ANCOR Method- Community Announcement Post

Sharing Something That Helped Me: The ANCOR Method

For anyone who experiences "internal meltdowns"

Hi everyone,

I'm Seth A. Horn, and I'm autistic. I wanted to share something I developed that has significantly helped me manage what I call "internal meltdowns" – that rising pressure, burning skin sensations, and overwhelming internal chaos that eventually leads to shutdown.

I know traditional sensory strategies don't always work for this kind of internal escalation. I spent years trying to figure out what actually helps when everything feels like it's building up inside, and I eventually developed a structured method that works for me.

I'm sharing it freely in hopes it might help others too.

What Is It?

ANCOR stands for Autonomic Neuro-Chemical and Orthosensory Regulation.

It's a specific sequence combining:

Breathing techniques

Sensory reduction

Heavy resistance work (proprioceptive loading)

Heat exposure (optional)

Reintegration

The key insight: Strong, clear body signals can override internal sensory chaos. When I do heavy carries or squats with slow movement, it creates such strong muscle and joint signals that the confusing internal burning and pressure quiet down. The therapeutic soreness that shows up 1-2 days later also helps keep me grounded between sessions.

Two Ways to Use It

1. Daily Practice (15-30 min, 3-5x/week) - Prevents meltdowns from building up

2. Emergency Intervention (5-15 min) - Interrupts a meltdown that's starting

What You Need

Minimal version:

A wall to push against or something heavy to carry

Ability to reduce light/sound

Your breath

That's it. No gym, no equipment, no supplements needed (though those can enhance it if you want).

Why I'm Sharing

I know what it's like to:

Feel pressure building inside with no way to stop it

Have skin that feels like it's burning for no reason

Try every sensory strategy and still shutdown

Feel disconnected from your own body

Not be able to find anything that actually helps

If any of that resonates with you, ANCOR might be worth trying.

Important Context

What this is:

A self-regulation method based on my personal experience

Combining established principles (breathing, proprioception, heat) in a specific way

Something I'm sharing freely with the community

What this is NOT:

Medical advice or treatment

Clinically validated (yet)

A replacement for therapy or medical care

A cure or guaranteed solution

Always consult your healthcare providers, especially if you have medical conditions.

The Documents

I've created a complete set of guides (all free):

📄 Emergency Card - 1 page for crisis intervention

📖 How It Works - Mechanism explanation

📋 Daily Practice Guide - Step-by-step routines

💪 Exercise Guide - 4 tiers from no-equipment to gym

⚠️ Safety Guide - Contraindications and precautions

💊 Supplement Guide - Optional enhancements

Everything is free and licensed for personal/non-profit use (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).

Where to Get It

ancormethod.com

Start with:

Emergency Card if you're in crisis

One-Page Overview if you want to understand it first

Daily Practice Guide if you're ready to try it

My Hope

I don't know if this will work for everyone—we're all different. But it dramatically changed my life, and if it helps even a few other people manage their internal meltdowns, it's worth sharing.

Some things that might help you decide if it's worth trying:

Do you experience "internal pressure" that builds up?

Do you have burning skin sensations during overload?

Do traditional sensory strategies (headphones, dim lights) not stop the internal escalation?

Do you feel disconnected from your body during meltdowns?

If you answered yes to any of these, ANCOR might be relevant for you.

Questions Welcome

I'm happy to answer questions, though remember:

I'm not a medical professional (just an autistic person sharing what worked)

Individual experiences will vary

Start conservatively and see how it works for you

Consult your healthcare team

If You Try It

I'd love to hear about your experience (positive, negative, or neutral). Your feedback helps me understand:

What works for different people

What needs clarification

How to improve the guides

You can reach me at: ancormethod@gmail.com

Sharing Is Encouraged

If you know someone who might benefit from this, please share. Just please:

Credit me as the creator: Seth A. Horn

Link back to the original source

Don't use it commercially without permission

The goal is to help as many people as possible manage these really difficult internal experiences.

Final Thought

Living with intense internal sensory experiences is exhausting. I spent years feeling like my nervous system was at war with itself, and I know many of you experience the same thing.

This method isn't magic, and it won't work for everyone. But it gave me back a sense of control over my internal state that I didn't have before.

If you're struggling with internal meltdowns, maybe it can help you too.

Worth a try at least. ❤️

The ANCOR Method

Created by Seth A. Horn (2025)

Free for personal and non-profit therapeutic use

P.S. - If you're a therapist, OT, or other professional interested in using this with clients, there's detailed information in the guides about mechanisms, safety, and clinical considerations. Feel free to reach out with questions.

Reposted in: 

Not medical advice - consult healthcare providers