72 Results in anxiety

Doing well does not equal happiness

How many times have people said things to you such as "You're doing so well"? Many people have said this to me and continue to say it to me. In fact, I get comments acknowledging or congratulating me on my achievements on a near daily basis. This isn't the problem though - it's always nice to get recognition I am doing well at something. The problem is when people therefore end up assuming that because I am "doing well" it means that I am "happy."

The extra importance of ‘free time’ for people with ASD

'Free time' is important for everyone in order to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Free time could be defined as the time outside the normal working day or the time allocated to seeing friends or pursuing hobbies. For people who work a 9-5 working week or for children who go to school, their free time will typically mean the evenings or the weekends. Throughout the day, breaks and lunch breaks are also sometimes considered to be free time. There are a few things to consider when we talk about free time for people with ASD. Normal day to day activities consume an enormous amount of energy for people on the autism spectrum. There are various reasons why things are so draining, including but not limited to:

Sensory accommodations for food, exercise and sleep

The combination of good diet, good sleep and regular exercise can have enormous benefits for everyone. For people with ASD however, it might be more difficult to achieve these things - primarily due to social challenges and sensory processing difficulties. These three things though, can make the world of a difference to someone's physical and mental well being - so it's really important to take them seriously. Food Lots of people on the autism spectrum have unusual food preferences. Some of this may come down to the desire for sameness and predictability, for example insistence on eating exactly the same brand of item every time or feeling stressed when a brand changes its recipe or ingredients. 

4 golden rules for managing sensations

Having suffered an injury, I've had frequent hospital appointments! That's the inspiration for this blog article. For someone like me who has hypersensitivity, even 'normal' sensations can be extremely uncomfortable. Sounds such as fire alarm tests, sirens, drilling, hammering, the doorbell ringing and lorries driving past are things that can happen every day yet they don't overly bother most people. I personally hate the sounds of live music, instruments, singing and clapping as well, whereas many people enjoy those sounds. Nobody likes the smell of garbage or sewage but - again - people seem to get over them quickly. Feelings such as combing your hair or wearing certain items of clothing can be uncomfortable to some people but not overly so.

10 personal strategies for dealing with anxiety

The 10 bits of advice listed below have changed my life. These are the things I personally do every single day/throughout the day. As a result - generally - my anxiety day to day is under control and I am able to live the way I want to and do the things I want to do. There is a lot of advice already available about dealing with anxiety, but much of that won't be overly helpful for people on the autism spectrum. I wanted to share my personal strategies with you because I hope they may be useful to you too. 1. Finding out lots of information so I know what to expect I need to know what is going on pretty much all of the time. In situations that I don't have a lot of control over (for example, when I'm out of the house, shopping, at work, at a social gathering...), I prefer to know as much as possible about "who-what-where-why-when-how." When I have this information, I can use it to decide whether or not I will participate. If it sounds manageable, I'll be more inclined to participate and enjoy it. If it doesn't sound manageable, I'll decline and probably end up avoiding the likely outcome which would be a meltdown/shutdown. Knowledge is power, as they say. Having lots of information about something before I agree or disagree to participate makes me feel like I have a bit of control. That sense of control is very important.

4 simple strategies for socialising

Many people with ASD crave companionship, want to make friends and spend time with friends. But even spending time with friends can be difficult and stressful, which is something that I'm not sure many neurotypical people would understand. This article provides 4 simple strategies for both the individual with ASD and their friend(s), to make the time spent together more comfortable for the individual with ASD, which will consequently make the relationship stronger and more enjoyable for both.

Theories about the sensory system in ASD

Although sensory challenges were not considered to be an aspect of ASD until the most recent diagnostic criteria (DSM-5), I am yet to come across anyone who has a diagnosis who does not have sensory challenges. In fact, many individuals with ASD believe that the challenges they have with their sensory systems are the most debilitating aspect of their disorder. Some individuals also say that most of their daily life struggles do in fact stem from their sensory challenges.

A day at secondary school for the girl with the curly hair

Following on from the previous post which showed a typical primary school day from the point of view of the girl with the curly hair and how her experiences might differ from neurotypical children, here is a post about a secondary school day. Here is a typical Monday:… Join The Curly Hair Project Community Today This article and our podcasts are available only to members of our community. If you would like to continue to read this article, along with receiving access to our e…

A day in primary school for the girl with the curly hair

Schools’ Autism Awareness Week is coming up. I thought it was a good time to show a typical primary school day from the point of view of the girl with the curly hair and how her experiences might differ from neurotypical children. Here is a typical Monday:… Join The Curly Hair Project Community Today This article and our podcasts are available only to members of our community. If you would like to continue to read this article, along with receiving access to our exclusi…

Achieving closure

Difficulties with social imagination and theory of mind contribute to high anxiety in people with ASD. These difficulties are also the cause of numerous “why?” questions and ruminations, because it is so hard to understand the social behaviour of others. Whereas neurotypical people seem to be able to ‘let things go’, this piece of advice will… Join The Curly Hair Project Community Today This article and our podcasts are available only to memb…