#itamd

[autism-asks]

Acronyms

As we get a lot of questions that follow similar themes, we’ve created a list of acronyms to use when tagging posts. The new (and a couple old) acronyms are as follows:

AIA - am I autistic

IIAAT- is it an autism thing

ITAAT- is this an autism thing

ITAMD - is that a meltdown

ITASD - is that a shutdown

ITSO - is that sensory overload

ITASPIN - is that a SpIn (special interest)

ITASTIM - is that a stim

For a full list of acronyms used on this blog, please check out our acronym page. 

-Sabrina

[autism-asks]

itasd/imd/both? I was initially crying and overthinking and then just in bed doing nothing for hours? also, I've been working with mostly the same scripts for 7 years and found out they were really pesty and I don't know how to update them?

Both sensory overload and a meltdown could include crying. In both cases it is common to feel so exhausted afterwards that you need to rest or are unable to do much.

That said, it’s difficult for me to say if what you experienced was sensory overload or a meltdown, as you provided no context and only very little, unspecific information regarding what it was you were experiencing.

I’ve answered an ask on updating scripts here.

-Kath

[autism-asks]

I used to have bad meltdowns during math and I still get really panicky when things don't work the way they're supposed to (like a drawer not closing all the way or a button not working), or when things don't make sense,, does that sound like an autism thing to you...?

Meltdowns are an autism thing and can be triggered by any number of things. I know that when I’m feeling stressed, such small things as a drawer not closing all the way or a button not working can send in my into a meltdown.

-Kath

[autism-asks]

IIAAT to sometimes for no reason feel super overwhelmed and angry or upset? For example: I was carrying boxes up to my new apartment with my mom and she was taking a bit to unlock the door and I just got very angry and stressed. Or sometimes someone will be talking to me and something about their tone of voice will make me want to scream.

The first to me sounds like there was a change in the plan for the day (your mother taking longer than expected to unlock the door) and the second sounds like a sensory issue. 

Both of these can cause a melt or shutdown, which it sounds like you experience in the form of being overwhelmed, angry and/or upset.

-Wren

[autism-asks]

Can meltdowns be anger/rage? I seem to get really angry, which I usually get out of my system by going out back and hitting my punching bag (it double helps because I can let out short yells when I hit the bag) until I become exhausted and break down crying.

Yep!

-Wren

[autism-asks]

itamd? After it starts "boiling up", I can feel myself very slowly going towards for a Really Long Time, but when it finally starts & finishes I can go back to being ok. I can't undo the process once it starts, nor can I make it faster. During it, I keep making random mistakes & saying things wrong, then isolating lots to avoid that, switch between the two a lot, then finally have it and don't really function for the rest of the day. Is there a way to make it happen faster?

Based on your ask, you could be describing a meltdown:

Many autistic people are able to feel a meltdown building up in the way you describe and may be unable to stop it or control the process once they have reached a certain point. Others may be able to suppress or momentarily halt a meltdown, only melting down once they are alone. It is also possible for the stress you are likely to experience prior to and during a meltdown to lead to making mistakes. Meltdowns are often very stressful and we may feel exhausted or out of it for some time afterwards.

I cannot think of any ways to speed up a meltdown. Maybe some of our followers can?

If I couldn’t address anything you wanted addressed feel free to send in another message once the inbox is open again.

That said, please try to be more specific and structure any questions you may have in the future, as I found it difficult to follow what you were saying. Some of us mods have talked about what helps us answer asks more efficiently here.

-Kath

[autism-asks]

When I was a child, my parents would always read me a bedtime story. I remember this one time that didn’t happen and I full on broke down. I cried like the world as I knew it was ending and it legitimately felt that way; I was told only something like heartbreak would justify crying so hard. I wasn’t angry or sad because I didn’t get my story but because it felt like this one change meant everything in my life was falling apart. A breach in continuity. IIAAT? Meltdown?

Yes. Difficulties with change and adapting to changes in schedule are part of the diagnostic criteria. Based on what you say it could very well be that what you experienced was indeed a meltdown.

(Your ask deeply resonates with me in how I still sometimes react to change.)

-Kath

[autism-asks]

ITAMD? I have episodes where I get so overwhelmed that I can't do anything but rock with one arm wrapped around my knees and one hand alternately pulling on my hair or hitting against my forehead. My mom describes the noise I make during those episodes as 'keening.'

This sounds like a meltdown.

Os