Autism and personal space.

Hey readers, 

You have probably gathered from reading some of my posts on my blog that I am autistic. 

One of the major things, when I think about something that is important to me and on my autistic life is personal space. 

I put a huge emphasis on this because it has a big influence on my mindset and how I respond to day to day life. 

When I refer to space it could mean when people get to close to me which I am not a fan of espeically with people I do not know.

 I only have a few selective people that make me feel comfortable when they come into my space.

 I get very distressed for example when I accidentally touch a stranger on the bus, or someone who sits very close to me who I  do not know. 

It feels like my whole skin is crawling and my body tenses up. I am not a touchy-feely person.

 I don't trust and sometimes there are days when I limit physical contact as I may be feeling not well with my anxiety or I am over stimulated with everything that is currently happening to me in my environment.

I know there is more prominence to autistic individuals who are space invaders but some of us like me are people who are distant when it comes to getting close to people.

When I think MY space I think of one place in my home which belongs to me. I identify this place as safe and somewhere I go to when I am stressed having a meltdown or need a time out from the business of my environment. 

It is important to me because I rely on that safety feeling associated with my safe space and that calms me down when I am anxious. 

Not much of my home belongs purely to me naturally having children a lot of toys and stuff around. 

That is fine I accept that but if my small area gets obstructed or my husband makes a mess of the room this makes me stressed and very angry. 

I struggle to see beyond that moment so feel like the situation when my space gets messed up feels like it will be forever.

Of course, it is not and when I am calm I can think logically. However, when you are anxious and have to deal with change this is a struggle. Not to mention navigating to a new plan to help when you're already in an emotional state it is difficult to see any other solution then my whole world is falling apart.

 I guess this why people who have a lack of knowledge about autism will just see me as having a 'strope' or being a diva. 

It is isn't the materialistic space it is the knowledge that I have my safe space that I can rely on at times of distress that comfort me knowing that it is quiet and somewhere I can trust. 

Along with the physical space I have my sensory items that bring comfort to me such as a heated blanket and lying under a lot of weight to make me feel secure and safe. 

I also can use my noise canelling headphones and soft lighting all help calm me down when I am distressed or dealing with a meltdown or shutdown. 

All the little things add up and once they get taken down I feel broken because they are my  coping mechanisms. They're the things that help me deal with day to day life.

 Likewise, if I have the safety net of my safe place it can help me calm down. It provides a sense of control and reduces me having emotional outbursts because I know that I have a backup plan when things go wrong. It is the small things that make a huge difference. 

Cheers for reading X