Hi everyone I'm Amythest, and welcome back to "Ask an Autistic"
♪ I want a renaissance ♪
♪ To shine a light ♪
♪ Be the change we want ♪
♪ Set things right ♪
♪ We've been waiting in the dark ♪
♪ For so long ♪
Autistic shutdowns are similar to autistic meltdowns
in that they are physiological and mental reactions
to stress, to sensory overload
to emotions, to an uncontrollable situation
basically any negative sensory input
that overwhelms and overloads your brain
Shutdowns are similar to and sometimes interconnected
and intertwined with dissociation
Dissociation can occur in non autistic and autistic individuals
and it's a brain's method of self protection
When there is to much going on
it's a self preservation technique
to withdraw and save yourself
Some autistics who experience shutdowns
will also experience dissociation
at the same time or at different times
and in different degrees
Not every autistic will experience dissociation though
Some signs of shutdown in autistic people
include withdraw
so suddenly an autistic person is making less eye contact
and they are speaking much less, if at all
Going non verbal is something that happens to a lot of autistic people
in stressful situations
When they're sick or tired
or when their about to shut down
Someone who is experiencing autistic shutdown won't want to be around people
They may try to leave the area or leave the room
They may not be able to explain why they're doing so
So it may look like, or appear to others, as if they are running away
or withdrawing suddenly for no reason
And autistic person who is shutting down, or has shut down
may have a blank expression
They may appear to be staring off in space
or not looking at anything in particular
and they may not be making any facial expressions
It may almost seem like they are catatonic
A very common behavior for autistic people going through shutdown
Is to get under furniture or get under a blanket
to cover their face or their head with something
And to withdraw to a quiet, dark, safe place
For me, I really like small dark places
Um, a lot of autistics will either curl up in the fetal position
when they're shut down
or just collapse and flop on the ground
Some autistics will also become very stiff
Very often when I experience shutdown
especially if i comes on suddenly
whatever position I was in
I am kinda, I'm stuck in that position
It just feels like it would take a tremendous amount of effort to move
and I almost feel detached from my limbs
as if I'm not really in control of them
And so while some autistic people may curl up in fetal position
or flop down, or hide somewhere
I tend to just go completely stiff
and stare straight ahead in whatever position I was in
I stay in that position until I have control of my body again
Well meltdowns are very outward expression
um, emotion and energy and anxiety
is kinda exploding outwards
shutdowns are much more internal
I find that my shutdowns are often triggered by emotional pain
and even if they weren't, if they were triggered by
sensory overload
or, um a surprise in my day or a change of schedule
or just I'm anxious and overwelmed
I would still have this emotional pain accompanying the shutdown
It's very frustrating for me
it's as if I know it's happening
and I know what's going on around me
I can hear people speaking
And sometimes I understand the words
but it's like I'm so weighed down
and my brain is shutdown completely
that I can't respond
So that can be very frustrating
Especially when I'm starting to feel more calm and I want to come out of the shutdown
It can be quite difficult to, to come back
and to move my body again
to start looking around and taking in visual input
and hear what people are saying
Some autistic people have something called alexithymia
and that's where you have trouble identifying
or feeling
the emotions that are going on inside you
So you might note that you feel bad
You have a vague feeling where you know that you feel bad
but you aren't able to identify exactly how you feel bad
Are you angry?
Jealous?
Frustrated? Sad?
Some people with alexithymia can't identify what they are feeling in the moment at all
Only later will they maybe be able to identify it
I'm speaking of alexithymia because it's connected to shutdowns
I find that a lot of autistic people
who experience alexithymia
will not know that they're at the point of shutdown
until they get there
which is quite frustrating
And autistics with alexithymia may have trouble coming out of their shutdowns
and their time as shutdown may last longer
and their recuperation time after may take longer
than other autistics
my husband Marvin is autistic
and I've never seen him experience a meltdown
but I have seen him shutdown
And for him, when he shuts down
he both experiences some alexithymia and shutdowns
so what he describes it as feeling like
is just empty
or stuck
but when he's shutting down, or when he has shutdown
the main symptom is a very pervasive difficulty
difficulty in listening
to what other people are saying
difficulty in speaking or responding
and in moving his body or motivating himself
So shutdowns can be from very severe
a person who, you know, collapses or curls up in the fetal position
and doesn't move for four hours
or they can be more mild
where a person could even still be walking around or nodding in agreement to someone who's talking
but inside they are beginning to shutdown
and experiencing those internal symptoms
So what can you do for somebody
who is shutting down in your presence
or has shut down
The first thing to remember is safety
If the autistic person is shutting down
and they are in a crowded or noisy environment
if they are somewhere unsafe like the side of the road
or if they're about to go off on their own
You might want to make sure
that they have access to a safe, quite, calm place
where they can experience their shutdown
and then come out of it
The second thing
is to try not to ask too many questions
or to talk too much
because a lot of the time what people will say
to try to help an autistic person
avoid shutting down or
though their shutdown
will actually worsen it
or aggravate the problem
make the shutdown last longer
So keep the questions simple
and try not to talk to much
Keep in mind that a person going through shutdown
maybe feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, very emotionally sensitive
they may feel agitated or irritated
and so they're probably going to want some time alone
no matter how they are feeling
Every person is different
So if your autistic friend, or family member, indicates that they want you to stay
do so
stay nearby and read a book or do something quietly
and wait with them
and you can support them in that way
My last tip to help an autistic person through a shutdown
is to keep in mind all their senses
For myself, because I can't move my body
and I can't respond
like I'm completely shut down when I'm shutdown
I really don't like to be touched
When I'm shutdown I feel very vulnerable
I can't protect myself, I can't move my body
And touch really just amps up my sensory overload
and adds to my anxiety
again every autistic person is different
So something like a tight hug
might be helpful
or even wanted
This is something you should discuss with your autistic friend or loved one
before they are having a shutdown
Ask them what type of things
or stim toys
or their favorite blanket
or having a pillow or water
what things help them through their shutdowns
and what you can provide if it happens in your presence
Keeping in mind all of an autistic person's senses
You want to make sure the environment is calm and quiet
and that if there is anything they have that they need
like a favorite stuffed animal
or a blanket to cover their head
or if they're laying on the ground, maybe a pillow to make them feel more comfortable
Try to make sure they have that
and try to not
have to much sensory input in the environment
because that does directly feed into overload
which can aggravate shutdowns and cause them to go on longer
Like meltdowns, shutdowns are a physiological and emotional and mental response
to overload
They're similar to dissociation
and sometimes accompanied by dissociation
in that the brain is trying to protect itself
Just too much is going on
Keep in mind that shutdowns aren't voluntary
and that they suck to go through too
And like meltdowns, shutdowns can be an indication that there is to much going on in an autistic person's life
That there is underlying stress or anxiety
that, um, that maybe steps need to be taken
towards better mental and emotional health
and coping skills for stress
particularly if the autistic person in question is having
a frequent amount of shutdowns
or many shutdowns close together
without a lot of recovery time in between
This is my video on autistic shutdowns
I hope it was helpful for you guys
and that the examples from my own life
and from Marvin's experiences
maybe helped you think a little bit
what your shutdowns are like
or about the autistic person in your life
and what their shutdowns are like
and how you can help them through it
I am back from hiatus now
so you guys can be expecting to see
new videos on Thursdays
I update for three weeks in a row
and then I take a week off
So every fourth week no video
but you can expect a video next week
If you have an idea
for a topic you would like to see covered
in one of my "Ask an Autistic" episodes
please feel free to post your suggestion in the comment section below
or message it to me
So if you want more stuff on autism and disability
and living life on the spectrum
please do check out my blog which I will link to you in the video description below
Along with a few resources for you guys to take a look at
Thanks very much for watching
this episode of "Ask an Autistic"
♪ I want a renaissance ♪
♪ To shine a light ♪
♪ To be the change we want ♪
♪ Set things right ♪
♪ We've been waiting in the dark ♪
♪ for so long ♪