01/11/2023
Understanding the Role of Rest for Autistic Burnout
The lives of autistic individuals are often marked by unique challenges and experiences that can be difficult to grasp for those who do not share their perspectives. Within this intricate landscape of autistic life, one particularly significant challenge is what we refer to as "autistic burnout." This phenomenon is both multifaceted and overwhelming, stemming from the ongoing efforts to navigate a world that may not fully embrace or acknowledge their neurodiversity.
Diving Deeper into Autistic Burnout:
Being autistic involves the management of a multitude of stressors, including coping with social and sensory stimuli, grappling with misunderstandings and criticism, dealing with heightened levels of anxiety, and striving to express one's true self authentically. Furthermore, there's often a disparity between the expectations placed upon autistic individuals and their coping mechanisms and capacities, which leads to a gradual buildup of chronic stress over time. Ultimately, this cumulative stress can manifest as autistic burnout, characterised by physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion. During autistic burnout, individuals may withdraw socially, akin to entering a 'hibernation' phase, while experiencing a decrease in executive functioning, metaphorically represented by the temporary 'closure' of their frontal lobes as they await recovery.
It's noteworthy that autistic burnout can sometimes be confused with clinical depression due to the overlap in symptoms, such as pervasive fatigue, social withdrawal, and emotional distress. However, it's imperative to differentiate between the two conditions and recognise the distinct roles of rest in their management.
1. The Significance of Rest:
A fundamental divergence between autistic burnout and depression lies in the role of rest. In the context of autistic burnout, rest is not only crucial but often serves as the requirement for recovery. Individuals experiencing autistic burnout frequently require extended periods of solitude and sensory downtime to replenish their mental and emotional reserves.
2. Gradual Rejuvenation:
Restorative rest plays a pivotal role in the gradual restoration of executive functioning, emotional balance, and overall well-being for autistic individuals. In contrast to depression, where active engagement in activities is emphasised, the path to recovery from autistic burnout primarily revolves around rest and self-care.
3. Potential Coexistence:
In certain cases, autistic burnout may coexist with clinical depression. In such scenarios, it becomes imperative to provide both rest and additional therapeutic support to address depression-related symptoms effectively.
While rest stands as a cornerstone of recovery from autistic burnout, our forthcoming articles will explore other strategies.
Where to from here:
Many autistic adults are discovering their autism for the first time in adulthood; others have navigated their lives to date with the knowledge of being autistic but are still finding new challenges in their adult lives. We created this presentation to help autistic adults understand themselves through the lens of autism, discover ideas and strategies to meet their challenges, and assist professionals involved in helping autistic adults. We draw on the latest research and our combined 80 years of experience as clinical psychologists to describe many ideas and strategies to help.
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