Could an autistic burnout display the same way as swappers soon to someone who might not know the difference? I want you to know that your account is very helpful and all of your kind words and the time to take to answer questions is appreciated. :)
Okay friend, So i am really unsure if you meant to type swappers or not but I can’t find anything related to autism that is called swap(ing/ers) or anything near that. So i am going to answer with the only logical solution I have manged to find, a commonly asked question.
Can burnout display like a shutdown?
The short answer; absolutely positively yes. It can totally seem like a shutdown especially to someone less familiar or skilled in differentiation. Even for people who are it can be deceptive.
Long answer; Burnouts and Shutdowns and why they can be similar
Shutdowns and burnouts can be caused by the same or similar issues. Sensory overload, emotional overload, trying to do too much, stress, changes, and not getting enough allocated relaxing time. etc.
Sometimes at the start of a burnout you might experience a shutdown, but when it carries on for days or longer you might realize somethings wrong.
The beginning stages of burn out and shutdowns are also incredibly similar, especially in my experience.
-It can become harder to speak until you may be completely unable.
-You may feel its difficult to move whether from a sense of tired, heaviness in limbs, or just the act of connecting you brain to your body.
-You may have difficulty thinking, planning actions, processing information, focusing, etc.
The difference?
A shutdown is like a fail safe for a computer; it senses that it’s hitting capacity and shuts down the windows and may even power down. A burn out is what happens when you force the computer to run anyways and end up frying it.
My personal differentiation:
- A shutdown should not last longer than a day. Burnouts by nature are longer.
- A shutdown feels more similar to anxiety paralysis or dissociation while burnout feels like ADHD lethargy or depression dysfunction.
-A burnout makes everything tiring, exhausting and overwhelming. Simple tasks that you otherwise could do suddenly feel like climbing a mountain.
- A shutdown is a mental blockage. Parental control on every “site” you try to open. Cleaning? denied. complete task? denied. Talk? denied.
- A burnout makes you more sensitive and likely to over-react or meltdown while a shutdown turns off the ability to react for a period. It’s the darkside of the moon/meltdown.
-A shutdown results in a default monotone face thats typically unresponsive, while burnouts result on more overt autistic mannerisms, stimming, language etc.
Thats a basic guide for now. If you search burnout on my tumblr there is a post I shared about identifying autistic burnout and caring for it. Learning about both helps you to identify either fairly well if you have decent self-awareness and assessment skills.
Don’t feel bad if you can’t though cause truly, I don’t believe anyone definitively knows if its a burnout or shutdown or any other matter of emotional/mental responses. There isn’t a test that tells you yes or no it’s just getting to know yourself and making the call.
I’m sorry if this isn’t the question you asked feel free to ask again if you are still looking for answers.
And thank you so much friend I am glad my blog can help you! It makes my day to hear people tell me that. Also the kind thing, because all I ever wanted to be in life is kind. <3
It is honestly my absolute pleasure to answer asks. I feel so honored that people would choose me to ask questions to or chat with. I will always try to live up to it!
I hope you have a fantastic day!!
