HELP! Extreme Sensory Overload, Anger, and OCD

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Our son is 20 years old and is so sensitive if he even accidentally breathes on his hands he screams and shouts. He is also angry all the time, and screams a lot. That being said, in the last month, he was in the psych ward at the hospital, he came home and we changed his diet, he started ABA services, and mom has been changing her routine with him. Could all those changes be causing him to scream and have so much anger and worse sensitivities? Any insight would be appreciated.

Was he calmer before the changes?

Many of us have very bad expiriences with ABA, as a dog-training humans to pretend being who they aren't. It might have made the anxiety worse, and higher anxiety is often higher sensitivity. A change in routine is also a typical source of anxiety. If the routine needed to be changed, it should get better with time and him getting used to it.

How is he communicating? Talking? Typing? Sign language? Anything else? Communication is a great factor when it comes to anxiety, being able to express oneself is a deep need of everyone.

Yes he was a little calmer before the changes. But still lots of anger. He is high functioning and talks , but talking about his emotions stresses him out. We did have to make the changes because he's been doing poorly for a little over a year now. Hoping the changes will get him to a better place mentally and physically. I was thinking he will adjust eventually. It just helps to hear it from someone else. Thank you for the reply.

The fact that his sensitivities are becoming more prominent and he is screaming out in anger leads be to believe he is under a great deal of stress and it is getting worse.

Behavioral problems are primarily due to stress overload. Stress is stored in different layers. It is cumulative in nature and must be relieved to move the body back to a neutral state. In the "fight/flight" region of brain development this stress energy is stored in the limbs. It is a consequence of being unable to complete the fight or flight response. His actions are inhibited generally by social norms. There are ways to vent this stored stress energy. Exercise is one method but there is a secret here.

The key is that acute exercise is a powerful activator of the neuroendocrine system (i.e., a stressor), provided that the exercise is of sufficient intensity and/or duration. Low to moderate exercise affects the neuroendocrine system for only a few minutes or hours. In acute exercise, one is simulating the effects of panic. Acute exercise can vent the stress energy long term.

One example of extremely stressful exercise in the legs (exercise in which maximal oxygen uptake is 100%), is ten 6-second maximal sprints (around a 50-yard dash, running like a bat out of hell) with a 30 second recovery between each sprint. [This emulates the flight response in a panic.]

In the arms, stress can be relieved by using a punching bag, boxing speed bag or pillow. Have him strike at a punching bag and move his arms/hands so fast that they become a blur. (10-second burst) with 30 second recovery times in-between. He doesn't need to punch the bag hard, a light touch will do. It is the intensity and speed that counts. Perform this 10 times to vent the stress stored in his arms.

The fifth limb is his neck. It must also be relieved. He needs to vent the stress in his neck muscles, vocal cords, and jaw. The best way is to scream at the top of his lungs several times. But you have to do this in a socially acceptable manner. He should never scream at people. I live in the country and my dog is a free-range dog. When it is mealtime, I call my dog, very loudly. My voice carries about a mile and echoes back to me from nearby hills. It gives me a sense of great strength, like I could split a mountain in two just with my voice alone. He might try howling like a wolf at the moon. There is a person on this site that howls at the subway cars as they pass by deep down in the subway stations in New York City. But there are other ways to scream in a socially acceptable manner. A singer can do this if it is a very powerful song. A barker in the county fair can do this. Or find yourself a soundproof room.

My son has done those exercises the last 2 days and is noticeably a little more calm tonight. Thank you so much for your input.