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Does medication help with burnout, meltdown and shutdowns?

Tania

As somebody who was recently diagnosed with ASD, but have been diagnosed with chronic depression for a long time.
I am pretty sure what I have now is autistic burnout.
Is the depression still real? I don't know, I know what depression feels like when it's bad.
Do you have experience with antidepressants/other meds helping you?
I have been going to therapy (CBT) for two years. Barely did a thing.
How do I recover from this burnout?
I am already not working anymore, and life just keeps throwing things at me which I am sort of handling, but I am not getting better.
What can I do?
Thanks.<3


  • Noone here can concretely advise on meds. Personally, I won't touch them, but others have varying experiences. What the research does seem to show is that some have no effect, are less effective or have different effects in us. In light of your diagnosis you may need those reviewing by someone who might know what they are talking about.

    Same issue with CBT. Most of us don't derive any benefit from CBT or other talking therapies for NTs. There are however adaptations which can be made for folk with ASD and many report they are more effective.

    Burnout and depression are different things. You can have both together or one without the other. Meds won't help burnout, plenty of time and R&R will.

    It sounds to me like your overall package of care needs an overhaul in light of your diagnosis to make sure it really is appropriate for you. Your ASD should be the start point for planning your care, not an adjunct to it.

  • No one here should offer you advice on things like whether to continue taking medication (and if they do, you should ignore it) - that should come only from properly qualified clinicians.

    CBT started working for me when the therapist changed (not something I asked for, but beneficial).  

    Have a look through the stuff on this website if you haven't done so - there is some quite useful generalised advice which might help (https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/mental-health).