I've been struggling with a very severe mental freeze for years. Whenever I try to do anything that isn't basic self-care (eating, sleeping, bathing, going to the bathroom, etc.) or just stagnating, my mind freezes, preventing me from doing whatever it is I'm trying. I cannot understate just how severe this problem is. There's a decent chance this is autistic burnout, but there's also enough potential overlap with other conditions that I'm cautious jumping right to that as the explanation.
I've tried everything I could (exercise, EMDR, meditation, mindfulness, progressive muscle relaxation, journaling, breathing exercises, trauma release exercises, tremoring, taking breaks, taking walks, ACT, DBT, CBT, IFS, and support groups) to treat it, and nothing works. At best, treatment bounces off my problems without doing anything; at worst, it aggravates them even more. What's worse, I can't afford professional treatment, and might not ever be able to. What are my options here? Do I even have any options, or am I just totally screwed for the rest of my life?
