Sensory overload and anger

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One of the aspects of AS that has been the most difficult for me has been when ever I'm exposed to sensory overload, whether it be noise, crowds, a hectic setting, smells, lights, etc. I seem to be on a hair trigger. Before I knew I had AS I even took an 3 month anger management class.
I then understood how anger was suppose to work and what to do but that didn't seem to apply to the kind of anger that I was experiencing (since being diagnosed I now know why)

I was wondering if others find this to be true and what they have done to combat it. Did antidepressants help? How do you calm down if you can't immediately get out of the situation.

I don't know. Work is very overloading. I basically go to the bathroom if it becomes too much. If you're not at work, you can come prepared with ear plugs or sun glasses. (OCEA doesn't allow me those.) I used to show up to class in sun glasses.

I take deep breaths, if it's really bad I close my eyes (when possible).

I take off my glasses. Because everything just becomes one big smear, and nobody looking can tell that I cannot see a thing.

I'll also tighten my jaw so that the sound of the natural bloodflow to my ears becomes loud enough to take over my hearing.

Antidepressants and Anti-Anxiety meds are all stimulants - I refuse to even try them because of the toxic side effects (like ED), but I can't imagine how a stimulant would reduce anger. Also, the wrong meds mixed - even when you've supposedly been 'off' the first one for months - have been known to actually cause violent pathological behavior in some patients.

Earplugs are good for public situations. I bought a box of 144 pairs so I always have some handy.

Meditation is great for learning to calm your body.

Getting away from the sensory crap is the best option.

I find I can only deal with one thing at a time. When something happens, for example if someone says something important and I hear a a loud noise or a smell that takes me back to childhood or something, I find it hard to concentrate on what people are saying or what is going on around. This can be quite a pleasurable experience sometimes but it means I can be easily distracted especially if I'm working or trying to relax and I can lose my train of thought.

I have been thinking I might have mild Synesthesia, particularly with certain smells, it is almost like I can see them and it can be quite overwhelming.

Willard - its not true that antidepressants/axiolytics are stimulants. Most are CNS depressants. Beta-blockers can be useful, as they stop the production of adreneline (useful when you have to stand up in front of people) but can leave you a bit empty-headed. To relax diazepam and other benzos can help but doctors tend not to prescribe them. Instead there are several natural things that I find help. Kava, Valerian & Rhodiola Rosea are all worth looking into.

I would also second Ladarzak. Earplugs can be really useful, especially when trying to sleep.

I haven't used any medication but I have used meditation and related studies to calm me. It's helped a great deal. But often, I still have to retreat to my room and lie in the darkness covering my ears. It looks pathetic, I'm sure, but after a few minutes I'm usually functional, at least.

I totally agree, I started feeling 'crazy' due to my 'guided' experiments with anti-depressants.
I recommend a basically straight edge approach to life if your an aspie, I am much better now that I don't seek intoxication even though I still struggle it is my struggle and I confront it myself.

My MD, a family practitioner, put me on 10mg celexa an SSRI and it was a life saver, probably and quite literally for me and my wife. I was cycling quite rapidly from black despair depression to almost uncontrollable rage in a couple days time, and with the insomnia I was only getting 2 hours of fitful sleep a night. I was truly afraid I was heading for a psychotic break and would go into a homicidal rage. My MD took one look at me asked what was wrong and started writing a Rx for Celexia and Ambian, 10mg for celexa was the lowest dose available. The celexa worked quite well, but the first month was pretty rough getting acclimatized to the drug, but nowhere near as bad as the bipolar was, I suffered through a few bouts of depersonalization and disreality now all is good. Sexually the only side-effect is delayed orgasms, not that that is a bad thing either. Seems like the brain has an energy level that it will maintain, when you get angry, you burn through a lot of energy and depression follows, the energy rebuilds and wash, rinse, repeat. The SSRI's by leveling up the depression, bring the anger back down.

Also for me Vitamin D is fantastic, I'm taken 1000 units a day, low cost, low risk and worth a try if your resistant to the idea of psycho-pharmaceuticals. Even if it doesn't do anything for you psychological there tons of good things it does for your body. I also tried exercising to control the anger, I figured I'd ride until I wasn't angry anymore, twenty miles later I was still angry but too tired to do anything crazy, i did get into pretty good shape and eventually the exercise helped.

I guess the main point is to not rule anything out unless its outrageous, to not expect any one thing to be the complete answer and too keep trying until you find what works for you. Medication wise I was lucky, the first one tried worked, some people have to go through three or four before they find the winner.

I happened to hear an interesting report on vitamin D on NPR just the other day and was going to look into it.

I had tried St. John's Wort about a month ago and that was helping. But then i read that it was contraindicated with the Lipitor I take. Lipitor is the only med I'm on and the MD keeps reducing the dose because I'm eating better and exercising more and lowering my cholesterol level on my own.

But I may persue this vitamin D a little more (right, like and Aspie can persue anything just a little)

I'm fairly deaf so I tend to go around in public with my hearing aids out. I don't hear much of anything and its okay. Same at work - they're out unless someone comes to my desk to talk to me.

Crowds in general bother me so I do tend to go out of my way to avoid them.

Deaf person! Do I know you?

I deal with it by pounding my head against the wall or kicking it and imagining that the wall is the head of whoever is talking too loud.

I don't usually get angry due to sensory overload, though I cry and try and run away, cover my ears, etc. I do sometimes get angry due to emotional overload and can say some really mean or cold things. Klonopin helps me with my overload and sometimes I just have to leave the area of overload.

Me too, when its really bad, and I slam stuff around and yell. I act embarrassingly like a toddler.

I have found a few natural remedies that help me stay calmer. I still get overloaded but when I take the remedies I can handle it better.

I take the following daily for the outbursts and general anxiety:

St Johns Wort, a herbal supplement: 1 in the morning, 1 in the afternoon
Holy Basil, a herbal supplement: 2 in the morning, 2 any other time I am planning to socialize or deal with something upsetting
B6, a vitamin: 1 in the morning
Magnesium, Zinc, Calcium trio, vitamins: before bed
Ignatia Amara, a homeopathic remedy: carry with me in event of unexpected stress

Hope that is helpful to someone.