Burnout & Physiological symptoms

Hi,

 Still struggling to understand myself, burnout is something I have struggled with, or at least I think it's that. Happened for me really badly when there was a lot of family drama heavy social stuff going on for me. For me I just ceased to function properly, I didn't know what it was then, or that it was Autism related, I just ceased to function, I couldn't explain to people. I said a lot of things like "I'm just not firing on all cylinders at the moment" or "my batteries have just run out" I would often shake, my hands would frequently go numb, I had chest pains. Though I kept masking this, unsure why, long bad habits probably. Mentally I just couldn't, I could function logically, but not really feel much of anything except exhaustion and the desperate need for a break, I think I probably looked very blank, I kept trying to retreat to get space for myself. My then partner I think decided I didn't care, I told him I was struggling but I don't think he could hear me because I couldn't show it. Just couldn't. I kept moving it was literally life or death for people I cared about so I kept forcing myself on, kept making me worse, I got less and less able to even think of logically I was just exhausted, desperately needed everything to stop for a while. I still can't explain it well but I have found an article that describes things better than I am able:

http://www.theautisticadvocate.com/2018/05/an-autistic-burnout.html?m=1

That really helped me with it, to understand. It didn't stop for me even past that point carried on for several months but I did get through. And I am trying to leanr to try to make sure to take the time when needed and what that means for me. I am sure you can get through too, I am sorry your struggling, I hope things get easier for you in whatever your journey is

Thank you Munchkin so very much for linking to the article . I didn’t think I knew what a burnout felt like as I assumed it to be about extremes! Well it is but it can be a build up of many little triggers of everyday life, 

Specifically masking and keeping things going regardless was quite pertinent to myself.

I read every single word written and it all seemed so much like life as I had lived it,,,

I flick switches when I start to feel low or find things getting difficult to handle, as I get older I have less ability to cope, my ability to hyper focus and grit my teeth to just keep going is lacking. Noises are more than ever causing me issues, I seem to have hypercusis ,every day noises that not only cause me to jump out of my skin but at times I clutch my head and cringe as though I have received an electric shock.

Anyone who has read my posts will know how much they vary not only in length but ability to formulate specifics, some days I write apologies for having a foggy brain day,,,nothing quite seems to come easy, when I am recharged I can write endlessly about any subject, quite often with a level of intellect that amazes me!

So I do now understand more about but burnouts, a lot of things the writer speaks of I never thought were relevant to burnouts, things I have had to over come all my life, Surely I was just experiencing things just like everyone else! Apparently not,, things only we struggle with, sensitivity to lots of things, in my case not one thing was a major contributor, but many single things all adding to a complete lack of energy and a desire to just hide, retreat to a world of silence where I was not expected to fit in or be what was expected.

 Just reading his words has lead me to write all this down, I have hardly contributed to this site in quite some time, months since having the energy or ability as I am currently struggling.

I am masking at present, I am like a lot of autistics not a quitter, I will battle on doing my best, pushing myself to comply, flicking more switches, ,,,,,,,,,How long I can keep up I do not know?

reading about all this has given me ideas on how I might change things to help me.

A massive thank you for posting the link, this community and my tribe are so very important, only we can help ourselves by sharing and passing on our knowledge.

 X()x

Thank you Munchkin so very much for linking to the article . I didn’t think I knew what a burnout felt like as I assumed it to be about extremes! Well it is but it can be a build up of many little triggers of everyday life, 

Specifically masking and keeping things going regardless was quite pertinent to myself.

I read every single word written and it all seemed so much like life as I had lived it,,,

I flick switches when I start to feel low or find things getting difficult to handle, as I get older I have less ability to cope, my ability to hyper focus and grit my teeth to just keep going is lacking. Noises are more than ever causing me issues, I seem to have hypercusis ,every day noises that not only cause me to jump out of my skin but at times I clutch my head and cringe as though I have received an electric shock.

Anyone who has read my posts will know how much they vary not only in length but ability to formulate specifics, some days I write apologies for having a foggy brain day,,,nothing quite seems to come easy, when I am recharged I can write endlessly about any subject, quite often with a level of intellect that amazes me!

So I do now understand more about but burnouts, a lot of things the writer speaks of I never thought were relevant to burnouts, things I have had to over come all my life, Surely I was just experiencing things just like everyone else! Apparently not,, things only we struggle with, sensitivity to lots of things, in my case not one thing was a major contributor, but many single things all adding to a complete lack of energy and a desire to just hide, retreat to a world of silence where I was not expected to fit in or be what was expected.

 Just reading his words has lead me to write all this down, I have hardly contributed to this site in quite some time, months since having the energy or ability as I am currently struggling.

I am masking at present, I am like a lot of autistics not a quitter, I will battle on doing my best, pushing myself to comply, flicking more switches, ,,,,,,,,,How long I can keep up I do not know?

reading about all this has given me ideas on how I might change things to help me.

A massive thank you for posting the link, this community and my tribe are so very important, only we can help ourselves by sharing and passing on our knowledge.

 X()x

• Glad it helped, it really helped me too. Can't express it now very well but thid group and this understncing has helped me a lot too and I am glad I can help