Do you have days where your sensory issues seem to be triggered by absolutely nothing?

[ofwarren]

I'm not stressed (I don't think) nobody has done anything in particular to wind me up, I don't have a deadline or anything in particular to do yet everything is so bright and loud, I'm so irritated and I can't even concentrate to read. My brain is foggy, my words are slurry..
All symptoms of sensory overload in me, yet there is no trigger!

The only thing I can think of is I'm on a period, so possibly hormonal?

I don't know how to make it stop if I don't know the trigger

Rest if you can and don't be to hard on yourself - you've not long been looking after poorly children and will be sapped of energy. I get this when I'm tired.

@LilyRed

Rest if you can and don't be to hard on yourself - you've not long been looking after poorly children and will be sapped of energy. I get this when I'm tired.

I've come upstairs to lie down for a bit. I'm so fuzzy headed, it's frustrating.

period? that'll be it.

@BlackeyedSusan

period? that'll be it.

Yeah. It's my first one since I had covid last week and it was 6 days late. I'm wondering if my hormones are messed up because of it.

Hormones definitely make you more sensitive to environmental stimuli. You're also still recovering from the covid.

I have periods where I'm more prone to meltdowns and I feel totally off-kilter for anything from a few days to a few weeks. It's totally random when it strikes, and I don't see any real reason for it other than I think that I still mask to an extent, and eventually that catches up with me and I go into an 'overload' where I feel less able to cope, and that eventually simmers down again to a point whereby I feel more in control.

There's not really a palatable way to describe it, other than it being a period whereby I feel a lot more consciously out of place, my anxiety and sense of being ill-at-ease around other people goes through the roof, and I start stimming more than usual, and visibly agitated and uncomfortable, and so on. My partner describes it as me having an 'extra-autistic' period, and I would agree with that. It's as if everything that I've learned how to cope with or ignore down the years just becomes totally overwhelming and I go to a place that I've only really had to deal with before when I've been profoundly ill. Social anxiety, agoraphobia, paranoia, extreme irritability, all of it goes into overdrive for a while.

I totally get that xDown and it's definitely worse when I've been masking for a while. I get it when my parents have been to visit, it takes days to recover and I'm noticeably autistic afterwards. I end up needing my headphones, sunglasses and stim far more than usual.

I've not had to mask for ages as I've not been anywhere due to having covid. I definitely think it's a mixture of hormones and from being ill myself.

Yeah, the only times there has been an obvious trigger for it is when it has happened immediately after or during an upheaval.

Having my home 'invaded' by visiting relatives, sometimes used to trigger it once they had gone, and I went virtually catatonic at one point when I went on a short city break in another country, and from there to a second unfamiliar city immediately afterwards. The first new place I was able to cope with, but going from there to a second totally unfamiliar place completely threw me. I'd never done that previously so honestly never saw it coming, but in hindsight it's absolutely the sort of thing that is guaranteed to send me off the rails. Live and learn I suppose.

Period, yes, that will not help - stay away from the bath and wash like us dirty ole moos do and then you can keep some clothes on/swap dirty for clean.

Focus on self care as much as family needs will allow, and just do the basics for a bit, simple meals etc.

it's not only looking after poorly children when you are poorly, but post viral load as well which means it will be a couple of weeks before you are feeling better.

I've now got a cold sore and I've not had one for years. I think you are right that I'm still run down.
Still overloaded today and it doesn't help that a workman is coming at some point this afternoon to fix a radiator.
I'm snappy and everything is bright. Just want to go back to bed now

Can you get some multivitamins and minerals and have more rest periods?

@BarrowInFurnessRailwayStation

Can you get some multivitamins and minerals and have more rest periods?

Yeah I'm doing both
Got my sunglasses on in bed

Nice one 😃