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northern_light_girl
Snowy Owl
Joined: Mar 29, 2008
Posts: 141
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 Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 11:05 am Post subject: What is a "meltdown"? |
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I keep reading about how AS/autistic people have meltdowns. But that's such a BROAD term..it can mean anything. NTs have meltdowns too.
What is your personal definition? What happens? How long does it last? How do you feel better? Please help me understand  so that I can compare notes and learn.
***I seem to have a real LOVE for precision in speech. It annoys me a lot when people say things that are not precise, not well defined...I think this is the cause for so much conflict and tension in the world..but this is another topic. I feel like the more precise (zoom in) we get, the better chance we have to pass on info that is correct and objective. |
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sinsboldly
Free Range Aspie
Joined: Nov 22, 2006
Age: 57
Posts: 7596
Location: Oregon, USA
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| Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 12:26 pm Post subject: |
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double postie
Last edited by sinsboldly on Fri Apr 04, 2008 12:27 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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sinsboldly
Free Range Aspie
Joined: Nov 22, 2006
Age: 57
Posts: 7596
Location: Oregon, USA
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| Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 12:27 pm Post subject: |
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my parents called it a 'tantrum', I called it a 'freak out', one of my husbands called it a 'thunderstorm' but it was only after Chernobyl that people started using 'meltdown' as a common descriptive phrase for sensory overload.
I have never heard or read of anyone suggesting only people on the autism spectrum have sensory overload.
Merle |
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oblio
Sea Gull
Joined: Dec 26, 2007
Age: 52
Posts: 211
Location: Pointless Forest, Low Countries
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| Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 1:32 pm Post subject: Re: What is a "meltdown"? |
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| northern_light_girl wrote: |
***I seem to have a real LOVE for precision in speech. It annoys me a lot when people say things that are not precise, not well defined...I think this is the cause for so much conflict and tension in the world..but this is another topic. I feel like the more precise (zoom in) we get, the better chance we have to pass on info that is correct and objective. |
another topic indeed, but straight from&into my heart, you illusive one
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a point in every direction is the same as no point at all - or is it |
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gbollard
the oncoming storm
Joined: Oct 06, 2007
Age: 39
Posts: 3076
Location: Sydney, Australia
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KingdomOfRats
Phoenix
Joined: Nov 01, 2005
Age: 24
Posts: 2612
Location: Manchester
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| Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 6:40 pm Post subject: |
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A meltdown is complete loss of control,which can result in inner [kept inside and invisible to others] or outer [visible to others,can include things like head banging,punching head or eyes,self injury,smashing things,punching walls,attacking at anything without knowing what it is,having tonic clonic seizure like problems etc.
none of it is controlled and voluntary,but does get mistaken for tantrum which is controllable and used for own gain.
Meltdowns are thought to be fueled by the fight or flight chemicals in the brain,which is probably why once meltdowns start they can be impossible to get out of till they have worn themselves out.
'Meltdown' is an Autistic community word,though non Autistics can share any of the symptoms.
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[LFAutie]
["Even through the darkest days, this fire burns...always"-Killswitch Engage]
.:The residential autist:.
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TLPG
Phoenix
Joined: Nov 13, 2007
Posts: 682
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| Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 7:08 pm Post subject: |
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For me the big threat is confusion. That can happen either when there's too much going on, an ill timed distraction that doesn't have an instant logical reaction, or simply someone who appears not to be listening for no discernable reason.
And that's just off the top of my head. I'm very sensitive to meltdowns as I try to avoid them in whatever way I can. |
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The_Cucumber
Velociraptor
Joined: May 05, 2007
Posts: 447
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| Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 7:42 pm Post subject: |
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| KingdomOfRats wrote: | A meltdown is complete loss of control,which can result in inner [kept inside and invisible to others] or outer [visible to others,can include things like head banging,punching head or eyes,self injury,smashing things,punching walls,attacking at anything without knowing what it is,having tonic clonic seizure like problems etc.
none of it is controlled and voluntary,but does get mistaken for tantrum which is controllable and used for own gain.
Meltdowns are thought to be fueled by the fight or flight chemicals in the brain,which is probably why once meltdowns start they can be impossible to get out of till they have worn themselves out.
'Meltdown' is an Autistic community word,though non Autistics can share any of the symptoms. |
This is pretty much how I'd describe it. |
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Tempy
Deinonychus
Joined: Jul 24, 2007
Posts: 340
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| Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 7:44 pm Post subject: |
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Very informative Gavin, thank you. |
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newg
Butterfly
Joined: Apr 03, 2008
Age: 24
Posts: 13
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
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| Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 9:23 pm Post subject: |
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I'm never violent, but have been known to turn into a bit of an asshole.
I am very articulate, and have been known to give people very detailed and verbose rants pinpointing exactly why they are worthless. :S
I do however have a very long fuse, and much prefer getting to a quiet dark place where i can just sit and cool off. But when the red fog comes down watch out  |
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aspergian_mutant
Learning to Walk
Joined: Oct 28, 2004
Posts: 1479
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| Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 1:04 am Post subject: |
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everyone is deferent,
and not all meltdowns are the same,
I have been under high stress and anxiety for over 5 months now,
(custody dispute)
major overload for an extended duration,
I have had a couple meltdowns in the mean time,
but these have been basically me running home and going to
bed and curling up into a ball and just have at it.
during this time my body is all tingling,
my nerve are shot,
I become hyper-stative to most everything,
I cant think clearly if at all,
I scream into my pillow and just wither.
I constantly feel like I am having a panic attack. |
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Pobodys_Nerfect
Deinonychus
Joined: Mar 11, 2008
Posts: 383
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| Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 2:39 am Post subject: |
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How can we prevent the meltdown? Any ideas?  |
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Mum2ASDboy
Phoenix
Joined: Jan 28, 2008
Posts: 537
Location: New Zealand
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| Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 3:09 am Post subject: |
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| Pobodys_Nerfect wrote: | | How can we prevent the meltdown? Any ideas? |
Stay with routine and structure.
Warn before change.
Be on lookout for early signs, with my son it is normally harsh self harm.
Those are just the things my son reacts to at this stage. |
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nomad21
Toucan
Joined: Feb 17, 2008
Age: 18
Posts: 289
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| Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 3:16 am Post subject: |
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| Pobodys_Nerfect wrote: | | How can we prevent the meltdown? Any ideas? |
I think it's really up to the people who interact with the Autistic person on a daily basis to prevent it, with the suggestions Mum2ASDboy said. I can rarely see a meltdown coming, and when it hits, I completely lose control. I would never consider suicide, but in one of my worst meltdowns I almost did. Of course, that memory is quite hazy, as are most meltdowns for me. Therefor because I can rarely detect when they are coming, I don't see many (if any) ways for me to prevent myself from going into a meltdown. |
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CockneyRebel
Sid The Love Rat :O)
Joined: Jul 18, 2004
Age: 33
Posts: 20871
Location: Out in the evening, with me two best Rat Mates, somewhere in Canada :O)
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| Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 4:08 am Post subject: |
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To me, a meltdown is when I lose my temper with a particular person. That person will say something very ignorant. I'll start ranting about how I need to get away from some place, usually my clubhouse, because of the name of the person, who had triggered the meltdown. I start to go on, about what an asshole, that person is, and than I'll verbally abuse them, with a few one-liners, about what that particular person said, and yell as loudly in, which ever ear is pointing towards me, "I'M AUTISTIC! WHAT'S YOUR BLOODY EXCUSE!" I call myself a misfit, a few times, and than I yell out, "I'M A MISFIT, ACCORDING TO THAT BASTARD, OVER THERE!" It's usually the same man that triggers the meltdowns. That man keeps asking me, "Aren't you too old for that?" when he refers to my free spirited, and childlike interests. It's gotten to the point, that I can't be in the same building, with him. The only reason that the meltdown happened, is the fact that my aunt decided to die, the very same evening/night, that Dean flew off to Hawaii, and my evening routine was disrupted. I'm glad that it happened, though. That bully who gave me a hard time, will know not to ask that question, again. I've even had to scratch my name off of the list, to go to Whistler for a day, because the instigator's name, was also on the list. I'm not going to stop bringing Sid to the clubhouse, because of that lowlife Retard. I will make a point of leaving, every time that I see his face, to teach him, even more of a lesson. I've missed out on a nice salmon dinner, but it's gotten to the point, that I'd rather bake fish n chips, for Barb, than endure a salmon dinner, with Don. Am I pathetic, or what?
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Sid The Rat is everything that I stand for. We're both large, proud Punkers with Cockney accents. We both have the same issues, as well. I don't see anything wrong, with that. I was put on this planet, to make myself happy. Sid :O) |
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