Adult meltdown coping strategies
I had a major meltdown today because I hadn't been told a bit of information that would totally change the situation. I was crying and unable to speak, someone just kept on asking me questions and I could not calm down.
It took me over an hour to get to a state where I had stopped crying and could talk again. I've felt on edge all day since then.
Does anyone else get like this? and what do you do to cope with this?
Please help!! !
I take started taking valium for meltdowns last year - works great for me. If I have to do something incredibly ''triggering'' of a meltdown, and this doesn't happen very often, I take a hydromorphone as it totally, totally sedates me.
Obviously these are only short term solutions. If you want to stop meltdowns at their source I recommend cognitive behavioral therapy.
I learned to say "I'm sorry, I feel really sick" and go to a bathroom when the first signals of an upcoming meltdown are sensed. There I'm alone and in silence, so the meltdown is shorter and less violent.
People tend to make it worse by asking what's the matter when you are unable to speak or trying to cheer you up when you are overstimulated. Silence helps.
If you like hugs and have someone that close, you can ask them to hug you and say nothing until you're better. It helps my kids and me.
Also, focus on your sensory hygiene - are you comfortable at home, at workplace etc.? Can you rest? Many of my meltdowns came from prolonged discomfort, esp. overstimulation and denying myself my needs.
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Let's not confuse being normal with being mentally healthy.
<not moderating PPR stuff concerning East Europe>
Thanks guys,
I don't think it helped that it was a fairly new environment, I was over tired, feeling under the weather and was running late due to being unable to find somewhere to park.
I didn't really want to be there and the unexpected information was just the icing on the cake.
It was the first big meltdown in public since finding out I'm probably autistic, and the first that I can remember where I've had nobody who knows me around to help/calm me down.
I'm definitely going to have to think of a strategy to get through something like this again or a way to avoid it in the first place!
At my new job, I am in a noisy factory for 10 hours each day. While hearing protection isnt required in all portions of the plant, I found out the hard way that I have to have it. After putting up with the noise, which isnt painful to me at all, but just tiring after 10 hours of it, I ended up having a bad meltdown once I got home one night. So the next day, I asked for a pair of ear muff style protection. After a couple more days of excuses I met a young lady working one of the assembly lines I supply with parts that has a son on the spectrum. She seen my T shirt, of which I have several with various autistic things on them, and one of my stops at her station she wanted to know if I was on the spectrum. I said yes and she wanted to know how I was tolerating the noise, to which I replied not well and I was getting excuses to why I didnt have my ear muffs yet. She got ahold of the union steward, explained the situation and within 2 hours I had them! He then went and had "words" with management about this. And yes, management knows I am on the spectrum. No more meltdowns from that issue. I normally can make it thru the day's stress of work, and once I start to feel my "attitude" coming on at home, I go to bed and wrap myself in my weighted blanket. I become quite an as*hole before going into a full blown meltdown. What little "filter" I have goes to none at all. We have medical staff on station at the plant, and the Dr said if I ever need a quiet place to calm down, I can always come to the medical station, which is down at the end of a quiet hallway and away from the noisy shop floor.
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AQ score 43
RAADS-R 221
Your Aspie score: 153 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 59 of 200
You are very likely an Aspie
Thanks for the reply artfuldodger,
I'm undiagnosed as yet, waiting for an assessment (probably Nov or Dec).
I'm a full time mum during the week and work in a busy bakery at weekends. I haven't told work anything as yet as I'm still undiagnosed and I've only had one shutdown and I just told people I was feeling dizzy and needed to sit down (before going almost mute).
When I'm not at work I'm generally around people/places I know and if things are getting overwhelming I can usually excuse myself and get away before getting to meltdown.
I suppose my question is really what do people do if they're somewhere out of the ordinary with no one they know and have a meltdown? I felt so unprepared, I didn't know what to say or do!
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