When you are a stranger in a strange land, trying to fit in, making yourself someone you are not and having trouble understanding what is going on around you, anxiety is inevitable. When you areconstantly trying to guess what is needed, having trouble reading what is expected and are continually out of sync with the world around you, your nervous system will naturally be anxious and insecure. Because of processing differences neurotypical people’s world moves way too fast for most people on the spectrum. Traditional ways of life are too vague, with too many invisible unwritten social rules for them to feels safe and secure. Simply trying to work out what comes naturally for most of us is very stressful and draining on neurodivergent people’s nervous system. In this state of disorganization the nervous system becomes taxed and coping skills deteriorate. For many on the spectrum simply trying to regulate and fit into “normal world” will create high anxiety. Research shows that people on the spectrum even in their relaxing state have much higher level of anxiety chemicals. Their thresholds for fight, flight and freeze are much lower than ours. When one’s processing abilities do not match the demands placed on then, the nervous system is bound to be stressed. To lower anxiety, we need to match daily demands with processing abilities and allow the
neurodivergent child time to process at their own pace. As the child becomes older we need to teach him to empower himself by recognising what his nervous system needs and make accommodations he requires to stay regulated and teach him effective coping skills when dealing with potentially overwhelming situations.
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#Idontfitin