Therapy for Sensory Burnout & Meltdowns
Together we find a path to soothing patterns of sensory, work-related & relational burnout.
If you suffer with Autistic Meltdowns, we can build tools to help you.
what is burnout?
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Work Burnout
The term burnout is a technical term (recognized by the World Health Organization!) that was originally defined by career/work stress.
The term burnout has found it's way into people's everyday language when speaking about many things (caregiver burnout, compassion burnout, academic burnout, etc.).
The common threads for burnout as a serious issue are:
Feeling mentally, emotionally & physically drained (usually caused by prolonged stress).
Not being able to catch-up on rest or other resources.
No longer being able to hide, fake feeling okay...one stops being able to perform in various areas of life (work, relationships, daily tasks, self-care, etc.) where they were able to before.
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Sensory Burnout
For Highly-Sensitive People, sensory burnout can be a serious issue. It's important to know that this kind of burnout can be hard to predict. For HSPs a poor night’s sleep coupled with unexpected construction noise can be enough to send us into overwhelm.
Once the senses are overwhelmed, it can be nearly impossible to function & communicate effectively. A person in this state will need something to restore themselves...such as: a quiet room, food, rest, etc.
If overwhelming circumstances persist (for example, construction noise going on for months next door) it can easily send an HSP into burnout that takes an extended length of time to recover from.
RESPECTING THE NEEDS OF OUR SENSORY NEURODIVERGENCE PROTECTS US FROM BURNOUT.
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Autistic Burnout
Neurodivergent Burnout is further defined by sensory changes & not being able to recover with rest.
Primary Characteristics of Neurodivergent Burnout
(not all need to be present):
-Chronic Exhaustion (not explained by another cause or physical ailment)
-Reduced Tolerance to Stimuli (sensory inputs)
-Increased Executive Functioning Challenges
-Loss of Skills (managing daily activities consistently)
-Inability to mask even if unmasking creates an unsafe situation
-Dissociation or withdrawal
-Depression & sleep changes
are you pushing too hard?
EARLY & MID-STAGE SIGNS OF BURNOUT:
you rarely feel you’re being yourself
you feel “stuck”
your sleep is “off”
you’re anxious/your mind does not easily quiet
your digestion is not good
you’re moving between no appetite & stress eating
you’re engaging with electronics &/or social media when you know it’s not good for your mood
you’re ignoring your body signals for rest & movement
you are using caffeine & sugar to “get going”
you are taking something at night &/or on the weekend to “wind down” or drinking most nights to “relax”
you DREAD Mondays/beginning of your work week
feelings of hopelessness & thoughts of “this is never going to change”
you’re compromising your needs & desires in most areas of your life
you’re not engaging in the things you once enjoyed
you’re telling yourself “I have to…” regularly
you’re not doing the things you know would help you feel better & bullying yourself with “I should” thoughts
you are beginning to under-perform where previously you would have “pushed through”
the danger zone
Any type of burnout left unaddressed can lead to terrible outcomes. It’s bad enough to feel exhausted & disconnected from your life, but if you’re anywhere near these danger zone signs…don’t hesitate to ask for help.
you don't have the energy to engage the elements of your life (work, study, play). You may do an every-day task such as washing dishes & need to rest.
you are considering ending your life or having thoughts of how others will fair without you
MASKING & BURNOUT
Masking, here, refers to the effort one is making to fit in with others to the degree that we are working VERY hard to predict environments, the reactions & behaviors of others. It’s different from “pretending” & is much more based in a dysregulation in the nervous system, stress & anxiety.
Anyone can mask, but it is common amongst those who receive early-life messages that the way they think, behave, move, speak, etc. is not welcome….or worse, is shamed. People who are neurodivergent are very vulnerable to developing masking strategies.
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Often masking strategies are so old, you may not even know when you’re doing it.
Masking is OFTEN partially unconscious.
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Masking your true expression, who you are & how you feel, may have protected you from ridicule when you were or felt different.
If you had a lack of validation or have been gaslit, masking may have been an effective way to stop that harmful feedback, even if temporarily.
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If you have consistently repeated burnout cycles throughout your life, masking is likely to be a part of the equation.
Even something as small as masking sensory sensitivity when you go out with friends can result in burnout.
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It is not always safe to unmask…however, KNOWING when you are masking is extremely helpful for decreasing burnout.
HOW DO WE ALLEVIATE BURNOUT?
we determine why your nervous system might be prone to burnout & overwhelm
neurotype assessment is an option for further clarity
we assess and address toxic relational or work situations
we define, initiate & hold healthy boundaries
we find daily rhythms & routines that will accommodate your sensory & energy needs
we get honest about any challenges or limitations
You may not totally resonate with the term “meltdown,” so I want to clarify how this term is being used. Meltdown is an involuntary response to emotional, sensory, mental or physical overwhelm & can look like:
uncontrollable crying
screaming, wailing
auditory buzzes & or visual field goes “black”
frantic stimming, repetitive behavior, pacing
detached numbness, sensory shut-down, dissociation
lashing out physically
running away
curling into a ball, hiding
self-harming (cutting, head-banging, etc.)
catatonia
Many neurodivergent folks have a history of meltdowns, but some do not. If you do experience any of these nervous system states, tools can be developed that are based on your neurodivergent nervous system that can help.