Elopement in autistic adults?

[Warmheart]

Do you wander unaware when fogged out in shutdown? Are you generally an active person? Have you ever suddenly found yourself in traffic on foot, or standing in a street, or even in a stream?

I tend to sometimes "zombie stroll" when I'm in a shutdown. I am by nature active. Just wondered if anyone else has found themselves in places they should not be, wondering how they got there.

Sometimes this happens when I must run errands on foot. There is nobody else in my household to run the errands, so sometimes, even when I am not very clear, I still must go out. I try my best to stay home when fogged out, though.

I now have some signs in my home to remind me to be mindful when I go out. I am thinking they helped more when they were new, and perhaps I should switch up/change the signs around, to encourage me to pay a bit of attention to where I am going. It's challenging sometimes. Mindfulness is key. Thoughts?

 

[Aspergirl4hire]

Disrupting the visual field is a good idea. We pay attention to what changes...can you set a timer or a task list or something on a cell phone to help when you do have to go out?

I can get lost in my head rerunning a social interaction, but I am aware of surroundings.

 

[ExplosiveTMT]

Going for a walk with someone, I go into my thoughts, and next thing I know whoever I'm with is calling me to come back and I am twenty paces ahead of them.

 

[watersprite]

I do not let myself out of the house when in a fog of shutdown. That's partly because I stay aware of surroundings enough to know that I'm more anxious walking in town than being inside my familiar surroundings. To answer your second question, I am a fairly active person. I love walking, and riding my bike, and hiking. (Is that what you meant?) when I hike by myself, I have very strict guidelines as to what I allow myself to do, where I am going etc. I grew up doing a lot of running around in mountains, and I think it's ingrained in me perhaps to lay low when I feel utterly out of it.

My thought #1, Warmheart, I worry that this could be scary or even dangerous for you. #2, - is a questioning thought: Does this (shutdown) happen due to the stress of life in general, or because there isn't anyone to handle errands; so, what can be a way to keep you safe? Edited to add 3, is your avatar your dog, and if so does it go with you when you walk?

 

[tachyon]

Disrupting the visual field is a good idea. We pay attention to what changes...can you set a timer or a task list or something on a cell phone to help when you do have to go out?

I can get lost in my head rerunning a social interaction, but I am aware of surroundings.

I can spend a lot of time re-running interactions and sometimes an even longer time pre-running social interactions (especially with new people), going over possible scenarios and developing suitable answers for all questions that might be thrown at me. If I get un-scripted questions in a social situation I can say things that are inappropriate and then agonise over what I should have said

I am also mostly aware of my surroundings outdoors and do notice changes, although sometimes it can take me a while to figure out exactly has changed. When I'm in a crowded shopping mall however, I find I develop a kind of 'tunnel vision' and don't notice much detail at all.

 

[tachyon]

Do you wander unaware when fogged out in shutdown? Are you generally an active person? Have you ever suddenly found yourself in traffic on foot, or standing in a street, or even in a stream?

I tend to sometimes "zombie stroll" when I'm in a shutdown. I am by nature active. Just wondered if anyone else has found themselves in places they should not be, wondering how they got there.

Sometimes this happens when I must run errands on foot. There is nobody else in my household to run the errands, so sometimes, even when I am not very clear, I still must go out. I try my best to stay home when fogged out, though.

I now have some signs in my home to remind me to be mindful when I go out. I am thinking they helped more when they were new, and perhaps I should switch up/change the signs around, to encourage me to pay a bit of attention to where I am going. It's challenging sometimes. Mindfulness is key. Thoughts?

WarmHeart
Just re-read your post and am concerned that you might be experiencing some difficulties. I've read some of your other posts and perceive that you are a very caring person. If your dog accompanies you on your mis-adventures I'm sure you'll be fine because he/she looks like a very compassionate companion.

 

[Warmheart]

Thank you everyone for your input. Yes, I have these fogged-out-walking episodes sometimes, but thankfully not especially often. I think staying home when I am feeling shutdown is ideal, if I can. Is hard when I am the only one who can run errands for myself. My dog is not able to travel with me when I am not clear-headed, as I can then not watch out for his wellbeing.
Being mindful of when it is safest and best to veture out on errands is important. I just wondered if anyone else had this happening to them, too. It seems most times I get lost in my inner world. During mindfog/shutdowns from overload, I am considerably much more caught up in that inner world. I suppose we are all different. Mindfulness rocks.