Kim,

If you can, try to put together a paper explaining your symptoms and limitations. This can be a big help when you have to attend a function like Saturday.

Try to keep it simple and in terms that the PCS ignorant can understand.

You will find that putting your struggles down on paper will help you sort through those struggles. List the work-arounds and other accommodations that help.

For example:

I am easily over-stimulated by sounds and voices such as in:

a room with lots of people talking.
a room where there are echos or sounds and voices. I can hear echos that most people do not hear. Auditoriums and gyms/arenas can be a problem.
a seating location too close to speakers
an environment where there are unexpected/startling loud noises.
I am confronted by someone shouting at me

It helps if:
I wear my ear plugs.
I have a quiet room to escape to if I start to struggle.
People do not try to all talk at the same time.
Somebody covers for me if I have to make a sudden exit.
The TV or radio or stereo is not on while people are talking.

If I become overwhelmed:
Sometimes, I can take a quiet break and recover to be able to rejoin the group.
At my worst, I will need to leave immediately, usually without much of an explanation. It may take me days to recover at home with rest and quiet.

Over a few days, you can work through a list like this and slowly add and improve it. Have your boyfriend read it to make sure it is understandable.

Issues to consider are:

Sounds and voices,

Visual stimuli

Movements and other physical activities

A need to be involved in conversation, especially intense conversation

Anything that puts someone else in control of timing such as "You need to do 'such and such' now." without any ability to take a breath and prepare for the effort.


I think I have covered most of the risks of attending social events.

Hope you can make sense of all of this.

My best to you.