Shutdowns/Meltdowns---What are they? Do all adults with ASD have them?

[WittyAspie]

Cool, I thought I was going bonkers... I misunderstood you, which isn't hard for me to do sometimes... Sorry : )

No worries. That's why I clarified.

 

[Mr Allen]

I'm 41 and still have the occasional meltdown, usually takes 2 or 3 things building up to go "on one", where I'll go on long swear word filled rants about everything that's gone wrong in my life current and past dating as far back as High school 30 years ago.

Basically a lot of ranting and raving and shouting "WHYYYY?!" like Kenan from Kenan and Kel, remember them?

 

[Judge]

I haven't had what I'd call a meltdown in probably 30 some years.

My last shutdown was maybe four years ago.

 

[Adora]

I have had some meltdowns in the past where I just cry continually for hours if something has upset me or frustrated me,but it doesnt happen as much anymore,maybe due to less stressors in my life compared to a few years ago but my husband once told me he looked up ways on the internet to help prevent me having meltdowns.

 

[JDartistic]

I think some do and some don't - it's not an indicator of being HF or not.

Be grateful you don't have meltdowns, though. I mostly go into "mutism" (unable to speak or respond) for a few hours, but I can also go into rages, which are always mostly in my head, but if let loose, I can be an ugly person...

 

[LucyPurrs]

I am officially ASD and not aspie, but I like the Aspie term much better...

I didn't know they are different (it's why I'm here: to learn). Can you explain the difference between ASD and Aspergers? Please excuse my ignorance and such a basic question.

 

[dragoncat16]

Aspergers is a subset of ASD. The difference is that people with Aspergers had no language delays as a child, while those with regular autism did. As an adult, it doesn't make a lot of difference whether someone is an aspie or a person with high functioning autism.

For all intents and purposes, an aspie is basically anyone with ASD who is high functioning (i.e. able to live independently, etc.).

 

[LucyPurrs]

Aspergers is a subset of ASD. The difference is that people with Aspergers had no language delays as a child, while those with regular autism did. As an adult, it doesn't make a lot of difference whether someone is an aspie or a person with high functioning autism.

For all intents and purposes, an aspie is basically anyone with ASD who is high functioning (i.e. able to live independently, etc.).

Thank you for this information, it is helpful!

 

[Voltaic]

Meltdowns and shutdowns are common in Asperger's, but not universal - so their absence doesn't rule out high-functioning autism/AS. I'm really glad you don't experience them! I really wish I didn't. I experience angry meltdowns, not proud to admit it...and in some cases it can get pretty scary; my mother just doesn't know what to do about it; she's scared for my mental health. They make me come off as mentally ill and the number of times it almost cost me the people I care about most is just unbearable to think about. I recently told my mother that I hated her during one of them, and I called one of my coworkers something beyond super-nasty during another one (not directly). That's only the tip of the iceberg, and it hurts because outside of these meltdowns I'm really not a bad guy. Many of them are actually directed against myself, to the point of punching myself in the face (I even remember in rare cases grabbing myself by the neck as if to self-strangle, but without actually meaning to do it). I actually don't experience shutdowns because my emotions, which I'm unable to control most of the time, go all outwards I hate to admit. Each meltdown is followed by an extremely depressive phase mostly due to its aftermath, a few of which made me want to commit myself to a mental institution (which would have been a huge mistake, to be sure).

I couldn't relate more. Self harm is a big factor in meltdown, so I go after the people I love to hurt relationships.

 

[Chance]

I didn't know they are different (it's why I'm here: to learn). Can you explain the difference between ASD and Aspergers? Please excuse my ignorance and such a basic question.

Yeah apparently my aunt (being honest) when asked about my childhood knocked me out of the Asperger's label. I was non-verbal for a long time, would sit and line up my toys, spin bottles and wheels on trucks for hours, flapped my hands, pulled my ears... Yet I grew out of all of that.

But also Hyper-sensitively in my hearing, smelling, touch, and sight, none or very little eye contact that I didn't grow out of was marked against me also. My hearing is the bad one of the bunch. They say that also probably causes lot of my clumsiness and not feeling right with my surroundings.

Other than my ultra quietness, maybe my nervousness in tense situations, Tourettes only when I'm exhausted... I'm just a very normal person. I can most often hide a shut down (to some extent-or hold it off for a little bit). I can hide an anxiety attack pretty well, and I have a constant watch on my posture, the way I walk and what my hands are doing (usually). When I appear at my worst is when I get depressed. Its like I lose all I have gained until I get it worked out and get back to life, which I have gotten better and better at.

Stupid confession time: I do have this thing when I walk (apparently) I tap my 2 middle fingers against my palm counting the steps in my head... I never even realized I did this until not long ago.

One of the guys at work said, "Why do you do that?" I said, "Do what?" He said, "That thing with your fingers touching your palm with every step." I said, "I think I must be subconsciously counting my steps?" I wasn't going to tell him what he had just caught me doing... I guess in some freakish way the tapping thing, took the place of flapping thing, and it shows up and I don't even notice it.

ASD is some weird stuff... but in other ways I think we can out think most anyone, and we are more honest than most people. even to the point of being blunt/rude (or so I have been told), but I try very hard to not be rude, or just stay quiet, really quiet. : )

 

[Bolletje]

Stupid confession time: I do have this thing when I walk (apparently) I tap my 2 middle fingers against my palm counting the steps in my head... I never even realized I did this until not long ago.

One of the guys at work said, "Why do you do that?" I said, "Do what?" He said, "That thing with your fingers touching your palm with every step." I said, "I think I must be subconsciously counting my steps?" I wasn't going to tell him what he had just caught me doing... I guess in some freakish way the tapping thing, took the place of flapping thing, and it shows up and I don't even notice it.

Ha, relatable, when in deep thought I often tap my thumbs against each of my fingers sequentially. Have done so ever since I can recall. Felt self-conscious about this for a while, but I decided that everyone has their weird personal habits, and this isn't harmful or offensive, so I feel no need to hide it.

 

[Butterfly88]

You don't have to have every symptom of autism to be autistic.

 

[Lydia Z]

I am still learning and I would like to know what is considered a meltdown? I don't think, I know what is meant by meltdown and don't know if I have them or not? Thank you, all in advance.

 

[tree]

"A meltdown is an involuntary physiological reaction to being in a situation
which is overwhelming, without a means for escape.

During a meltdown, the pent up internal pressure builds to the point where
it can cause an internal shutdown of thinking processes and language, or
is released externally as an explosive reaction like anger, crying, yelling or running away."
Autism & Meltdowns | Snagglebox


"...a meltdown is a processing failure, like when a computer becomes
overloaded with too many instructions, and goes haywire.

A meltdown is a loss of cognitive control...

If we use the analogy of an epileptic fit as a hardware problem, a meltdown is the software equivalent."
Life on the Spectrum: UK autism charity

 

[kay]

Don't know if this will help but all I can do is tell you about my own meltdowns. People have different experiences so this certainly isn't the only kind.

I cry and cry uncontrollably, to the point of it being painful, I may yell. I have in the past hit the wall and furniture. Even now during a bad one I will end up biting my fingers and hands. Most of the time it's just excessive, terrible crying. Sometimes short, sometimes hours. Also I won't be able to think well. I once had a meltdown after a long day of traveling. My SO made the mistake of going two blocks away to ask directions at a Star Bucks leaving me in the car. In the middle of my meltdown. When I realize he was gone I decided that he must have hiked down the train tracks to an Amtrak station where he was going to take the train to his sister's. So now I am totally hysterical. He came back shortly and I am crying and now yelling at him for abandoning me to take the train. He was so confused. I don't even know that there was a station there. There isn't one where is sister lives, and his phone was still in the car, he apparently told me where he was going but I didn't process the information. Obviously my brain was a mess. We got me calm enough to get to a motel, he fed me fried rice, I went to sleep, and was feeling well enough the next day to continue the trip. Fortunately we had only an hour and a half until we got to a ferry to take us the rest of the way so I didn't really have to feel great. Generally after a meltdown I feel rather achy the next day, and tired. Ferry rides and the beach are good ways to rest and recover. Wish I lived on a coast.

 

[Nervous Rex]

I am still learning and I would like to know what is considered a meltdown? I don't think, I know what is meant by meltdown and don't know if I have them or not? Thank you, all in advance.

After it's done and I have my head on straight again, if I look back on it and think, "What was that all about? What am I, a two-year-old now?" ... that's how I identify a meltdown.

 

[Iamnotarabot]

I have no idea, It even made me hesitate on my autism because I think iv never had a meltdown as an adult, I remember few moments as a kid were I wanted to cry and couldnt function for no reason but I dont know if my memory tricks me or not...

Now I remember that day, we were at a party in a club but it was a private party, I didnt drink too much because it was overpriced and not good and the setting wasnt making me comfortable...

Then some of my friends get away to smoke and the bouncers refused to let them in again because it was the "rule" that they didnt told them when they get out to smoke...

Suddenly I was realy angry and I started to ask to let them in again, and for no reason they kicked me out physically and then for I dont know how long I cried and shouted at them and I felt realy miserable and in addition my stuff were still inside and they refused to let me in aswell.

They obviously abused their posiiton and I felt so horrible at that moment, the rest of my friends still inside took my stuff and we left...

Was that a meltdown? Maybe?

Id say that most of the time negative things make me want to cry more than I should, and If I would have meltdown I think it woud looke like a unoffensive anger , shouting and desperatly crying.( thats what I did that day).

 

[Bolletje]

@tree thank you for that link, I’m going to send that to my loved ones to help them understand.

 

[SusanLR]

Yes, thanks @tree .
I'm still learning terms too used for describing ASD.

My psychologist was explaining that a lot of the more psychological definitions I was given in life
weren't accurate because no one knew I was on the spectrum until in my fifties.
One of the labels I had learned in the past for how I physically feel during a meltdown was dissociative
disorder.
She says no.
The shutdown of cognitive abilities, communication, feeling overwhelmed by the surroundings to the point of
surrealism and the need to get away to myself during these episodes to quiet myself are meltdowns.

Growing up in my time, they didn't recognise a high functioning as being on the spectrum and we got
all sorts of other psychiatric labels that now I am learning were misdiagnosed.

 

[Adora]

I don’t have meltdowns too often but when I do I usually cry uncontrollably and I can’t stop for hours,I will sometimes hit myself and sometimes I think my meltdowns are triggered by stress building up or sometimes even when my husband and I have a fight that can trigger it off aswell.