What is autistic burn out? Why is understanding it so important?

Please note that this blog post draws from clinical research, clinical experience and lived experience in its composure.  

Autistic burn out is a range of symptoms that an autistic person experiences as a result of consistently pushing themselves beyond their capacity.  

Symptoms include:  

• Exhaustion – regardless of your quality of sleep 
• Loss of skills – you may technically know how to do something, but now it feels SO MUCH HARDER than it has in the past. OR it might feel like you’ve completely lost the knowledge of how to do something. 
• Reduced ability to tolerate stimulus – it could be emotional, cognitive or sensory stimuli. It might feel like you’re sensitive to everything, or particularly sensitive to things that you haven’t been sensitive to before. 
• Health problems – having physical health symptoms that you haven’t had before, consistently feeling run down or picking up bugs more easily than in the past 

What contributes to and maintains autistic burn out?  

Masking – trying to pass as neurotypical which is exhausting 

Expectations – Being expected to do things are unsuitable for your brain 

Overload/overstimulation – Being in situations or environments that overwhelm your nervous system. This could be due to the sensory experience, cognitive experience or emotional experience.  

Demands – Too much pressure in any domain of your life (work, study, parenting, household tasks, relationships etc). Can be external demands or internal (I see you perfectionists).  

Stress, transition, trauma and tough times – life stuff that impacts everyone regardless of your neurotype.  

What helps? What do you need in your recovery plan? 

• Reduce the factors that are contributing as much as possible. 
• Consider your relationships and be strategic about who you spend time with and when. If going out in public is overwhelming – see if a friend would come over or do a videocall instead.  
• Regulation – use regulation strategies more than you think you need them. Sensory soothers and stims are likely powerhouse regulation strategies that you haven’t felt safe using in the past. Consider how you could start to use these in a safe way. 
• Special Interests – spend time doing your special interest. If you don’t have the energy to do it like you usually do, think about if there are lower energy ways to engage with it. I looooove dancing however I couldn’t dance when I was in peak burn out. The way I stayed engaged with this was watching videos of dancing while I was in bed. 
• Support – speak to your safe people about what you’re experiencing, reach out and get neuroaffirming professional support. 
• Don’t get caught in the cycle! Many autistic people are stuck in a cycle of burn out and recovery. Make sure you have robust preventative strategies in place once you have recovered.  

References 

Raymaker, D. M., Teo, A. R., Steckler, N. A., Lentz, B., Scharer, M., Delos Santos, A., … & Nicolaidis, C. (2020). “Having all of your internal resources exhausted beyond measure and being left with no clean-up crew”: Defining autistic burnout. Autism in adulthood, 2(2), 132-143. 

Author:
Maddison Ciaralli – Registered Psychologist