Published on 12, July, 2020
I had to go into work this morning and deal with a customer, I can act really slick and spend 15 minutes talking in a way I’m expected to. It leaves me drained, my wife was with me and we went to the nearest supermarket afterwards, I know in hindsight, I shouldn’t have gone. The supermarket was very busy, I started to lose words in sentences and spike.
What I have noticed is in the entrances, there is always a charity collection, last week they had covered 3 different entrance points, I’ve noticed, the same people are there for different charities. What I really struggle with is that they actually approach people and ask for a few minutes of time, I find it a big struggle to engage, it’s hard sell. I can’t blurt it out to them but, I’m autistic, please leave me alone. They don’t want some change, they want a direct debit signup. It can upset my day for hours. I can leave feeling physically sick. Has anyone else had to deal with this?
Look straight ahead, focus on where you're going and be oblivious to them. As if you're wearing blinkers. When it's clear you're not going to engage they'll soon move onto the next person.
By the time I get to the supermarket entrance I'm always wearing my earplugs or noise cancelling headphones. I cannot cope with any interruptions to my focus and supermarkets are stressful enough to start with. It may seem harsh but I choose which charities to give to in my own time and in my own way.