ASD and face masks

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Hey everyone, I had a quick question. I was lucky enough to get a cloth face mask from someone. However I find it overstimulating, overwhelming and even disorienting for me to use. I was wondering if anyone out there has had similar experiences. I do have AS and have had trouble with tactile things in the past.

Thanks for your input,

I can wear a mask for a short period of time but it just gets hot and sweaty on my face. The real issue I have is that I do feel very weird wearing a mask. Growing up I was told not to wear masks to school because people need to see your face at all times, bank robbers and shooters wear ski masks etc. The only "normal" people who are supposed to wear masks are medical professionals. Because of this notion, I feel very self conscientious and awkward wearing them. But, I've resigned myself to the fact that I have to wear one for the time being to be allowed in a store, and going to a store even once or twice a week is much better than locking myself inside for the next few months. So, I put it on and suck it up for a little bit.

I don't mind wearing face masks but I don't like the idea of wearing part of a bra as a face mask, as some people have suggested (not sure if it's a joke or not?) Even if the bra is clean it still makes me feel sick to have one against my face. If I'm going to wear a face mask I prefer to wear a proper one. Bras belong on boobs, not on faces.

I have asthma.  Wearing a face mask helps me breathe better.  The facial discomfort is irrelevant.

I bought one of these hats with the clear visors. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01E8LJCOQ/re ... QEb10FSM1H

It doesn’t touch my face which is nice. This one’s kinda feminine though but there’s lot of different styles searching around Amazon for the clear visor stuff

My mom ordered some nice cloth ones. They're soft and aren't close enough to my nostrils to make me feel like I can't breathe. Can't say I like the straps on my ears, though, and I have to position them just right so my breath doesn't fog up my glasses.

In Germany they are forcing the people to wear masks in shops and puplic transport. OK - for some people they are a big win and they become much more beautiful with them. But it's OK to wear a scarf or something like this here as well. For this I'm using a funny bandana with skulls on it now. Dislike something in my face but for the rather short time in a shop it's OK. Guess I'm over the virus already but can't tell for sure. Tryed an antibody test now but they need more then ten days to tell the results.

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I am as I am. Life has to be an adventure!

Where I live, it's now mandatory on public transportation. Even the paper ones put too much stimulation on my skin and make me feel claustrophobic... but it's bearable. The cloth ones make me feel I'm suffocating and are impossible for me.

I have a awful time wearing them my anxiety starts going up.We are ask to wear them here Okla. This still is a tough time.

I have a problem where my nose itches. But since I should be touching my nose, I suffer through it. I have the same problem sitting in a dentist chair. I'm not sure what triggers the itchiness.

Thanks for your incite, gland to know I am not the only one.
We only have to were one here at the store, or at our apartment building outside. It is "recommended" otherwise btw.

I wear face masks where it's mandatory (supermarkets), but I hate them. I understand the reasoning, but it's just a suffocating feel. Seeing others wearing masks kicks up my anxiety, and makes faces even harder to read.

Over here it's mandatory in shops, public transport and practically anywhere else you can meet people except private homes. I have tried to get washable ones but couldn't. The first batch my husband ordered for us we never got, the second one didn't fit. They were too small for him and too big for me. We've bought some disposable ones now but I really hate those too. They are way too big and keep slipping upwards into my eyes. I have no idea where to get smaller ones.

Last time I went shopping there were a lot of people in the shop and the mask was so hot and I started to hyperventilate and went straight into an overload. But there's nothing you can do really. Just bear it and hope it'll be over soon. But I expect they will make us wear those until we can all be vaccinated against Covid19. And that may take a long while yet.

My only experience of wearing a face mask has been while sorting out a dusty loft. It was rather uncomfortable, presumably due to sensory issues and the fact that few people tolerate them well, it soon became moist and slightly smelly, and I wasn't all that convinced it was protecting me very well, because I figured that air was getting in from the sides - it wasn't an expensive mask.

As far as I can tell, there's no hard evidence that cheap masks for the public do any good - it seems any slight protection afforded by their limited air filtration is offset by the increased impulse to touch the face, the risks in handling and storing the mask, and the false sense of security the mask creates. They're perhaps of some use to inhibit an infected person from spreading the virus via coughs and sneezes, but I've been self-isolating for weeks (because my partner is in the vulnerable group) and even when I do go out, I observe the social distancing so meticulously that I'm highly unlikely to be a carrier.

So I have no plans to use a mask as a coronavirus measure unless they enforce it strongly. There's no sign of that in the US where I currently am. In the UK they say the gov will soon be telling the public to use them, but it's not clear whether that will be just advice or a diktat. I guess the unfortunate people who get forced back to work may well find that their employers are imposing such a rule on them. The matter barely affects me personally because as a pensioner I don't have to go out at all except for occasional food shopping (which is a kerbside pickup thing where I don't even have to get out of the car) and a walk round the loop for exercise in a sparsely-populated neck of the woods.

[RANT WARNING]
But I feel concerned and angry about the discomfort and risks that governments are choosing to impose on people for arbitrary and incorrect given reasons - Boris Johnson is trying to tell the UK to wear masks "to give people the confidence to return to work" (otherwise known as a false sense of security) and he's saying the UK is past the peak in new cases (to date that's not what the numbers are saying), and Trump has also made the same incorrect assertion about being past the peak, and his government has advised the public to wear masks, though he doesn't do so himself. I'm afraid the people of both countries are being used as guinea pigs in a very dangerous experiment, and in the US as cannon fodder in the Republican Party's attempts to hang onto power. I'm lucky enough to be able to watch the results from the safety and comfort of home, with almost complete autonomy of choice. I honestly thought I had very little compassion for the masses - even those close to me are retired and / or very healthy - but it seems even I have my limits, or maybe I'm just sick of stupid narcissists pretending they know best and somehow getting away with it.

So my advice to any ASDer wondering about whether to use a mask is, ignore politicians, read carefully what medical science says about masks, try one out if you have one, in a safe place, to get a feel for its comfort and how to use it properly, and make your own decision if the powers that be will allow you to. If you do use one, make sure first that you fully understand the problems associated with them and take appropriate steps to mitigate them. You might find that a home-made mask of a softer material is more comfortable, but design and use it very carefully. One well-meaning person was making masks for people, and sewed a layer of plastic between 2 layers of cotton, thus blocking off the filtering action completely by forcing all the air to go in and out of the edges. Obviously, if you think you may be already carrying the virus, wearing a mask would likely protect others.

They make me aware of my breathing and any time I become aware of my breathing I am at risk of having a panic attack. However I think I could deal with it for short periods. I think my plan is to wear it when I'm on transport or any shops etc, as well as gloves. Anywhere else though I probably won't because the feeling will make my anxiety worse.

I wear N95s. I only wear them when I enter a shop or store. I don't drive with them on. There are different types of N95s. I wear ones with an exhalation valve. The valve reduces heat build-up inside the respirator. So my glasses don't fog up. And I don't feel claustrophobic when I wear this type. It has a good seal fit. It is easy to put on and take off, once you learn the method.

I am 71 years old and the primary reason why I wear these mask is to protect myself from infection since I am in the high risk group. Viruses are very small but the N95s have very fine filters that stop viruses.

Currently these N95s are hard to come by. But I had a few that I bought 10 years ago, sitting on a shelf in the garage. Generally these are inexpensive, around $2 each. In a month or two they will again find their way onto store shelves. I recommend everyone purchase a few.

I have been wearing the same mask for a couple months now. I sanitize the mask with sunlight between uses. But I purchased a sanitizer box that will kill any viruses on the mask using UVC light.