Help me understand sensory meltdown

[sensorygirl]

Hello all,

First time posting on SN and I need some
Help understanding things. DD (16) is going through a very difficult time. She has been diagnosed with depression and is being treated for this. We are not on the road to recovery yet. DD is also suspected to have Aspergers/ASD. We are kicking off assessment soon. As a girl I am told this is often missed as they mask a lot and maybe cope with a lot.

DD since the summer has had a few what I think are sensory meltdowns. Where she basically ends up the floor, kicking thrashing, slmeti

Sorry accidentally posted too soon.

As I was saying kicking thrashing, screaming, crying. She is absolutely conscious of what she is doing but can't control it. It eventually stops once she either exhausts herself or things are calmer on
The sensory side ie turn off lights/music etc. We think this is a sensory overload but not sure. What I don't understand is why are these happening now suddenly in the last month. DD has said that these have happened in the past be never like this. Can this get worse with age. Can her depression be making this worse? Could it be a reaction to her medication?

I just feel like we really don't understand any of this. We are dealing with the depression
On the one hand, the ASD assessment on the other and these meltdowns. The meltdowns have now happened in front of others ie school and grandparents and this makes it harder for her to come out of it and
Also to have to explain what is going on. Especially hard when we don't understand ourselves. Can anybody help us understand based on their knowledge and experience?

My meltdowns get worse with my hormones (and hence, low mood as well). Not sure if there is an established clinical link but my ENT Consultant recognises the connection. It's like when I'm due (or anxious, or tired, or other triggers!) everything becomes amplified, noises are louder and closer, tinnitus is far worse, and everything is just too bright.

I retreat under my bed when things are really bad, it's an area that's not too enclosed but close enough that I feel safe and no one else can "invade" it. I guess it gives me some control for a situation I can't otherwise manage.

The sensory side ie turn off lights/music etc. We think this is a sensory overload but not sure

Sorry, but a load of rhetorical questions may help you to make a bit more sense of what's going on.

Is this happening when she's overloaded with bright lights/noise etc? If so, likely sensory.

Or does the meltdown on that scale happen if you ask her to stop what she'd doing e.g. playing loud music, in which case look through PDA strategies.

Is it possible that the (presumably) meds for depression have somehow intensified her sensory experiences?

Have these intense meltdowns started anything like in synch with any change in meds.

Keep a diary, are they hormonal.

Thank you both for your relief. The meltdowns have happened when she has been stressed/anxious/overwhelmed so lower resistance to cope and then noises ie too many people talking loudly all at once have triggered this.

We don't know if the meds are making her more sensory - it has started at a similar time but we have been addressing ASD issues at the same time and don't know whether confronting these is triggering her.