TRIGGER WARNING: Mentions of meltdowns, hospitialisation, antipsychotics, misdiagnoses.
I struggle a lot with meltdowns. At the moment I'm having up to 3 per day. They are so bad I have take antipsychotics and have been hospitalised for them in the past. The ones I have now are just the tip of the ice berg compared to previous meltdowns. But they're getting bad again. Even on my meds, my meltdowns still burden those around me and disable me a lot. My team did think at one point I had mental illness, but after my second hosptial admission from meltdowns we found out it Autism (with ADHD) on its own. I was already diagnosed as a young child, but was reassessed under the hospital's care just before my 20th birthday with the outcome of Moderate Supports Autism for in the discharge papers.
My meltdowns were misunderstood as being badly behaved as a kid and later being mentally/emotionally unstable as a teenager. Also, my support team don't really understand me and my Autism. They think it's mental health related. When in fact, my mental health has never really suffered. I'd like to manage on my own without meds one day, too.
Anyone got any tips for dealing with Autistic meltdowns? Or any resources to help me and others understand?
Thanks.
