How many meltdowns a week?

Can I ask a question please? I never used to think that I had melt downs as I don’t hit myself around the head or anything BUT what I do get, if I get overwhelmed by stressors is I’ll start crying, like proper sobbing for well over an hour, longer if people in my house are being stupid and continuing to put pressure on me. While I’m in that state I get really dark thoughts of wanting to end my life and stuff, I’m not suicidal it’s just at the time it’s a impulsive thought as it’s the only way I can think of to escape the overwhelming situation that I’m in at that time. The only way I can calm down and stop thinking such thoughts and stop sobbing uncontrollably is to just be on my own in a quiet place away from everyone and everything. Afterwards I tend to need to distract myself, maybe by reading or something, just to snap my mind out of it. Is this like a mild type of meltdown or am I just being a total drama queen?

Can I ask a question please? I never used to think that I had melt downs as I don’t hit myself around the head or anything BUT what I do get, if I get overwhelmed by stressors is I’ll start crying, like proper sobbing for well over an hour, longer if people in my house are being stupid and continuing to put pressure on me. While I’m in that state I get really dark thoughts of wanting to end my life and stuff, I’m not suicidal it’s just at the time it’s a impulsive thought as it’s the only way I can think of to escape the overwhelming situation that I’m in at that time. The only way I can calm down and stop thinking such thoughts and stop sobbing uncontrollably is to just be on my own in a quiet place away from everyone and everything. Afterwards I tend to need to distract myself, maybe by reading or something, just to snap my mind out of it. Is this like a mild type of meltdown or am I just being a total drama queen?

This is definitely what happens to me when I am feeling overwhelmed. I was just like you - I didn't think my crying episodes could count as meltdowns as I'd heard of them being much more extreme in others. Sensory overload and people putting too much pressure on me to do things I'm not capable of are my top triggers. At one point in my life, I was bursting into tears all over the place! I think I made my doctor and dentist feel quite awkward...

Thankfully, things are much better now and I don't have many meltdowns.

That sounds like what happens to me when I get upset. It's what lead me to finding this site and I learned, from people on this site, and my support worker, that when this happened, it was because I was upset but because I don't recognise my emotions, they become overwhelming, and all I would know is that I feel like I want to die, which I realised just meant that I wanted the painful emotions or whatever was happening, to stop. 

Since I realised all this, I've been able to turn things around. Instead of giving in to the tears, I kind of counsel myself I suppose. I tell myself that I'm ok, because that's the truth, and I somehow pull myself round, much quicker. It depends on the situation as to what I do, but I don't give in to it and I can usually work out what happened much quicker. And even if it takes me a few days, it's better than never really understanding what happened at all. 

I've even, in my heart, forgiven my sister (long story) because I can now see my behaviour etc. This was only a few days ago and tonight I got a text message from her!!!

Sounds like a meltdown to me, I also just burst into tears for no reason when I'm stressed and I really know what you're talking about with the awful thoughts you get - I have suicidal and self-harming thoughts when I'm freaking out but it's just for that short period of time when I'm just completely overwhelmed. As soon as I come out of it, I'm fine and the thoughts I was having seem quite alien. I think it probably takes people in different ways, I had a fairly challenging childhood and have a co-diagnosis of anxiety disorder so If I'm really overwhelmed it's kind of like a panic attack on steroids, I'm only bad enough to hit myself around the head rarely but it does still happen sometimes. If I'm just bit stressed and overwhelmed I'll sob my heart out and my breathing will go crazy for a while but no yelling etc. What you're describing does sound like a meltdown to me, crying is a good plan as it'll release endorphins which help your mood stabilise. The best way to deal with it is to wind your 'early warning' back as far as you can so that you can be aware and get out of a stressful situation before you become acutely overwhelmed in the first place. I'd like to know what Former Member's technique is too . . .

I would definitely say that is a meltdown. My meltdown usually involve crying and shouting. Or just shutting down completely and not speaking. Meltdowns can come in many shapes and forms. They're not all screaming and throwing.