First conscious burnout

Hello, I’m not doing too good, I don’t know what’s going on with me, struggling to understand what I see before me sometimes, like it’s a whole new bright world but I’m unable to feel apart of it. I’m trying to stick to my routine as much as possible even if that isn’t easy, it’s like I’m scrambling to fit all the puzzle pieces back together before I can feel myself again and now I’m frightened I won’t forget what this hell feels like and I’ll be like this forever. I’ve had way too much on my plate and I’ve ignored the warning signs because I didn’t know what they were but they were there and they came from my own mouth multiple times towards others explaining that I cannot continue to help them any longer or do others roles for them because they are too involved in themselves. I’ve got myself, my partner and our 4 kids who are all on the spectrum in some way, they are all highly functioning with their own unique behaviours and some also have ADHD which means there’s a constant pack of wild animals running through the house which guess what is also far too over stimulating because they do not listen. I feel very alone because no one understands me and I barely know who I am now. I’m just having to do my best and that’s all I can do till the day I feel better.

Parents
  • The demands of others is, or has been, a big issue for me. I am a very independent person who very rarely asks others for help so I have always found it pretty galling when asked to sort out other people's problems as well. Obviously I am happy to help my immediate family (within reason!) but I had a situation that lasted for years where I was the go to call for basically anything, for an extended family member and I hated it, but felt obligated to help. I felt bad about how much I hated it at the time but now I look back and can see how thoroughly they were taking the piss. I basically removed myself from their orbit as much as I could and would ignore phone calls. I would answer texts eventually, when it was convenient for me to do so, and they got the message.

    It sounds like you need to start focusing more on yourself and less on the needs of others and you are completely right to let other people know this. See what else you can take off your plate. Is there something that right now seems really important but can actually wait/ be done by someone else/ be left entirely?

    The world today is mad and there is too much going on and too much expected of people. For an autistic person, not able to filter out all the noise, it's ten times worse.

    Look after yourself.

Reply
  • The demands of others is, or has been, a big issue for me. I am a very independent person who very rarely asks others for help so I have always found it pretty galling when asked to sort out other people's problems as well. Obviously I am happy to help my immediate family (within reason!) but I had a situation that lasted for years where I was the go to call for basically anything, for an extended family member and I hated it, but felt obligated to help. I felt bad about how much I hated it at the time but now I look back and can see how thoroughly they were taking the piss. I basically removed myself from their orbit as much as I could and would ignore phone calls. I would answer texts eventually, when it was convenient for me to do so, and they got the message.

    It sounds like you need to start focusing more on yourself and less on the needs of others and you are completely right to let other people know this. See what else you can take off your plate. Is there something that right now seems really important but can actually wait/ be done by someone else/ be left entirely?

    The world today is mad and there is too much going on and too much expected of people. For an autistic person, not able to filter out all the noise, it's ten times worse.

    Look after yourself.

Children
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