Overactive Brain & Hypersensitive

I haven’t been sleeping the best lately. I know some people with autism don’t sleep well, I don’t know why that would be. In my case it’s where my brain never really switches off – I lay down and I’m still wide awake, thinking about all sorts of different things like a little robin I saw on a fence or what I could have said when my neighbour tried to chit-chat with me.

I have AuDHD and I am obsessing over everything. My brain just won’t stop. It’s a bit of a gift and a curse. It has its good points, I can obsess over things I find interesting but the downside is when I obsess over things that aren’t so good for me.

Today I spent some time outside and it was awful. A leaf fell on me, I washed my arm so much since and have been looking up skin reactions caused by leaves, even though I clearly haven’t had a reaction.

Twit!

Then the other day some mud landed on my hand – I was gardening at the time – I always wear gloves, even when I’m not gardening but somehow this mud somersaulted and crept inside my glove. I had a meltdown after and it took a long time to calm back down after.

I hate anything touching my skin! Even gusts of wind trigger my AuDHD and OCD. It’s the weirdest thing and nobody else gets why I get so affected by these seemingly small things. No one in my family understands autism, I get the comments

Get over it. Grow up. Pathetic.

I know I'm hypersensitive but it's the autism.

But if I tell people that they say I'm using it as an excuse and I'm like why would I? Why would anybody? I don't enjoy being like this, it's definitely not by choice.

Am I the only one who is affected by things against their skin? I know I can't be yet I feel so alone with this. I wish people would understand rather than judge straight of the bat. I can't say in words how this affects me but it hits me like a storm when it does.

Parents

Homebird 1 month ago

I can relate to OCDs and also sleep difficulties. It is difficult when others don't understand.

With sleep sometimes it is worries, but other times it is just ordinary things like your robin. It is frustrating. Sometimes I can tell myself to switch off and find something boring like repeating a word and that works. Sometimes I get up briefly or go to listen to calming music. Sometimes nothing really helps, so recently I have started to tell myself that however little sleep, I get it is better than none so I don't start worrying about not falling asleep. That way I usually get some.

I wish there was an answer. I try to work out small steps to improve things which helps a bit.
Resonance 30 days ago in reply to Homebird

Homebird said:
I wish there was an answer. I try to work out small steps to improve things which helps a bit.

This is a good method and I'm glad to hear it's been working for you. I will give this a try for myself as well, hope it works for me too.

Have you tried having a warm bath before going to bed? I read about this and it works for some but not others, like most things I suppose. I suffer with a painful stomach because of IBD and this also makes sleeping difficult sometimes. A warm bath sometimes helps.

Reply

Resonance 30 days ago in reply to Homebird

Homebird said:
I wish there was an answer. I try to work out small steps to improve things which helps a bit.

This is a good method and I'm glad to hear it's been working for you. I will give this a try for myself as well, hope it works for me too.

Have you tried having a warm bath before going to bed? I read about this and it works for some but not others, like most things I suppose. I suffer with a painful stomach because of IBD and this also makes sleeping difficult sometimes. A warm bath sometimes helps.

Children

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