Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi I’m really curious want to know what a shutdown is? I know what a meltdown is and being on the spectrum myself I’ve have had many but I have not even encountered a shutdown. My boyfriend who is also on the spectrum has them but their quiet rare. I have tried many ways to get him to snap out of the one he is currently facing but no luck instead it makes him more irritated. Basically what is a shutdown? How long do they last? And is there a way to get a person to can’t think of a less harsh phrase here but to snap out of it?
For me shutdown is literally that - shutting down. I stop moving, speaking and thinking, I just exist and stare in to space. You can't snap out of it, you slowly come out of it but in your own time when you're good and ready. Usually for me they are caused by sensory overload or exhaustion from too much masking, it's happened twice this month already which isn't surprising what with it being so loud and busy outside at the moment.