AUTISM AND OVERSTIMULATION |Purple Ella

Autism and overstimulation. What overstimulation feels like to an autistic person and what you can do to avoid and manage it. More below.

A little bit about me:
Hi I'm Purple Ella and my family is an autism family with three out of five of us on the autistic spectrum. So life can be a challenge but also a lot of fun.

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[Shakicast]

I am a line cook and get overstimulated at work all the time because of the rush, heat, loud noises, and shouting drunk people. I have to find another job that doesn't lead to so many meltdowns 😭

[arasharfa]

One thing that came to mind, is that every time i retreat to be on my own it would be a lot easier and feel better if I do it soon enough so that I don't have to do it for such a long time, and to always make sure I have something to look forward to .

[HelpfulMum]

Fizzy is such a good description of that feeling of everything bubbling up! I hadn't thought about the element of overstimulation and autism. Thanks for linking up with Your YouTube.

[RandomJane]

I recognized this in myself very early in life tough I didn't realize what was causing it. It's the main reason I chose not to have children.

I thought I was just an introvert but I think I'm actually autistic.

I'm loving working from home during COVID. I dread having to return to the office.

I like alone time because if I don't get enough of it I'm exhausted, irritated, and unhappy.

[scorpiotech]

If you wish to slow down the checkout person a little, ask them an interesting question about themselves - most people like to talk about themselves. Even simple scanning of items slows down when someone is multi-tasking by answering the question. Alternatively pass through the self-service checkouts. You can then proceed at your own pace. At the NEC, there are a multitude of ladies toilets, which I find handy for a break. I would also suggest buying a heart rate monitor and checking it every half hour. The chances are that your heart will rise, if you are beginning to feel stressed and when you do take a timeout, a decrease in heart rate to your baseline for at least one minute will let you know whether your method is succeeding.

[redefinedlife]

I was like you and a mom for over 27 years, then when my youngest left the house, and i started tp wake up and see what was really going on in my life, i also had to cut most of the people off in my life, especially friends, I could finally see their intentions and they were only using me. Then I got introduced to mindfulness and slowly and slowly started to realize what my path was, what is good for me and what is not, what effects me . I'm mentally healthier, but I still struggle with, when I'm around people even my kids anyone I get distracted no matter how hard I work on this. It's still a problem. But so much more if the people are putting off negative energy, I do block negative thoughts and replace with positive, this helps the most . I finally found you after a year of trying to find someone else who is like me. Because I like you can talk alot, but it's unnecessary. Talk that does run people away. Thanks for the videos.

[lenarsa]

When I was young and in the youth group at church I would leave the big group after a while for some alone time, usually at the piano singing. Often some others would come and start having fun with the drums. For me it felt like a violation. It literaly ment I had nowhere to recuperate and I would end up going home feeling like a failure bc I couldn't cope. I wish I had known then what I know now. Today I understand why. So little adjustment would have made things so different. Knowledge is key to include as many as possible in our common lifespace.

[redefinedlife]

I have never been diagnosed I just recently even considered Autism. I fir criteria and am alot like you. I think your true self may be an introvert and the oversimplification is keeping you away from your true self. I love people always had alot of friends but it's exhausting trying to keep up. I love alone time. For first time in 40 years.

[Katy-shru]

I don't know how to manage the balance. The best I can do at the moment is respect my rhythms. When I feel energy for socialising and organising, I do it. And when I need to rest and do very little, I do that. It's hard to do that when there are things that need to be done. But I'm trying!

[chloeb]

I appreciated your description of the supermarket checkout. One of the most stressful parts of my day, trying to throw all the groceries back into the cart and pay and take the change (and usually keeping an eye on my 4-year-old, too).

Thanks for this video. I'm trying to figure out how to manage this, too. I am an introvert, but I live in 62qm with other people and there is no such thing as enough alone time.

[donflo]

I explain and express myself in a very similar way to yourself. Metaphors, bright visuals, parallels. Relatable.

[elisenieuwe]

When meditating (mindfulness) I always notice my muscles being very tense as well. I try to do it every day, but I find it hard to find a time in my day to do it. I think after comming home from my internship is probably the best time right now.
Yesterday a big breakdown due to my paper.

[AdamStephenTaylor]

I'm glad I found this video. I was diagnosed with ASD pre lockdown and have struggled with the diagnosis somewhat as on occasion I can have excellent communication skills but at other times struggle greatly. I don't feel I *appear* as what in my head an autistic person *appears* we and as a result I have felt reticent to disclose to others, in case they don't believe me. It doesn't help that I don't fully understand what "ASD" actually means. Listening to you, I see that you are an excellent communicator, somewhat similar to how I feel I am and that makes me feel less as a fraud.

[MollyForbes]

This is so interesting - and such great descriptions of how overstimulation can actually make you feel. Thank you for sharing. I didn't realise I wasn't subbed to you but have now rectified that! x

[FoxyRoxyReviews]

Everyone has there own preferred approaches to coping, in my journey into mindfulness, I found zen! That really helped me out, in seeing the world more clearly. But that’s my solution, Others have found different approaches. Now I always have an “escape route” planned out in my head if any issue occur, plus I have found using a singing meditation bowl sounds super calming and grounds me again. Mindfulness I have noticed is becoming increasingly popular in an increasingly overstimulating world.

[kathybramley]

I am wondering about whether we can automate some social skills, the filtering, the mental coordination. I liked your metaphors of packing bags in checkouts, and the tennis balls! I managed three years PT on checkouts, used to come off and sob from sheer exhaustion: don't know how I managed.

[ruthsw]

thankyou. love the tennis and checkout analogy. i find i can handle the "balls" in a professional context but not a domestic one. we met briefly on friday at autism show - we interupted you at the Limpsfield grange stand to say goodbye to sarah wild. it was a big day for my daughter!

[pinkmagicali]

If anything in this world makes me stressed and frustrated and overwhelmed and rushed it’s grocery/food shopping. I know exactly what you mean and it’s why I hate shopping at Aldi. Then you’re trying to put your change or card away and they’ve started serving for the next person so now all my stuff is mixed with someone else’s stuff.

[sarageorge]

Yes me too! My nerves twitch in my eye brows, eye lids, lips, and I'm talking a lot, talking to much about every thought that comes to my mind, I'm still learning how to calm myself, and my Family is learning how to help also, we are trying to help eachother with a lot right now, as long as I have you Purple Ella to help me I'm just fine, I will be fine, thank you.

[jrosebud]

This is so helpful! I am just like this!! Currently I have friends coming to visit for a night with 5 kids and I was getting overwhelmed with all of the logistics! I am going to simplify and lower the stress that was building. With your videos I am starting to recognize that when I wake up early with my mind racing …trying to figure out all the details that I am in too deep and I need to pull way back. Thank you Ella. ❤❤❤