What are Sensory Meltdowns? | SPD Awareness Month

[@Synesthesia_chan]

"our filtering system has been switched from automatic to manual" had me laughing so hard. Never heard a more succinct summary in my life, well done.

[@chimeraskeep_0]

I had one of these days yesterday, but I'm a master at blaming myself and feeling nothing but shame, like I am a complete failure at life because I am unable to function properly. I was diagnosed about 15 years ago when I was around 30. I never understood why as a small child I used to throw loud tantrums in the hallway at night for not wanting to go to school, so afraid of it that I would scream and bang my head against the wall. Back then, people just didn't know, so there was no help, no comfort. And to this day, people sort of look down upon the diagnosis, so I have still been masking and pretending it's not there.

[@BlaireM]

💜 much solidarity to you, it’s hard out here.

[@toastwizard4786]

The other day I turned in the heat in my house and then all the fire alarms turned on and i just froze up and started freaking out I felt super overwhelmed I couldn’t hear my mom on the phone and she was telling me to take the batteries out but I was flipping out and I couldn’t navigate where to start or how to stop freezing up and freaking out and all I did was cry I felt like I couldn’t function normally. It doesn’t help when everyone around me doesn’t understand me and just tells me to calm down and raises their voices at me.

[@BlaireM]

Oh no! I've definitely had very similar experiences before, fire alarms are so triggering for sensory stuff. I'm sorry you went through that.

[@sherrypitts6669]

You have stated my own experience almost verbatim. Thank you for making these videos! I was diagnosed with autism, ADHD, SPD this summer-at 46. The diagnosis sure did connected the dots of my past. Information for adult female ND characteristics, let alone helpful daily living suggestions has been hard to come by. I never realized that other people don't hear in pictures 🤷 I wonder how many other things I think are normal, aren't. I'm still in the discovery phase, learning about each diagnosis and how they typically present themselves, then taking honest inventory of self. I grieved for who I could have been, felt shame, and anger, but have ahh-hah! moments happening more frequently now. Thank you for the validation 🤗

[@grantbrad]

It is hard to cope when in a meltdown. The best thing you can do for yourself is to leave whatever is causing issues. When in a meltdown from my experiences you can overload all of your senses as well as trigger other issues like ocd, adhd, or anxiety meltdowns

[@BlaireM]

Yes! More than any other strategy, just leaving is what helps me the most. There's no need to make yourself suffer when it isn't necessary. And I totally understand about sensory overload causing other issues! It's the world's worst snowball effect, lol.

[@Holl0w_World]

The skin touching the other skin feeling is what I’m having rn. And that is the best way to put it u put into words so well ❤️

[@annshellenbarger9543]

Thank you so much for sharing this. I have a 14 year old SPD daughter who has been having meltdowns a lot the last year. I understand it now.

[@BlaireM]

I’m so glad my video helped you understand 💜

[@sierra734]

I’m 53 , have depression and anxiety most of my life . I’ve never heard of this but I can relate . Just a few examples , becoming extremely agitated to the point of screaming because I can’t find a certain article of clothing and searching for it until I find it . Then I’m calm . Spending most of my time wearing sweat pants or a robe at home because I’m not comfortable , my robe is comforting , so I immediately change as soon as I’m home . I’ve traveled a lot in my life so I’m used to this but last time I wasn’t quite as prepared. The night before my flight I had a meltdown in the bathroom, crying hysterically and vomiting. I’ve always been a sensitive and empathetic person . It’s nearly impossible to keep all the bad things in the world out of my mind . I disconnected so much in school the teachers would say I’m not there, I’d be daydreaming staring out the window . All I can think is that is a coping mechanism. Change or moving to another place being extremely stressful, change of any kind difficult 😞 I know this comment is long theirs so much more I could say . I will bring it up to my new therapist. Thanks for educating me on something I’ve suffered with so many years 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💓💓💓💓🕊

[@rachelsmith1123]

🙏🏻

[@ybbgraphicdesign]

Thank you so much Blair! Keep up your good work and spreading this awareness. I am 25 and I'm really struggling. Love your work would love to be in touch with you

[@BlaireM]

To keep up with me in between uploads you can follow on Instagram @blaire.jpg :)

[@home8630]

My son has that. I do too as well. But I also have had problems with not so much the senses, but emotions. I am empathetic, also gifted with dealing with anger, agression, violence, the difficult emotions people don't want to deal with. So I process not just for my life my son and others. Sometimes I get flooded...it usually comes through media, or the internet, or communication. I am injured and at present, I am processing something feels like a rock, a wall, the end, I pay attention, because I am dealing with past injuries that disabled not only my life, but also what caused injuries to my son and family,and all. I am dealing with impact, the impact of my old car accident, or the numerous other movement impact injuries and experiences that I have had to live and endure. I also process that which caused me brain damage and damage to my central nervous system that disabled my life, which was like a bomb that went off inside of me and blew out my ears, and gut. Its not pleasant. Dealing with communication overload, dysfunction, problems which is an everyone problem, that needs solutions. The inability to listen. Ended up with sensory deafness. Which means I can physically hear, but at different sensory frequencies, I go deaf, which means I can't hear. Its very surreal, because no one can communicate to me and I can't communicate back. Its the world of silence. But when people use silence as a weapon, it triggers the horrible, dreadful...I end up coming into peace....but its a process quite like no other.

[@user-ey4mk1uy3j]

اعاني من هذا الاضطراب .. شيء مرهق قدر الانهيارات التي نتعرض لها في اليوم الواحد .. أشكر لك جهدك و مقاطعك الرائعة

[@ThatLionessGirl]

You’re doing a great job. Keep it up!

[@osocardenas]

yes. meltdown sucks, and as an adult , trying to keep up with adult stuff like talking to your family or taking care of your child it is very difficult

[@Star-dj1kw]

✅ good video

[@abenihicks5295]

I always feel like my brains that one episode of SpongeBob where they’re all freaking out and digging thru file cabinets and everything’s on fire and all we can hear is where’s the name what did we do with the name. Name . Name . Name

[@BlaireM]

Wait that’s so true 😂😂

[@LindySouthern243]

Hi. What can this look like for the under-responsive SPD child? Thanks!

[@BlaireM]

Hi! Under-responsive children may be more likely to experience shutdowns rather than meltdowns. I also have a video on sensory shutdowns :)

[@Jadesmorot]

thanks for the hyrdration reminder

[@deuteronomy3162]

Im going to be honest i think you are an infj. That means ni fe ti se. Se being last because ni is so strong. I think all infj process slowly because ni is first running it through pattern recongition. Ni talks in analogies: its like..., or its like when you... ,its like a computer, its like a car, its like when you do.... Check your mbti. You might be a slow processor because of ni first but that makes you amazing at pattern recognition in people.

[@Blablabla44475]

I like your videos becasue you’re calm. Other videos are like “HEY IM HERE TO TALK ABOUT SENSORY PROCESSING” and there’s crazy ass music in their intro and video. Lol I don’t like those ones