Published on 12, July, 2020
I'm realising at the moment just how severely burnt out I am. I'm exhausted. My brain can't function. My baseline has evaporated and I'm just in the floor mentally, doing way worse than normal. I've tried resting by playing video games, watching TV, YouTube, etc, but no matter what, I don't seem to gain energy back and recover. My tolerance for coping with day to day changes and sensory stimuli is really bad. Does anyone have advice for recovering from burn out? My brain just constantly feels on the go. Read from a page that autistic people don't ever truly recover from burn out, and I suppose I'm wondering if that's true.
Yes I’ve been doing the same. I’ve also had a few weeks signed off sick this year and last but I don’t think I can get away with that again.
I’m concentrating on improving my sleep just - doing lots of reading and watching podcasts, got myself a super bright lamp for the mornings, trying to enforce a regular sleep pattern and not eat before bed. But I think I also need to start engaging more with my interests again, to energise myself.
I’m not giving in to this!
Yeah I just about start feeling normal on Sunday night, and then it's right back into it. But I feel like each week, I'm recovering to a lower level than before, so I end up completely burnt out in a way I can't recover.
I eventually have to use my holiday days, not to go on holiday, but just to do nothing for a week or so. It's the only time I begin to feel normal again.
I’ve been stuck in the same position for the last three years. I sort of nearly almost recover at the weekend but by Thursday or Friday I’m absolutely exhausted and useless at work.
But what can we do? As you say, bills need to be paid.
For me burnout is impossible to deal with because I am guaranteed to suffer from burn out due to my job, and I have to do my job or I won't be able to pay any of my bills and will be homeless.
It's sad/pathetic, because I don't have a bad job, it's just that I find everything more draining than other people, and even basic chores around the house I struggle to stay on top of because I'm so burnt out all the time, and it means I can never pursue my own interests. This is no life to live, but I don't see any alternative outside of winning the lottery.
Autonomistic said:It's generally accepted that the first step to recovery is to remove as far as possible external pressures and demands together with reducing expectations.
Try to reduce masking is another important thing I forgot to mention. Masking is physically and emotionally exhausting and bad for our mental health. It is one of the key contributors to burnout.
Hello, welcome to your autistic community!
Burnout is a common experience in our autistic community, you are not alone.
Below I have posted a link to an autistic advocate who specialises in supporting other autistics through burnout:
Viv Dawes - Autistic Advocate
https://www.autisticadvocate.co.uk/
She has written a book specifically to help autistic adults recover from burnout.
I hope this helps!
Welcome to the community.
Burnout is tough and unless you tackle the cause then what happens is you can enter a continuous burnout cycle. After a short rest you go back to doing the things that are causing so much stress. The burnouts keep happening and each one becomes progressively harder to recover from by doing things such as you have mentioned. Eventually a major burnout can occur, when you will be unable to function at all in any capacity. If that happens it can result in permanent regression and loss of skills.
I have been through several major burnouts in my life and I would agree that I have never truly recovered. My sensory tolerance and capacity for demands is greatly reduced compared to before they happened.
It's generally accepted that the first step to recovery is to remove as far as possible external pressures and demands together with reducing expectations.
These online resources might be helpful to you in figuring out how best to try and do that in your own circumstances:
https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/mental-health/autistic-fatigue/autistic-adults
https://www.dralicenicholls.com/how-to-get-out-of-autistic-burnout/
https://neurodivergentinsights.com/blog/autistic-burnout-recovery
https://autismunderstood.co.uk/struggling-as-an-autistic-person/autistic-burnout-what-helps/
Hello amberj,
I'm sorry to hear that you're experiencing signs of burn-out. Firstly, you may like to have a look at other community threads related to burn-out, which may highlight some useful advice that has helped others in similar situations:
https://community.autism.org.uk/search?q=burn%20out#serpdate=past_year
You may also like to have a look at our information on sensory differences which can lead to burn-out:
https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/sensory-differences/sensory-differences/all-audiences
If you feel that you might need some support with your mental health, you can find advice and information on how to go about seeking help, including links to other resources and details of helplines and listening support services, here: https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/mental-health/seeking-help.
All the best,
ChloeMod