How do you feel after having a meltdown?

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tired, physically old, mentally immature and embarrassed. If the meltdown happens in public it can take me a long time to go outside again. I shut down, turning off phone and internet, avoid meaningful conversation with concerned people, sometimes for days or weeks. Usually within 24hrs I feel emotionally numb which lasts for anything up to a week.

I think once the stress subsides I am left just tired and usually fall asleep for a long time. And people are my enemy.

I feel weary and worthless after a meltdown.

I feel exhausted, sad and upset after a meltdown. If other people witnessed the meltdown I feel embarrassed too. I also feel frustrated, because those people are going to want to know why it happened and yet there's no way they will ever understand and believe the real explanation and will keep prompting for a better explanation or they will make their own, wrong assumptions about it. I also know that they will talk about it behind my back and judge me for it (without really knowing/understanding what it was and why it happens), which doesn't help either.

I am neurotypical, though I have some attributes in common with aspies like stimming, and High Sensation Seeking, while also being sensitive, and many sensory issues, particularly to bright light and loud noises, but I don't have what I understand as Autistic touch issues. I'll accept a hug from anyone, except when they don't feel safe, or their cologne is overwhelming, or whatever.

I don't think I experience meldown, but sort of something like it. Somewhere I read that the person doesn't feel it coming and suddenly finds themselves in the middle of it like an attack, and one source described it as anger toward themselves. I have no clue if that is what meltdown is, I only know what I have read, but I experience anger at myself somewhat frequently. It's like things that seem like very minor offenses cause very major consiquences. I am overly sensitive to criticism for instance, or when some oversight of mine causes me a lot of extra work, or to receive a very expensive fine, or whatever. When this happens, the problem was caused by me; some attribute of mine, like my forgetfulness, or because I misread some person's intention, or whatever, and the frustration can become overwhelming, and I sometimes take my frustration with myself, out on myself physically, I am ashamed to say. This almost never happens in public. It's not like an attack for me. I know what I am feeling and why, so I don't know if it would qualify as a meltdown.

But I identify with some of your after feelings.

A combination of exhausted and totally embarrassed.

I feel foolish once I calm down and think over the irrationality of my response.

I actually don't have uncontrollable meltdowns. It's one of the only symptoms of AS I don't have. For some reason I can control my anger *very well* and rarely feel angry or upset enough to freak out. The closest thing I come to with a meltdown is fighting with my significant other, but that's perfectly normal. However, when I have an emotional bomb dropped on me (where maybe I WOULD freak out if I was the angry type?), instead I go into a state of complete apathy and emptiness and feel very lethargic and tired for days afterward.

Yeah I feel drained too. I don't feel embarrassed though, just drained and wanting to lie down in a dark room

At first, angry. I'm angry at myself for losing control and I'm angry at whoever or whatever helped provoke it. Then I'm embarrassed but I get over that relatively soon and then I'm just tired. But the level of exhaustion varies, sometimes just closing my eyes and relaxing helps me and I'm awake again and other times I just need to sleep.

Empty.
Failed.
Lost.
Exhausted.
Embarassed.
And more Failed.

suddenly very self-aware, and afterwards i am left wondering why i had the meltdown in the first place
i havent had a meltdown in a while actually. I just go into 'airhead' mode and switch off nowadays.

How long do your meltdowns last?