Burnout is associated with those in today’s world of work. Autistic burnout, also known as an autistic meltdown, is what happens to autistic individuals. Burning out happens because the person has reached their limit. After that limit, feeling like tired and exhausted. They completely burnt out mentally and emotionally. Autism is a neuro-developmental condition, meaning that autism neuro-development disorders tend to continue into adulthood. Because of this, autistic individuals face unique challenges in adulthood that other neurotypical people don’t have.
Symptoms of Autistic Burnout
Burnouts can be very exhausting, especially for a child with ASD. Following are some of the symptoms:
(Source: https://www.autismparentingmagazine.com/autism-statistics/)
Emotional Meltdown
Emotional meltdowns are basically what they sound like. An emotional meltdown is when you just can’t handle your emotions anymore and have a full-blown meltdown. The cause for this can vary from person to person. Mostly it’s triggered by sensory overload or being overwhelmed by sensations in general. And they sleeping issues too.
Thinking Issues
Some people with autistic burnout experience have thinking issues in the form of confusion. It can be difficulty concentrating on tasks at hand. They may also have trouble remembering or understanding what’s happening around them. These issues are often due to being overwhelmed by sensations. But they can also be caused by other factors like stress and anxiety, which is why getting help is important.
Being Overwhelmed by Sensations
People with Autism Spectrum Disorder may have difficulty with sensory input. It might give autistic people feeling that they are being overwhelmed by stimuli. They may feel unable to take in all the sounds and sights around them. They might find it hard to filter out some types of stimulation, such as bright lights. The result is that they feel exhausted from trying to manage all of these sensations at once.
Mental Exhaustion
Autistic people often have trouble managing their emotions. So if something triggers strong emotions, this could lead to mental exhaustion, which may also contribute to physical exhaustion. This can happen if someone says something hurtful or disrespectful about autism or someone who has autism. It can also happen when an autistic person feels others don’t understand or appreciate their needs. This can cause a lot of stress for autistic individuals because they want to be accepted by others .
Bodily Effects
- Physical Exhaustion: An exhaustion that feels deep within your bones rather than simply being tired from lack of sleep or other external reasons.
- Fatigue: Feeling physically exhausted even after sleeping or taking a break.
- Muscle Cramps: Muscle cramps are not related to exercise or exertion but are triggered by stress or anxiety.
- Digestive Issues: Constipation, diarrhoea, nausea, and vomiting are common digestive issues associated with autism burnout. Other health conditions can also cause these symptoms, so it’s important to see your doctor if they persist for more than a few days or weeks.
What You Can Do for Recovery?
If you’re suffering from autistic burnout, here are some things recommended by the best autism treatment program that you can do to help:
Take Time for them Every Day
It’s important for everyone’s mental health. If your schedule makes it difficult for you to fit in a daily routine, try setting aside an hour each week where no one expects anything from you. This could even be as simple as reading a book.
Get Enough Sleep at Night
While they may have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep due to their stress levels, getting enough rest will allow your body and mind to recover from the day’s events so that they can function optimally during the day.
Reduce Exposure to Circumstances that Cause it
If you know that your environment is causing you to have autistic burnout, then the best way to recover from it is to avoid these situations. This might mean avoiding certain people who tend to trigger your stress or anxiety or simply not going places where you know there will be lots of sensory overloads.
Communicate about their Needs Properly
If you are trying someone experiencing autistic burnout, it is important to remember that they may not be able to communicate how they feel or what they need. You can help them by communicating on their behalf and asking them questions about what they need.
Conclusion
When autistic people experience a lot of stress, anxiety, and depression and are ongoing for a long time, that can lead to Burnout syndrome or autism overload. This happens because their brains are trying to process so much information that it becomes overloaded and shut down. Stress is also a big factor because it can make people feel anxious or depressed. Many things are mentioned above in the articles that you can do to help them recover from burnout.
