is it a good idea to vividly decribe "meltdowns"?

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ninja_artist
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02 Mar 2008, 10:45 pm

i have this ambition to describe a meltdown in a concrete (detailed) way... id never found anything like this and maybe someone could benefit by it, i dont know... i think it would help... so would anyone here be willing to help me with this? id start with a description and maybe you could help me improve on it, then we can sit back and reflect on what happens to us... it it seems like an intersting project to me... so.... what do you think about it?



jawbrodt
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02 Mar 2008, 11:08 pm

I'm curious, shoot.


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mom2bax
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02 Mar 2008, 11:20 pm

i would be interested to see what it is like so i can better understand my son. it's a great idea.



2ukenkerl
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02 Mar 2008, 11:23 pm

It sounds like meltdowns occur in a few ways. With ME, it is like part of my brain just shuts down, I get upset, and I just don't feel like doing anything. I MIGHT almost seem drunk. My words can get mixed up, I may laugh inappropriately. I usually try to stall, or distract, or go away to feel better. Once the ridiculous situation(usually a bunch of idiots gathered at my cube) is cleared up, I can usually quickly and easily get things solved.

BTW I try to stall or distract, because I see the people waiting over me as basically handcuffing me. I have to do a job, and they are basically handcuffing me. IDEALLY, they would leave(often a few SECONDS would even help), so I could do my work in peace.

I don't know if this is why, but I suspect SOME just decide to DO what I think about sometimes in such a situation, and that would be the violent outbursts you see. I don't generally do that though.



roboticalien
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03 Mar 2008, 4:09 am

For me meltdowns only happen when a foundational thing changes. Then a mental structure collapses and I lose sense of my location. Stimming is required at that point in order to re-orient myself.

Also, I believe it is possible to prevent large-scale meltdowns.



Paperplate
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03 Mar 2008, 5:08 am

What is the difference between a meltdown and depression?



2ukenkerl
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03 Mar 2008, 5:54 am

Paperplate wrote:
What is the difference between a meltdown and depression?


Well, when I have what I describe as a meltdown, I am generally not depressed. depression always has a feeling of futility and sadness.



TuDoDude
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03 Mar 2008, 1:40 pm

Indeed, if I can get to a safe place and stim then the "large-scale meltdowns" are often (but not always) diverted.

Also, I would be interested in reading the original suggestion of a concrete detail of a meltdown but once hours and days have passed I am very embarrassed by my loss of control. Thus, I couldn't contribute to the explanation.

roboticalien wrote:
For me meltdowns only happen when a foundational thing changes. Then a mental structure collapses and I lose sense of my location. Stimming is required at that point in order to re-orient myself.

Also, I believe it is possible to prevent large-scale meltdowns.



D9
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03 Mar 2008, 7:37 pm

I am typing this as my 9 year old son dictates to me: losing control of my emotions and feeling: anger, mad, furious, and frustration. It feels like you are so angry you are going to explode and hurt someone or cause serious damage. I loose my ability to think and I can't control it. I need to just go away. I can think at the very beginning and the very end. Afterwards, I feel sad because I was so low and then I get a little higher. I get scared of the loss of control, and what happens afterward. :evil:



Zamone
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03 Mar 2008, 9:06 pm

With me, meltdowns are something that only happens in my room. I'll be frustrated and stressed out at the same time, then all of a sudden I'll feel I have to go, sit in the back of my room, and meltdown. This is the ONLY place it will happen. (Though place didn't matter when I was younger.) I will drop to the floor, cry, sometimes hit things etc. If ANYONE is there, weather they mean well or not, it will only make it worse, and end up making me angry (Or more angry, if that person was the cause of the meltdown) at that person. It is the only time I can even conceive causing physical harm to a person. Often, if I've been yelled at by my parents and it proves to be too much, I will go into meltdown at the back of my room. But then, say 10 mins later, Mum might come in (Dad knows to leave me alone) and ask me to do something, or even yell at me more. Worst, she may even ask me to speak, which is near impossible at times like that. In these cases, the frustration becomes too much to handle, and I end up whacking my head against the wall particularly hard until the person has left and I calm down a little.

It's usually extremely rare that meltdowns happen for me. Perhaps once every 3 months, then I'll have 3-4 in one week, then nothing for months again.

My parents found it extremely dificult when I was a child. I would scream and cry for almost an hour on end when I was upset and they'd have NO idea what was going on, as I'd refuse to speak. Meltdowns have really changed since then. Now, meltdowns happen with relatively little noise, as I usually like to be quiet so nobody decides to walk in.