing your worries helps you gain perspective and hear a more realistic take on the situation.

    Incorporating some of these strategies can help manage catastrophizing and reduce its impact on your daily life. It takes practice, but over time, these tools can make a big difference in how you respond to stress and uncertainty.