I believe that autistic burnout is something that other people do to us rather than something we do to ourselves.
It's not simply that we mask too much or work too hard; society requires us to do those things. The choice is not ours.
Those are not the only things that cause burnout. Bigotry and abuse from others also causes burnout. Constant sensory Hell also causes burnout. Anything that keeps us out of equilibrium causes burnout.
It's empowering to find ways to help ourselves and improve our mental health. Things that are in our control. Resting, self care, etc.
But when the harm is caused by systemic problems out of our control, then these "solutions" quickly become just another way to shift the responsility onto the person being harmed.
Most advice for dealing with autistic burnout is incredibly frustrating, because how many of us can take time off work to rest and recover, or access the accommodations we need?
My husband has resigned from a job he loved because burnout was affecting his physical and mental health. He had no alternative, it's either work, and sacrifice your health for financial security, or resign.
It's so frustrating because the accommodations he needed were minor.
@JeremyMallin@actuallyautistic Like I've said before, I wonder if a few months I had in my twenties when I couldn't do everything that was expected of me was autistic burnout, not depression like I thought it was. If so, it's pretty good evidence against the burnout caused by masking theory because I'm early dx and never tried to or wanted to act like neurotypicals.