I think I'm about to have an overstimulation meltdown

Lounge
1

As a kid and a teen, I’d sometimes have meltdowns if I had too much external stimuli while not having the energy to deal with it.
It’s why the doctors thought I had ADHD, and why my mum and I think I’m autistic.

I haven’t had such a tantrum in many, many years, but I have a feeling in my body I used to get before they came on, and I can’t remember how I learned to prevent them.
I’m low on energy today and my mental capacity is spent

I’m trying to calm myself down by controlling my stimuli and listening to loud music through sound-dampening headphones, but I have to cook dinner soon, and thereby return to the “real world”.

Is there anything I can do to prevent this? Or to lessen the severity?
Any coping techniques?

@Ninjastar I know you have some experience with this in your field of work, do you have any of your sage advice for me?

I always feel so embarassed after my meltdowns, and I don’t want to have one.

2

You should watch videos of people having meltdowns, see if it relates.

3

I sleep whenever I get even close to freaking out enough about whatever it might be on that day.

If I am not at home, I cope just about with dealing with things like work, but it does cause massive issues.

Sleep is literally one of the only ways I can truly reset myself as I get so exhausted by life at times

1 Like
4

The main thing is basically what you are doing now. Retreat, and give yourself fewer stimuli. Brushing techniques help, if there is a nearby park, going on a swing can help. Spinning in a circle until you are dizzy, then spinning the opposite direction an equal nimber of times. Tapping rhythmically on your arm or leg. Find a behavior that is soothing to you. It should activate one of your senses. Sense of touch, vestibular sense, or proprioception seem to be most popular. It is like I said on your other thread. Create senspry output to drown out the sensory input.

2 Likes
5

Vestibular sense is your sense of balance, and proprioception is where your body is in relation to the world.

1 Like
6

I have such overstimulation meltdowns (and just had a diagnosis of ADHD today).

I dont really know how to stop them, sorry, but i just wanted to say i recognize them and you are not the only one.

The only thing i know that really helps is withdrawing into my bedroom, avoiding people and sleeping. I also do typical “autistic” rocking. Hyperfocussing on some research subject on the internet helps temporarily too…finding out all there is to know about something im interested in…it helps me block out the rest, but im even more tired afterwards.

1 Like
7

I like tapping my fingers rhythmically against my thumb, and slowly caressing my skin with my palms

1 Like
8

I like tickeling my forearm with the tip of my fingers lol Good feeling and stimulation, it makes me smile lol

9

Cover your ears and eyes, go to a dark room if you can.
I get the sensory overload a fair bit.
Busy downtown loud traffic usually does it to me. Or too many people talking

10

This topic was automatically closed 14 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.