Tag: burnout

“Maybe you shouldn’t be cooking right now” fail earlier:

Take a container of leftover ranch dip out of the fridge, to adjust and turn into quick salad dressing. Add a little mayo, milk, and extra seasonings.

Taste for seasoning–and only then realize that you grabbed the leftover Swedish meatball gravy instead 😨

An unusual salad dressing flavor, that’s for sure.

They didn’t even look alike, other than being thickish pale dairy-containing things in the same type of plastic tub. The texture wasn’t very similar beyond that. Ranch dip should usually not be brownish. Did I have the mental wherewithal to notice this beyond, “hmm, this is thinner than expected”? Evidently not so much.

(It didn’t take long to get the right thing out, and do it much closer to right. But the whole thing wasn’t a complication I needed, anyway 🙄)

fuckingconversations:

pazdispenser:

CBC made a good documentary on adult ADHD and part of it really caught me off guard because i swear they repeated verbatim my life story for the past 3 years

full programme here:

http://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/episodes/adhd-not-just-for-kids

My ADHD manifested in excellent in-class work. Excellent understanding in discussions. Excellent participation. 

My ADHD manifested in piles of homework left undone until the last possible minute, while I stared at them, thinking; “I want to get these done. I understand the theory. It would take 10 minutes. I want to start, why can’t I start?” 

My ADHD manifested in fantastic reading comprehension – nigh impenetrable focus on interesting topics the first time I’m reading about them. 

My ADHD manifested in a complete inability to focus on reviews or re-reads, mind skittering sideways and away whenever anything was boring or repetitive. I sat down to study, my books open, my eyes on the text, and my brain clawing its way out the back of my head to focus on something else – anything else. Focus, focus! [No.]

My ADHD manifested in Articulating wings half-finished but still beautiful, in beautiful lineart and half-hearted coloring. In stories written passionately for days until I forgot it existed and never returned. In projects started and forgotten and started and forgotten a thousand times until my bins of project supplies piled up and my bank account shriveled down. No, it will be different this time – I LOVE this new thing. This new thing is my world, my destiny, my Everything. I CREATE and CREATE and CREATE and never FINISH. 

My ADHD manifested in confusion and surprise as time slithered away, hours passing like minutes and minutes seeming endless by contrast. An inability to gauge how much time had passed, was left, a task would take. An inability to hold dates in my head, because time didn’t feel consistent or even real.

 My ADHD manifested in watching someone talk and not understanding a word they said – literally hearing sounds and translating out only nonsense. In thoughts so loud I couldn’t speak coherently. In a conversation across the room shattering an idea I was trying to hold. It’s hard to think when you’re already thinking about everything around you. 

casualstims:

Autistic Adults Start Campaign to Put an End to This ‘Harmful’ Behavior

Lots of autistic people are put under immense pressure because of their neurodivergence, and not everyone knows how truly harmful it is to themselves

This is something i personally go though a lot, often without intention. It has just become a habit to scrutinize myself in any social situation and it’s honestly exhausting

I can’t tell you enough how harmful it truly is that society puts this pressure on people, on children, and teaching them that from diagnosis they should do everything in their power to restraint themselves and change, just because our natural way of being isn’t “normal”

Please, if you are on the spectrum, remember to take care of yourself, don’t hold your needs back. And if you are not on the spectrum, but know someone who is, be mindful of their needs and don’t pressure them to be “normal”

We all deserve to feel accepted for who we are

☆Nebula☆

‘Fake It Till You Make It’ Doesn’t Work With Chronic Illness

chronically-illustrated:

thatchronicfeeling:

Instead, the options are:

‘Fake It Till You Are So Ill You Can’t Get Out Of Bed’

‘Fake It Till You Have A Flare’

‘Fake It Till You Have A Flare, Continue To Fake It Till You’re Hospitalised‘

OR

‘Accept That You Have One Or More Chronic Illnesses, Adapt Accordingly And Look After Yourself’

This is really important. I grew up believing I had to just use mind over matter to power past my symptoms, and that eventually led to a complete mental and physical breakdown that left me unable to walk on my own for a month. We really need to get rid of the idea that people aren’t trying hard enough if they don’t push themselves to the breaking point. It can be really harmful to pretend you’re okay when you’re not, especially if you’re struggling with chronic illnesses. It’s okay to accept that you have limitations and set boundaries so you’re not hurting yourself trying to keep up with able-bodied people.

bai-xue:

churchyardgrim:

nioushaxd:

your-url-is-problematic:

churchyardgrim:

“if you’re not angry you’re not paying attention” used to be such a powerful phrase but now it’s more accurate to say “if you’re not angry you’re probably exhausted by 5+ years of Panic Outrage Mode and are nearing the limit of your emotional range for reacting to this shit”

via @deadmomjokes

Seeing Americans, a group responsible for the destruction of whole cities who have been mass slaughtering people across the world for the past 40 years, talk about “compassion fatigue” is maybe one of the most ironic things I’ve experienced.

hey buddy did you maybe consider that we don’t want our government to be doing this either and a not insignificant amount of the stress-induced emotional shutdowns we’re seeing among activists now is the direct result of trying to stop the rampaging toddler our government has collectively become

did you maybe think about that before opening your mouth

“Americans” as if a large percentage of us, totally disenfranchised by this fucking farce of a Republic, have any say whatsoever in what our government does to other countries. As if so many of us aren’t in fact the children and grandchildren of those very people that America has harmed. As if so many of us haven’t been demonstrating and petitioning and screaming our heads off for YEARS, only to have our government continue to ignore us so fragrantly that it’s worn us thin.

The American government is in an abusive, gaslighting relationship with its own people, and has been for decades at the VERY least. You can act superior and pretend that you’re Woke by accusing us of self pity when we discuss our problems, but it only exposes how fucking ignorant you are of how our country works.

putting out fires

kelpforestdweller:

isabelknight:

adultadhd:

Earlier I realised that when something bad happens suddenly, I tend to react to it quite well. Like if I drop something, i’m good at catching it, or if someone hurts themselves badly, i do what needs to be done with a suprisingly cool head. 

And I realised it’s probably something to do with my ADHD?

Like, with our brains, time is weird. There is only NOW and NOT NOW. We don’t cope well with NOT NOW. But if something needs to be done NOW, we’ll do it NOW. Like getting an assignment done only when it’s about to be due in. 

So if say, there’s a fire to put out (and yes, I have had to put out… too many fires because of my inattention) then it needs to be put out NOW. 

And I dunno, I guess with ADHD you get a lot more practice at getting stuff done in panic mode, because that’s the only way I usually get stuff done? Friends of mine will get their homework done on time, but freak out and run away when something catches fire. But because I have to put out a lot of “life fires” I am better at dealing with “actual fires”. 

Just a weird thought… what do you think?

A few years back I read that that was a thing with some people who had survived trauma as well – basically a tendency to function well under certain kinds of extreme acute stress/physical peril even if they were sort of people who got overwhelmed by minor daily life things. I wonder if it has something to do with adrenaline and executive function?

i hope it’s ok to add this, i probably don’t have adhd but the above addition seems to have broadened the topic.

this is so true. shit goes down, im ur guy. anything from emotional upset to honest to god disaster, i am There. i am a firefighter. i lock into emergency mode and im not just ok, im better than normal. calm, clear, confident, and ready. rest of the time im a confused disaster.

and yeah, i think it’s the trauma/survival mode thing. once it kicks on, you can handle whatever is coming your way so much better. but it’s exhausting and unsustainable.

it’s emergency mode for a reason – your body will sacrifice anything to achieve it, since it is supposed to be brief and a matter of life or death. living like this long enough wears down your body and immune system. i think this is a major reason i am sick, i think it is a big reason so many of us are.

dendriforming:

geekysciencemom:

What is Autistic Burnout?
a guide from Autism Women’s Network

Signs:
• Lack of motivation (hard to care about goals when everyday life is overwhelming)
• Loss of executive functioning abilities (decision-making, organization, etc.)
• Difficulty with self-care
• Easier to reach overload or meltdown
• Loss of speech, selective mutism
• Lethargy, exhaustion
• Illness, digestive issues
• Memory loss
• Inability to maintain masks or use social skills
• Overall seeming “more autistic” or stereotypical
• May have period of high energy before collapse

Causes:
• Passing as neurotypical / suppressing autistic traits
• Doing ‘too much’, too much stress
• Aging: needing more downtime, having less energy
• Changes, good or bad (relationships, jobs, living arrangements, belongings, environment, routines…)
• Sleep deprivation, poor nutrition, dehydration
• Illness
• Sensory or emotional overload

Strategies:
• Time
• Scheduling breaks, managing spoons
• Leave of absence
• Stimming, sensory diet
• Exercise
• Massage
• Reminders and supports
• Routines
• Better environment/job/etc.
• Boundaries, saying ‘no’
• Dropping the mask/façade
• Solitude
• Absolute quiet
• Creative projects, passions, special interests
• Paying attention to reactions and your body

Sources:
“Autistic Burnout – Are You Going Through Burnout?” Anonymously Autistic.
Endow, Judy. “Autistic Burnout and Aging.” Ollibean.
“Help! I seem to be getting more autistic!” American Asperger’s Association.
Kim, Cynthia. “Autistic Regression and Fluid Adaptation.” Musings of an Aspie.
Schaber, Amythest. “Ask an Autistic #3 – What is Autistic Burnout?”
Thanks to Lindsey Allen, AWN Nebraska, for compiling this guide ©Autism Women’s Network 2017

This is a really useful thing, but “American Asperger’s Association” did not write “Help! I seem to be getting more autistic!” Mel Baggs did. It was originally published here. Whoever copied the text onto the American Asperger’s Association forum didn’t bother to give authorship credit.

Good catch. I missed that skimming earlier

Source: geekysciencemom

geekysciencemom:

What is Autistic Burnout?
a guide from Autism Women’s Network

Signs:
• Lack of motivation (hard to care about goals when everyday life is overwhelming)
• Loss of executive functioning abilities (decision-making, organization, etc.)
• Difficulty with self-care
• Easier to reach overload or meltdown
• Loss of speech, selective mutism
• Lethargy, exhaustion
• Illness, digestive issues
• Memory loss
• Inability to maintain masks or use social skills
• Overall seeming “more autistic” or stereotypical
• May have period of high energy before collapse

Causes:
• Passing as neurotypical / suppressing autistic traits
• Doing ‘too much’, too much stress
• Aging: needing more downtime, having less energy
• Changes, good or bad (relationships, jobs, living arrangements, belongings, environment, routines…)
• Sleep deprivation, poor nutrition, dehydration
• Illness
• Sensory or emotional overload

Strategies:
• Time
• Scheduling breaks, managing spoons
• Leave of absence
• Stimming, sensory diet
• Exercise
• Massage
• Reminders and supports
• Routines
• Better environment/job/etc.
• Boundaries, saying ‘no’
• Dropping the mask/façade
• Solitude
• Absolute quiet
• Creative projects, passions, special interests
• Paying attention to reactions and your body

Sources:
“Autistic Burnout – Are You Going Through Burnout?” Anonymously Autistic.
Endow, Judy. “Autistic Burnout and Aging.” Ollibean.
“Help! I seem to be getting more autistic!” American Asperger’s Association.
Kim, Cynthia. “Autistic Regression and Fluid Adaptation.” Musings of an Aspie.
Schaber, Amythest. “Ask an Autistic #3 – What is Autistic Burnout?”
Thanks to Lindsey Allen, AWN Nebraska, for compiling this guide ©Autism Women’s Network 2017

Source: geekysciencemom