Shutdown

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Why is that weird?
When you're overwhelmed the overwhelmed-ness can just bounce around inside your head. Listening to something consistent, familiar, and pleasant is better if it makes you feel more removed from the overload triggers than silence would.

For me it starts off with a deep anxious feeling in the pit of my gut... Sometimes I can identify it ahead of time and sometimes I can't. As it begins to worsen its like everything around me starts moving faster than I can grasp and Its like I can't really comprehend anything around me. The sounds get farther away and I lose all my words and my ability to think or respond. It's almost like a frozen feeling or a deer in the headlights feeling... At that point I usuallly have to flee the situation quickly. If I flee, it temporarily helps me to run or walk in a straight line somewhere, but I don't always deescalate that way and end up crying. If I remain in the situation, someone usually notices that I don't look right and then I immediately break down crying when attention is drawn. Sigh.

Sorry to bump and old thread

When I shutdown I have to go to bed as soon as I can, If I don't it gets worse and takes me longer to sort myself out (This could be days)

(I have real difficulty sleeping, always have and can go 3 days without sleep, although thank god its been a couple of months now since that happened, when I do its horrible, pure hell, its like going mad)

Sometimes my skin tingles, I get a certain taste in my mouth, I can smell a particular smell and my brain stops working and I can't talk

Shutdown for me used to be when I had too much to do and/or was thinking too much. I would sometimes melt down concerning that, or just stop doing the stuff or give up and go to sleep. Now I don't really get it.

If I'm in a pickle with something, I shut down. Sensory overloads don't lead me to melt/shut downs. I don't like too much information bombarding me, which is why I'm not keen on reading lots of instructions.

Re: being in a pickle. Many moons ago, I was asked by my local council to provide some information, which I couldn't. I then went to bed & ended up feeling deep purple - not the 'blues'. I became anxious. If I lose something, I start to panic and have a meltdown.

I have ranted & raved at people - I can become a tad vicious/horrible - this scared my Ex.