Autistic burnout is a prolonged period of feeling exhausted both physically and emotionally. During this time, a sufferer will also face increased stress, anxiety and further meltdowns or implosions making them feel worse, thus adding to the feeling of burnout.
I am currently in my 7th year of burnout and I can tell you it’s hell. I am so damn tired all the time, I am also depressed and surrounded by a fog that stops my once powerful intellect from assessing and comprehending basic things. Another symptom of prolonged burnout is joint and muscle aches and pain.
Adding further misery is the reduced tolerance to external stimulus. So all the things you could just about cope with normally are just infuriating now.
My burnout stems from the death of both my parents. The absolute centre of my universe. Along with a life spent trying to fit in and mask heavily, never understanding myself, never knowing what I’m doing wrong, why I can’t fit in, pushing myself harder to make a life for myself, failing at everything and again, not understanding why. If everyone else can do it, why can’t I?
Now you understand why autistic burnout happens. Especially for me. There’s also an absolutely fascinating explainer for Professor Tony Attwood, he goes on to reason why people like me, diagnosed at 54 really need a diagnosis.
This is my reason for burnout.
The overall typical reasons include, masking, increased stressors, changes within school, or work, transitioning to a new school, infants to juniors to high school, onto college or university are good examples, unreasonable expectations from oneself, society, friends and family. All these things bring an enormous amount of stress and anxiety, and push us to a point beyond what we can reasonably tolerate. Our bodies and minds shutdown to a barely functioning level and stay there until we get relief.
Further reading: https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/professional-practice/autistic-burnout