I have autism which makes me very anxious. While I don’t consider myself as autistic, but rather as a person who happens to have Autism. I am much more complex than my diagnosis. The weather is one of the triggers to my autism symptoms. This post explains how I was affected in earlier life from the weather and seasons. This still happens somewhat today, although I have improved a lot.
Summer
First of all – the calm Summer season. Since summer lacks a lot of wind, heavy rain and thunder (these are three of my triggers for a meltdown), and is sunny, I am mostly calm. My autism is not as reactive. This makes Summer usually the best season for my autism.
As I live in the countryside, there are a lot of birds that usually fly in large flocks during the morning and afternoon. Certain birds that are loud like galahs, cockatoos and parrots bother me a lot during the morning and afternoon because of the screeching they make. This is further compounded due to the fact that I never grew up with parrots or anything like that in terms of birdlife as I was always a suburban boy until the age of 13.
In the heat of the Australian summer which is 47C (116.6F), most birds will go quiet to conserve energy, which helps me to remain calm. Although summer thunderstorms may be rare, they are very mild and only last a few hours or for an evening in comparison to winter storms which can last for days or weeks and can be very challenging to keep calm. Summer storms are usually the only times aside from occasionally strong winds, that my anxiety levels will increase, and autistic meltdowns will occur. Wearing light clothing also helps with my autism (t-shirts and shorts) because I am less conscious of the weight of the clothing on my body. 😀
With Christmas in December, and New Year in January (our seasons are opposite to the Northern hemisphere’s seasons), also makes me happy because its my favourite occasions which contributes to the low reactivity of my autism during the summer season. In Australia, Christmas is in Summer, and thus is usually hot, but on occasion can be mild.
Autumn
In the Southern Hemisphere, the second season Autumn (Fall), affects my autism. As the season progresses, when the winds start to really pick up, my autism starts to overwhelm me. The trees and other plants start making noises when strong wind occurs, which makes me anxious. I feel as if I have no control over things.
As Autumn progresses, the wind and rain increase, and so does my anxiety and autistic symptoms (meltdowns, rocking back/forth, loss of appetite, hand flapping, oversleeping, day night reversal, heightened sensitivity in the mouth, heightened hearing, insomnia, low mood, food restrictions and pacing). I have noticed my autistic symptoms and behaviours are linked to anxiety levels.
Autumn in Australia is very hot during the first month of March – it can be 46C (114.8F). It also goes down to 19C (66.2F) by the very end of the season. 😬
Winter
Winter can be the worst season for my autism. In my childhood, wearing weighted clothing like jumpers would increase my anxiety to unbearable levels, with the weight of heavy denim jeans feeling like sandpaper which was unbearable.
Thunderstorms were a big issue in my childhood with the lightning and the noise of thunder would make me seek refuge in my parents bedroom at night as a method of coping. Rocking back and forth was often done to cope with the noise of wind and rain. Heavy rain is still an issue to this day, due to the loud noise it creates.
Hailstones are so loud its just plain terrifying. 😬 The temperature during winter here can be very cold at night. In July, the overnight temperature can go as low as -5C (23F), and the maximum daytime temperature is 10C (50F).
Spring
In spring, I begin to feel calmer and happier as the daylight levels increase, and the weather patterns are more predictable. Spring can be very changeable, as we can experience a little of each season all in one day.
We might begin the day in a jumper (winter), and by midday changing into light clothing (summer). I find this really annoying, and makes me a little stressed. Occasionally, thunderstorms may occur, although they are less common, and still provoke my anxiety. T-shirts and shorts are my favourite type of clothing.
With the season of spring comes the renewal of flowers and plants, which I adore. The red tulips and almond blossoms are my favourite (you can fake snowfalls with almond blossoms, as it never snows where I live). 🙂
Fun Facts
The fear of wind is known as ancraophobia. The fear of thunder and lightning is known as astraphobia. Acousticophobia is a fear of sound. I experience all these phobias. If only in real life you could turn down sounds like you can on a speaker, I would feel very happy about that as it would make my life easier and calmer.
Princess Lilli Lilac
Lilli is my wonderful therapy cat who helps to keep me calm and relaxed during bad weather and other situations, rubbing around my legs and loudly purring. We have been inseparable from day one when she arrived. 💜😺