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Overwhelm?
Meltdown (anger) 12%  12%  [ 12 ]
Shutdown (withdrawal) 35%  35%  [ 36 ]
Both (depends on circumstance) 51%  51%  [ 53 ]
Neither/Something else 3%  3%  [ 3 ]
Total votes : 104

Jinks
Deinonychus
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10 Nov 2012, 5:57 pm

Hi everyone,

I was reading another thread about meltdowns and found it interesting that everyone there described extreme anger reactions to being overwhelmed. I certainly get overwhelmed a lot, but I am a very passive person and never get angry - I don't seem to have a temper to lose. Instead, when I am overwhelmed I have what I think of as a shutdown. My mind goes blank, like a computer that has crashed, and I often find myself mute, staring blankly, or unable to think or respond as well as I usually would until I am able to go somewhere quiet and recover. Actually, losing my temper and shouting would require far more presence of mind and verbal ability than I ever have in these situations! While they seem to be triggered by the same thing, these two reactions are pretty much opposite in terms of their expression. I'm still quite new to autism, so I'm not sure if "meltdown" is the correct term for both of these reactions or if they would be considered distinct.

When overwhelmed do you experience angry meltdowns, withdrawal/shutdown or both? If you have both what triggers the different types of reaction? I wondered if the "meltdown" or "shutdown" reaction to overwhelm might depend upon the personality of the autistic person (meltdown = more extroverted response, shutdown = more introverted response)? I'd be interested in opinions about it.



btbnnyr
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10 Nov 2012, 6:01 pm

For me, meltdowns are reactions to being overloaded by other people interacting with me. Shutdowns are overload from sensory issues like lights, noises, smells, etc etc etc.



Jinks
Deinonychus
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10 Nov 2012, 6:17 pm

btbnnyr wrote:
For me, meltdowns are reactions to being overloaded by other people interacting with me. Shutdowns are overload from sensory issues like lights, noises, smells, etc etc etc.


That didn't occur to me, but makes sense. :) I seem to have identical reactions to both things.



gretchyn
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10 Nov 2012, 6:17 pm

I shut down whenever I'm upset.



fleurdelily
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10 Nov 2012, 6:19 pm

angry meltdown is phase one, if I can't get away from the circumstances and they keep comming at me, shutdown is phase two. Something bad enough, {mind you, I was raised by alcoholics, so you can imagine the screaming and chaos} if it's something bad enough and I can't get away, I can go straight to shutdown mode

edited for clarity, hopefully-oh, and spelling


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Last edited by fleurdelily on 10 Nov 2012, 11:51 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Threore
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10 Nov 2012, 6:21 pm

Shutdowns only, though I remember having a meltdown once when I was a lot younger.



jacked
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10 Nov 2012, 6:37 pm

I shut down if the situation makes no logical sense and so does my son.
Especially in school
I found no practical reason for many subjects i was being taught and the bully problem did not help either.
But realty is until they have public aspergers school that teaches differing subjects its a long road.

Meltdown, I get angered if I am interrupted or not allowed to continue my work in a logical manner.
At work I tend to run people over anyway. They say I'm intense?
When I hyperfocus I really get alot of research done.
I do not understand or can allow a place for empathy for a slow coworker in my equations.
So if I am overwhelming the assistant they should get a new job or start learning to assist.
If they win out I'll get angered and a migraine, because i can not understand why we must do things unlogically to please someone. I make sure that everyone understands this to avoid problems but...



littlelily613
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10 Nov 2012, 6:40 pm

I am more inclined to meltdowns, but I am also one of the most introverted people you could meet (so there goes that theory :P)


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OddDuckNash99
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10 Nov 2012, 7:07 pm

I don't think I've ever had a "shutdown." My reactions are always "meltdown." I mean, when I get upset, I like going into a room by myself to calm down, but that's mostly because I don't like people around me asking what's wrong, and I don't like crying in front of people. But anger and built-up frustration is always what happens to me during sensory overload or when I'm overwhelmed by something. Whenever I know I'm ready to burst into tears or my anger/panic is out of control to the point where I'm shaking and hot all over, this is when I retreat to be by myself. I have been experiencing these reactions since birth, so I am quite good at keeping myself in "check" until I can be by myself. If I'm in public and have to calm down quickly, so long as there's an empty room or bathroom around, I usually can have a quick crying fit in 10 minutes or so.


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Verdandi
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10 Nov 2012, 7:33 pm

I sometimes have meltdowns and I often have shutdowns. When meltdowns become intense enough they become shutdowns.



MindWithoutWalls
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10 Nov 2012, 10:44 pm

If I'm overwhelmed, I'm likely to have a shutdown. I might have an outburst if I'm frustrated or angry, but I seem to stop short of meltdowns most of the time. Some of my outbursts may border on meltdowns, but I think of meltdowns as being much more extended. If things are really bad, I'm more likely to follow an outburst with a shutdown than to have a full-on meltdown. As a child, though, I may have had some meltdowns. But my mother had them from sensory issues and frustrations, so I must've adapted by shutting down instead of melting down. After all, my outburst or meltdown might trigger an outburst or meltdown on her part, and I couldn't handle that. So, I guess I began to shut down instead. But I didn't know that's what I was doing until my journey to learn about Asperger's and determine if I had it was under way, and that didn't begin until about a year and a half ago. I've found out a lot since then! (Thanks, btw, to all the WP members who gave their support - either in posts or in spirit!! !)

Once again, I wish my mother were still around so I could talk these things over with her. She never knew why she had those outbursts and meltdowns. I'd like to be able to tell her why, especially since she worked so hard when I grew up to reconcile with me when I asked her to. We got along much better after that, and this new information would be great to share with her. Unfortunately, I don't know if I'll ever be able to tell my father about any of this stuff. Waaay different situation there...

I prefer shutdowns to outbursts. They're less scary and troublesome for my girlfriend. A shutdown is something she can understand. It's what she's most likely to do. I don't like overwhelming her or making her uncomfortable in any way. She's sweet and can be fragile. I love her very much. Besides, if I make any kind of mess, however unintentionally, she could end up being affected by that, and I think it's not fair to do that to her. I really feel bad when something like that happens.


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Marybird
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10 Nov 2012, 10:46 pm

I used to have emotional meltdowns but now I just withdraw and shutdown.



chris5000
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10 Nov 2012, 11:14 pm

when im alone I tend to meltdown
when im around others I tend to shutdown



nuttyengineer
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11 Nov 2012, 12:37 am

I do both... I usually shut down first and if things get too bad then I'll get really angry (melt down). Fortunately, if I'm in public I can usually force myself to keep it together long enough to find an empty room or bathroom where I can vent.


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rebbieh
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11 Nov 2012, 3:16 am

I think I have both. I have meltdowns when I get emotionally overwhelmed and I have shutdowns when I get overwhelmed by things like noise, people, a lot of things happening at once etc.



madnak
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11 Nov 2012, 4:34 am

fleurdelily wrote:
angry meltdown is phase one, if I can't get away from the circumstances and they keep comming at me, shutdown is phase two. Something bad enough, {mind you, I was raised by alcoholics, so you can imagine the screaming and chaos} if it's something bad enough and I can't get away, I can go straight to shutdown mode


That's how it is for me. Shutdown mode is my "safe mode," and I go there when I feel a threat is impossible to address or when I have urges toward extreme aggression. If I let myself "melt down" long enough, I think I'd become psychotic and start hurting people. When I feel threatened I get confused and start to perceive everything around me as a threat, and violent impulses soon follow. Sometimes I'll find a "safe place" or object that I can use as protection, and just act like a 5-year-old with a security blanket, but mostly if things get bad I have to go catatonic to protect myself and others.