I’ll “see” myself throwing weighted objects into the wall, damaging it. I’ll be SO steaming mad that I’ll silently imagine grabbing things and hurling them across the room.
#Autism meltdown in adults tv#
The trigger is almost always something not working, such as unexpectedly losing my cable TV signal, or being unable to open the remote control to change the battery. Her description resonated with me because I’ve been having internal meltdowns for many years. It had to be acknowledged and given space somehow.” “I would occasionally write out some of these as an outlet, so it could exist, even if it didn’t really happen. “Internalized meltdowns, rarely ever outwardly manifested and never destructive (only shutdown + sobbing),” says Haley. She’s always had meltdowns - inside her head. Justin Haley Phillips (Haley) was diagnosed with ASD at 36. I haven’t had any meltdowns since, and I’m middle age.
I remember bawling my eyes out and burying my face in my mother’s lap while she kept her big purse over my head. In fact, I have memories of hearing these machines all throughout grade school at the next house I lived at – and the distinct noise never bothered me!Īround age six or seven I felt tormented by the sound of fireworks at the park for the Fourth of July. I never forgot this, and eventually later on in life figured out that the sound had been a wood chipper. This was an all-out meltdown triggered by a SOUND from down the street. This wasn’t a “temper tantrum” because the behavior was not based on not getting something I wanted. This behavior doesn’t seem normal for a preschooler. I ran to the back patio door, screaming and banging on it until my mother opened it. I didn’t know what to make of the noise and lost control of my wits, becoming hysterical. I’ve always had this memory of becoming unraveled, at around age three or four, upon hearing this really weird sound coming from down the street when I was alone outside my house. I’m autistic – diagnosed with Level 1 ASD in spring of 2022 – yet have never had a classic “autistic meltdown” save for two incidents in young childhood. This can create the illusion that meltdowns automatically come with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Well anyway, any advice is appreciated.Or is it that the autistic people who never have them don’t write about this? Just how many autistic adults DON’T have meltdowns?Īn adult is far more likely to write an article or post in a forum about their meltdowns rather than the absence of meltdowns. it just occurred to me that what I'm describing might just be better described as crying. Or does anybody have any advice - for instance is this likely to be a direct result of my autism or could it be another mh condition? I don't really meet enough criteria for anything 'interesting' (and I have done extensive research) but I definitely have anxiety and depression. Does anybody know any good books that cover this? I am particularly interested in the way autism manifests in women, so if there is anything you can recommend on that subject I would be very grateful.
What I would like is some resources to help me manage this behaviour in myself as it impacts my mental health and also to a degree my relationships with others. I would like to understand more about this and I have tried to find information online, but it seems to be largely geared towards parents of autistic children and carers of more affected autistic people.
I put it down to depression and personality - which to be fair I guess in a way is true - but now I'm starting to realise that it is probably connected to being on the spectrum. It has occurred to me that actually, I have experienced these before as well, under other circumstances, usually alone, but it didn't really occur to me that this is not something that happens to everybody. They aren't 'angry' meltdowns - I mean - I do feel angry when I have them but I don't act in an aggressive way or break things, I just cry uncontrollably for a bit. I am an adult woman with a (recent) diagnosis of Aspergers syndrome and I have been experiencing as a direct result of my diagnosis what I can only describe as meltdowns.