*Autistic Shutdowns collection* - Do you experience these ?

Oh and I forgot to mention the most restoratative thing that helps and avoids shutdowns which is to spend time in natural environments particularly woodlands... 

Hi... I don't really know if these are shutdowns as I am not really sure what that term means but I have a range of experiences where my processing and my ability to interact with the world around me seems to shutdown ranging from self elected temporary 'time outs' through to pretty significant and destructive periods of my life. 

The shutdowns that I have and still do experience on a daily basis include:

• aged 5 I used to hide in my coat and pretend to be asleep during break times and lunchtimes at infant school. 
• Now I can often find myself just stuck not thinking or doing anything. This tends to happen when I have driven home after work and I have stopped the car and I will simply stay sat in it for up to 45mins. Or after having a shower I will often just stand in my towel again for up to 45mins.
• Laying on my bed not doing anything... These last up to 2 hours. I live during the week by myself so it doesn't really impact on anyone.

The more pervasive shutdowns I have experienced have included severly restricting the types of food I eat, and isolating myself from any none essential contact with others. This has happened twice in my life. The first time for a couple of years and the second probably about 8 months. 

I have also experienced on a couple of occassions literally not being able to talk. When I have tried to talk random words that make no sense have come out of my mouth. I have had to completely isolate myself from all sensory input in order to get over these. Thankfully the longest that this has happened to me has only been half a day.

The big ones have been triggered by significant shifts in social demands (teenage years and early adulthood). The day to day one's generally are triggered from too much interaction with other people either socially (not that often as I don't socialise very much) or when I have been caught up in social interactions at work...work place banter is particularly exhausting for me. 

I find that regular exercise, engaging in calming interests (drawing), eating good nutritious food and having a relaxing routine to help me get better sleep on a daily basis helps.

Hope this helps others... I am always slightly cautious of putting out into the world the really tricky stuff that I have experienced. I wouldn't want people to think that autism means that these things have to happen. 

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.

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.

Yes. My favourite film ever and one of my childhood obsessions !

its a shortened version of the name Adrian which comes from the roman name Hadrian

I don’t know what you mean- can you explain?

no it just a shortened mans name

thats ok i understand

I think I know what shutdown means now- yes I have experienced this I think I can’t describe it on this forum it is too distressing for me

Did you get the inspiration for that name from the sound of music song my favourite things?

A difficult outcome 

I also have some situations I can’t handle and I have to retreat also- usually this is in the form of running away. If I can’t retreat the outcome will not be good.

Raindrops on roses  has just described pretty much the classical version.

thanks for that 

What are you experiencing when you think you’re having a shutdown?

I don’t know what a shutdown means

Can't talk, can't process, retreat to safe place, sit and just sit, normally stimming. Can't control thoughts.

Usually triggered by a situation I can't handle. 

What are you experiencing when you think you’re having a shutdown?

I don’t know what a shutdown means