What is a "meltdown"?

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I keep reading about how AS/autistic people have meltdowns. But that's such a BROAD term..it can mean anything. NTs have meltdowns too.

What is your personal definition? What happens? How long does it last? How do you feel better? Please help me understand so that I can compare notes and learn.


***I seem to have a real LOVE for precision in speech. It annoys me a lot when people say things that are not precise, not well defined...I think this is the cause for so much conflict and tension in the world..but this is another topic. I feel like the more precise (zoom in) we get, the better chance we have to pass on info that is correct and objective.

double postie

my parents called it a 'tantrum', I called it a 'freak out', one of my husbands called it a 'thunderstorm' but it was only after Chernobyl that people started using 'meltdown' as a common descriptive phrase for sensory overload.
I have never heard or read of anyone suggesting only people on the autism spectrum have sensory overload.

Merle

I've got two blog entries which cover the topic if you're interested;

The Aspie Meltdown - An Insider's Point of View - Part 1 (Life-with-Aspergers)

The Aspie Meltdown - An Insider's Point of View - Part 2 (Life-with-Aspergers)

A meltdown is complete loss of control,which can result in inner [kept inside and invisible to others] or outer [visible to others,can include things like head banging,punching head or eyes,self injury,smashing things,punching walls,attacking at anything without knowing what it is,having tonic clonic seizure like problems etc.
none of it is controlled and voluntary,but does get mistaken for tantrum which is controllable and used for own gain.
Meltdowns are thought to be fueled by the fight or flight chemicals in the brain,which is probably why once meltdowns start they can be impossible to get out of till they have worn themselves out.
'Meltdown' is an Autistic community word,though non Autistics can share any of the symptoms.

For me the big threat is confusion. That can happen either when there's too much going on, an ill timed distraction that doesn't have an instant logical reaction, or simply someone who appears not to be listening for no discernable reason.

And that's just off the top of my head. I'm very sensitive to meltdowns as I try to avoid them in whatever way I can.

I'm never violent, but have been known to turn into a bit of an a**hole.

I am very articulate, and have been known to give people very detailed and verbose rants pinpointing exactly why they are worthless. :S

I do however have a very long fuse, and much prefer getting to a quiet dark place where i can just sit and cool off. But when the red fog comes down watch out

everyone is deferent,
and not all meltdowns are the same,
I have been under high stress and anxiety for over 5 months now,
(custody dispute)
major overload for an extended duration,
I have had a couple meltdowns in the mean time,
but these have been basically me running home and going to
bed and curling up into a ball and just have at it.
during this time my body is all tingling,
my nerve are shot,
I become hyper-stative to most everything,
I cant think clearly if at all,
I scream into my pillow and just wither.
I constantly feel like I am having a panic attack.

How can we prevent the meltdown? Any ideas?

To me, a meltdown is when I lose my temper with a particular person. That person will say something very ignorant. I'll start ranting about how I need to get away from some place, usually my clubhouse, because of the name of the person, who had triggered the meltdown. I start to go on, about what an a**hole, that person is, and than I'll verbally abuse them, with a few one-liners, about what that particular person said, and yell as loudly in, which ever ear is pointing towards me, "I'M AUTISTIC! WHAT'S YOUR BLOODY EXCUSE!" I call myself a misfit, a few times, and than I yell out, "I'M A MISFIT, ACCORDING TO THAT BASTARD, OVER THERE!" It's usually the same man that triggers the meltdowns. That man keeps asking me, "Aren't you too old for that?" when he refers to my free spirited, and childlike interests. It's gotten to the point, that I can't be in the same building, with him. The only reason that the meltdown happened, is the fact that my aunt decided to die, the very same evening/night, that Dean flew off to Hawaii, and my evening routine was disrupted. I'm glad that it happened, though. That bully who gave me a hard time, will know not to ask that question, again. I've even had to scratch my name off of the list, to go to Whistler for a day, because the instigator's name, was also on the list. I'm not going to stop bringing Sid to the clubhouse, because of that lowlife ret*d. I will make a point of leaving, every time that I see his face, to teach him, even more of a lesson. I've missed out on a nice salmon dinner, but it's gotten to the point, that I'd rather bake fish n chips, for Barb, than endure a salmon dinner, with Don. Am I pathetic, or what?

It's a good thing that clubhouse members aren't allowed to bring jackknives.