Published on 12, July, 2020
I’ve had problems for years with just zoning out or completely shutting down. I don’t know what causes it sometimes, it’s like if I sit still everything shuts down and I either completely go to sleep or it’s like I’m asleep with my eyes being shut but I can hear things, but I just can’t respond or even move. Does anyone else get this? I was told it’s a response to being constantly overwhelmed and my body needing to rest from it all.
Other times, like the three days annual leave I’ve had this week, i zone out for hours in a similar way, it’s very unproductive but it’s like I can’t fight it. I had plans this week for my three days off but spent most of each day just lying still as if asleep but without being asleep. Just zoned out and completely still. I go back to work today and despite all this I feel completely exhausted.
does anyone else get this? I read that it’s common for people with autism to be tired all the time.
Purple Ella has a good video about shutdowns on YouTube.
I'm not sure whether I experience shutdowns or just extreme fatigue... sometimes, I feel like my whole body is slowing down so that even walking feels like hard work (it's like when you walk under water). I also find myself struggling to communicate and just longing for my bed. This tends to happen after a stressful day/when I've felt particularly overloaded.
thats what i get --- i think it is a shutdown - i found it listed under types of shutdown ( feeling sleepy and tired - and needing sleep ) sorry i cant remember where i read this. Again i thought it was fatigue but not now. When i feel my shutdown happening i talk in monosyllables and single words - and i know i am going down.