I've suspected for a while that I'm probably on the spectrum. It seems to fluctuate, but for the past few days I've been experiencing something that sounds very much like what I understand autistic burnout to be like.
Tasks which should be simple (e.g.: feeding myself) become insurmountable obstacles. I'm exhausted all the time, and when it's at its most acute, communicating what I'm experiencing becomes impossible. I literally lose the ability to form coherent sentences.
Is that what this is? Do others experience this? And more importantly, has anyone found any kind of strategies to help manage/minimize it?
The best way I've found to deal with it is to simply disengage from everything until I manage to build up a spoon reserve again. Unfortunately, this does not exactly seem compatible with the responsibilities of adulthood.
Edit: I realize that I may have given an incorrect impression in this post. I have experienced this before. It's just been particularly bad the past few days. It seems to ebb and flow.
In fact, I've had a term to describe this since high school. At the time, I had dubbed it a "neural meltdown".
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Chris Martin
in reply to Jonathan Lamothe • • •Jonathan Lamothe
in reply to Chris Martin • •Chris Martin
in reply to Jonathan Lamothe • • •Jonathan Lamothe
in reply to Chris Martin • •@Chris Martin That said, after reading your response, I did grab my tumbler of water and drank a bunch more.
If it's possible it's that simple a solution, I'd be a fool not to at least explore the possibility.
Chris Martin
in reply to Jonathan Lamothe • • •Kevin Davy
in reply to Jonathan Lamothe • • •Jonathan Lamothe
in reply to Kevin Davy • •Drew is still tired 🇵🇭
in reply to Jonathan Lamothe • • •Could be autistic burnout, could be extreme fatigue for other reasons, could be a major depressive episode, could be dehydration as others have said. Could be a combination. (I speak from experience of all four)
Look after yourself. Hydrate and rest and try not to be angry or frustrated at yourself for going through this. It's not disrupting your life; it's an episode _in_ your life. It will pass.
Jonathan Lamothe
in reply to Drew is still tired 🇵🇭 • •@Drew is still tired 🇵🇭 I guess the best thing I can do is focus on the knowledge that it always passes (at least mostly). Hopefully the things currently on fire won't get too out of control while I do so.
I am fortunate to have a partner I can lean on when I need help, but I don't want to lean too hard. She has her own struggles to deal with.
Elisabeth M
in reply to Jonathan Lamothe • • •Autistic Burnout: Signs, Stages & Recovery
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Jonathan Lamothe
in reply to Elisabeth M • •Elisabeth M
in reply to Jonathan Lamothe • • •Jonathan Lamothe
in reply to Elisabeth M • •Elisabeth M
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Drew is still tired 🇵🇭
in reply to Elisabeth M • • •That's a really useful piece. I now reckon I've been in burnout 4 or 5 times in my life, rather than the 2 or 3 I previously thought.
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Elisabeth M
in reply to Drew is still tired 🇵🇭 • • •Mikael Lundin 🍀🥦♻️
in reply to Jonathan Lamothe • • •be kind to yourself. Accept that there are limits to what you can do, and start saying no to things that would push you past those limits.
Also make sure your closest understands what you can and cannot do, so their expectations doesn’t wear you down.
But mostly, be kind to yourself.