Anyone Experience This? Tactile Overload

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So I'm almost middle aged and have only known that I'm autistic for a year. In that year I've really started understanding my life much more in this new light. One thing I'm getting to know in a different way is my sensory system.

I definitely experience the sensory world differently from average... both among typical people and other autistics. I don't have sensory meltdowns or the type of overload I've heard many others describe.

I do get overloads though... I'm wondering if anyone else get something like this?

I was at a conference with my three year old boy. Two days with lots of people, most of whom I know to one degree or another, awkward social interactions, noisy toddler rooms... that's bad enough... but also I was outside a lot with my boy who struggles to stay inside. Light variable air movement on my skin really makes me TIRED and sunlight (I need Irlen lenses).

So what I experienced after that was almost two weeks of fatigue like I was sick. It was worse in the beginning and decreased in intensity as time progressed... Body aches, feeling really detached from reality, my hands and my body being heavy and uncooperative.

There is also a particular sensation I get. Like a short circuit in my tactile system. My body feels like it is covered in an electrical field, burning, buzzing, uncomfortable, hard to sleep at night. It's awful. I do remember getting this in the past in similar circumstances. It is a kind of overload.

*Anyone get this too?*

Enjoyed the conference. My suffering usually only starts after I get home. I think when the adrenaline gives up.

I had a similar weekend where I could go lie for 20 minutes understurbed in my darkened bedroom and that made the world of a difference. I call it my sensory deprivation nap. It really resets my system.

It happened to me if I'm past my hard limits. Last I checked I did no breaks, over 35+ hours and less than 3 hours of sleep along with it.
It happened to me about twice. Though I couldn't remember the first one.


Even though I'm not physically or mentally exhausted, something inside couldn't take it anymore.
Most of the loud sounds roars like a thunder, the wind chillingly burns, the body feels heavier, the light sears and hurts. Everything feels too fast. I still could recall this.

In fact, the whole similar thing literally happened to me last time, few years ago -- that I enjoyed the whole event that I barely slept, and had a lot of company. Then end up sick and fatigue right before going on the way home.
Except it took a week instead of two to recover, and barely doing full time job while slowly recovering from it. Maybe because I'm likely half as old as you are and went to the event alone.


But yes, I had.

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Thanks Edna. I definitely do think this is when I go waaay over my limit for social and negative sensory input. I think age can make you more vulnerable and also having a little kiddie relying on you.

I was wondering if anyone experiences any of the below:
1. Exhaustion from spending too much time outside because of the constantly changing and light touch of air movement outdoors
2. An overload that mostly effects the tactile system and feels like the surface of your body is heated up, burning and buzzing unpleasantly
3. A delayed reaction where you feel mostly okay at the time that you exposed to bad inputs but pay for it in the days after with fatigue, pain and sensory overload

I'm mostly curious. I've really been looking for someone else who experiences these particular experiences to one degree or another. It took me a while to even figure out that this is a funny thing that has been going on with me for years. I regularly had this kind of overload in high school after a typical day there. My high school was on a hill and very drafty.

I have to say i really do like the idea of being outdoors also. I even like the sensation of breezes... but it is sadly too much for me. I think we are sensory pals in some ways. I even wear my sunglasses indoors sometimes.

Okay... it is nice to know you aren't the only One.

Okay... So that is a very bad shutdown. I do get smaller ones too.

Meltdowns I get rarely... mostly due to having very little tolerance to extreme emotional encounters... negative emotion builds up in my husband but I only recognise it when it's become very strong. It's so jarring for me and instantly start screaming, crying and throwing things. I totally go out of myself. But it's not a sensory overload.

I didn't have such a severe adrenal breakdown but August last year I had to quit my job because my adrenals pretty much weren't working. I have come back slowly. I have to take life slowly

Is this something that's happened to you before? Do you often experience this tactile overload? You mentioned you get overloads, but would you say this one was particularly uncharacteristic?

I get this, I see it as a type of shutdown.
The best way to handle it is to avoid it, know your limits and give yourself lots of breaks. Because it is a more slow, wearing down of the sensory system rather than a major set of events, it is harder to tell that you are getting over done, which makes it all the more important to know your limits and respect them.

@Isabella One of my worst was when I threw a mostly full bowl of oatmeal in the general direction of my husband D: 08 Fortunately it didn't hit him. It could really have hurt him but I do think there is something in me that tries to stop that... I dont actually want to hurt anyone. It is always very sobering and shameful for me. My emotions are generally 1/10 but they can go 10/10 suddenly (once in very long while) and then they sort of fly out of my hands and mouth. I can see why you thought it was a result of your PTSD... it is kind of explosive. I never understood it until I heard about alexithymia... Because I'm very peaceful mostly.

@ezbz The tactile overload experience is very often part of the package for what I realise now is a severe shutdown. I think these happen if social input and tactile input from air moment outdoors combined over a period of many hours with no break... it is pretty severe. I remember having it often after a day at my high school that was very drafty. Another time I went on a relatively challenging nature walk (most of the day) with a group of my close acquaintances and got it badly.

Other overloads i can think of are if I'm not doing well and there is a lot noise and visual movement. I don't have hyperacuity with these senses but I do get overloads sometimes from just too much coming in at once. It's like I get very detached and slow down but I can interact. I don't know if I look drunk. I think it's a bit like being drunk. I also start perceiving movement as stuttering like bad animation and sound can sound distorted also.

Thank you for all the responses. It is actually very helpful. I'm still open to more input

Also... Sorry that any of you are experiencing this or similar. I'm pretty accepting of my experiences but some of it is actually pretty sucky. I realise that when I think of someone else getting the same.

@Arganger "it is a more slow, wearing down of the sensory system" this wording is really my sensory experience. Most of my senses are just weird rather than hyper. I have a weird sort of sensory gating that seems to store up the bad input for later. I hardly experience things as too loud, too bright, too stinky or whatever but it's like my brain is burning hot without me knowing. Since, I've realised that... quiet dark rooms and sunglasses and sensory naps have become my conscious allies. Before I honestly didn't realise my sensory system was behind some of my discomfort and fatigue and energy management issues. This is so helpful. I'm still trying to learn what things will help me cope better so that I don't have to miss out on too much.