Diagrams Showing Overlapping Symptoms

Source ~ My Autistic Soul

Autistic Burnout : A Guide

What is Autisic Burnout?

When an autistic person is in burnout, it means that they are experiencing extreme mental, physical, and/or sensory exhaustion.

This exhaustion can stem from a variety of places, especially from masking, and can lead to an even larger variety of symptoms.

It can last a few hours or several years

It can be the result of a slow build-up or it can hit suddenly

The effects of burnout (especially loss of skills) are more likely to be permanent if the burnout has lasted several years

It is more common in adolescents and adults

It is different than neurotypical burnout and regular depression

It affects every area of your life

It requires more time to recover

What Causes Autistic Burnout?

Masking

Too high of expectations

Lack of support

High intensity interactions (concert, party)

Prolonged interaction (school, work)

Sensory overload

Suppressing autistic traits

Operating beyond capacity

Not being able to recover from or cope with stress at the beginning signs

Change

What are the Signs of Autistic Burnout?

Anxiety

Increased shutdowns or meltdowns

Depression

Suicidal ideation

Little to no motivation

Loss of interest

Loss of basic skills

Exhaustion

Increased executive dysfunction

Difficulties with memory, communicating or sleep

Easily triggered/overstimulated

Headaches/migraines

You may seem "more autistic"

Difficulties in making decisions

Low attention span

How to Prevent/Cope with Autistics Burnout

Accommodations (in work, school, and everyday life)

Say no

Find community (on social media or in person)

Take breaks (often)

Let autistic traits breathe

Get rid of expectations

Therapy (especially for prolonged burnout)

Leave, even if it seems rude

Engage in simple self-care

Learn to manage energy

Stim

Ask for help

Rest

Set boundaries

Put yourself first

Identify your triggers

Autistic burnout is largely fueled by having to navigate a world that was not made for us. And so, burnout is nearly inevitable for autistics.

Burnout is exhausting, overwhelming and scary. It is something a lot of is deal with on a daily basis without even realising what it is. It has become our normal way of existing.

Recovering from, preventing, and coping with burnout is not a quick and easy fix. It is a lifetime process of taking care of and being gentle with ourselves. Which is hard, my dudes, not gonna lie.

But we're some tough sons of bitches.

I’m very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very tired.

Freedom

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Talking about a special interest with people sometimes feels like walking a tightrope:

Don't hold back and you talk too much.

Hold back too much and you don't talk enough.

It feels like an incredibly thin line to walk.

"I procrastinate all the time too!"

For someone with ADHD, procrastination isn't always what you think it is.

Many times it's something we WANT to see the results of, or something know we NEED to do.

Hate the feeling of greasy hair? Love the feeling of a warm shower? We still struggle to take that shower no matter how much we want it.

And we don't just procrastinate with boring projects like house cleaning or laundry.

We will procrastinate peeing. Eating. Moving out of an uncomfortable position.

Executive dysfunction isn't a choice, it isn't just us being lazy, it's a struggle, and it's not us just putting something off until later because we can.

During hyperfocusing, our nervous system doesn't even signal to our brains that we need to do those things. So we don't. But boy do we feel the effects of it after! Usually pain....

And many times we fail to connect a feeling to a solution. For example, we can be hungry, but it doesn't come to mind that eating food will solve that hunger.

Our procrastination is not always what you think it is.