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Is non- recoverable ASD burnout a real thing/risk

NAS76602
over 1 year ago

Hi,

50’s diagnosis in the acceptance phase. 

I’ve been reading about ASD burnout where it can be so bad it ends in selective mutism. I’m a relatively successful businessman and scared of this, my family would suffer as all the information is literally inside my head. I could/am put/putting systems in place (and currently in the process of this).

The downside of my ASD is I’m also incredibly high functioning and I’m not convinced anyone else would have the capacity to take over and cope even with systems in place. 

This is the scary part - I know I’m burning out and maybe have a few years left (weird I know this) before I crash and burn and will need to retire/part retire. 

How real is the risk of non returnable ASD burnout? The thought of hitting that at retirement (more like ASD enforced retirement) secretly fills me with joy and sadness. The joys would be the peace I’ve never had, the downside is not caring about my loved ones and significant others and I know I’d be selfish to protect myself - it actually brings me to tears when I think about this. us it a real risk or just non aspies research shite? Tia x

Parents
  • over 1 year ago

    This thread, as with many on here, has got my little brain ticking over.

    We used to talk about a 'nervous breakdown'.

    It's a term that I believe is not in fashion these days but I wonder whether autistic burnout was labelled as such in the past.

  • over 1 year ago in reply to Hibernating

    Almost certainly in my opinion.  Moreover, I would go (tentatively) further and report that, from my perspective, I can wholly believe that many of those reasonably happy and stable looking people who mysteriously seem to commit suicide without friends or family or colleagues having the slightest clue as to why......possibly, are people who have failed to recognise their own autism and the life they are experiencing has reached a point where there seems no other "logical" path.  Sad but true I think.

    In some respects, I am very lucky to have had my burnout / neverous breakdown........the upside was self-realisation.  A true blessing and gift some anyone who has been asking "WHY" of themselves all of their life.

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  • over 1 year ago in reply to Hibernating

    Almost certainly in my opinion.  Moreover, I would go (tentatively) further and report that, from my perspective, I can wholly believe that many of those reasonably happy and stable looking people who mysteriously seem to commit suicide without friends or family or colleagues having the slightest clue as to why......possibly, are people who have failed to recognise their own autism and the life they are experiencing has reached a point where there seems no other "logical" path.  Sad but true I think.

    In some respects, I am very lucky to have had my burnout / neverous breakdown........the upside was self-realisation.  A true blessing and gift some anyone who has been asking "WHY" of themselves all of their life.

Children
  • over 1 year ago in reply to Number
    Number said:
    In some respects, I am very lucky to have had my burnout / neverous breakdown........the upside was self-realisation.  A true blessing and gift some anyone who has been asking "WHY" of themselves all of their life.

    Yes.  I used the term 'cathartic' above but I also believe my experiences (which were very serious at least every decade of my adult life) led to transformation.