Medical Phobias and Access to Mental and Physical Health Care

Hysteria and self harm certainly is counter productive. When it crashes down on me through, it's like some other monster taking over.  Not a conscious choice.  Can't even tell you what's going on except it's an overload of terror.

No - I have my wife to do the talking and I have my 'quirks' to get me through the event - I find hysteria is counterproductive so I found things that occupy the input receptors in my brain - almost like deliberately overloading all of my inputs so I can 'glide' through the trauma.

Pulling hair - directly connected to brain.

Rubbing head - tingles and creates loud noise in ears and 'stims' my fingers - direct to brain.

Crying - clenching eyes - release of stress and direct to brain.

Jiggling legs - setting up jiggle-waves in my flesh - finding a resonant frequency for the brain to lock into.

Talking to me fast and challenging me - direct to brain - like setting a search-program continually running in my data-banks to overpower any other 'distress' programs trying to run.

All this allows me to be like a blob of clay - as long as they are ready and quick, I can force myself to get through almost anything - even multiple ultrasound-guided biopsies.   

I literally tell them what's going to happen and that I won't flinch as long as they are ready to go - the nurses usually engage me with something simple like Disney holidays of falconry or radio-pharmaceutical manufacturing or satellite production or nuclear physics.   

LOL.  The memory thing seems to be one of the few traits I don't appear to have.  Shame.  If I have to have the detriments, I want all the good bits too.  I do have Data like analytical skills though.

Did you get any help, other than from your wife, to manage these situations?  I'm sick of doctors shouting at me because I can't comply and my husband is worn out trying to negotiate with medical people whilst also managing my hysteria.

The biggest problem is my bright, cheery persona and eloquent, never-changing voice - it makes them think nothing is wrong.     It's a well-known fact that because of this communication problem, ASD people are often denied pain killers until it so severe our mask can't hide it any longer.

I am literally like Data - I have an eidetic memory and I know everything about everything.    Total nerd.

Oh my God!  Then I am really not the only one.  I am recognising ALL of this.

BTW Data is one of favourite Star Trek characters.  I wonder why that is?  Lol

I have a lot of medical phobias - needles, blood - basically anyone wanting to do things to me. 

I'm mid 50s - I come across as a jolly nice chap - think Hugh Grant meets Commander Data.

My wife comes with me as a carer - if things get bad I lose the ability to communicate coherently so she can interpret for me.         

I tend to do odd things when stressed  - like pull my own hair or rub the top of my head or cry or jiggle my legs - I just tell them beforehand what might happen and not to pay attention to anything weird - but if I tell them to stop, they must stop.

I also ask them to talk to me - about anything - just to distract my brain - the more challenging the conversation, the more I can tolerate discomfort..

They are happier because it means I can get through the event without running away - and I give them all something to talk about..