Sunday 27 May 2012

Sensory Overdrive


Imagine standing in a room full of people that you don’t know or you only know a handful of people and your senses working overtime to make it sense of it all or that you are afraid to talk to someone because you might say the wrong thing.  That is what it is like for me sometimes.  It depends on the situation but I don’t like social situations because I have to try and make sense of it all.  In those situations I take my game boy along and find a nice quiet spot once I have socialised for awhile.  I like to have someone that I know quite well like my family. I dislike crowds of people because my brain goes in overdrive and it gets overwhelming to try to keep up what is happening if that happens I get tried so fast because my brain can’t keep up on what’s happening.  I don’t go out and socialise that often and when I do its hard for me to follow what’s happening even though I am intelligent for my syndrome but I get some symptoms of CDC like a short attention span or my lack of concentration after a certain number of hours and then I need a break.  I work in the mornings because I can concentrate a lot more.  I walk everywhere around town and if I don’t take my iPod into town with me I can’t focus because there is a lot going on like the cars going past and stuff like that but if I take my iPod I can shut out most of the noise and help me concentrate better and I wear hoodies most of the time so I can also put my hood up and block out most of the background sound.   Last year at my younger sister’s 21st I brought along my game boy and didn’t actually know any of her friends but my family was there but all evening I sat on the couch and played on my game boy because I am not very good at socialising with strangers that I don’t know and my Mum came up too me at the end of the evening as my brother and I were leaving and said that she was very proud of me that I lasted long that I did.  

6 comments:

  1. Hey, I worry about the risk of walking around with your iPod buds in and hoodie up, and not seeing or hearing a car coming up behind you or from your side while you are crossing the road... Love you lots!

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  2. Uncle Chris I am fine when I am walking and I look both ways when crossing the street and I cross with the traffic lights and I am fine.

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    1. That is very sweet that your Uncle Chris is concerned. It shows alot of love for his neice. I also had some concerns about this but it extended to you not being aware of anyone around you as well as vehicles approaching.

      Thank you for posting this Rachel, it helps give me some insight into what Brennan might be feeling.

      Janet

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    2. Rachel its not walking and looking for cars, I feel its more of the fact that its very dangerous in this town to walk around at during the day let alone at night add to that you are taking away one very key sense (hearing) due to the fact you have headphones on. I recently saw a study that stated that the majority of attacks on women occur when they are walking alone with head phones on. Be careful.... i wont even run to the gym after those two women were attacked in town in broad daylight.
      We wouldnt want anything to happen to you xx

      Hannah

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  3. Rachel - this is the 3rd attempt at a comment - hope it reaches you! I love your blog! When you were growing up you did so much creative writing. We still have a story you wrote many years ago which Aunty Pam typed up for us. And then you stopped. Am so glad that this dormant talent has re-emerged better than ever. We look forward to more blogs - perhaps on your volunteering experiences...or living alone...Love Gran

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  4. Gran I did get your message. Can I write what I want to write what is important to me as a disabled New Zealander? Not what people want me to write because I am writing several pieces for my blog at the moment because I want people to read it and deveolp their own opionion about things.

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