Autistic Burnout: Your Brain’s Recovery Mode
As an autistic person, life can be a LOT. Research shows that our brains process more information at any one time than non-autistic people’s brains (Brinkert & Remington, 2020). Every day, we have to manage sensory discomfort, overwhelm, social challenges, executive dysfunction, exhaustion from masking, and the social confusion that comes with being autistic. It’s no wonder we are often exhausted. Our energy is precious, and can be depleted fast. Unfortunately, that can result in autistic burnout.
Autistic burnout is extreme long-term exhaustion and overwhelm triggered over time, where the stress of coping with life’s demands exceeds the autistic person’s ability to cope. The individual may lose the ability to carry out every-day tasks, lose skills they usually have, and experience increased sensory difficulties.
Research has shown that autistic burnout is different to work burnout and the burnout that everyone experiences (Raymaker et al., 2020). It is also different to depression and chronic fatigue (Higgins et al., 2021).
“Autistic burnout is a syndrome conceptualised as resulting from chronic life stress and a mismatch of expectations and abilities without adequate supports. It is characterised by pervasive, long-term (typically 3+ months) exhaustion, loss of function, and reduced tolerance to stimulus.”
Autistic burnout can look like:
Chronic physical and mental exhaustion
Losing the ability to do things you normally can do
Increased sensory sensitivities and intensity of emotions
Needing increased support to manage daily life
Reduced ability to mask
Low mood
Social withdrawal
Low self-esteem
Suicidal thoughts
Some common triggers of autistic burnout:
Recovering from autistic burnout takes time. Recognising it for what it is is important. I am in no doubt that when I was first admitted to a CAMHS unit aged 16 for 3 months, I was in autistic burnout rather than suffering from depression. Later down the line, I was depressed, but I don’t think I was initially. I was exhausted. An exhaustion that it took years to recover from.
Recovering from autistic burnout requires rest, reducing demands, taking time out, prioritising self-care, setting boundaries and seeking adjustments.
Preventing autistic burnout can be tricky, but some of the following may help:
Prioritising rest and sleep
Eating well and drinking enough water
Identifying what consumes your energy
Spending time doing things you enjoy
Connecting with other autistic people
Seeking reasonable adjustments
Setting yourself boundaries
Saying no more often
Scheduling re-charge time
Until recently, autistic burnout was pretty much non-existent in medical/academic literature. Researchers like Dr Dora Raymaker have changed this. You can read their 2020 research defining autistic burnout here.
“Autistic burnout appears to be a phenomenon distinct from occupational burnout or clinical depression. Better understanding autistic burnout could lead to ways to recognize, relieve, or prevent it, including highlighting the potential dangers of teaching autistic people to mask or camouflage their autistic traits, and including burnout education in suicide prevention programs. These findings highlight the need to reduce discrimination and stigma related to autism and disability.”
Autistic burnout is real. It can be debilitating and can mean individual’s have no choice but to make adjustments to their life in order to cope. It can affect their ability to work, to continue living independently (if they are doing so), to maintain relationships and to enjoy life. But it is not forever. With time, the right support and reduced demands, autistic burnout can pass.
Remember, you NEED to rest. You DESERVE to rest. Look after YOU.
Is autistic burnout something you have experienced? What has helped you through it?
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References/Further Reading
Brinkert, J. & Remington, A. (2020). Making sense of the perceptual capacities in autistic and non-autistic adults. Autism, 24(7), 1795-1804. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361320922640
Engelbrecht & Bercovici. (2023). Autistic burnout. Embrace Autism. https://embrace-autism.com/autistic-burnout/
Field, J. (undated). Navigating autistic burnout: self-care strategies to recover and recalibrate. Reframing Autism. https://reframingautism.org.au/navigating-autistic-burnout-self-care-strategies-to-recover-and-recalibrate/
Higgins, J., Arnold, S., Weise, J., Pellicano, E. & Trollo, J. (2021). Defining autistic burnout through experts by lived experience: grounded delphi method investigating #AutisticBurnout. Autism, 25(8), 2356-2369. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613211019858
Mantzalas, J., Richdale, A. & Dissanayake, C. (2022). A conceptual model of risk and protective factors for autistic burnout. Autism Research, 15(6), 976-987. https://doi.org/10.10.1002/aur.2722
Raymaker et al. (2020). “Having all of your internal resources exhausted beyond measure and being left with no clean-up crew”: Defining autistic burnout. Autism Adulthood, 2(2), 132-143. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2019.0079.
Raymaker, D. (2022). Understanding autistic burnout. National Autistic Society. https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/professional-practice/autistic-burnout
Stimpunks. (undated). Autistic burnout: the cost of masking and passing. https://stimpunks.org/burnout/