My job at the grocery story was particularly challenging this past Sunday. The workday started out alright enough; I was talkative and even joked around with friends and coworkers. However, as the day went on, I began to have sensory issues, even though I did not recognize them for what they were at first. Over my lifetime, I have tried to find reasons for the sensations that accompanied sensory overload. I've tried to tell people that I was just tired, I had a headache, things like that. My most recent reasoning for sensory overload was that I was empathetic and was reading the emotions of others. Finally, I have not only identified when I am having a sensory overload, I can also describe how it feels. It is sort of like a hard, pressing feeling in my head that came in waves and becomes increasingly painful. This is what it feels like for me to have a sensory overload.
Ryan Comins is a 2012 graduate of Oakland University with a Bachelor Degree in Business.In 2000, Ryan was diagnosed with high functioning autism at age 12. He has overcome many obstacles to succeed both academically and professionally. Since 2015, he has worked in a call center. With advocacy experience ranging from teaching, blogging, and podcasts, Ryan strives to increase understanding of autism. Ryan lives in Michigan with his wife Jackie and two cats.
6 comments:
Thanks for sharing. Very insightful. What do you do at work when this happens? Are you able to take a break to recoop?
Good description, I feel like it's a kind of pressure in my head too, but it never occurred to me that it was sensory overload - I just thought it was a reaction to stress :-}
Sometimes, but not always. When I can't get away I don't make any eye contact and try to talk as little as possible to minimize how much external stimulation I let in.
to me a sensory ovrload is painful an i cnnt dscribe the pain it feels inside as ur tryimng tu cope an goit thru it wth out having a melt down -sensory ovrload needs mor awareness out bout this caus it maks life a living hell
By raising awareness we will eventually be able to greatly reduce the misunderstood pain that many people have to endure on a daily basis.
Thanks Ryan for helping me get some deeper insight to how my boy feels!
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