On Autistic Burnout

LivingCommonplace NotebookQuotes

I do not see or feel a boundary between myself and my environment; I feel a deep attunement to the space around me. However, I also feel a deep disconnect with the majority of society and the pressures of feeling I need to conform to dominant social norms that have always left me on the edge, feeling separate and, in many ways, disembodied and shattered into millions of fractals, it has left my soul feeling burnt-out

Autistic and neurodivergent rest is different from neurotypical rest. The recommended recovery strategies for the majority of neurotypical people who are in burnout (and often also experiencing depression) are to try to engage more with others, to try and do more exercise, have a better diet, to try and join in more with the group activities and to generally be more active and engaged in society. This doesn’t work if you are autistic. Such strategies have left me with less capacity and a feeling that I am falling deeper and deeper into a void and becoming even more disembodied and disconnected, it has left me with even less energy to function and get through life.

Research led by people who are also autistic or otherwise neurodivergent adds to the narrative of recognising and validating the inner experience of autistic people.

Learning more about theories such as monotropism (Murray, 2005), discovering more about the sensory system and how an understanding of the interoception system works is vital and can help enormously; it can bring a much-needed sense of meaning to life.

I have realised what is missing from all the literature I have read about autistic burnout is how burnout affects our soul.

What do you do when your soul feels burnt out, broken into a thousand fractals, heavy and exhausted?

How can we help our souls recover from living in a prolonged state of persistent burnout?

Feeling trapped can make life even more difficult, suffocating and isolating, it can feel like there will never be a way out from a full burnout. It can feel scary to think you will always be living in survival mode.

The autistic, disabled and neurodivergent community provides connections that offer a healthy ecology of care through shared lived experiences with others who ‘get it’ this is invaluable. The disabled and neurodivergent community is more than a community of activists; it provides a lifeline for those who are living in perpetual survival mode and offers solidarity, empathy and a feeling of belonging.

Reconnecting with nature and taking little moments to recognise the glimmers of joy in life, even when it is REALLY hard, can provide nourishment in small ways to help keep you going from moment to moment

Carrying on in survival mode for so long is not sustainable. We have to find other ways to keep moving and nourish our souls before the bodymind can even begin to heal. We need love and friendship, radical acceptance and inclusion, and deep empathy to restore our souls.