I too use alcohol to ‘quiet my mind’. If I feel stressed or anxious, then a single glass of wine or bottle of beer has a wonderfully calming and numbing effect on me. This is a truly wonderful feeling when compared to the horrible feeling of the anxiety and stress. A single drink like this is my preferred way of consuming alcohol these days, and it rarely causes me any hangover.

My kids drive me crazy sometimes. Ten minutes of rough and tumble with them can cause me to need quiet time immediately for a while. Not hours, usually, but if I could get away with it, and hour would be great. One of my issues, however is that I don’t get my own way on this. I have parental responsibilities, and I can’t just disappear to be on my own to recover – I just have to get on with things. Not great, but not impossible either.

DonkeyBuster made a good point about high-energy people. I have a friend who’s son drives me crazy. He never shuts up. There is a constant stream of BS coming from him. I can spend 10 minutes with him and need to withdraw for hours. He justs gets to me. Yet I know that he is a good kid (18 now) and means well. Some people just have that effect on me.

I tend to arrive at hotels wondering where I am and why I’m there!

Welcome to the blog. I’m really glad you enjoy it – it makes writing it feel so worthwhile when people make nice comments like that.

In situations like the one you describe, it takes a little longer for my sense of overload to build – I would have been decidedly on edge and wanting to leave by the time I was seen for the second appointment, but I wouldn’t often experience it to the degree that you so obviously did. I do fully understand just how horrible it can feel, however.

You talk about taking several days to recover, but not specifically how it feels. Do you relate to the hangover-like symptoms that I described?

I’m really interested to know whether it is quite a common feeling for those of us on the Spectrum, or something more unusual.

Do let me know, and I hope that you’ll continue to share your thoughts on the blog. The more people share their experiences, the better we all understand them.

James

Please excuse the lateness of this reply.

How wonderful that someone else experiences this in the same way as me, because that means I’m not just imagining it!

The big problem this bring me, however, is that regular life with a job and a young family means that I’m experiencing this sensory hangover frequently.

I think that for now I just have to live with it, whilst trying to come up with low-impact ways to reduce it. I can’t pack in my job, and I can’t evade the fact that my life is filled with two small kids.

James

Alcohol doesn’t even begin to leave me feeling that bad. LOL

On Thursday afternoon, I went to the dentist for a two-part appointment. I was early, and they called me in for the first half on time. However, the dentist was in surgery and couldn’t see me for the second half right away. I was sent to the waiting room (complete with 4 receptionists, kids, a TV, ringing phones etc.)

After 40 minutes I was at my limit. I had my sunglasses with me, but hadn’t brought my ipod because I thought I would only be there a short time, and I live a 5 minute walk away. I decided to re-book, because I knew at this point I was unable to keep up a “polite public facade”.

I was told that it would only be 2 more minutes. Well, it was much longer. As a result of the sensory overload, my disposition changed dramatically and I was quite rude with both the staff and the dentist, while trying not to cry. They know I have AS and SPD but apparently were not aware that this actually would cause difficulty for me.

Anyway, to make a very long story longer, I found a dentist that makes home visits and is recommended for children with autism. (I am an adult, but am going to take advantage of it.) Since Thursday, I have been at home recovering and even today (Saturday) am not able to go out.

Also, this is my first post here, and I would like to say I really enjoy reading your blog, so thank you!

For instance, I went out to dinner this summer with my husband, my daughter, and her friend. What was I thinking? A four-way conversation in a public place? Forget it. I paid for it for *days,* and the sensation was very reminiscent of my earlier experiences of waking up the morning after an evening of partying.

I haven’t consumed any alcohol in about 20 years, but I remember how lousy the hangovers were–my primary reason for giving up alcohol completely. But now, after reading your post, I’m thinking that the severity of the hangovers was due to the sensory overload of the bar, party, or gathering as well as the alcohol.

Wow. Amazing.