Has anybody seen any good videos talking about what autistic burnout is that would be appropriate to send to loved ones to explain what it is and how it affects an autistic person?
I'm too burned out to sift through search results to find a good one. Looking for a video because the friend I want to send it to does better processing audio than reading.
@actuallyautistic#actuallyautistic
A few months back I picked up Temple Grandin's book "The Autistic Brain: Helping Different Kinds of Minds Succeed" and would definitely recommend it. Grandin's writing style is very easy to understand and she approaches the topic from a logical yet empathetic point of view. There is no beating around the bush when it comes to more complex or taboo issues surrounding autism in the book and I appreciate that. It also helped me discover more things about myself.
If you're on Android and want an app full of stuff about autism and neurodiversity, I just release a free app called "Neurodiversity 101". It will also be coming to iOS in the future.
I like to keep my long hair open. For the most part it's behind my ears but I'd love to keep it flying free. But then, with even a little bit of wind all of those single hairs are everywhere on my face, tickling and demanding attention. No wonder I have a reflex putting then behind my ears.
@actuallyautistic#actuallyautistic Just called my eye doctor to reschedule an appointment, probably my first time ever doing that alone 😭 such a weight off my shoulders.
Not only that, but the appointment was moved to this Wednesday so less time to stress over it!
I'm struggling to understand why it happened, and what exactly happened.
I used to be able to go to Jamborees, dance clubs, and so on and so forth.
Why did having to socialize with 30 people suddenly make me crash?
I've put it into the category of "involuntary unmasking" but I'm not sure that's what it is.
I'm also not sure what the crash that I experience should be called. It is not a burnout because it wasn't long enough. I don't think it was a meltdown. I thought about a shutdown, but I don't see lack of energy as a symptom.
I'm not convinced that this is one aspect of my autism. In some circumstances, I may get overwhelmed by socialization and crash.
If someone had asked me about this at the time of my self-diagnosis, I would have said that it does not happen to me.
@actuallyautistic#actuallyautistic Recently took the #monotropism questionnaire on the Sachs Center website and have to say I REALLY appreciate how they provide further clarification for questions that may be confusing.
It helped me take the test quicker and probably allows for more accurate test results overall. I wish all tests/quizzes/instructions were like that!
I'm starting to appreciate the effects of a locale on my capability to gracefully endure an event.
I went to the monthly bi brunch from 11:45am to 1:15pm today. I came back home DEAD. I took a 30 minutes nap earlier. I could have napped for longer, but I dread the sleep inertia that I experience if sleep too long. I'm still feeling utterly dead.
So what did it? We were easily 30 people that probably contributed to it. The discussions were numerous and hard to follow. It was also in a locale that I'm not super fond of. I've petitioned our organizers for a different locale, but I don't know yet what's going to happen with this.
For comparison, the bi board games run from 1pm to 4pm, and we typically go have supper afterwards. I don't recall ever feeling this exhausted after that event.
Same with the French chat, which is about two hours long.
I think one of the most disorentienting things about being autistic but also having an autistic partner is that sometimes you misread their subtle social cues that they're on edge of a meltdown and then when it finally blows up, are taken completely off guard by the fact they're melting down because they seemed fine two seconds ago and then you're struggling to not meltdown yourself because of how taken off guard you were by the meltdown.
Had one of those days yesterday. Recovering and processing today.
@actuallyautistic#actuallyautistic Has anyone figured out the NT obsession with light touch? It drives me insane and I can’t understand how anyone could enjoy it.