Mine is definitely overstimulation in a public environment. Sure, some drugs are not good for that type of problem, but others are.
For me, alcohol and opiates work great at being able to sustain the overstimulation in the moment. However, they both have decisive disadvantages to me. With alcohol, I can no longer drive and might be stuck there until someone can take me home. I will also likely get a terrible hang over the next day, and there’s a good chance I will make stupid decisions that I will eventually regret. I was prescribed opioids for a while once due to a painful medical condition. During this time, I noticed that I was able to not only endure overstimulation, but I was calmer in lots of situations that I normally would not have. The disadvantage is that it is highly addictive, and requires a prescription to use legally and relatively safely. THey kind of dulls happiness and other pleasurable feelings and sensations. Also, the feeling of the experience is fake because it is clouded and dependent on the opioid. “Perhaps I don’t like this loud concert even on opioids, I just like being on opioids and I’m misattributing the pleasure to the concert.” Both of these, alcohol and opioids, are terrible strategies in my experience.
One thing that works for me with overstimulation from social situations is a propranolol (blood pressure med) prescription from my psychiatrist. It helps my body calm down without affecting my mental clarity or providing any pleasurable feelings. This helps me engage and endure social situations better and longer, but I try not to rely on it unless I am feeling extra worked up.
As far as coping with system overload, I’m working with my autism therapist, but it seems that really the only way to manage this is to limit exposure and plan recovery rest. By limiting exposure, I either have to 1) avoid those situations, 2) be aware of myself and leave those situations before getting overwhelmed, or 3) find way to reduce the sensory impact (e.g. dulling the sensory stimulus). For the last one, here are some ideas that I found help me.
Be ready:
I carry a backpack with all sorts of stuff almost everywhere I go just in case
Noise:
ear plugs
noise cancelling headphones and playlists of helpful music
Light:
sunglasses
darkest legal tint for my car
if I have something planned that will be bright, close blinds at home so that I am fresh when I get exposed to light
take breaks by going into dark areas as possible
Touch:
light and loose clothing
use of liquid fabric softener
hoodies
sneakers
wearing shirts inside out at home
showering when I feel dirty
brushing my teeth first thing in the morning
Food:
I don’t eat too much to avoid feeling slow, sleepy, and bloated
have light snacks with me in case I get hungry: apples, bananas, tangerines, chips, crackers, etc.
Distractions to help cope:
strong mints that I can place in my mouth and use for stealthy stimming. hard candy would work as well, tho not as distracting as mints.
stimming gadgets: legit stimming toys, pens to take apart and reassemble, paper to fold into interesting shapes, etc.
disconnect from the overwhelming thing (e.g. social situation) and engage in something in your environment you find interesting
For me, alcohol and opiates work great at being able to sustain the overstimulation in the moment. However, they both have decisive disadvantages to me. With alcohol, I can no longer drive and might be stuck there until someone can take me home. I will also likely get a terrible hang over the next day, and there’s a good chance I will make stupid decisions that I will eventually regret. I was prescribed opioids for a while once due to a painful medical condition. During this time, I noticed that I was able to not only endure overstimulation, but I was calmer in lots of situations that I normally would not have. The disadvantage is that it is highly addictive, and requires a prescription to use legally and relatively safely. THey kind of dulls happiness and other pleasurable feelings and sensations. Also, the feeling of the experience is fake because it is clouded and dependent on the opioid. “Perhaps I don’t like this loud concert even on opioids, I just like being on opioids and I’m misattributing the pleasure to the concert.” Both of these, alcohol and opioids, are terrible strategies in my experience.
One thing that works for me with overstimulation from social situations is a propranolol (blood pressure med) prescription from my psychiatrist. It helps my body calm down without affecting my mental clarity or providing any pleasurable feelings. This helps me engage and endure social situations better and longer, but I try not to rely on it unless I am feeling extra worked up.
As far as coping with system overload, I’m working with my autism therapist, but it seems that really the only way to manage this is to limit exposure and plan recovery rest. By limiting exposure, I either have to 1) avoid those situations, 2) be aware of myself and leave those situations before getting overwhelmed, or 3) find way to reduce the sensory impact (e.g. dulling the sensory stimulus). For the last one, here are some ideas that I found help me.
Be ready:
Noise:
ear plugs
noise cancelling headphones and playlists of helpful music
Light:
sunglasses
darkest legal tint for my car
if I have something planned that will be bright, close blinds at home so that I am fresh when I get exposed to light
take breaks by going into dark areas as possible
Touch:
light and loose clothing
use of liquid fabric softener
hoodies
sneakers
wearing shirts inside out at home
showering when I feel dirty
brushing my teeth first thing in the morning
Food:
I don’t eat too much to avoid feeling slow, sleepy, and bloated
have light snacks with me in case I get hungry: apples, bananas, tangerines, chips, crackers, etc.
Distractions to help cope:
strong mints that I can place in my mouth and use for stealthy stimming. hard candy would work as well, tho not as distracting as mints.
stimming gadgets: legit stimming toys, pens to take apart and reassemble, paper to fold into interesting shapes, etc.
disconnect from the overwhelming thing (e.g. social situation) and engage in something in your environment you find interesting