Whats your Meltdown Protocol?

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I have a very very hard time telling when im about to have a meltdown. I usually dont even know its a meltdown until after its happened. So now i have to take time to recognize the signs such as:
- Extra Sensitive
- Emotionally apathetic or sensitive
- Unintentionally pacing
- clenched teeth
- the feeling of the need to 'escape' or great feelings of dread.
- hyperventilating
- highly unmotivated
- thoughts of suicide or self harm
- wanting to be sick or hurt (to avoid responsibilities)
- Irritability
- inability to focus
- Stomach pains
- constant eating

and these signs can vary and linger for weeks. Usually caused by a sudden change in routine, schedule or surrounding, an inability to communicate, or a loss of control in a situation.

My meltdowns can vary in size as well, they can be small, such as just Crying and hyperventilating, or it can be big... VERY big such as screaming, destruction of property, biting, hitting, self harm, bashing head into walls, assault with weapons or even attempts in suicide. Sometimes even though a meltdown has passed another one can still happen right after or a week later.

Tonight as i was trying to sleep i had a small meltdown, i had to tell my sister i couldn't babysit this week and i even had to put a sign on my apartment door, warning family members that im on meltdown warning and im on my medication that makes me sleep.

I generally cant really do anything when im about to meltdown, i need to stay home and rest and do very little to avoid overwhelming myself.

What do you do when your about to meltdown?

^^ Yep, that right there. I feel a bit relieved to be able to say that I am how I am and that others must respect my limits when meltdown is imminent. I hope that others in your life take you seriously when you say it too!

Like you I feel like I need to escape (it was much worse before I got my PTSD under control). I live away from the city now and try to connect with the outdoors regularly to reset my meltdownometer. Others my age judge me - they always have - but I have fewer dangerous meltdowns now that I put my basic needs first. If I don't take care of myself, there won't be anything left to give to others.

Basically, I need to nip the meltdown in the bud and indulge in things that please me before I lose the ability to enjoy those things and go full meltdown. My dogs are very helpful at identifying meltdowns before they get out of hand too. I get overwhelmed when I try to self-assess but I notice small changes in their behaviour that tells me I need to redirect my energy.

Both of you have done a very good job in managing and anticipating your meltdowns. ZomebiebrideXD is there a place you can go, or a place you can create where property will not be destroyed, where the walls are padded? I would not like to see you get concussed or do permenent brain damage from hitting your head against the wall.

Any brain damage that might happen from hitting my head on walls has already happened, im seeing a neurologist in the upcoming year.

no theres no safe place i can go for a meltdown, im just lucky my meltdowns are not always a level ten.

Become aware enough that I know the signs earlier than you do so I can take steps to prevent it from happening earlier than you. Like, noticing the pre-symptoms so that I work with them instead. Working with them means diffusing them in less extreme ways. Harmless stimming for instance, sequestering myself away from people sooner.

I'm not very successful with this yet.


What I currently do is if I lie down and let my mind do it's thing, one of it's things is to let me rest. I often sleep, sometimes I don't. I allow myself to cry and my body to tense and might do a good slap. But that's enough for my mind usually settle enough and I usually fall asleep shortly after. I wake up more refreshed. I spend a lot of time in bed.

Sleep is the most regenerative thing for me. I've found that any physical stimming either does nothing or creates more anxiety. Sleep shouldn't really hurt anyone, even if it doesn't help much.

Luckily I've never had trouble sleeping, but the same can't be said for others.

Savagemessiah that's really interesting about not doing better with stimming! I sometimes stress knit - the repetitive motions, patterns, tactile feeling - as one of my "stims" (I've adapted a stim into knitting with time and practice). I find it relieving. At worst, I spend $10 here or there on cotton yarn and everyone around me gets dishcloths ($2.20/cloth in materials, 45mins of time).

It looks like sleep is one of the best strategies! Too bad we can't control our sleep 100%.

Then the idea is to prevent further brain damage and create a safer space with foam padding etc. And you can always stim more to lessen the occurrence and severity of meltdowns.

The most common trigger of my rare meltdowns in recent years is sudden changes in plans requiring me to do something spontaneous (or "on a whim" as some call it), in dealing with a situation totally unprepared for. If I'm at the house, my best diffusion is to get on my bed ASAP with my binky in my mouth and a pillow between my legs as I lay on my side, with an additional pillow to squeeze or beat on if necessary.
If I'm out of the house, as in a public setting (heaven forbid), step one would be getting away from that public as fast as I can, and if feasible locking myself in a room where I'm all by myself with as little of property around to damage as possible. If a closed-in area is not available, a motor vehicle would be the next resort. This is a big reason why I'm seeking a windowless commercial van as my next "ride".