Am I odd as an autistic person in not experiencing burnout? Perhaps I've always been too disabled to experience it.Never experiencing the intense pressure that can be the downside of high achievement.
Am I odd as an autistic person in not experiencing burnout? Perhaps I've always been too disabled to experience it.Never experiencing the intense pressure that can be the downside of high achievement.
I don't think burnout hits autistic people in the same way or manifest in them the same way, I know for some it can be debilitating and prevents them from working and functioning. I know for me personally I can work but I know that I can't work a type of job where I don't get consistent scheduled time off so i work in a SEND school as a Teaching assistant. But I do still struggle with burnout especially towards the end of the term and I spend a lot of my time off recovering from my burnout, me and my mum and dad refer to it as my vegetation (not to offend anyone) it's just that I like to curl up in the dark like a potato. But I do love my job and working and it would devastate me if I ever had to not work there and I don't know what I would do for a job instead.
Also depending on your age (not to scare you or anything) but burnout really didn't hit me until I left school and started working and that's when it really started to hot me and impact me. It's like a whole body level of exhaustion that I find really difficult to explain and I have no desire to do anything even the things I love (like crochet or reading).
Even if you haven't (or don't ever) get burn out I wouldn't worry because it's not something you want to experience or feel bad for not experiencing it.
I thought I had everything under control and as I got older and believed I was autistic adjusted what I did so I took breaks where needed. However recently I reached a point of exhaustion due to circumstances beyond my control and realized I needed to start the process to request an assessment. I have however never experienced a shutdown.
I believe it also depends on how much you are able to experience the things that help you relax and unwind. For some of us this is not easy due to personal experiences. If you are able to take breaks which refresh you I guess it is possible to avoid a burnout period.
It sounds like you may have a set up which is somewhat suitable. There's nothing wrong with a simple life. I do think more people wished they had that. Not taking into account the paradox of heavy masking, neurodivergent people often do things their own way due to different social parameters.
A few years ago I had imposter syndrome relating to something which wasn't autism. I learned you can compare yourself forever and a day to others but it doesn't get you anywhere. Everyone is different. Accept yourself for who you are.
Hi From personal experience, you're not missing anything! A quick search of the internet suggests that anecdotal reports abound and the scientific literature begins to show roughly 2/3 of diagnosed people have experiences of it. Measuring and validating autistic burnout - Mantzalas - 2024 - Autism Research - Wiley Online Library In my personal case it was experiencing burnouts that led to acknowledging autism/getting diagnosis so I figure that finding a "true" figure for the incidence of burnout in autism will be tricky to measure and the counting it will be biased because it is maybe a reason why people seek diagnosis. As regards being too disabled - "high achievement" well, perhaps isn't what it's cracked up to be if with it comes burnout. Look what happened to Icarus. Retrospectively perhaps preferable a nice glide above the waves than getting wings burnt off in the sun!
About ten years ago my wife became seriously unwell and she decided that she wasn't going to divulge the degree of her illness with me (it was her problem and not mine). It was obvious that she was unwell and suffering, I was left feeling helpless and isolated as she wouldn't let me in.
This pushed me to the edge. Things I cope previously deal with seemed almost insurmountable, my generally manageable level of anxiety and depression went through the roof and I felt I couldn't express it, so I buried it (not the healthiest option).
Fortunately she has now recovered, I don't really think I did fully.
So now it's like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop or for the final straw to find it's was to my inner camel. Now my once excellent coping strategies just don't seem quite as robust as they once were.
I've never suffered a meltdown or shutdown but we all process pressure in different ways.
I read so many posts about burnouts and shutdowns and it makes me question whether I'm truly autistic. I live a simple life. One to reduce stress to a minimum. That's because I deteriorate significantly when stressed.
Avoiding the situation that can cause burnout / shutdown is very wise.
The fact you have managed to avoid it does not mean you are immune to it however and the altered state you find yourself in when stressed does suggest there may be a risk if you remained under pressure for a sustained period.
I would suggest avoiding testing this theory however.
When my stress levels are high for long periods then I become much more prone to opportunistic infections, colds etc and the combined effects only make things worse, so all the more reason to keep in that sweet spot and avoid it.
There is a good article discussing the impact of sustained stress on the bodys health here:https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/stress/the-stress-chemical-cortisol-short-and-long-term-effects-on-the-human-body/
Remember that shutdown is only one trait of autism - not having it is akin to not having elements of ADHD or OCD - you don't have to have a full set to still be autistic. It is the nature of a spectrum condition.
Burnouts, shutdowns and/or meltdowns are not required for an autism diagnosis. The NICE guidelines, which NHS autism services adhere to, and good private autism assessors follow, list the UK requirements but most autists have a differing and wide range of difficulties and challenges and nobody is exactly the same. In the past, there was a lot of stereotyping about autistic people, but now the spectrum embraces all sorts of abilities and disabilities. It sounds like the times of significant deterioration you experience could be burnouts, but if not, it doesn’t make you not autistic.
I've experienced a flu like physical reaction many times when stressed,or this kind of thing - iF IAM F***ing lucky i 'll get to have the mental fever breaking bit was
what happened real or wasit a dream disconnected everythingh is
unaturally calm bit with the room looking
slighly weird insome way smaller bigger clearer just basically somehow
out of sync like everything is veing seen through the lwens of a an
avant garde camera man stoned on on lsd.
I read so many posts about burnouts and shutdowns and it makes me question whether I'm truly autistic. I live a simple life. One to reduce stress to a minimum. That's because I deteriorate significantly when stressed.
Never experiencing the intense pressure that can be the downside of high achievement.
The pressure can come from other angles too - sometimes if can be relationship issues added to a demanding job, poor health and money issues all just coming to a focus.
I also have not experienced the shutdown type of response but I have had a few occasions when situations combined to make me walk away from everything as I could sense it coming.
Our thresholds are all going to be different as are our personal circumstances.
I hope you continue to not have to experience it though as it really isn't a good place to find yourself in.
From what I have read, not all autistic people will experience burnout, nor will all experience meltdowns and shutdowns. The term ‘burnout’ isn’t precisely defined and can encompass a wide range of experiences. Over the years, I experienced several periods of ‘just not being able to go on’ and I needed to stay away from work; it felt a bit like hibernation mode. I am much better equipped to manage my daily life now I’m retired. Perhaps it’s because I have more time to focus on my special interest.