Effects of meltdowns

[GhostWriter]

Indeed, meltdowns are never about one thing, they are the culmination of smaller things that lead to a cascade into the meltdown.

I agree- it's like the 'last straw' breaking the camel's back!! You put up with it/ them for as long as you can, & then it Finally Pushes You Over the Edge! This must be because we don't do well at expressing ourselves While the pressure is building...
I have Always had trouble defending myself or expressing my feelings when confronted with a Disapproving person, such as my father, whom I could Never win an argument with! Perhaps a matter of lack of ability to articulate?? Or maybe just too much respect for 'authority figures'?? Or just plain being 'Out-shouted'????

 

[GhostWriter]

I sometimes feel a sense of Relief directly After a Meltdown, as if I have finally stated my Own point of view or feelings. But since this is usually followed by an embarrassed silence on the Recipient's part- as if I was Completely out of bounds in my opinion- or by my spouse either trying to 'smoothe thing over' or tell me why I am Wrong, I usually wind up melting completely & wandering off, trying to figure what happened!

 

[Grumpy Cat]

I have to say that I've been thinking a lot yesterday about these meltdowns. Thinking back on my own behavior I believe that I have a form of meltdowns in "NT fashion". Usually after I have worked over the weekend and have other stressors happening and lack of sleep, I will come home on Monday and sometime during the day I will cry (not every time, but quite a few). This last weekend was extremely overwhelming and I started crying as soon as I left work, cried myself to sleep and woke up crying for several hours in the morning. Today I feel fine. I actually do think that crying for me is a stress reliever - I do know it releases a stress chemical. Very strange.

 

[Harrison]

Meltdowns are not confined to the neurodiverse, any human can reach critical mass and cascade down into an emotional disaster. Perhaps the difference lies more in the degree rather than the event. Apies will often cascade to the point of losing conscious awareness, to where the ego takes over in a pure fight or flight response that is oblivious to the people or objects around them. At this point they are a very real danger to themselves and anything in their path. The important difference is in cognisance, aspies lose control not because they want to but because the cascade takes them beyound the point a neurotypical would flatline at.

The tension build up in a cascade can be proportional to the degree of 'descent' into the cascade, once it flattens out the loop stops flooding the body with epinephrine and the fight/flight mechanism switches out. The sympathoadrenal action brings homeostasis and thus we feel that sense of 'calm'.

 

[Grumpy Cat]

The important difference is in cognisance, aspies lose control not because they want to but because the cascade takes them beyound the point a neurotypical would flatline at.

The tension build up in a cascade can be proportional to the degree of 'descent' into the cascade, once it flattens out the loop stops flooding the body with epinephrine and the fight/flight mechanism switches out. The sympathoadrenal action brings homeostasis and thus

I'm not getting the "cascade" thing. What do you mean by a flatline in an NT? And if it's a buildup of certain things, would a "mood stabilizer" drug work? I don't usually recommend drugs, but I'm reading that a few Aspies have gotten themselves into some real pickles especially when the police get involved.

 

[inabox]

I'm not getting the "cascade" thing. What do you mean by a flatline in an NT? And if it's a buildup of certain things, would a "mood stabilizer" drug work? I don't usually recommend drugs, but I'm reading that a few Aspies have gotten themselves into some real pickles especially when the police get involved.

The police have often caused people to have meltdowns and similar chaos when the person is not deserving of the police's actions (from what I have heard). Maybe the police are a profession who need to be educated in "people skills" and that not every person is the same.

 

[Harrison]

I'm not getting the "cascade" thing. What do you mean by a flatline in an NT? And if it's a buildup of certain things, would a "mood stabilizer" drug work? I don't usually recommend drugs, but I'm reading that a few Aspies have gotten themselves into some real pickles especially when the police get involved.

Imagine one drop of water as a tiny taumatic event in your life, that one drop is easy to deal with, but what if the one drop becomes two, or ten, or a thousand, all linked together through obscure logic? Now there is an overload, the overload triggers the fight/flight response and the rational mind steps back in increments. That's a cascade, the moment the rational mind begins backing away from control and handing it over to the ego.

Mood stabilisers can work in stoping the 'drops of water' for coalescing, but once the meltdown begins they would be useless. I take Oxytocin, the 'social' hormone, I have no idea if it works but I feel better on it, could be just because I know I'm taking it. The best way is to learn to hunt down the little triggers that group to cause a meltdown.

 

[Grumpy Cat]

I take Oxytocin, the 'social' hormone

Is that because it's the social stuff that could bring on meltdowns? Is oxytocin then approved for this reason where you live, Mr. Taurus? I'm reading about it now and it's very interesting what it does. Is it in pill form? (I don't usually deal in oxytocin - that's more in the field of mother/baby).

 

[Grumpy Cat]

I just read this! This is amazing!

"A February study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showed that inhaling oxytocin significantly improved the ability of people with autism to interact with others. Previous studies indicated natural oxytocin levels were lower in those with autism, a developmental disorder characterized by difficulties in communication and social relationships. Oxytocin also reduced autistic individuals' fear of others, researchers said."

 

[Harrison]

Any historical post traumatic event can bring about a meltdown if there are sufficient 'pieces' coming together. Meltdowns are unique to each individual as to cause and effect.
Oxytocin is given in the UK, but under 'duress' as the medical profession is still on the fence about it. I use drops and I self administer.

Whilst research into Oxytocin is favourable towards the Autisitic spectrum, I in no way advocate the use of it by anyone without the support of professional medical advice.

(covered my ass)

 

[Grumpy Cat]

According to WebMD, oxytocin isn't approved yet in the US and it could take years because they don't know the long term effects. Melatonin isn't FDA approved either, but people can get it here. I wonder if you can get oxytocin (it says it's given nasally) over the counter since it is a hormone? They say they don't think it works long-term, which would make sense, but you just would sniff it daily, right?

 

[Grumpy Cat]

I use drops and I self administer.

Is that through a doctor or over the counter? And do you have any side effects?

 

[Harrison]

According to WebMD, oxytocin isn't approved yet in the US and it could take years because they don't know the long term effects. Melatonin isn't FDA approved either, but people can get it here. I wonder if you can get oxytocin (it says it's given nasally) over the counter since it is a hormone? They say they don't think it works long-term, which would make sense, but you just would sniff it daily, right?

I only take it if I am going into a social situation, otherwise I manage myself using other more alternative practises.

I prefer to not reveal how I purchase it as I'm not encouraging others to follow, there are no side effects apart from the irresitible urge to hug strangers

 

[Grumpy Cat]

I only take it if I am going into a social situation, otherwise I manage myself using other more alternative practises.

I prefer to not reveal how I purchase it as I'm not encouraging others to follow, there are no side effects apart from the irresitible urge to hug strangers

Amazon has it. This one person who rated it mentioned a Jorge Flechas, MD, who did research on oxytocin and wrote an article. I'm going to mention this to my Aspie friend after I research it more. Maybe there's hope for Aspies that's as simple as a sniff away.

 

[Grumpy Cat]

I found his article. It says this:

ATHM: Can parents of autistic children consider treatment with oxytocin?
Dr Flechas: Yes. In fact, what ended up happening is that they looked at the active form of oxytocin and children with autism, because they noticed that oxytocin is what helps you to be cuddly, and oxytocin is what helps you to pay attention to those that you are speaking to and helps you have eyeballto-eyeball communications. Children with autism do not look you in the eyes. They are constantly looking elsewhere. When you give them oxytocin, all of a sudden they start looking at your eyes again.

This is amazing!

 

[Kari Suttle]

I don't actually clearly recall at the moment how i feel after a meltdown. I can remember quite clearly prior to it simply cause its so distressing but afterwards not so much. What i can recall i'm not sure how to put into words...calmer, but also a low mix of tired/vulnuerable? I don't think i've ever felt totally calm like some of the above people mention, though. I don't like melting down and was raised to think that expressing such strong negative emotions was bad, and that doing so now would make me a failure so i don't even handle a meltdown well either. Whenever i melt down if i don't lash out in some way i end up hurting myself instead, on purpose. For some combination of release, control, and punishment.

I don't have them that often though, and usually violence is limited towards my poor laptop. I think the reason my harddrive crashed is probably cause i hit it all the time. It turned out that one of the two regularly hit parts of the laptop contained the harddrive...so i try to avoid lashing out at my laptop now that it has a brand new one.

I'm more prone to shutdowns just by nature and how i was raised, but if i'm overly stressed out, have a lot to deal with, sleep deprived, that sort of stuff i'll have meltdowns. Its not fun. I've actually been trying to go to sleep at a 'decent' time lately so that i'll actually get the sleep i need to not just function without being overly emotional all day, but focus when i'm trying to do school work.

 

[Grumpy Cat]

And it says this -

ATHM: What kinds of side effects are associated with oxytocin treatments?
Dr Flechas: There are very few side effects. There have now been close to 50 studies done using oxytocin for treatment of children with autism, and they are getting fabulous results. The treatment works, and for people who have absolutely no oxytocin, this treatment is wonderful. It brings them back into normalcy; they are able to communicate with other human beings, and they are nice people to be around. Otherwise, they are irritable and agitated and so on. Oxytocin helps the children with autism to be able to concentrate; it stimulates the whole brain to be very active. Women have higher levels of oxytocin in their brain than men do, and oxytocin is what helps women to be so mentally alert. They can be talking to you and at the same time be listening to a conversation that somebody is having behind them at a restaurant. That is because their brains are in full alert, whereas a man, he has got to concentrate on the conversation but he does not hear anything else beyond that.

It says that women have this hormone more than men and that could be why more men are Aspies!

 

[Harrison]

It says that women have this hormone more than men and that could be why more men are Aspies!

And may relate to the fact that fewer female aspies have meltdowns than males, or that their meltdowns are not as severe.

 

[Kari Suttle]

It says that women have this hormone more than men and that could be why more men are Aspies!

That's an interesting point - about women and men and about oxy. Is this man a reputable source of information, though? Have you been able to verify that what he says is correct with other articles/studies/etc? I think that in regards to more aspies being men, i think it could be a combination of biologically based things (like the oxy hormone) and how they present. They're more obvious in how they present as aspies, and at least to me, the stereotypes for little girls behavior is more accepting of a girl showing aspie behaviors like being shy. My mom says that looking back, its so obvious even when i was little but she didn't think anything of it at the time.

 

[Harrison]

I don't actually clearly recall at the moment how i feel after a meltdown. I can remember quite clearly prior to it simply cause its so distressing but afterwards not so much. What i can recall i'm not sure how to put into words...calmer, but also a low mix of tired/vulnuerable? I don't think i've ever felt totally calm like some of the above people mention, though. I don't like melting down and was raised to think that expressing such strong negative emotions was bad, and that doing so now would make me a failure so i don't even handle a meltdown well either. Whenever i melt down if i don't lash out in some way i end up hurting myself instead, on purpose. For some combination of release, control, and punishment.

I don't have them that often though, and usually violence is limited towards my poor laptop. I think the reason my harddrive crashed is probably cause i hit it all the time. It turned out that one of the two regularly hit parts of the laptop contained the harddrive...so i try to avoid lashing out at my laptop now that it has a brand new one.

I'm more prone to shutdowns just by nature and how i was raised, but if i'm overly stressed out, have a lot to deal with, sleep deprived, that sort of stuff i'll have meltdowns. Its not fun. I've actually been trying to go to sleep at a 'decent' time lately so that i'll actually get the sleep i need to not just function without being overly emotional all day, but focus when i'm trying to do school work.

Kari, I'd be interested in hearing about some of your meltdowns, or at least what you remember, especially events just prior to knowing it was going to happen.

I understand this is your personal information and I'm happy for you to interact privately, none of your information will be used in the public arena or passed to another individual. It will be used for my own research as I don't have any aspie females who are having meltdowns.

Keeping a diary is an important step towards identifying significant triggers in a meltdown. Regular sleep is also a must otherwise you a putting yourself at a higher risk.