*Autistic Shutdowns collection* - Do you experience these ?

I think I experience shutdowns though only recently learnt the name for what they were. Usually they are triggered by too much social interactions - either being around people all day, or there being lots of people. Before a shutdown it feels more like I'm getting overwhelmed with keeping track of all the social interactions that are going on around me even if I'm not particularly doing much talking to people. Noise and me feeling tired tend to also make shutdowns more likely. Immediately before a shutdown I tend to be feeling more exhausted, and everything sounds louder.

My shutdowns tend to go one of two ways. The nice ones, I become completely unaware of what's going on around me, don't move much and just zone out staring into space. My thoughts feel like they are stuck on a loop, going over the same thing over and over again. It feels peaceful as I'm not taking in much of the noise around me like everything sounds muffled. I've no idea how long these last as lose all sense of time.

Other times it's a similar process but feeling anxious about other people's reactions or if I know somebody is trying to speak to me. Then it feels like I'm trying to remain aware of what's going on around me but struggling to do so. I can usually manage to speak if I force myself to, but anything beyond single words is difficult and putting together an intelligible sentence is usually beyond me.

I sometimes try to get to a quiet spot, but usually as long as people leave me alone it's easier to just let shutdowns happen wherever I am. When I'm feeling that overwhelmed with noise/people it's rare that I can find a spot quickly that is sufficiently quiet for it to make much difference.

I think I experience shutdowns though only recently learnt the name for what they were. Usually they are triggered by too much social interactions - either being around people all day, or there being lots of people. Before a shutdown it feels more like I'm getting overwhelmed with keeping track of all the social interactions that are going on around me even if I'm not particularly doing much talking to people. Noise and me feeling tired tend to also make shutdowns more likely. Immediately before a shutdown I tend to be feeling more exhausted, and everything sounds louder.

My shutdowns tend to go one of two ways. The nice ones, I become completely unaware of what's going on around me, don't move much and just zone out staring into space. My thoughts feel like they are stuck on a loop, going over the same thing over and over again. It feels peaceful as I'm not taking in much of the noise around me like everything sounds muffled. I've no idea how long these last as lose all sense of time.

Other times it's a similar process but feeling anxious about other people's reactions or if I know somebody is trying to speak to me. Then it feels like I'm trying to remain aware of what's going on around me but struggling to do so. I can usually manage to speak if I force myself to, but anything beyond single words is difficult and putting together an intelligible sentence is usually beyond me.

I sometimes try to get to a quiet spot, but usually as long as people leave me alone it's easier to just let shutdowns happen wherever I am. When I'm feeling that overwhelmed with noise/people it's rare that I can find a spot quickly that is sufficiently quiet for it to make much difference.

its the variations that are not around online.

This is a great account of your shutdowns. You have a variation of shutdowns which is interesting.  Shutdowns were not even mentioned at my post-diagnostic adult autism group but yet so many people appear to experience them and they can be quite debilitating.

This first hand written collection/thread, which now includes your account will be available and helpful  to those in the future so again thanks so much.