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Autism masking and regression after mental health breakdowns

Terryaki

Hello fellow forum users,

This is my first post on the forum and I am in need of some assistance. I am diagnosed autistic but also have a diagnosis of CPTSD and have quite severe mental rumination. I have had a few severe mental breakdowns and recently had two within a 4 month period that have left me taking time off work and being unable to look after myself. 

my partner made a comment that my mannerism had changed and that I have become more withdrawn and in a sense lost the ability to socialise. I have noticed this too to an extent but I wondered whether this is a known phenomenon in people with autism who go through mental breakdowns. It almost feels like I cannot mask at all.

thank you for all your information and assistance in advance 

Parents

  • Hello,

    I can identify with what you are going through. Hang on in there. I too have cptsd ,many of us do unfortunately but You are not alone there are great people on here to talk to. I can give you my experience and strategies which may offer some help.

     I usually go full on shut down (which I have named the “upside down” from an programme called stranger things) every  few years or so over my life, I can feel it coming but not able to stop it. I learnt over time not to fight it.  This latest 4 year one has been tough however but it did involve Covid. 

     Having external professional support outside of family etc has helped me and maybe something to consider. Talking and being on this group has helped too. It can be exhausting and impossible to mask in these periods, maybe don’t bother trying to mask. Save your energy for you.

    It was also suggested to me to go full on autistic and not suppress myself in anyway and that helped too. So I don’t restrict my stimming have a good hand flap which I call my jazz hands, rub my feet together constantly, throw my arms and body all over the place like a loon til I drop and rock whenever I need it and bumble bee breathing is a good one to try, also I have avoided people and situations that cause me problems and found positive nice things that embrace my nature, music, silence, reading, researching, soft blankets to touch, being in the dark, favourite foods, whatever takes your fancy, find anything to give you that warm feeling inside. And last of all before I end up writing you an essay, they do pass and you will come out the other side. 

Reply

  • Hello,

    I can identify with what you are going through. Hang on in there. I too have cptsd ,many of us do unfortunately but You are not alone there are great people on here to talk to. I can give you my experience and strategies which may offer some help.

     I usually go full on shut down (which I have named the “upside down” from an programme called stranger things) every  few years or so over my life, I can feel it coming but not able to stop it. I learnt over time not to fight it.  This latest 4 year one has been tough however but it did involve Covid. 

     Having external professional support outside of family etc has helped me and maybe something to consider. Talking and being on this group has helped too. It can be exhausting and impossible to mask in these periods, maybe don’t bother trying to mask. Save your energy for you.

    It was also suggested to me to go full on autistic and not suppress myself in anyway and that helped too. So I don’t restrict my stimming have a good hand flap which I call my jazz hands, rub my feet together constantly, throw my arms and body all over the place like a loon til I drop and rock whenever I need it and bumble bee breathing is a good one to try, also I have avoided people and situations that cause me problems and found positive nice things that embrace my nature, music, silence, reading, researching, soft blankets to touch, being in the dark, favourite foods, whatever takes your fancy, find anything to give you that warm feeling inside. And last of all before I end up writing you an essay, they do pass and you will come out the other side. 

Children