Tips to make life easier

Overwhelm is a huge problem for me too. Noise and too many people too close are examples which can send my head into chaos when out and about, I can become shouty and put myself in danger, but the purely internal things are actually worse for me.

So if I have too many administrative functions to deal with, or any stress in the family, or any of the four cats a poorly I function less and less well and eventually give up trying at all. Fortunately my wife picks up the load. 

Yet its the interoperception which is the worst.  You may or may not know this word but could well experience it. It is (for example) on waking suddenly I sense all my bodily functions crying out for attention SIMULTANEOUSLY - need the loo, I need my meds, my mouth is dry, I have pain from the fibromyalgia, I cant see well, I want light but not too much, Im thirsty and hungry. The trick with all this is to sequence it with the worst or most important from a safety perspective (sight in particular) in an order which enables me get through it all. It has taken a long time of trial and error to work it out. 

So your writing things down is great, often its the best way to explain as it gives me time to work out exactly what I want to say. I generally wear the Hidden Disabilities lanyard stating I am autistic, this can be incredibly useful as shop staff are generally now trained to recognise it and in some supermarkets recognise an autistic person in distress, in one of the big ones Ive been taken by a member of staff away from the queue to a quieter and queue less area to process my trolley.

And of late Im increasingly aware that trying harder to sleep more is really helping. So for example, last night I woke about 5:30 and by the time Id dealt with the interoperception I described above it was gone 6. Usually Id get up at that point but in recent weeks Ive been trying to go back to bed and sleep more. Obviously the extra sleep is good in itself, but I think too it gives my meds chance to work in peace rather than while busying myself with chores or my special interests. 

Good luck and I hope some of my reply is helpful 

xxx

Unknown said:

Overwhelm is a huge problem for me too.

Unknown said:

Yet its the interoperception which is the worst.

Your response is really useful,  , I'm sure for many of us! All my 72 years and I'd never heard of this term, yet experienced it often . For example, a huge problem with over-eating, especially when anxious, as I can't tell when I'm full. That led to diabetes 2. Also, like you, waking with my brain exploding like a box of fireworks and overwhelming me. I now take a deep breath or two, get my books of lists and work out the day's activities, with a short Daily Stoic exercise bookending the day. I find it far easier than when I was working, feeling exhausted and overwhelmed yet having 'to get on with it' to earn money.

Unknown said:

writing things down is great

Writing a 'to do' list, every day, has become vital; then working through methodically but slowly; 'ticking' each as a visual checklist.  How detailed the list is, depends on the day's level of function. 

Unknown said:

I generally wear the Hidden Disabilities lanyard

I wear this when I need to 'identify' myself, for comfort. I like 'spotting' others wearing it, though I don't react. It's, to me, being part of a group without having to do or say anything [another reason I used to attend football matches].

Unknown said:

Obviously the extra sleep is good in itself,

Some days I can now sleep most of the day. It's not only for body rest but resting the brain too.

Unknown said:

Overwhelm is a huge problem for me too.

Unknown said:

Yet its the interoperception which is the worst.

Your response is really useful,  , I'm sure for many of us! All my 72 years and I'd never heard of this term, yet experienced it often . For example, a huge problem with over-eating, especially when anxious, as I can't tell when I'm full. That led to diabetes 2. Also, like you, waking with my brain exploding like a box of fireworks and overwhelming me. I now take a deep breath or two, get my books of lists and work out the day's activities, with a short Daily Stoic exercise bookending the day. I find it far easier than when I was working, feeling exhausted and overwhelmed yet having 'to get on with it' to earn money.

Unknown said:

writing things down is great

Writing a 'to do' list, every day, has become vital; then working through methodically but slowly; 'ticking' each as a visual checklist.  How detailed the list is, depends on the day's level of function. 

Unknown said:

I generally wear the Hidden Disabilities lanyard

I wear this when I need to 'identify' myself, for comfort. I like 'spotting' others wearing it, though I don't react. It's, to me, being part of a group without having to do or say anything [another reason I used to attend football matches].

Unknown said:

Obviously the extra sleep is good in itself,

Some days I can now sleep most of the day. It's not only for body rest but resting the brain too.