Autism, Meltdowns, and Mental health 2

 Meltdowns are very common with Autism but shown and even not shown by certain situations people with Autism can face. Autism is a lifetime condition and one way another most people who face Autism are affected by at least a few or a lot of different things in their lives that cause them to be Anxious and even meltdown, I guess depending on how badly whatever is happening affects them. These may not necessarily negative situations but new situations, which okay everyone can be nervous about something new,  unexpected change,  excepted things if someone isn't told till last minute say, etc.

 Even the first time you get told for example you have to pay council tax and you never did before. Not saying that it will affect a person with Autism any worse than someone without, but as a whole, it would mostly take a person with Autism more time to accept than a person without. That doesn't mean they will kick off about etc in fact with some people you may not see their emotions etc but that doesn't mean it isn't taking them a little longer than it would to someone else to get used to. That's not necessary because they are not willing to pay it but if they are not prepared for it in so much time beforehand it may be more of a shock mainly if they have to find the money etc or and they need help and support. I know no one can always work to make it easy for everyone's needs but this is just an awareness of the difference of reaction on how someone with Autism is likely to be compared to someone without and it is just an example. 

Going by the first 2 paragraphs of this post I should have told you about the sanctity of Autism. Given the example of situations that may make a person with Autism Anxious and get used to something new. Now the difference between Anxiety and meltdowns is not much different.

 I can understand that you may be thinking you can face Anxiety without Autism, yes that's right, and Anxiety and without Autism but how do you tell which is which?

 Normally if a person is shocked and sensitive to change a lot, always upset by certain situations they may have to go through, the unexcepted just basically landed on, they may be alarmed even more so than those who face Anxiety without Autism. Sorry, this is confusing Anxiety is a sensitive condition and has a huge effect on a lot of people but even more an effect on those who face Autism more so to change, route, sensory which is a sense, taste, touch, sound, etc. It's not necessary so that everyone faces all are sensitive to all the senses, Most may be affected by just, one some, or all. 

 

Autism, meltdowns and mental health 1

 First of all what causes people with Autism to behave and react as we do? First of nothing makes us any special to other people and a lot of people tend to think we want to be the center of attention and the most important people in the world, no that is not the case. We are as human as you, what we are, and who we are as people just that having Autism causes us to react to life as we do but not everything about us is down to Autism as the people we are. However' then yes we are special but not in the way you may think of ourselves as only we matter. Special because Autism Spectrum is a Special needs condition. 

The main cause of how we react to life is sensitivity, this could mean a fair few things I said in some past posts, change, route, communicating with others, trying to make ourselves understood, what's surrounded around us, anything unexcepted to us, etc. 

 Those sorts of things can increase our anxiety, meltdown, even depression, but not necessarily all. Many people seem to think meltdown and anxiety are two different things but they can be one or the other both meaning the different meaning depending on what sort of situation is affecting the person. For example; upset because they want their teddy bear. Okay, Most children with Autism react that way but some children may move on through that stage of their lives sooner than others but there's nothing to say whether or not the child has Autism. So okay, what is my point, you must be thinking? 

The exestream of upset and the way the child express themselves. Mother told me for example I used to take the clock to bed from when I was 2 till I was at least 8, the streams were like hell to play if I was in bed without the clock. She said it was quite a struggle to encourage me to grow out of it but I got there, how embarrassing though. I think I only very briefly remember that part of my life to be honest. 

Most might see people with Autism as selfish and spoiled but really we seem to at all different stages of our lives at least when I speak for myself for any length of time getting to the same things then at some point getting out of it and into something else.

Autism and mental health

Before I said what makes us Anxious, let me say what been Anxious is, worry, panic, nervous, fear, etc but most of the time when something is done it's not as bad as what we thought it's just before it's done people who are affected by Anxiety their minds can't rest when given something important, etc to think about. People who face Anxiety without Autism face it just as high as those who but most with people with Autism it becomes extreme. As crazy it may sound but always the case depending on the situations people are facing etc but if Anxiety gets too much it can make most people unwell such as the risk of seizures, heart attack,  very bad stomach ache, and as if it is turning round as if you're on a fair ride, etc and many situations there's a risk of depression, etc kicking in. 

Most people who face Autism face high levels of mental health, mainly Anxiety, which makes it hard for us to cope with situations that in many ways we may or may not need support with. Such as sorting things out that need sorting out for a certain time, filling forms, benefit assessments, etc. This also could be something sudden changing mainly if not given much notice, even positive things people may achieve like exams, driving lessons, tests, etc. 

While being on this post I am going to add in meltdowns because we Autism and Anxiety etc, meltdowns in most cases can link. When most people think of meltdowns they think of people of all ages having what they call a temper paddie in the street or something, which is not always the case of a meltdown, only just someone most likely anxious, bothered by something, etc but that meltdown and Anxiety can be reacted in different ways. For people who face Anxiety with or without Autism in my mind, those of us who face even just Anxiety when things on the mind are meltdowns on their own however a people react to whatever situation.

 Having said that I used to have in childhood years what they called back when I was child temper paddies which happened at any time but when I came off medication for Epilepsy when I was 12 to 13, they started to get less. Often I was mistaken as naughty in a roundabout way I guess I was but not really aware but I also struggled with expressing myself to others, which happens to people of all ages when having disabilities etc, but it's, even more, a struggle to express how your feeling to things, etc more so when your child. 

This something I have found on google. Autistic people can find it difficult to express their wants and needs, from a non-verbal child struggling to express their need for a drink to a teenager finding it hard to express their emotions. This can result in overwhelming feelings, such as anger and frustration, leading to a meltdown.https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/behaviour/meltdowns/all-audiences#:~:text=Autistic%20people%20can%20find%20it,frustration%2C%20leading%20to%20a%20meltdown.

Trying to understand Autism and sensory

 According to an American website, there are two types of sensory, which is which I am trying to find out.  hyper-sensitivities and hypo-sensitivities. Not sure if I am understanding this correctly but hypersensitivities are (over-responsiveness) and hypo - sensitivities are (under-responsiveness) to a wide range of stimuli. Which I am if any I am not sure. Not sure whether it depends on how high Anxiety levels are. Here are some examples. 

• Sights
• Sounds
• Smells
• Tastes
• Touch
• Balance
• Body awareness (proprioception)

More is on this website https://www.autismspeaks.org/sensory-issues

http://www.autismtoolbox.co.uk/sensory-differences

From my experience of having Autism, I am alarmed by busy towns, cities, noise, etc, even long queues of people, etc, and lack of sense of direction, which I can easily get lost. It can take me a long time to learn how to find places etc but once I know, I rarely forget on the whole unless I haven't been there for a long time depending on where, etc.  

It's understandable how it is hard for people without Autism to understand sensory issues. However' no one with Autism can the way they are either. In this post, I feel it's my job to advise people without Autism how to support people with. Sorry everyone with Autism may well face sensory in a different way, that's no one's fault but sadly the way it is but then a boring world if we were all the same. However, it may be that sensory has its positives as well as negatives, this is because sensory can vary to the person's likes and dislikes as strange as it may sound.  

Vision some people with Autism have a good eye for detail such as patterns and colors that others may not see.

When it comes to hearing most people with Autism find high pitch sounds painful for their ears. Even a low hums of electrical equipment that most non-Autism people may not be aware of letting alone may not hear.  Others may like music very loud and others may enjoy loud banging. 

People with Autism find it hard to cope with strong smells, for example, perfume and deodorant, public toilets, restaurants, etc. 

Most people with Autism don't like touch, this could be fabrics or labels in clothes or wearing heavy tight clothes. Likes could be the feel of certain textures etc of things, which could vary to like or dislike in different people. 

Balance 

Difficulties with these senses may cause people with autism to be clumsy or to do a lot of rocking, flapping, and jumping in order to be aware of where they are in space. 

 

Autism Specturm and covid lockdown

 As I have made you aware of the change and route in the last post, which can have an effect on everyone's lives as well as those facing Autism Spectrum even more so with the Covid lockdown. As far as Anxiety is concerned this applies those who face Anxiety whether they face Autism or not, which means the Covid lockdown can have a huge effect on their lives as much as people who suffer from Autism as well as Anxiety.

  Even those of us who face these problems understand the lockdown has been for the safe of everyones' health and safety and mainly ourselves. Even so, it's become a huge effect on our mental health and there might be a lot we are able to do compared to before lockdown started last March. However, there's nothing worse than struggling to understand things and yes they're most likely good reason why the government been changing the rules so often but if you face certain problems your so likely to struggle to understand than other people. Yet most, not all other people end up breaking the law but very rarely people with disabilities, mental health, and other problems because most of us if not do anything to avoid what we don't understand just in case that happens and we are unaware. Therefore' for example myself only time I have been through the door is to do food shopping etc. 

Naturally, I guess like many people support has been more limited than before. The first month of the lockdown my cleaner Aunt's friend wasn't able to work and my Aunt lives an hour from me months after she was lockdown. My Mother lives in American and hasn't been able to get over the UK, which can only support me with things online such as shopping cause most shops have been closed. Nails and hair have had to have been done by my Aunt's friend and my Aunt. 

Autism can link to different disabilities such as Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, Epilepsy Anxiety, and Depression, which I face and possibly others too. 

Examples of behavour and change in Autsim

 In many ways, we Autism people may seem boring to those who are not because we struggle to change route at least most of us on the whole. No one knows why that is and really we don't know why ourselves. In many ways, we may feel furstraighed how we are and what makes us comfortable. This is a struggle to explain because on the whole when we are aware of what's going on around us the last thing we don't want to do is bor, anyone, hurt anyone, etc, we don't want to be negative to anyone but also we are not saying that everything boils down to us having Autism either. We are as human as you, we have good and bad points about us but also apart of Autism is unawareness, which know doesn't make it right either. Even in the Autism world, there are positive parts of us as well.   

Examples of the route are doing, eating, wearing the same clothes, etc every day but of course, do not take this example to heart. I am pretty certain that most people are not in that sort of route, that just examples on the top of my head. Seriously most of us do the same things could be a favorite hobby, film, etc. Not sure about anyone else with Autism I can only speak for myself. I may go day, months, maybe years doing the same thing but one day I do change it and that will last another length of time however long or short it's going to be, it very often takes me ages and it's no intention or planned, etc, just happens that way without thinking about it and not even sure why myself. 

Autism is probley the most misunderstood condition out but it is a lifetime condition. To be honest, I am not sure on this one, I only have not so much improved but changed in some ways. As a child and maybe still in my teens I used to rock a lot and to be honest I don't think I do that as much now. I may be wrong but I think my awareness has may have slightly improved if not changed or both in the case maybe. To be truthful I have lived mostly on my own for years not sure I haven't fully noticed myself fully whereas when I was with the family a lot, mainly my late Gran bless used to tell me to stop rocking a lot. 

Seriously like for everyone change can be good and bad depending on what sort of changes etc. In a strange way, even positive changes can be a shock to the system for everyone because they are new to everyone but good or bad, right or wrong route is a huge thing and new changes take people with Autism a bit more time to get used to than other people and top of that very high Anxiety levels are to be except most people who face Autism.

Autism Spectrum awareness interduction

First of all, as you have been aware I have been writing posts on Epilepsy and we all have different awareness days, weeks, months, etc for all disabilities, mental health other problems, which is great because so many people are living with them but they are living them every day of their lives. The reason me writing these posts on my blog is that I feel everyone who faces these disabilities etc has the right to the right support and equal lives as possible to those who don't face them. I have a group on Facebook to give members the chance they wish to.

Secondly, I am sorry if you have read on my blog or anywhere else in the past me writing about this topic before but I try to update it the best I can each year it is an awareness day, month year, etc of whatever it may be. However, I am also aware that there may be new readers too. I gladly welcome all readers.  

Getting to the point of this post in the UK 700.000 people face Autism Spectrum and at least one in ten of these people are children.  It's possible there may be more of us who may be facing it and not even been diagnosed such as myself at 51. You may ask what makes you think you are? Well, my mother and family have thought so for a lot of years to the way I guess I responded to life, the way I behaved probably more so as a child than a teenage and adult year, plus, I have very high anxiety levels, etc, mainly as far as social interaction is concerned. Very often I am unaware of the world around me. 

Before I go any further no more than 1 person with Autism is the same, they can face the condition in different ways, like other people they have different likes, dislikes, different strengths, weaknesses, etc.

In this study, I cannot but bring in the Covid lockdown, which we know has had a huge effect on peoples' lives but without making Autism out to be a center of attention, the Covid lockdown has had a huger effect even though it has been the sake of everyone's health and safety. This is because most peoples' support is likely to have been limited than it was ever but before plus an of people possibly feeling as if they have lost their independence such as either less likely not at all able to see family, friends, going work, college, etc even though it's for everyones' health and safety. Okay, most of us are lucky these days that we can keep in touch online but not everyone is. However' when having Autism you feel as if you have lost your route, confidence with communicating with others, getting around places, etc for the length of time the lockdown has been. On top of that, most people who face Autism face high Anxiety, depression even suicide thoughts level, which is very concerning but they try their best to control. Not saying is in everyone who faces Autism but it's not surprising that Autism is likely to make most of us highly sensitive. 

 

In other words in the paragraph before this, I have tried to explain it's not necessary everyone faces the condition but on the whole Mental health is high faced by Autism and that doesn't mean I am saying those without Autism don't face Mental health. As far as the lockdown is concerned and access things online, just because most people are online doesn't mean they know how to use everything online and as a whole people, myself for one are on there on their own most of the time. Online counseling may be hard for some people to access if they are on their own most of the time, which may have been a struggle for most people but saying that only going by my own experience but I doubt I am alone on that one. 

People with Autism have difficulty with verbal and non - verbal communication, gestures, tone of voice, etc.  Some people with Autism cannot speak or and have a limit of speech but others don't have bad language skills but struggle to under sarcasm, for eg; jokes and tone of voice, etc. They may take things literally, Struggle and need extra time to answer questions, they may repeat what others say. 

Most people with Autism find it hard to understand people in most ways or a lot of ways, which seem intended to a lot of people but most of the time as a whole the person with Autism is unaware of others, feelings, emotions, thoughts, etc. However' for most people with Autism that unawareness doesn't stop but you may find if you somehow get to know one another for years they may slightly improve compared to when you first met them but it doesn't go away completely, this may not be the case with everyone though.  This is what you call social interaction here are some examples of what to expect.

• appear to be insensitive
• seek out time alone when overloaded by other people
• not seek comfort from other people
• appear to behave 'strangely' or in a way thought to be socially inappropriate
• find it hard to form friendships