How to Survive Deep Autistic Burnout

There is an initial acute phase in Autistic Burnout, where people normally experience an intense crash in their energy levels and ability to function.  

This crash often occurs quite suddenly, although there may have been warning signs.

People often describe this phase as rock bottom, a crisis or deep burnout.

This phase can be horribly scary, confusing and disabling.  

If this is you right now then please know that you have been too stressed for too long and with too little support.

It is not your fault that you have ended up in burnout.  

Please be gentle with yourself.  This phase in the Cycle of Autistic Burnout is something that needs to be survived and that survival doesn’t always look or feel the way you want it to, again this is not your fault.

None of this is ideal. 

There are a few things that will help.  I have written the list in a rough order of priority, so please try to start at the top and work your way down.  

If it feels like too much to think about right now then bookmark this page and come back to it later. 

• Know that this won’t last forever, this acute phase is horrible but normally within a few days or weeks people do start to get a little bit of energy and functioning back
• Prioritise survival,  however you need to.  It doesn’t need to be perfect, now is not the time to start something new (unless you really want to) or address bad habits unless they are an immediate risk to your health. 
• Seek help for any acute or urgent physical or mental health problems it is not unusual to have flare ups of existing health problems or to discover entirely new ones during Autistic Burnout.  Please get any new symptoms checked out by a medic and get in contact with local services if your mental health is deteriorating and/or you feel suicidal. 
• Try to meet your basic needs, as well as you can, in anyway that you can.  Again this is not the time for perfection,  eat and drink what you can as long as it is not an immediate or serious risk to your health.
• Reduce/refuse/postpone any stressors wherever you can, allow yourself to take any help available in doing this. 
• Each day ask yourself what is the absolute bare minimum you can get away with doing and try to do that
• Rest.  Rest.  Rest.  however you need to,  this may or may not be physical, cognitive, social, emotional or sensory.  
• Engage in activities that regulate your sensory system (e.g. rocking, swinging, yoga, chewing, crunching, weighted blanket, body sock, walking)
•  Focus on getting calmer rather than more energised (if you happen to get some energy somewhere then that’s great) the aim here is to get out of that state of threat caused by the stress that got you to this stage in the first place. 
• Try to notice the things that help you to feel calmer, happier and those that give you a little more energy, make a note or take a photo of them to remind yourself.
• Allow yourself to use some of your very small energy budget on something you want to do/ watch/ listen to just because you want to rather than because you have to. This sends a signal to your nervous system that you are not in danger and can relax.  You may also find it easier and have more energy for your hobbies and interests than you do anything else. 
• Connect with people and/or animals you feel safe with in any way you have the energy for.  Even if it’s just reading posts in an online support group, texting a friend or stroking your cat.