*Autistic Shutdowns collection* - Do you experience these ?

I have experienced shutdowns all my life. Sometimes they last days, sometimes months. I didn’t know they were shutdowns until I was diagnosed last year. I have now learnt some new words, stimming, shutdowns, alexithymia, burnout etc. I prefer the word burnout, as this is more descriptive of how I feel.

I managed to teach myself an old country craft. This meant I was able to work on my own in woodland for days, only seeing girlfriend and family. Unfortunately, there was a payback for this long period of being mostly unsociable. My condition worsened and I ended up in a mental health hospital. Initially I thought it was depression that had dogged my life, but at my first consultation with a psychiatrist, he said I was pretty obviously autistic. I was subsequently diagnosed at a number of further meetings before they would release me.

I don’t know the best way to emerge from a period of shutdown. I have found a period of self-help and low level SSRIs gradually pulls me out.

A number of autistic people have said my job sounds great, as it involves little contact with others, but I feel that a better mixture of socialising and not socialising would be healthier.

I don’t know if that was any help.

I have experienced shutdowns all my life. Sometimes they last days, sometimes months. I didn’t know they were shutdowns until I was diagnosed last year. I have now learnt some new words, stimming, shutdowns, alexithymia, burnout etc. I prefer the word burnout, as this is more descriptive of how I feel.

I managed to teach myself an old country craft. This meant I was able to work on my own in woodland for days, only seeing girlfriend and family. Unfortunately, there was a payback for this long period of being mostly unsociable. My condition worsened and I ended up in a mental health hospital. Initially I thought it was depression that had dogged my life, but at my first consultation with a psychiatrist, he said I was pretty obviously autistic. I was subsequently diagnosed at a number of further meetings before they would release me.

I don’t know the best way to emerge from a period of shutdown. I have found a period of self-help and low level SSRIs gradually pulls me out.

A number of autistic people have said my job sounds great, as it involves little contact with others, but I feel that a better mixture of socialising and not socialising would be healthier.

I don’t know if that was any help.

yea it helps the fact they last months for you is pretty extreme. mine last hours. just shows you the massive variation in these traits. Thanks for your account it adds to the collection which is awesome.