People in Autistic Burnout often ask me this question:
Will I ever get back to my pre-Autistic Burnout level of functioning?
The answer is not a simple one…
First of all, if you are in the acute stage of Autistic Burnout then please be reassured this stage won’t last and you will regain some of your skills and energy.
But after that, then what?
The reality is that for many people in Autistic Burnout their pre-burnout lifestyles either caused or contributed to their Autistic Burnout. That is, their level of functioning was not sustainable.
As a result, people in Autistic Burnout have over-extended themselves too much and for too long.
Their expectations of themselves, and the expectations of those around them normalised this level of over-extension.
But it wasn’t ever really ‘normal’ or sustainable.
And the result was Autistic Burnout.
So if I’m honest, yes, you possibly could achieve the same level of functioning again, but, if you try to sustain it for long, the results are likely to be the same…
Autistic Burnout
As you recover, I hope you become more aware of how much energy you have and that you find ways of lowering your expectations of yourself and the people around you.
I hope you get support and encouragement to listen to your mind and body and notice how they feel when you are low on energy or support.
I hope you find ways of resting and regulating when you start to feel over-extended.
I hope you can create a lifestyle that allows you to be more authentically, more sustainably…
you.
I am an Autistic Clinical Psychologist specialising in Autistic Burnout if you would like to know more about my work please check out my:
- Mailing list community for people who want to receive helpful information and resources about Autistic Burnout.
- Free short course on How to Break the Cycle of Autistic Burnout (link goes straight to registration page)
- Authenticity Basecamp: A 90 day support programme for people in the early stages of recovering from Autistic Burnout who want to get calmer, clearer and more supported.
- Authenticity: The Course and Community: For late-realised, high-masking Autistic adults who want to build more sustainable, authentic lives and break free of the cycle of Autistic Burnout for good.
