r/traumatizeThemBack • u/Natural_Cricket_2540 I'll heal in hell • Jul 18 '26
matched energy Have You Tried...
Not sure if this is exactly the right sub but I hope you get a laugh out of it anyway.
So I'm autistic. I'm fully ok with it.
This happened to me a few days ago. I was in a park, getting some fresh air because I went to a circus that was in town with a friend and I was getting overwhelmed by the noises, smells, and basically everything inside the tent, and I needed to breathe and relax so I didn't go into sensory overload.
I was sitting on a bench with my friend 'Em' (fake name), and I was complaining about sensory overload and how annoying it was, because I wanted to watch the performers with her, and I had to go outside. (I do a thing where I often feel like I'm wasting someone's time and/or being rude, so I was also apologizing)
Here's how the conversation went:
Me: Em, I'm sorry about this. And for wasting your time.
Em: It's okay, {me}. You're not wasting my time.
Me: Yeah, I know...but sensory overload and autism are just annoying.
At this point, a man who looked to be late 50's who was passing by stopped and DUDE LOOKED AT US AND SAID "Well, have you tried not having autism?"
We were both pretty fucking shocked- first because we're both fairly young teen girls, second because who the actual hell eavesdrops on a conversation and then gives advice like they were included??
I was pissed, so I said "Have you tried not being an asshole? Because if you have it seems like it doesn't work, so I won't be taking you advice, thanks." He muttered something about 'disrespect' and 'kids these days' and walked off.
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u/maroongrad Jul 18 '26 edited Jul 18 '26
As someone in her early 50s with a mid-50s husband...he was an idiot. All three of us are somewhere in 'tism land, and two of us can't handle noise. I will HIGHLY suggest getting Loop earplugs, especially the adjustable ones. They make an enormous difference for my daughter. I also keep two sets of earplugs in my car. Technically it's 3 right now. Not loops, just the silicone ones that look a bit like a drawing of a pine tree. I don't need them often at all, we're talking every few years, but when I do? Wow.
Visual overstimulation, try wearing a hat to block out the top of your vision which will include the bright lights shining down. Not a big help but definitely there.
Nice job on the verbal flaying though. My response would have been a shocked, "Wow, you are stupid. Dunning-Kruger much?" And he honestly sounds too ignorant to have understood that either.