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What is my problem? Crankiness continues…

pulling-hair-outI am not sure exactly what was wrong with me yesterday.  It was beautiful out—30 degrees—sunny—yes, 30 was a heat wave here, the Teen watched the boys while Hubby and I went to lunch and grocery shopping without ANY children!  It was a very nice afternoon, but when I returned home I felt completely drained.

Hubby put away the groceries and then we sat down to watch Sleep Hollow on Hulu Plus. Maybe it was the two hours it took to watch a 45 minute episode because the darn internet connection was acting up (all those interruptions), or just the long day of being out and about wearing on me (OR that combined with the trip to the Mall on Saturday—I forgot about that) which did me in…Hubby thinks that my lunch wore off and that was why I started flying around the house on my broomstick for no apparent reason.

I felt so cranky and irritable that I was irritating myself! Then the creepy crawly itchy skin started.  My legs itched, my arms itched, my head and scalp itched! I absolutely hate it when that happens. I felt distant and just wanted to go somewhere alone and tinker until I felt better, which is not a luxury I get often with four kids, two dogs, and a husband. The most annoying part though is that I felt that shutting down coming on and the house was an unusual calm and quiet. The kids were playing nicely with one another, the dogs were calm—it was just ME! I can’t even begin to explain how annoyed I get at myself when everything around me seems peaceful and I am all prickly.

Hubby handed me a sandwich and a drink. (OJ and Coconut Pineapple Rum—Yum!) To his credit, I did feel better after my sandwich and admittedly the second drink, but my irritability was definitely more than just being hungry.  Does anyone else not feel hunger and not notice when they are hungry until they are growling at others? I noticed yesterday that many times  I don’t feel the urge to go to the restroom until it is an emergency sometimes …or until I realize that I am so distracted I cannot think because my bladder is about to burst.  Why doesn’t my brain signal me earlier? Now I wonder if this has anything to do with why my boys have had such a hard time potty training….

Usually when I go to sleep at night it is like rebooting a computer. I wake up in the morning moving quicker, thinking faster, and feeling back to normal. I know I am really overloaded when there is no re-boot.  I woke up this morning thinking I am putting these kids on their buses and back to bed for me! Only—here I am three cups of coffee later after taking the dogs out (damn that 5 below weather and invigorating mountain air) now I am awake! 

I don’t like feeling this way; I have to know why, and so I continually analyze myself to figure it out and try to eliminate as many irritants as possible.   Maybe I need to set an alarm to remind myself that it is time to eat something, and time to take a trip to the restroom, but I think I would HATE the interruption.

Well, I guess it is time for me to go get some work done!  I am steadily tapping away at the novel I am working on (after a long break due to this move), and am very glad to be back at it.  Writing for me is a fun adventure that takes me out of here without having to brave the cold!

Jeannie Davide-Rivera

Jeannie is an award-winning author, the Answers.com Autism Category Expert, contributes to Autism Parenting Magazine, and the Thinking Person's Guide to Autism. She lives in New York with her husband and four sons, on the autism spectrum.

10 Comments:

  1. Two things I can contribute: of course the failure to notice hunger or need to go to the bathroom is typical of low proprioception (SPD). So you need to remember to eat every 3 hours or 4 at the most to keep blood sugar levels steady and keep hypoglycemic crankiness at bay. About the itching: Are you sure it isn’t an allergy? I suddenly started having in my late 30’s an all-over itching which was an exarcebated allergic reaction to dust mites, and perfumes. I still don’t know why my body changed like this, but now I can’t use any soap or cosmetics with fragrance. If the itch goes away quickly, then discard what I just suggested.

    • Hi Allison,

      You are right I definitely have low proprioception, and it causes all kinds of crankiness when I don’t eat. Additionally I noticed that when I don’t realize I have to go to the bathroom, I start to not be able to think, focus, or talk, and then I remember, “Oh crap I need to goooo!” LOL

      I was wondering too about the allergy thing. I haven’t been truly allergic to anything, only sensitive reactions, but I am wondering now as I am getting older if I am developing allergies or if I am just getting more sensitive–truly I think it is the latter.

  2. Thank you for your courageous book (Twirling Naked….). I totally understand my partner and can love and accept her. This has been very enlightening.

    Cheers to you!

  3. Hi I’ve only just been diagnosed with Asperger’s and I am finding your site interesting and helpful. I also get very itchy but as I am going through menopause I thought it was to do with that. Is it common for aspies to get itchy?

    • I do not know how common it is Helen, but I can tell you that I get itchy ALL THE TIME! If I am overloaded, stressed, over heated, anything I itch. My head itches when I am stressed, and I know that my arms and leg itch if I am too hot…it drives me crazy really. I was just really really itchy the other day and it kept me from sleeping all night!

  4. So it could be still adjusting to the change of moving – we aren’t known for our ability to deal with change easily! And the lower amount of sunlight compared to Carolina! Take some vitamin d3!!

  5. We call being hungry and growly “Hangry” 🙂 Good luck on your novel!

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