Meltdowns, Elopements, Shutdowns, and Sensory Overloads - Oh MY!

Understanding Autism & Meltdowns: Meltdowns, elopements, shutdowns, and other types of overloads are MEDICAL EVENTS.

Hi, my name is Lyric Rivera. I am Autistic and 36 years old, and I have had meltdowns my entire life. I still have meltdowns even now as an adult.

In addition to meltdowns, I also have shutdowns (and may even elope occasionally).

Many long-time readers know what meltdowns are (because I've spoken about them regularly). However, April often brings many new people into my world. So if you're new here, welcome! I'm going to go into some basics for you. 

Meltdowns, Elopements, Shutdowns, and Sensory Overload - Oh MY!

Meltdowns, elopements, shutdowns, and other types of overloads are MEDICAL EVENTS where someone's fight-or-flight-freeze response has been triggered. (Additionally, some Autistics may fawn when triggered, depending on the situation.)

Fight-Flight-Freeze / Meltdown-Elope-Shutdown 

The fight-flight-freeze response is an automatic stress response that keeps us safe from perceived dangers. It's an involuntary reaction that the person has little to no control over.

In ancient times this response would have saved us from animals and other threats, so we can spring to action before we have time to think about it. 

Our reactions, once triggered, are reflexive. As the adrenaline pumps through us, diverting energy and oxygen from our power-hungry brains to our legs for running and our arms for fighting, it clouds our judgment and ability to think and communicate clearly.

To stay safe, systems in the body shift from typical operations by shutting down functions not essential to survival (such as digestion). 

Once the amygdala alarm goes off, what comes next is not a conscious decision. 

A person who's had this alarm triggered may become defensive or combative; they may run or sprint away (without consideration for their safety), or they may freeze, shutting down and imploding in on themselves in a catatonic ball. 

All people, regardless of NeuroType, can experience having their fight-or-flight response triggered. However, Autistics (with big feelings and more sensitivity to the world around us) are more prone to amygdala-driven experiences for many reasons, one being sensory overload.

Sensory Overload

Autistic brains tend to soak up information without filters (which can be overwhelming).

Sensory overload is when one's senses take in more sensory information than the brain can decode and sort in a given period. 

Like when a computer with limited graphics processing capacity and insufficient ram overheats, glitches out, crashes, or shuts down. Overwhelmed by too much input (threat to Autistic health), the brain responds by activating the fight-flight-freeze state in self-preservation.

Sensory overloads are painful experiences and are a common meltdown trigger for many of us. 

Information Overload

In addition to sensory overload, some Autistic People experience Information Overload. They become overwhelmed by more information than they can process at once (especially if the information is new or confusing).

Being presented with too much information at once can send me into a panic, triggering intense fear, dread, and a need to escape, defend myself, or hide. 

Emotional Overload 

As an Autistic Person, one of my biggest struggles is handling how intense my emotional experiences can be.

When I'm happy, I'm REALLY happy with a joy that can overwhelm me, and less comfortable emotions (despair, anger, panic) can be just as all-consuming. Because I feel my feelings intensely, they impact me significantly, and it can be hard to contain and keep my reactions to those emotions pinned up. 

Because Autistic People can have very intense emotional experiences when an Autistic Person's flight, flight, or freeze response is triggered (due to trauma, stress, intense emotions, pain, or sensory overwhelm), they are likely to react in proportion to their internal experience (often with more intensity than expected in a non-autistic person). We may fight (meltdown), flight (elope-running like hell even into danger's path), or freeze (shut down), depending on the situation.