Is the root of shutdown and meltdown just anxiety?

[Full Steam]

Nor do I, I just started thinking about it in this way yesterday, so am speculating.

As I had more 'blocks' than I thought.
In a way,it was to protect myself from my own brain!
(We don't always get on)

This thread is about helping the aspie inside, which is best practice.

Sometimes I feel like I have no choice but to kick it into a box and sit on though.

 

[LovingMom]

I've been thinking about this a lot and noticing what causes shutdowns and meltdowns in me.

I'm most prone to shutdowns, but I do get both.

What I've noticed is that anxiety is always present before both happen. If anxiety comes up in a social situation, a shutdown will follow. If I get hit by loads of noise, my brain tries to push it away, and anxiety occurs. Last minute changes cause a spike of anxiety. lots of little annoyances cause slowly building anxiety.

So the question is, do shutdowns and meltdowns occur because of the external stimuli, or because of our anxiety reactions to the stimuli?

I done a test on many occasions which is this;

Go into an environment where there is a stimuli which would normally cause problems. Meditate and "let the stimuli in", don't try to push it away, but accept it completely.

The result for me has been that no anxiety occurs, no overload occurs and I neither get shutdown nor meltdown. It's impractical of course as I also can't do much while meditateting.

The situations I've tried it in and found it worked are;

• Places with too many people - Busy shopping mall, theme park, events etc.
• Loud droning noises - my fridge drones as the compression is broken, lawn mowers.

If this is right then, meltdown and shutdown could be anxiety related and therefore controllable by managing anxiety up stream.

When I told my psychiatrist about my shutdowns, he talked about "perceptual changes in anxiety" as being a possible cause, something I've not found any information about. There is also next to no information about what shutdowns and meltdowns actually are, beyond vague "safety valve" ideas.

 

[LovingMom]

@fullsteam. I think you’re really into something here. I’m curious about your comment that it’s not realistic to stop and meditate because you won’t be able to do anything.

What I’m learning as I dive in deeper to understanding the behaviors of those with Aspergers,is that our whole world, especially in industrialized countries, is on overload. Yes, people on the spectrum react more strongly to the stimuli—I’m really questioning where the “disability” lies. As someone who is not on the spectrum, but who studies and practices mindfulness and meditation, I’m starting to believe that Aspies, the growth of it, is in a response to an epidemic of sensory overload in the way we live. Maybe we’re just not meant to live in a world with this much stimuli and it’s time to shift how our lives—work, shopping, schools, are designed.

If the “cure” to behavior you don’t want to experience is to meditate, perhaps this is the way forward for everyone. What would a world look an sound like without all the sensory overload?

I find when I meditate or even simply slow down my thinking and my speech cadence, life opens up in a whole new way. I don’t have Aspergers and this slowing down and attaining to an inner quiet and centered-ness not only brings down my stress level, it brings greater joy to me as I can then connect to a different vibrational energy.

I’d like to see a shift in the orientation around people who experience life differently from being disabled and needing to be fixed to, here to teach us something important about life—for all of us.

I’m learning that my faigter’s sensitivities are in fact her gifts and when I attune to her and the sensitivities she speaks about, I attune to a higher vibrational learning and openness to the world.

We are all here on purpose to make a contribution to our world. What are the possibilities that are extraordinary for people on the spectrum? Low functioning, high functioning—these are terms that are relative to who/what? Perhaps the basis of desirable functioning is the wrong marker. Maybe the world is over functioning and we can all see the negative and even tragic effects of that. What do we see when we turn all of this on it’s head? What are the possibilities ?

 

[Full Steam]

@fullsteam. I think you’re really into something here. I’m curious about your comment that it’s not realistic to stop and meditate because you won’t be able to do anything.

What I’m learning as I dive in deeper to understanding the behaviors of those with Aspergers,is that our whole world, especially in industrialized countries, is on overload. Yes, people on the spectrum react more strongly to the stimuli—I’m really questioning where the “disability” lies. As someone who is not on the spectrum, but who studies and practices mindfulness and meditation, I’m starting to believe that Aspies, the growth of it, is in a response to an epidemic of sensory overload in the way we live. Maybe we’re just not meant to live in a world with this much stimuli and it’s time to shift how our lives—work, shopping, schools, are designed.

If the “cure” to behavior you don’t want to experience is to meditate, perhaps this is the way forward for everyone. What would a world look an sound like without all the sensory overload?

I find when I meditate or even simply slow down my thinking and my speech cadence, life opens up in a whole new way. I don’t have Aspergers and this slowing down and attaining to an inner quiet and centered-ness not only brings down my stress level, it brings greater joy to me as I can then connect to a different vibrational energy.

I’d like to see a shift in the orientation around people who experience life differently from being disabled and needing to be fixed to, here to teach us something important about life—for all of us.

I’m learning that my faigter’s sensitivities are in fact her gifts and when I attune to her and the sensitivities she speaks about, I attune to a higher vibrational learning and openness to the world.

We are all here on purpose to make a contribution to our world. What are the possibilities that are extraordinary for people on the spectrum? Low functioning, high functioning—these are terms that are relative to who/what? Perhaps the basis of desirable functioning is the wrong marker. Maybe the world is over functioning and we can all see the negative and even tragic effects of that. What do we see when we turn all of this on it’s head? What are the possibilities ?

Yes, I've thought before that the causes of over load are almost always man made.

Without the industrial revolution, overloading sight and sound would probably be easy to avoid.

Regarding meditation, the best description of a meditative state I ever came across is this;

Neither pushing anything away, nor pulling anything towards.

If you are in that state you are meditating, whatever else you are doing.

The problem is that this denies goals as you can't be goal motivated and not be pulling something towards you.

If life were different, and I'd made my fortune, maybe I could live like that everyday, as an aspie Zen master.

 

[AO1501]

For me, shutdowns are the result of mental overload. They occur after a period of intense activity and I just kind of burn out. The talking, listening and having to respond, plus the environment I'm in, literally make my head feel like it's going to burst and I can't do it any more. It's almost painful and I need to rest. Afterwards, the next day even, I feel kind of washed out, brainfogged and tired. Sometimes I have a headache or feel nauseous......

I have learned a great deal from this thread, but this post in particular has articulated aspects of meltdowns and shutdowns which I recognise immediately, but which didn't seem relevant in my experience of them until now. Particularly the supermarket experiences, which for me create a degree of anxiety I have never understood, but which feels like being hemmed in and trapped. If I can't get through the expedition fast enough - which in itself usually means I forget things I meant to buy, even if I have a written list - the noises around me become increasingly intense and the labels and packaging on the shelves becomes brighter and brighter until it all feels like it is screaming at me, personally.

I can sometimes control the onset of it by practicing an aspie skill I used when playing soccer - monitoring everyone, watching where they were moving, looking at their intent. In supermarkets I see what they have in their carts and build predictive maps of the store to show where they will turn up next. That usually helps, except in Walmart. Nothing works there unless I go shopping early on a Sunday morning.

 

[Judge]

Interesting thread. For myself, anxiety can be a rather common condition. But no, if anything I'd say in my own case it's outright stress that can generate a shutdown, whether it is preceded with anxiety or not.

Though shutdowns in general are a rare thing for me these days. As for meltdowns, that's something that hasn't really happened to me for nearly 40 years. As if they were literally something I simply "outgrew".

 

[Juliettaa]

But perhaps dissociation is when you can't escape physically?
One step along in a meltdown?
I try to mentally block the outside... in busy places
So is that preventative dissociation?

Dissociation to prevent the intrusion of stimuli, shutting down first,
Going to my personal 'nowhere'

Very interesting and informative thread. Thank you Progster; I can really relate to the examples you posted.

I'm all to familiar with the meltdown and shutdown processes and realised a few years go that I spend a lot of time in preventative dissociation which is now going to be called 'going to my personal nowhere' - a perfect name for that place of nothing.

 

[Full Steam]

Is preventative dissociation the same as meditation?

 

[Juliettaa]

Is preventative dissociation the same as meditation?

In my experience it isn't. I now know I use dissociation unconsciously, but meditation is a conscious practice.

I had to train myself to meditate and allow intrusive thoughts and memories in on a conscious level and breathe them back out again, but I'm not aware of training myself to dissociate.

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

Is preventative dissociation the same as meditation?

No.

I think of it more as using the mind to block.

Whereas meditation is more letting things flow,like a river.
Non attachment. Being open versus shutting down.

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

and realised a few years go that I spend a lot of time in preventative dissociation which is now going to be called 'going to my personal nowhere' - a perfect name for that place of nothing

I only figured out my label for it yesterday, and my fug then became my personal nowhere.
Which explained why I used to be annoyed if someone spoke to me causing me to leave.

 

[Kevin L.]

For me, shutdowns are a way of dealing with unresolvable frustration...especially in a work context.

I, for example, have been fired for following procedure at work while I'm surrounded by people who don't do their jobs.

I shut down because I don't know how to deal with the contradictory double-binds that don't seem to snare NT people.

 

[WeirdoGuy]

I also experience shutdowns. People have accepted it when I shut down and withdraw into myself if I have to be at a night club for some reason (e.g. someone's birthday). The main issue is that I also withdraw into myself during any fight with my wife. The discomfort of the situation forces me to withdraw and dwell on my thoughts, and while I'm mentally away, nothing is being resolved. I know you said you let the stimuli in to stop withdrawing. Can you explain some techniques? I really need to stop this in myself and I could use the help.

 

[Crossbreed]

This has been my experience.

I experienced meltdowns when my external experiences of the world did not line up with my internal model of the world (and could not be rectified to anything close). It is a type of cognitive dissonance. I have since conceded that the universe has no obligation to play by my rules. It is still uncomfortable when it occurs, but I realize that it is I who must adapt, if I am going to remain in sync with it.

I experience shutdowns when there is too much information coming in faster than I can process. ("Processing speed" is the lowest of my IQ sub-scores.) I retreat into myself and usually try to sort out the information that I have thus far. If I can arrive at a feasible understanding of the situation, I will rejoin the conversation. Otherwise, I will wait for the data storm to pass. (I heard that this is true for babies, too.)

Either condition can be accompanied by panic.

 

[Full Steam]

Can you explain some techniques?

Only in terms of meditation, which may not help in an argument, as you'd have to be meditative.

For me meditation is two things. Spending time in the gap between thoughts and not pushing or pulling anything towards or away from me.

I meditate by doing this.

Sit or lay quietly.

Stop deliberate thoughts, and when thoughts come up, just watch them until they go away then sit in the silence they leave behind. Keep doing that and in about ten minutes thoughts have stopped.

Notice a stimuli that would normally overload me, or go where one is.

Let that stimuli in to your conscious experience completely. Don't push it away at all, but welcome it.

When I do that I don't shutdown.


I don't have to actively meditate to do that now, I just let the stimuli in and "be" with it, not pushing it away.

I do the same in crowded places sometimes, but the idea negates ego, as egos always want something and are trying to do stuff. So if you have things you want to do it may be impossible to fully let the stimuli in.

With arguments, it is possible to argue meditatively, but not from ones own agenda. Most arguments become pointless.

 

[Mr Allen]

EXTREME anxiety and being stressed out about usually 5 or 6 different issues at once.

That's usually what triggers a MASSIVE meltdown for me anyway.

Which leads to me swearing a LOT, and going on long angst filled rants about everything that has failed in my life both current and past.