What’s Autistic Burnout? – The Autism Website Information
Guest contribution by Andréas RB Deolinda, BA, BSc.
Have you ever reached a point of extreme exhaustion that left you feeling empty and no longer feeling like moving or engaging in any form of activity? Burnout can be confused with fatigue, but as a general definition, it is an extreme form of exhaustion that leaves you feeling hopeless and completely turned off.
People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are particularly prone to burnout because of the sensory challenges they face. Many autistic people mask or camouflage their autistic traits and do so at the expense of their mental, physical, and psychological well-being – which makes them very prone to burnout.
While many may eventually be able to rebalance their overstimulation through adaptive measures, others struggle to find balance in what is commonly known as autistic burnout.
How does autistic burnout look or feel?
Autistic burnout is a term often used by autistic adults to describe a state of inability, exhaustion, and distress in all areas of life. Some people on the spectrum claim that burnout cost them jobs, friends, activities, independence, mental and physical health, and even pushed them into suicidal behavior.
Autistic burnout is not in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5.
Dr. Rachel Bédard, a licensed psychologist working with people on the autism spectrum, is an example. She gave some exclusive insights into what burnout is and how it affects people with ASD.
“Autistic burnout can look like extreme fatigue, inability to recover from daily tasks, persistent lethargy, a desire to ‘crawl into a hole’, and sometimes include an inability to express struggles or seek help,” said Dr. Bédard. “Sometimes my clients just disappear when they’re burned out while others I haven’t seen in ages request an appointment to recover.”
A research study by Raymaker et al. also highlights other traits, such as chronic fatigue, loss of skills, and decreased stimulus tolerance.
Why does autistic burnout occur?
There are several factors that contribute to autistic burnout. Research suggests that life stressors and barriers to or lack of support and resources can lead to the condition. These stressors include sensory overload and the cost of masking as a result of the daily challenges of navigating in neurotypical society.
Study participants also highlighted challenges such as poor health, impaired ability to live independently, and poor quality of life as possible causes of autistic burnout. Another reason cited was a lack of empathy in neurotypical individuals.
“I see burnout as a normal expression of extreme fatigue rather than a crisis. Normalization helps people feel less reactive and more accepted, which allows them to process what caused the burnout and recover (instead of feeling isolated and quite strange having the burnout experience) ” , adds Dr. Bédard added.
What can people on the spectrum do to recover?
To recover from autistic burnout, it is necessary to identify the key areas that caused the condition. Research suggests that acceptance and social support, a break from expectations and no masking are proactive things that have helped people recover.
From her practical experience, Dr. Bédard: “Recovery can involve a lot of downtime, favorite activities and less social engagement. I also encourage movement, outside of time, sitting in nature, listening to your favorite music or sitting quietly with a favorite person. ”
“Sensory interventions can include compression, sitting in a dark closet designed specifically for sensory happiness (pillows, quiet, dark), favorite smells, textures, etc.,” she concluded.
From this we can see that having a stable support system is a step in the right direction to not only aid recovery but also validate the autistic burnout experience.
Sum up
It is important that the experiences of people with autism are taken into account to determine effective strategies to alleviate their symptoms so that risk factors for burnout are identified earlier.
Autistic burnout is not just a state of exhaustion, it can lead to complete shutdown and suicidal ideation. It goes without saying that it is important to see a doctor immediately if you suspect that someone you know is at risk.
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