Change of plans = meltdowns

Post Reply New Topic

My mom just changed the plans, and now I am freaking out and don't know what to do.
What do you do to calm a meltdown?
How do you deal with it?
Does anyone understand????

I dont really freak out, but I am not a 'routine/ritual' aspie. However if I have been looking forward to something and you change it on me.... PREPARE FOR DEATH AND WORSE! Once my mom told me that we were not going to do something that she said we would do and I FREAKED OUT. I was crying, screaming, yelling at my mom. IDK if that counts as a meltdown. I certainly felt out of control, and if my mom had done something other than yell at me and ground me it probably would have ended sooner.

I've totally been there, even though for the most part I'm not a routine type person. What I've found helps is to go and find your own space somewhere for a little while, and reflect quietly. The woods, or somewhere outside with limited breakable objects is best, in case you get angry. Talk to your mom once you've calmed down a bit. Asking her to inform you in advance when she's going to change a routine helps. It might also help you to try to set a new one in place of the old soon.

I always have a meltdown when plans change. It bothers me because I feel completely out of control and worry that I won't have time to prepare myself for the change in schedule. What I usually do is go to my room, close the door, and turn the lights off. If it's at night, I'll turn on a lamp so I can still see, and I just sit on my bed and try to focus on nothing at all. The less stimulation there is, the easier it seems for me to be able to accept the change. After I clear my head, I'll usually also write down the new plan, to make it seem more planned than it really is. Sometimes I'm in the room for half an hour, sometimes I can calm down in five minutes. It just depends on how big the change was and how long in advance I was notified. The more spur of the moment it is, the more upset I get.

When you feel like you're gonna melt down because some idiotface changed plans on you, drink some coffee or an energy drink. The problem is, we have to think so much just to accomplish little bits of nothing that "NTs" don't have to think about. Of course, our hyper thinking can allow us to accomplish great things, but accomplishing little BS things like changing of plans can screw us over. With the coffee, my reason is, whenever those things happens, it speeds my thoughts up so I can think faster about how I need to change my actions/thinking for the change in plans, because without the extra speed of thought I'm just overwhelmed.

Be prepared for a life of coffee and energy drinks forever and ever until you live in a cabin in the woods.

When it comes to meltdowns for me, prevention is better than cure. Changes of routine rarely cause them unless i've had a list of other problems. It always seems to be some as*hole inflicting a significant stresser on me for no good reason. My supervisor at work wanting to send me to a disciplinary for example. That incident gave me the worst meltdown ever, i had to take 3 months off sick.

Drinking energy drinks excessively is a bad idea because they are bad for your heart.

When one happens, the only thing that works for me is to sleep it off and hope it passes by the time I wake up. My functionality drops through the floor anyway.

I don't really "meltdown" per se, but I do get very agitated when it's a long awaited event. Normally I just shut myself in to prevent myself from hurting others verbally (very rarely physically)

It depends with me, I hate last minute changes and I need to know exactly what caused the disruption and who is to blame. And whether it was due to negligence or not. I just try to cope with it as best I can and knowing details sometimes helps.

Ugh, I hate changes of plans. My school changes plans often, so screaming doesn't exactly help. -.-

Yes - absolutely. I like to have a plan, and when that plan doesn't happen, for whatever reason, it makes me very frustrated and depressed. I don't really know how to describe a proper 'aspie meltdown' but you all know what I mean - that burning feeling of anger and pain? I haven't really found a way to cope with it yet, It puts me in a bad mood for the whole day. I try to accommodate the event into the next day somehow, so I don't completely miss it.

I definitely understand what you are saying. Meltdowns are extremely um pleasant (to put it mildly). When I have a meltdown sometimes I try to paint, or count to 10 while deeply breathing, maybe even read a good book or go for a run. When I am having a serious meltdown I have the urge to self harm. In that case I chew gum (to keep from biting) and I rub lotion on my arm to keep from scratching. Maybe you should try some of those things...they might help with your meltdowns. But changing plans definitely drives me crazy. I can not stand it. I am sorry that your mom changed plans on you.

When I have meltdowns I tend to cry HISTERICALLY in anger, isolate myself and be frustrated almost all day.

I have no way of getting over a meltdown yet. ):

Yup, I've suffered meltdowns from changes in plans. Nowadays, I find that I can suppress them by ranting in my mind until I'm away from the situation--although this'll only work if the person/people who caused the abrupt change in plans doesn't talk to me much while I'm still mad...

I'm the say way. Im only 15 and I have 3 felonys because changes of plan. The only thing I can think of to tell you is this if you do have melt down do t do anything you might regret. I know it'll be hard to control if you have meltdowns like mine but you have to try.