Sixty and just diagnosed

Hi IzzyMadd 

Autism per se won't I suspect have been what put you in hospital although I think I get what you mean based on how messed up I was at the time of diagnosis age 58.

Are you able to say what it is that you need coping with?  e.g. what are other people telling you and what are you telling yourself...     Might help to target the strategies,

Hehe, I've found people mostly friendly here!

Best Wishes

At the moment I need with everything I had my first recognised meltdown three weeks ago. I don't know warnings triggers, coping strategies absolutely nothing that's what's so terrifying 

If you've not had one before, it suggests it's due to your current state. Once your nervous system calms down and you get more regulated you will be better able to cope.

If you think of yourself like a jug, at the moment you're filled up almost to the top. So any stress makes it overflow. If you ease off and it recalibrates, when you're calm the level is much lower, so things don't cause so much trouble.

If you do have one, all you can really do is remove yourself from the causes of the stress and try to calm down, e.g. breathing exercises. It will be hard to think straight as you are in fight or flight mode (which also has freeze and fawn).

You might not get much warning if you are dysregulated at the moment. It is best to try to avoid things which are stressful. Pay attention to you body. If you shoulders rise, it's stress. If you start breathing from your chest, i.e. your stomach is not moving, it's stress, your heart rate may go up, or it may beat harder, I can feel it in my throat, you may start sweating (clammy hands) or feel hot, or you have a knot under your sternum. Noises might seem louder, it might be hard to put up with something you could put up with before. Even if you don't feel stressed these will show that your nervous system is responding. 

Thanks for so much great advice 

At the moment my jug is underwater I think, lol, but you have described my situation to a T. Sadly it seems just at the moment that I'm constantly how you describe. As everything is a trigger at the moment. Even the shear volume of support. It's so much to take in but it's so great as well. But great 

Thanks for so much great advice 

At the moment my jug is underwater I think, lol, but you have described my situation to a T. Sadly it seems just at the moment that I'm constantly how you describe. As everything is a trigger at the moment. Even the shear volume of support. It's so much to take in but it's so great as well. But great