In my last entry I described dealing with aversive stimuli while in the hospital. By centring myself in a quiet place, I was able to basically ignore the chaos that one is exposed to in hospitals. This is sometimes known as cognitive control and it becomes easier to develop as one gets older. Of course it takes awareness of our quirks and aversions to exercise this cognitive control.
The Red Cross loaned me a shower chair to use as my balance is still not 100%. I put it in a very small shower (barely large enough to turn around in). I turned on the water. The water filled the stall with spray. At that point I realized that I could not get myself to step into the stall. I have a strong aversion to putting my face into water. When I shower, I slowly put my body into the stream but keep my face out of the water. So, I stood there and began to choke up with fear. After a moment I turned off the water and took a sponge bath.
The point of all this for me is Stay aware and be prepared meet all challenges, including some really old ones.
THE AGEING AUTISTIC 