Understimulation

[daniegirl6224]

Does understimulation also trigger your autism??? I just made this realization when work is too slow I get insanely restless/agitated… it feels the same as when I get overstimulated, like every cell in my body is going to explode. Can others relate?

 

[FilterFreq]

Yeah, I think it's pretty normal to feel upset when you can't properly stim. Usually stimming is a soothing activity, so going too long without something like that can feel pretty awful for a lot of us.

 

[vergil96]

ADHD?

 

[Misty Avich]

I can get very restless when understimulated but I have ADHD.

 

[AuAL]

I often use stimming to calm down when there is too much happening - sensory, emotionally - focus on the stim. I also often go into the “Aspie stare” but again I think this a response to “wind down incoming data.” My default mood level is low-to-median. Finding joy is difficult.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

Does understimulation also trigger your autism??? I just made this realization when work is too slow I get insanely restless/agitated… it feels the same as when I get overstimulated, like every cell in my body is going to explode. Can others relate?

I don't know about under stimulation "triggering my autism" per se, but my mind does get bored easily and I have to be focused upon something I find interesting in the moment. For me, if I cannot be physically active, doing something, I need to have my mind active. For me, it's internet research on all sorts of topics. I cannot know enough about my world.

What "triggers my autism" is mental exhaustion and depression. Working too many days in a row, or a particularly crappy, stressful day at work, or too much social interaction, then my coping and self-control/self-discipline mechanisms fall apart. Sensory issues flare up and I withdraw from the world for a while. One thing that I am thankful for is that when I do get into a depressive mood, it's not severe, but enough for me to have a flat affect and for others to notice "something is not right", but I can still function. I can't say that I get into rumination cycles like some others. I almost never think about myself, or other people for that matter.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

I don't know what you mean exactly by "trigger your autism". But understimulation is a real pain for me. I hate feeling bored, it's almost physically uncomfortable.

Some here suggested ADHD as a link (I am not diagnosed with it, I just have it in my description because I (and others) see some real ADHD traits in me, although I might not qualify for a full diagnosis), which I don't know about because I have no problems with keeping still, as long as my mind is busy reading or watching or working on something. As a kid, I wasn't hyperactive and had no problems to focus, so I don't really qualify for ADHD.

I have the constant need to keep my brain busy. I usually listen to something - music, audio book, podcast - while doing things which don't require much thought. If I can't, it feels like my brain itches or something.
"Not thinking about anything" while being comfortable is only possible for me in certain situations - e.g. while I'm kickboxing (and realistically my brain is not thinking nothing, it's just channeling all focus), while I'm listening to some music (which is still stimulation), or while I'm in nature looking at and listening to running water, waves, birds, etc.

I also hate it when someone talks at lengths about something that doesn't interest me - I feel almost physically uncomfortable then -, when someone just won't get to the point of their sentence.

 

[Misery]

Oh yeah, I get this one.

For me it's all audio. I cant deal with silence or places that are just too low-volume.

I use my iPad as a noise machine when sleeping for that reason, it's always set to "loud waterfall". I'd have a ton of trouble getting to sleep without it.

 

[FayetheAspie]

I also thought that part was part of my ADHD.

 

[brandybild]

Never have had a problem with understimulation from the outside - my brain is plenty busy all the time. Overstimulation - yes, indeed. Sometimes I just need to get away to a quiet place by myself, even if only for 5-10 minutes, to lower the input levels (sound, activity of others, etc) and it can be very tiring. I'm glad you found a job where you can get along and enjoy, seems like you are coping well. Good for you!

 

[Cutesie]

Here's another person who attributes it to ADHD, not to autism. (I'm not yet diagnosed with either one.) Last night, I lay in bed, listening to football on one radio, basketball on another, scrolling the Web, and feeling bored.