Mall Trips

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Lush is a store that sells soaps. Very smelly ones. It's horrible.

Oh, ok...thanks.

Yep but you can almost get away with never using them in the UK as the same shops are in the high streets. There's the mall or nothing for a lot of shop types in the the US (although do like the little odd strip malls) plus the food is mostly a lot better (just can't get decent bacon (even Canadian) or chocolate).

https://www.lush.co.uk/ they do a lot of extremely natural soaps, cosmetics etc. most of the girls I know swear by them for bath bombs, shower gel, odd slimy stuff, face packs etc Even I love some of the soaps. Would highly recommend there stock a lot of it is great and the sales woman will suggest the best products for what you want (and let you try them). I know there's a nice one in Covent garden but there is one in Liverpool street station.

On there own each smells lovely and natural but the shops got too many scents for me (even walking by some) it overloads my ability to dial in on any one so I get overwhelmed, especially if the other senses are stretched, and a migraine from the effort to hold it together. It can get to NT's as well though.

@Cogs

No, it doesn’t get better. I notice for myself and so did my friend, when we went into Forever 21. The brightest store in the mall, the lights make me feel like I am melting. My eyes hurt, and I get overly hot; and I get a bit irritated. This is at a BIG mall; usually the smaller malls and less people I am a bit better at. Now that you bring up a lecture; I’m a bit nervous about college. Instead of freaking out about it now I will just wait til college starts and see if I have that issue in any of my classes.

@Radiofixr

I understand. I hate the feeling that people are making snide comments. It’s such a horrid feeling to feel.


I dislike shopping as well. But if I need something I like to know exactly what I need go to the store get out. And eating at the mall isn’t something I like in any sort of manner. I feel so uncomfortable and out of place; that my body just feels like it’s going in circles until I leave. Food courts are the worst.

I wish that stores, malls any place that people shop had lights that were nicer to humans. Like those swirly lights, I forget what they are called. They don’t make me feel like I am melting like the witch from Wizard of Oz.

Happens to me all the time. Funny thing is, I like the mall but every time I go I expreience what you just described but a bit worse because if Im alone at the mall I totally freak out and run away without a destenation in mind.

I have yet to be at the mall alone. I have been in stores alone; but I usually focus on one thing. I always make sure to say hi how are you, to the cashier because I know I'll be asked a question I won't here if I don't say it first. I'd be more in control of how the conversation goes and get out of there without coming off as a jerk because I'd be in my own little world until I get to my next destination.

I really hate the mall. All those noises and all that visual movement wears me out within minutes. And even worse: Walking around the mall between all those people. Seems like my brain can't figure out when to walk left or right to avoid collisions. It's more og less the ultimate stress to me.

If i REALLY have to go there, I'm planning the trip with millitary prescision. Get in quickly, and get out quickly seems to be the only way I can cope with it.

Well, I am glad I'm not alone on the problems with the mall. It's definitely an overwhelming experience. Though I notice less of a problem with smaller malls and less people. But there are some stores where the lightning just melts me.

Pretty much what I was going to say.

I can't be at the mall for more than an hour. Any longer than that and my brain starts to shutdown, especially when there's TONS of people there. I'm kind of an anomaly, I like shopping, but only when people aren't in the way.

My brain shut downs sometimes without my knowledge. Sometimes I try to reverse the shutdown but sometimes that ends up with me looking angry. So I just let my brain shut down for little bits at a time. Like when a friend is shopping around or in the fitting room. I can just shut down for a bit. When I get out of the mall I am usually quite and I don't talk. Then I start getting really really hyper.

If I go it's on a sunday about an hour before it opens so my kids can use the play area. If I want to do any shopping I do it as soon as the mall opens on sunday and then I get the heck out.

I hate malls, I feel like everyone is staring at me and for some reason I get mad and start making remarks to people out of earshot that would get my ass kicked if they heard. Something about malls makes me anxious and angry at the same time

I'm reading Aspergirls by Rudy Simone, and she mentions that aspie's generally hate huge department stores/ supermarkets etc, and prefer small boutiques.
I have never found this to be true for myself, since boutiques are often crammed with stuff, to fit everything in such a small space, whereas department stores usually have isles that are well spaced, and things aren't all cramped together.
Malls are different, since they are often really busy and usually have several micro stores filled with people all practically touching one another. It's such a hideous, zoo-like environment, much like a supermarket that is filled with people and smells, so much bleach and chemicals and such, I think malls & supermarkets are the worst for sensory overload, as well as small stores, since It feels like that scene in Willy Wonka where they're walking down the corridor that gets smaller and smaller, only the corridor is filled with colourful stuff.

Sorry, I don't know where I'm going with this, haha.

is anxiety to the point of anger "wierd"?

I totally aree with you. Small shops are a little easier because the noise-level is usually lower. But the narrow isles, and the fact that you are forced to be too close to the the other customers almost equalizes the absence of noise.

I'm very sensitive to noise and visual movements. But is it given that ALL aspies are sensitive in both senses?? Maybe that's the reason why some actually like small shops.

I prefer bigger shops. The only noise that bothers me at shopping places are whining/screaming toddlers, and you get them in smaller shops just like you do in bigger shops (since where I come from more people have a load of kids under the age of 4, for some reason), and the mother just drags them into any shops they can, even if it means cramming a double-buggy in such a small, narrow shop (which really can become a fire hazard).

Also I start getting claustrophobic in small shops, because people stand right up close to me and want to get by or want to get to the exact object I'm standing in front of, and so I have to keep moving which ruins my concentration in what I'm trying to get. Shops like Poundland (where everything is under £1) attracts a lot of people and so it gets busy throughout the day, and those sorts of shops are usually in little narrow buildings where you are right in top of eachother. Those sorts of shops are noisier than places like Tesco, because even more mothers bring their loud kids in them and take their time looking because everything's so ''wonderfully cheap''.