I discovered I was autistic at the age of 29 because I had been struggling with Autistic Burnout.

This is actually something I’ve struggled often on with through my life since I was a child in school.

First, what is Autistic Burnout?

A mental, physical, and emotional state that many Autistic People battle with, because of expectations to keep pace in the NeuroTypical world.

In children it is sometimes called regression.

Some of us burn out because of constant masking.

Autistic Masking is when Autistic People either consciously, or subconsciously mask or hide their Autistic traits.

Many of us are chronically exhausted just from surviving in life, and periodically push ourselves too far (until we break down).

For a lot of us late discovered Autistic People, this breakdown (when we reach crisis point) is when we are diagnosed.

These events will often have a trigger, such as a loss of support and accommodation, or new and increased demands in life.

In my experience, change (good or bad) is often a trigger for my burnout or mental health spiraling – which is often connected like a chicken and egg problem- does the burnout come first or is it the anxiety?

Now that I see the patterns, when I catch myself slipping and need to take a break before I break myself again.

I’ve been trying to recover from burning out in April, but May ended up being busier than I intended for it to be because of a last-minute project that I felt was very important.

Now it’s time to rest, recover, regenerate, and recharge.

I’ve taken a step back and recently got back from taking a break from many of my typical obligations at the beach here in Texas.

I had 5 days with no emails, no private messages, no social media notifications, and I wasn’t monitoring my Facebook page.

I did clips and photos from my life during my social media break, and a few of my favorite memes – because reading memes is relaxing to me.

This week I’m back at my laptop, fighting stigma and spreading more balanced information about the NeuroDivergent Experience.

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With gratitude,

– Lyric 🎶