Stimming and Sensory Processing (Part 2)

Sensory processing often comes hand-in-hand with stimming because a lot of people with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) stim to alleviate the stress of sensory overload. I know that I do; especially when there’s lots of noise around me… When I am in a crowded place, especially inside, and lots of people are talking all at once, it sounds like I’m underwater and I struggle to focus on anything. If I am in these types of environments for long periods of time, it can get too much for me and I will become quieter and quieter until I eventually have a “meltdown” because I can’t handle it anymore. A lot of people mistake meltdowns with bad or childish behaviour, but with ASD and Sensory Processing Disorder, meltdowns are usually a result of too much stimulus to the senses and they just don’t know what to do… So, if you see someone having a “meltdown” or “acting up”, please don’t judge them or the people they’re with, because they might be overwhelmed. Trying to process so many things at once is exhausting, especially if you are masking as well! (Masking is when an Autistic person hides their traits to fit in with society.)

Bright lights can also trigger sensory overload. When I am feeling overwhelmed, I often turn my main light in the living room off and just put a small lamp on, so I don’t have too much light around me. I am very pleased that I am able to turn my lights on and off myself now, one reason for this is that I felt embarrassed to ask someone to turn off the light when it’s dark.

When I am in bed, I always like to have my quilt over me and tucked in behind my back. I don’t know why, but I like to feel something there. It’s not like I think I’m going to fall out of bed, but it just doesn’t feel right without it. I sometimes sleep without my quilt on when it’s really hot, but I don’t like it.

A couple of years ago, I bought myself a big, purple, squidgy ball with lots of short, rubbery, stretchy bits. I absolutely love playing with this. Last Christmas, my mum and dad put a rubber poop in my brother’s and my stocking, and I still love it now… I like to fiddle with both of these, especially when I feel overwhelmed.

I don’t really remember when, but I think I was at college when I first noticed my stimming habits… I believe that this was because I was going through big changes in my life and I used this as a coping mechanism when I didn’t know what else to do. I think that I was ashamed of myself for doing it because of the comments I received when people saw me doing it. This made me concerned about my mental health because I was told to stop as it was said that only people who are mentally ill rock… It made me feel upset because they were stereotyping and although there is nothing wrong with it, I was worried. I don’t think I was more concerned about my mental health, but I was also concerned about the view other people had about stimming.

If you take anything from these blog posts, please remember that there is nothing wrong with stimming. If you comment on it in a negative way, you may make the person feel bad about themselves or embarrassed. If you see someone stimming, please don’t make a big deal out of it. If they look distressed, you can ask them if they’re ok. If they look happy, there’s no need to do anything unless they’re in danger. Please educate yourself and others about stimming!