Reacting to change

Hylian

How do you react to change? Like, if your routines change, plans that are made suddenly change, etc.

I've noticed that even minor changes stress me out and overwhelm me. Something like having to work an hour earlier will stress me out for the whole day, or the order of things that I do during the day changing will make me worry. If I have something planned and anything about it changes or it gets canceled I also worry about that.

I ask a lot of the same questions to people in my family to make sure that things like plans or routines will stay the same, or if something does change that I can try to prepare for it. I get really bad anxiety if I don't know what's going on or if something is going to change.

I spend a lot of days really overstimulated because despite trying to be prepared things constantly change, and most things are unpredictable. Today was one of those days and it always leaves me exhausted.

Statest16

Change is never fun but I have gotten better with it over the years

Amity

Before I realised I was Autistic plus during the transition to allowing myself to just be as I am, I think I used up a lifetime supply of adaptability to change.

My days were just as you describe, for me it was like being on a runaway train dealing with one mini crisis after the next... Overwhelming.

Unexpected events, good or bad, have the same startle type impact, while my brain freezes, the world keeps marching on and it feels like Im just about holding on, hoping that my brain can catch up before another change comes along.

Its easier said than done, but some calm 'time out' can help a little on days like this. Being in a stressed state of mind makes accessing the frontal lobe almost impossible and its the part of my brain that I really, really need to work in those moments. Its the only part that can help me avoid a shutdown when more changes come my way.

firemonkey

For me it depends on the degree and nature of the change.

darkcloak_dragon

My biggest problem is with transitions, switching tasks. Once I start something, I struggle to stop. When I'm not studying, I don't want to start; once I start, I have to really focus to pull myself away. I usually don't want to get undressed, but once I'm in the shower, I don't want to get out. The sensations related to transitioning between clothedness/nakedness and hot water/cooler bathroom air is a big part of the problem. When things get cancelled and/or I have to change plans, I do feel more upset than I think most people would. I feel disappointed, like I've lost something small but not insignificant, as if I've lost a few dollars.

pangolin

Presently I have improved my distress management alongside reducing the overall environmental stressors I interact with in day-to-day life but when significant changes happen, I experience an intense overwhelm that can manifest as physical sensations of overheating and bodily tension that I compare to a submarine being crushed from deep sea pressure. Alongside typical markers of distress such as crying, I have had instances where I experience intense suicidal ideation in response to unexpected and unwanted changes. Fortunately, this has also improved with the use of prescribed antidepressants.

My current circumstances are much more predictable and accommodating to my needs so I have had the fortune of having limited recent examples of distress caused by changes in the environment. Being able to have control over my own belongings and having my comforting but limited dietary choices has been very pleasant as of late.

darkcloak_dragon said:

My biggest problem is with transitions, switching tasks. Once I start something, I struggle to stop. When I'm not studying, I don't want to start; once I start, I have to really focus to pull myself away. I usually don't want to get undressed, but once I'm in the shower, I don't want to get out. The sensations related to transitioning between clothedness/nakedness and hot water/cooler bathroom air is a big part of the problem. When things get cancelled and/or I have to change plans, I do feel more upset than I think most people would. I feel disappointed, like I've lost something small but not insignificant, as if I've lost a few dollars.

I would definitely recommend to look into a term called "autistic inertia" which is used to describe the experiences that you are having. You may also find some practical advice to help in managing those difficulties.