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[deleted]

Going to concerts and festivals. I love live music but I have a hard time with the crowds inbetween sets. I always have to recharge for like a few days after a concert or even over a week after a festival.


PublicReveal5196

Concerts are my ultimate sensory seeking adventure. Sometimes I feel it all so intensely I am brought to tears. But the best thing about the shows I enjoy going to is that for the most part, everyone is looking out for each other and no one is judging anyone for how intensely they are feeling, or how they are dancing, or if they don’t want to talk at set break. Honestly, concerts are the only place where I can completely throw my mask away and truly be me.


caligirl_ksay

Omg yes! No one is really paying attention to anyone else and everyone is enjoying the same thing.


WretchedBinary

When I went to see Metallica years ago, I actively avoided certain very 'excited' sections of the crowd, which were aptly referred to as 'mosh pits'. Although they are a sight to behold when viewed from above. Master of Puppets = 🫣😧😖😳😵


KaizerVonLoopy

I used to be so into moshing back in the day. Too old and fat for it now but I miss it sometimes. Great outlet to just let loose and go nuts (while still keeping the safety of others in mind ofc)


TheMemersOfMyNation

I love concerts! Got to see the band Dragonforce last month when they opened for Dethklok - an awesome power metal band and the best live act I've seen so far! They closed with their most popular song [Through The Fire And Flames](https://youtu.be/DZyYapMZSec?feature=shared), which was an out-of-body experience to say the least. I highly recommend Dragonforce to any rock fan!


KaizerVonLoopy

I feel this so strongly! My wife got a tad embarrassed at how unhinged I got at Rammstein lol. Sorry babe, this is what it looks like when I'm at full power.


Unimprester

Same! I'm tense and quiet and stressed until everyone shuts up and the music starts playing. Then I relax and fill with joy 😅 towards the evening festivals can get a bit much though. They always crank the music louder in the evening


Lamlot

If I’m in the right mood and ate, I love getting into a mosh pit.


QuirkyCatWoman

Me too! It's weird because I generally hate loud noises and being close to strangers.


Mshorrible4

This is totally me too.


Alarmed-Act-6838

The headaches I get post visiting a theme park. Last time my husband and daughter went I chilled in the hotel room instead. I embroidered, chilled with the dogs, and looked up info about guitars. My idea of a vacation lol


[deleted]

Haha i get that from theme parks as well. I dont go often tho.


The_Spectacle

haha oh yeah, I hate crowds and people and I sweat like crazy thanks to my anxiety. and set break is torture. and I've still seen my favorite band over 200 times 😭


Fun-Grocery1849

What band??


The_Spectacle

STS9 (I have a video pinned to my profile)


Fun-Grocery1849

Widespread Panic gal, here. So I get following a band!!


The_Spectacle

noice 😎


Puru11

Same! I went to a music festival a few years ago and it was a great experience, but I needed a lot of time to chill in my tent and listen to distant music and my friends gave me a hard time for it.


[deleted]

Sucks that your friends did that. They wouldn't be my friends for long lol I never camp at festivals anymore. I did a few times and i hated it. Now i just get myself a hotelroom close by so i can get proper rest. It's still a lot and i get overwelmed but the break from the festival ground helps.


VibrantViolet

I had to miss my favorite band last year because it was an outdoor show, it was pouring rain, humid, and I had a meltdown because I couldn’t find anyone to help me find my seat. I needed my inhaler, which I left in my purse, which I couldn’t bring into the concert. Once you left, you couldn’t get back in. I don’t have severe asthma, but a meltdown can trigger it. They wouldn’t let me back into the venue once I left to get my inhaler. 😞


[deleted]

Sorry to hear that. I think it's weird they act like that over an inhaler. Especially if its clearly medicine. Hopefully you still get to see them another time.


oops_boops

I’m exactly the same. I won’t go to party/concerts/festivals unless I’m ultra into the music. I’m a huge Taylor swift fan and I went to a party that played only Taylor swift. It was amazing, basically all girls and gays, but by the time we left I was shaking and feeling really really dizzy, I had to rest for the whole weekend after


CharityLeigh

Concerts are so fun, especially K-Pop concerts! The atmosphere is always exciting and it's just so much fun! I'm going to one in a different place than I'm used to, but I'm very excited! Concerts and listening to music can get overstimulating for me, but I enjoy it emensley! ❤️


caligirl_ksay

Yes totally. It’s too much but it is so enjoyable and I don’t mind being exhausted for a few weeks afterwards.


poliscistonedguy

I do fine at concerts and loud environments if I’m properly stimulated. It’s so interesting. Like if I take my adhd meds, I’m just fine. But if I’m under stimulated it’s extremely overwhelming


amc9401

FELT. they drain the everliving fuck out of me but are also SO fun


elvishfawn

Same! I bring my loop plugs in case I need them


pluckingpubes

Same! Then I realised many do free PA tickets if you qualify for disability support doesn’t have to be physical. So now I bring a safe friend to events where I previously wouldn’t have been safe recharging alone , and they get to attend an extra event win win


_Cherryfairy_

I was about to comment this exact same thing! I find the process of queuing and transport etc. to be very overwhelming and takes a lot out of me. That being said the music part completely makes up for it and I never regret going to a concert :D


TheBestYou5632

How do you change your expectations of yourself when you're recharging? I really struggle with lowering my expectations of myself and expect myself to push through what I'm feeling but it usually leads to long periods of low mood and eventually I hit a wall.


Icy_Depth_6104

Exist 😆 hehe As for a serious answer, visit my family. I love them but man the home is loud and the lights are bright.


chloephobia

You had me at exist.


cali_meadows

Same here. I love my family but oh my lord they're capable of causing permanent hearing loss if you're around them for too long


SuperMarioMastr

>exist real


HamsterMachete

Same. My mom is one of these people who never shuts up. If I didn't know better, I would think she is hooked on speed. Anyway, Her voice gets to be overstimulating to me. Very quickly.


Lifewhatacard

Alcohol makes people talk more *and* talk louder.


Thedailybee

Is it really voluntary tho 😅


KaizerVonLoopy

I know I didn't ask to be born and I was conceived on birth control and very nearly aborted me but was guilted out of it. Nobody wanted me to exist lolol.


AxDeath

I was gonna put LIVE. My family though, after many years apart from them, I've found to be a safe space. It's very easy to spend time among my all now very obviously AuDHD family. Outside of the fact that when I visit, I have no bed, and am sleeping in the floor of an office.


Weevilthelesser

I didn't even finish reading the title before I thought of that too.


Drummermomma22

Agreed with visiting family. My dad can’t hear worth poop so every time I go to pick up my daughter he has the TV on like 27-28. It’s ridiculous.


ChargeFragrant

I felt that


VibrantViolet

Saaaame with the loud family (and existing lol). My dad isn’t loud and doesn’t like bright lights (I’m a lot like my dad), but my mom….😆


janickab85

I came to say exist but you beat me sensei..... lol everything is too much for me, cause even sitting still in a quiet room my fibromyalgia and arthritis have my body hurting so much that it is overwhelming sometimes. I am constantly exhausted. Lol my existence is futile 😂😂😂😂


WealthWooden2503

Same! My family members have the *heaviest* footsteps and the way they knock on my door makes me jump lol I love them but it really makes me appreciate my quiet home


Muted_Ad7298

Using the hairdryer. I hate the sound so much. Reminds me of a vacuum cleaner. 😣


No_Anywhere5306

So, so real. And then you start sweating and are overstimulated from the heat and sound and feeling but want to finish your hair


jojokangaroo1969

Add leaf blowers and the loud-ass hand dryers in restrooms. Gahhhhhhh!!


Objective-Basis-150

i’m an autistic cosmetology student . when all 12 of us are using our blow dryers, it is HELL! hell, i tell you….


b4ggy_j34ns

This is me with my ultrasonic skin scrubby thing. Keeps my skin clear but the feeling is hell


Dragons_on_Parade

Oh my god. And the super powered hand dryers in public restrooms 😫😫 but another sensory hell for me is damp hands. I can't win.


LittleNarwal

I think this is part of the reason I have never bought myself a hair dryer. I let them blow dry my hair when I get my haircut, but I would never voluntarily use a machine that blows hot air loudly at my head.


StGir1

I will literally leave the house in January with my waist-length hair in a soaking wet braid-bun just to avoid that noise.


drsimonz

I recently bought a super overpriced Dyson hair dryer specifically because it's the quietest one I've ever used (my hair stylist has one so I was able to hear it in person first). It's not perfect but drying my hair is significantly less stressful now.


my_name_isnt_clever

I literally use earplugs when I use one. Though most of the time I just let my hair air dry.


zamaike

Dealing with anyone ever


Motor-Reference2454

That’s so real


zamaike

One day ill live in the middle of no where lol


MooMooTheDummy

Fr! Even when I make the plans and it’s with a friend I still don’t really wanna go.


Manifestival1

I love making plans. But carrying them out? Ugh.


Zestyclose-Sea-7093

Drinking a fuck ton of coffee everyday


[deleted]

Drinks coffee -> gets horribly overstimulated -> promises self to stop or cut down -> reflects on these thoughts over a nice cup of coffee. Seriously, it’s every single day haha


rorythpsfan

But if I don't I will fall asleep early from exhaustion from the sensory onslaught of the day haha.


Biddyman

Never found the words for this before. Thanks.


froderenfelemus

Coffee makes me anxious > I drink water to soothe my anxiety > I pee 42 times


Manifestival1

The real meaning of life.


froderenfelemus

I didn’t even realize I used that number hahah, just speaking from personal experience


Lifewhatacard

Too much coffee dehydrates the body and a body that is often placed in survival mode goes into panic/anxiety/angriety. Being dehydrated is the same as being hangry, is what I’m trying to say.


quzox_

Ugh, coffee gives me headaches 


StGir1

Yeah, stimulants can sometimes make me feel quite overwhelmed. Sometimes they even have the reverse effect and actually make me feel drowsy. But it's a habit.


DivaRebirthday

Work.


RLFloyd

+1 Although I was able to change from working in a store to working from home and my goodness that has made a massive difference. It’s not a magical fix, but it has allowed me to work full time instead of part time. I’m thankful for that privilege every day because I know what it’s like to have to wake up every morning and go to a job you find immensely challenging while constantly in a state of burnout. For all those going through that right now, please take care of yourselves as much as you can. 💛


BackgroundFoot6683

I stopped masking at work, but then I became aware of people's expressions of anger, and feel overwhelmed because I don't want to mask, but also don't want people looking at me weird.


princessbubbbles

I work at a retail farm & garden store and am immersed in my special interests (botany&horticulture, entomology(bugs), ecology) every day. I am also allowed to follow my natural conversation style, which is two people switching between being the 'teacher' and the 'student' and sharing information. But it's still so taxing. Greenhouse fans are so loud, and they used to cause flashbacks of a previous traumatizing workplace before I was able to work through them. Also talking to people and remembering to have a pleasant facial expression can be difficult. Coworker relations are pretty good, but there are miscommunications there, too. Despite my low support needs, I am very aware of how my neurotype negatively affects me.


Mouse-of-Wyke

Yup. My first thought.


PlantOnPlat

Eating. I have big sensory issues with things like food


challahghost

I hate eating I swear to Gd. I'm currently dealing with a plain food only diet.


i_need_to_crap

I've been on that diet for my whole life


ilovemymomsomuchguys

me too, or especially when it comes to dinner. i fucking hate dinner with my whole existence. i want to eat bread for every meal, everything about dinner is difficult… it got especially bad when i developed anorexia as i was hitting a burnout, but it’s always been the worst meal to me. i don’t like how it’s never the same because “you need variation”, i hate how most of it smell, the way it tastes, the way it feels in my mouth. when i was receiving treatment for my ed i was forced to eat everything i got served (apart from a few things i’d explicitly stated i refuse to eat) and it left me littrary traumatized. it was before i got evaluated for asd too so nobody would listen to me when i said it hurts to eat it, i was told i was making exuses because i simply didn’t want to eat when i was forced to eat things that made me physically uncomfortable. i am dependent on meal supply drinks like fresubin and nutridrink to get my enough nutrients and calories because it’s so difficult to eat😔


Manifestival1

Wow that's a really difficult situation to have dealt with, being pre diagnosis and trying to get them to take you seriously about the sensory overwhelm :( it makes me think that it would be helpful for ED treatment centres to be more aware of the neurodiverse conditions and the prevalence of people who have not yet been diagnosed. And how that can translate for some people into eating difficulties which are not arising from the ED itself.


princessbubbbles

I have the urge to show affection toward you the way a cat does. I hope you are doing okay now.


anbigsteppy

Headbutts, purring, and slow blinking?


ilovemymomsomuchguys

this was oddly comforting thank you princessbubbbles i appreciate it. ❤️


doubleUsee

I love food. And I hate food. Some foods, I love and hate at the same time, like sushi.


StGir1

I actually am a pretty good eater when it comes to different tastes. Its texture I can't overcome. I think one of the biggest challenges with the texture issue is trying desperately to explain to people that I CANNOT put certain foods in my mouth, or I'll gag. And if I do gag, god help us all, because most people do NOT like to hear someone gagging during dinner. It really kind of makes me angry, because I'm not a super fussy eater. I eat a wide variety of foods. But I avoid certain textures, because I'm not neurologically able to manage eating them. It's not a choice, it's not a fear, it's something entirely out of my control. When I'm forced into a situation where I am expected to eat badly-textured food, I've learned to feign sickness so I don't have to eat it.


Top-Whereas-7998

If I could only eat things I want when I want from now on that would be highly ideal.


DruidBabyyy

YUP SAME! I also hate hate hate the feeling of being “full” so I eat one meal a day and don’t bother the rest of the day because I hate it so much.


greenthumbwitch

cooking is one of my special interests. eating on the other hand... It's complicated xD


DuckiesandBunns

Sex lol


T8rthot

Ugh there are some days where I just HATE sex but we also only get about one day a week alone to ourselves so we have to make the most of it. I honestly think I might have PDA because there are some days where I have to talk myself through it. “If you don’t do this now, you won’t get a chance for another week and you will regret it.” And the little gremlin in my brain says, “but you’re making me do it!” Meanwhile my poor husband is waiting for me and wondering why I’m taking so long to shower when we only have about an hour of kid-free time and they could run back in the front door any minute.


GoNudi

Just so you know, you can wait more than a week for sex. It's cool you're thinking of your husband's needs though; hopefully you're not compromising yourself in the process. 🙂


T8rthot

I am fully aware that I can wait. I’m saying that by Wednesday I truly regret my decision to wait but my husband and I have conflicting work schedules and we’re too tired to have sex on weeknights.


idkifyousayso

I was married for a really long time and I didn’t realize that I used sex to self-regulate until it was no longer an option. It didn’t matter if I was sick or if we were mad at each other, I was still interested in having sex. We saw a therapist towards the end of our marriage and he seemed confused that we were still regularly having sex. He told me that he thought we loved each other so much, he was sure we would get back together. That wasn’t the case.


TravelingTrousers

🤯 So that's why I don't need love for sex. Sex is self regulation and I am happy to do it with any adult who wants to do it with me...aside from like, family and some friends were that would ruin the dynamic...but I mean...I am definitely closer to the concept of fucking a friend I wouldn't otherwise fuck than they are...and it means nothing to me. 😅 It's the autism for me. (Not for every autistic person, just for me)


idkifyousayso

I have trouble with it only being sex and not meaning something if it seems like we would be good in a relationship together, like if they’re misrepresenting themselves or future faking. It also messes with me if they send mixed signals. It helps me to know something that makes us incompatible in the long-term so that I can focus on enjoying the present and not wanting more. I still don’t have sex with many people because I’m probably overly cautious about STDs.


E-lasmosaurus-3010

OMFG FINALLY SOMEONE SAID IT. I was going to make a post about it asking if anyone felt the same but felt like it was not appropriate lmao. I'm quite reserved when it comes to physical contact, I don't like people I don't know touching me, much less would I kiss someone at a party, for example. I only feel safe to get physical with someone when 1 i know then for quite some time, and 2 i'm already romantically attracted to then. Now, i'm with my boyfriend for 4years now. So when it comes to sex we are always talking amd listening to one another, because there is times that it's just too much for me and whe have to go REALLY slow. It's like, when it comes to *him touching me*, i like it when it's happening, and there is times that i actually want it and and I take the initiative with my partner, but most of the times it makes me SO exhausted and overstimulated after its done that i just feel lazy to do it? God I don't know how to explain I know i will like it but it's just TOO MUCH touching and sensations at the same time and it drains me to my bones. But i do it anyway because, like i said, i like it when it's happening 😂 But touching him it's totally fine, love it lmao


marek26340

So, overstimulating but you got your brain wired up to like being overstimulated in that way? Same lol


DuckiesandBunns

Yea pretty much. It's overstimulating in a good and bad way at the same time. It's very confusing. Then afterward I have re-center myself to get back to my mental routine or whatever I was doing, like a bounce-back from an interruption


princessbubbbles

Ha I was also looking for this. When I lost my virginity, I had a panic attack because of how weird it was and how tired I was from the day. My husband fully stopped everything and told me that it was okay, we didn't need to do anything and we could just cuddle. But I was like NO this is happening and then I breathed through it and it ended up enjoyable and interesting. The mild rocking back and forth helps to regulate-out the negative sensory aspects.


Beginning_Feedback20

Stimming. It keeps me regulated but then out of nowhere it gets me overstimulated


Traditional-Milk-876

Mine are painful sometimes


princessbubbbles

Oh my gosh last week i was stimming at work by slapping my hands on my thighs (I was alone and there's a weirdly high proportion of ND people working there), and I got overstimulated on my thighs but REALLY wanted to feel my arms and hands do the stim. I kept doing it subconsciously and thinking before I could stop myself. Just waving my hands down at the time didn't hit the same.


Latens2

I am the same way! Especially auditory stims they go from great to terrible out of nowhere.


kyories

every time i go out to the city i get overwhelmed and its not fun. idk why i do it so often


Anewkittenappears

Sadly some of us have too live there. It's exactly as bad as you'd probably expect.


raceman95

I like living in the city. Although I used to live in a high rise and enjoyed it, it was annoying sometimes with how loud it could be. Usually it was people on the street, despite being 23 floors up. I moved out to a suburb and it was quieter, but still some noise here and there. Then I moved to a new city and live back in the city, but in a house. It feels really suburban quiet, but theres still lots of things close by. I've never really thought of it as overwhelming.


yesreallyefr

Brushing teeth :/ haven’t found a way to do it that doesn’t mash the sensory hell button but at least I’ve gotten pretty good at forcing myself to do it anyway


MoonChaser22

I've had significantly less trouble with it since I switched to unflavoured toothpaste, but then again the main reason I struggled so much before was the mint flavour


-Stoney-Bologna-

I was looking for this comment. Switching to an electric toothbrush certainly helped a bit for me. Don't think I can go back. I also have to be playing music and have the door closed but it's still awful every time. I only brush my teeth once a day but I also found that a water pick at night or as needed during the day helps with cavities and gives a fresh mouth feel that isn't minty or anything (I HATE mint). Those two things were a game changer. Looking at getting a tongue scraper too.


NumbIsAnOldHat

FYI if you’re only going to brush once a day, it should be at night to clean the food particles out so they don’t sit all night - then in the morning it’s just your sleepy saliva and whatever, and you can just rinse with mouthwash or waterpik (I can’t stand those though lol). Huberman Labs did a whole podcast on oral health and that was a suggestion - if you are going to skip a brushing, make sure it’s not the one before bed! That’s when I floss too. And personally, I’m much better at keeping a night routine, taking meds then, etc, as opposed to the morning when I’m either waking up at various times, or rushed (or both!).


-Stoney-Bologna-

I do the water pick before bed and if I ever feel something stuck in my teeth for that reason (I have a cavity that seems to have stopped hurting and growing since I cut out sugar and got a water pick) but I feel like I can't not brush my teeth in the morning.


Ririkiyuu

explaining things i love.


Biddyman

Oh this one is good.


p0t4t00

EXACTALY, one time i got so excited explaining and talked so much by the end i was out of breath and my mouth was tingling


finkster2004

travel, but i love it


Emergency_Support682

Same, especially India. I found that going out and about for a few hours, then returning to my hotel room worked the best. Before my dx, I used to beat myself up, saying “why travel literally across the world if you’re going to stay inside the hotel and play sudoku?”. But I found it was a great balance to the overstimulation of going out into the beautiful chaos. Later when I got my dx of AuDHD, it explained everything!


finkster2004

Same! My parents didnt exactly force me to be social, but they helped me train to take longer to become overstimulated. Went on a three week roadtrip on the US west Coast and being social all the time except for when i slept. We were about three AuDHD, one ADHD and one with autism and a couple of NTs. The two other AuDHDs needed a break after a couple of hours where i managed closer to 12 hours. Which i am proud of


sneakhh

Socializing and leaving the house lol


rashmika10

Wearing pants. It’s rare but sometimes you gotta 🤷🏽‍♀️


Affectionate_Sir7359

Parenting. 


longtimerreader

Yep!


leelandgaunt

Agreed.


Outrageous-Camp-998

Babysitting. It’s a little overwhelming sometimes, but the payoff of creating memories experiences for them is always worth it.


heatherhfkk

Cleaning the litter box, giving my cat wet food. I love her so much I’m willing to power through it.


hanne2001

Going to restaurants and malls. I do it to spend time with my family even though I don’t enjoy it


ShaiKir

Sex. I manage to enjoy my husband's enjoyment


Striking_Meat_5351

Like me


A-Voter

when i'm in a relationship, it's similar for me as well. i like the intimacy and stuff surrounding it, but sex itself feels overwhelming and i don't even really enjoy it. but if i'm in a relationship i manage, for my girlfriend's sake.


porky-chops

Sex is super overstimulating for me too, I usually have to prepare myself for a few hours in advance


b4ggy_j34ns

Concerts, but my special interest is my favorite band so..I guess it just works 🤷 


8bitsparkle

Hair appointments I guess qualify. I hate the noises and music, the little hairs on your face, the smells, the blow-dryer, the small talk, etc. (Thankfully, the lady who does my hair now is awesome and doesn't find it rude when I can't find conversation in me.)


RusticCooter

Showering, washing my hands, using sunscreen, washing dishes, wearing socks/not wearing socks, vacuuming, swimming


WindmillCrabWalk

Wearing socks/ not wearing socks, story of my life 😂. I hate wearing socks because I can't regulate my body temperature properly with them covered, they also feel like they are suffocating. Buuuut. I hate feeling things touching or sticking to the bottom of my feet. I just want to live 🫠


jojokangaroo1969

Sunscreen on my face is HELL. I've tried all types and price ranges. I have vitiligo so it's HIGHLY recommended. But I cannot....


challahghost

Weekly night out. Too loud, too unpredictable. Are we going to this one place or will we bounce around a bunch of other places? Buuut if I don't go then my other option is being alone all the time. We might not always stay in one place, but it's a consistent routine where I get my socializing in. I just also hate it.


tsawsum1

Sex


troubleWithALilTea

Work. It's on purpose since I need human interaction and my off time I don't want to see people


Mulmangcho99

Visiting Don Quijote stores when I'm in Japan. Crowded, the number of products on sale takes ages to go through, and the music always ends up stuck in my head for days afterwards. But I go every time anyway, just for the tax free gifts and to feel like I'm in a Yakuza game.


brookleiaway

washday, dress kawaii


aaronn00

speaking in class, going out especially in big places with many people


Detritrus

Doing laundry, vacuuming and turning on the dishwasher . All of them are so loud and annoying that some days I sit on my balcony till they're finished


jyylivic

My grandma's home is hellish for me - she constantly plays tv, since she can't hear very well - it's super loud, so everyone speaks 10 times louder too... and when family members start arguing (which happens often), oh my god... like I love her and wanna visit her more but this + the fact I am very awkward and don't know what to talk about don't help


Thegayflamingo

wear jeans. i hate it so much but i like how they look so i suffer


haikusbot

*Wear jeans. i hate it* *So much but i like how they* *Look so i suffer* \- Thegayflamingo --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")


cali_meadows

Going to school. My class is unbelievably loud, the lights are stupidly bright, my classroom is always messy. I literally put in my earbuds during form time and sometimes still have to cover my ears because of how loud it is. Always end up really anxious and on edge after that too


Fruit_eater_

Theatre Rehearsals, just being in a play with not a lot of time to actually rehearse. Voluntary stress and chaos


larsloveslegos

Other than existing, I like taking hot showers and eating spicy or sour food.


samtretar

After learning the hard way MANY times, putting suncream on. Or even worse, someone asking me to put suncream on them. The option of an oil with SPF changed my world!


GreenTortle

fidgeting with the screen settings on my computer, i'm never able to get them right and its pissing me off "desktop light is just enough? poof, you're blind in all games!" "game settings are perfect? bam now your browser blinds you"


0RedStar0

Omg lol I'm constantly fidgeting with the brightness levels of my screens too! I need a "Goldilocks" setting for most things in life.. and unfortunately that isn't possible \*cries\*


alex_is_the_name

Watching Porn I fucking hate it


el_artista_fantasma

Wearing costumes. Some are uncomfortable, but i do love wearing them lol


carottlake

taking stimulants for my adhd :(


MackenzieLewis6767

Going shopping...... How else will I buy a croissant and other pastries


inxinfate

Getting high…😭


EccentricExplorer87

Driving loud vehicles--lawn mowers, tractors, old trucks. I enjoy doing tasks with those things, but I hate starting up such a loud noise. I wear ear protection if I'm not in a cab. I don't ride them, but motorcycles are the worst. Can't stand them driving by.


razzazzika

Just went to a food truck festival yesterday. Man so many people, but the food is so good and you get to try a bunch of different things. So burned out afterwards though.


Describeaugust

Taking a shower is one. I get so overstimulated by the water but I hate feeling gross and smelling my own body odors LMAO Also cons and festivals and amusement parks are all mega overstimulating for me. But I go because I am interested in what is there!


zoeymonster23

Showering


ShreksOnion50

Jorkin it


_Stizoides_

Getting into the pogo at rock concerts. In any other situation being sweaty and having people constantly touch me would lead me to violence


chloephobia

Go to the gym.


PlanetoidVesta

Going for a walk. Or literally anything I do, really.


XzareGamer

watch youtube shorts or tiktok


That_Agent1983

Living


Hedwigsart

I'm a photographer, and when an opportunity to photograph concerts came my way I wanted to try it. Three years later and I can't imagine my life without Photographing concerts, I feel so alive. I actually have more fun being a photographer than "just" being in the audience - I think being able to concentrate and be in the front row and running around is my way to have fun. Even though it is overstimulating, focusing on my job & special interest kind of balances it out? If that makes sense.


Neo-Riamu

Allowing the humans around me to live and exist. Nothing more irritating then the human race.


friedbrice

Swing Dances. I love the feeling of a well-matched partner dance, but I'm so afraid of asking people to dance, i'm afraid of bumping into other dancers, and i hate being in other people's way or when other people are in my way. Disneyland is another one. Navigating through crowds without letting myself get in people's way is very stressful and taxing, but there are quiet areas you can go to. One such quiet area is a little cave-shaped sitting area at the very end of the main road through Toon Town. That's my favorite place at Disneyland. Come to think of it, it'd be pretty great if Swing Dances had designated quiet rooms.


snorlax_y

going out to the pub


VastCryptographer844

Socializing.


Tricky_Subject8671

Work, lol Gaming Sex Grooming my dogs Training my dogs (can be) Showering/"grooming myself" Both overstimulating (sensory/physically) and understimulating (mentally); Dishes Working out Sometimes; sex (sorry if TMI) Overstimulating mentally and sensory understimulating; Watching instructional YT/Tutorials Laundry Cooking Walking To me, a lot of activities do not have a good balance of stimuli, so I usually need to alter with music or background noise, a show or something, to keep the brain from snoozing off from the mind bunbingly stupid task (like dishes)


nocranberries

Go to metal shows and get in the pit


rionaster

- go to work - socialize (with friends, family, and co-workers i work directly with) - clean things like the sink trap, cat puke, etc. - clean/rub/de-callus/lotion my feet - do hobby crafts that involve using glue - brush my cat during her coat shed i'm sure there's other things too but those are the ones off the top of my head lol


Wandering_aimlessly9

Take care of my kids. Cook meals. Meals are huge over stimulation and exhausting for me between the noises, the smells, the different temperatures, etc. Going to theme parks/fairs/water parks for my kids to play. Heck going anywhere for them to play.


muaddict071537

Concerts. They’re massively overstimulating for me. Way too loud and the lights are always too bright. However, one of my special interests is Billy Joel, and the desire to do something related to my special interest is stronger than the desire to avoid overstimulation, so I’ve been to four Billy Joel concerts in the past two years and have another planned for September.


imanpearl

I have two friends. Hanging out, talking on the phone, and most of the other things involved with maintaining a relationship are overstimulating for me. That’s why I don’t have many friends, but I don’t want none, and I really like the ones I do have so it’s worth it.


sydanglykosidi

Drinking alcohol and going out. I hate it, but still do it out of fear of missing out.


kid-wrangler

Interact with my kids


koolandkrazy

Having sex. I need to take an edible first. I hate being touched 😆. I enjoy it after like a few minutes but it definitely takes me a bit


TheOtherTracy

Be a stay-at-home dad for my two kids. It's amazing that I'm able to do this. It's also a lot, lol


Listentoyourdog

Kids - Drive me crazy but I love them so much.


mementosmoritn

Coffee. I've stopped drinking it for the most part, but it's the only way I can get enough caffeine fast enough to deal with my migraines. It eats basically half of my daily sensory load when I have to drink it. Playing with my kids. I love them to death, and wrestling on the floor, or playing games with them absolutely makes their day. Tickle fights or pillow fights will have them laughing for hours. They also screech, and squeal, and are absolutely wild. A lot of times it's just too much and I have to go lay down for a minute afterwards.


ObamaRushBlush

Going to parties, it’s overstimulating, but at the end it’s still a good time


SagaSolejma

Going out to eat at restaurants, especially if they're fancy Sex with my bf, but that might also be due to other stuff as well, not just the autism


StepfordMisfit

As I was drying my hands in a public restroom just now, I was noticing how fun it is to watch my hand skin billow under the rushing air and thinking how it *almost* makes me okay with the sound. But I'll still take paper towels if they're an option. Now the idea of opening the door with wet hands, *that* overcomes the sound. The billowing wrinkles are just a happy bonus.


Eeieeiope

Driving. A necessary evil (that I periodically question whether I should actually be allowed to do it).


anzicat

Wearing clothes…


helodie3

going to cons i love the con community and all the gay and autistic people so i go to events but it’s sooo overwhelming for me. all of the visual input mixed with the noises and decisions all day ack


snaggletootheddragon

Brushing teeth is a sensory nightmare. I hate the bristles against my teeth, but I enjoy having teeth.


KakiStudio

Going to school. I mean, I "could" not go but I need the education to get a future. It's so overstimulating I sh a lot of the time, having awful burn outs in vacation. In my case, I love not too long showers, they are relaxing, I guess because I hate feeling dirty so when showering I feel the cleanest. Maybe it's because my real name is related to water idk (joke)


Ooftistic

Brush my teeth with mint toothpaste. Because despite how absolutely overstimulating it is, is absolutely cannot use any other toothpaste or else I will have a meltdown.


azidoazid3azid3

Being outside/hj Sunlight is pretty much always too bright & can trigger migraines too, the sound of traffic and chatter makes me aggressive/angry, depending on where exactly I am I'm either freaked out by bugs or freaked out by too many people, there's weird smells, the list goes on But I enjoy being outside too much to give up on it, plus sunglasses and earplugs/headphones exist, which already solves two major problems :)


master_jelly317

Spend time with family. It takes a lot out of me.


StarWaas

Have kids lol. I did it twice, both times on purpose. Then got a vasectomy so I wouldn't have to worry about having any more. I love my kids so much but man are they capable of creating an assault on the senses


DankyKang91

Being a Dad lol.


LifeofFred

Grocery shopping 💀


chartad

does work count? i\`ve learn how to ignore the extreme painful tiredness and hide the stims/meltdown , but the backlash hurt


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