Does everyone have meltdowns?

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I think about half of people with ASD do - maybe more.

I never had anything resembling a meltdown as a child. When I was 11-12 however in response to bullying (which started to get really bad at that age) I sometimes started to sob uncontrollably while in school and took hours to calm down.

Then I started to secretly binge on candy in the bathroom at school in order to ''deal with stress''. As the bullying got worse I stopped reacting emotionally and just continued to binge uncontrollably.

it wasn't until I was 23 did I have a major breakdown after years of stress and major medical illness. For the next three years I was a basket case, unable to control my emotions and had '' meltdowns'' constantly. At 26 I started taking valium to calm me down and to zone out. While not the best ''coping'' regimen I haven't had a meltdown in over a year. It is what it is. We can only take so much.

I'm more likely to just shutdown. The most severe one I have had I was unable to move even to pick up a book. I have them to where I cannot pick up a phone, listen to music or watch TV because of the noise/stimuli, answer a doorbell, etc. I also cry easily even if I feel calm.

I have meltdowns under extreme stress. Shut downs are more common.
One autistic guy I know had accidentally hit my sister (who at the time had a concussion) and he had a meltdown.

I rarely have them and I can go months without having one. I had more of them in my teens because of anxiety. I occasionally had sensory overloads but most of my meltdowns came from me being anxious. I would get anxious because of other kids not following the rules or because things were out of my control or because I would start worrying like not getting my work done or because I was getting behind in class when we would all be correcting papers and I definitely had lot of them at home because of our puppy we had who wouldn't quit peeing in the house and actually refused to go outside which no one believes me about except for one person and it was an online friend and she told me he was probably just a dumb animal and was probably confused. I also had meltdowns at home for other reasons like the house being a mess and my family being too lazy to pick up after themselves and my brothers being too loud and making messes and being in my personal space.


I consider my shut downs as me walking away from things than having a meltdown when I get too overwhelmed. I never knew I had them until my mother mentioned them. I just thought a shutdown was when you go mute and you do nothing else but I guess not. When I get too upset sometimes, I will hide in my room and want to be around no one and I feel like doing nothing and feel no mental energy to interact with anyone or even be around people. My husband calls those panic attacks.

Last time I had a meltdown was a couple of years ago.

I used to have whoppers as a teenager - I remember my sister talking me out of a lot of them.

I just become more stupid than usual.

First day of school never happened for me. I was crying screaming, kicking I remembered my parents trying to lift me but it's like I locked up or something. That's the only time that I can remember having a meltdown.

_________________
"Survival is insufficient" - Seven of Nine

Most, but not all. I have them when the noise levels and people get too loud. I flipped out and had to put noise cancellation ear muffs on at work when a technician decided to start whistling non-stop. The added stimulation on top of the normal machine noises was too much for me. Not to mention just him being in my work area.

No, not all autistics have meltdowns. I don’t remember having any in my life, but perhaps I’m mistaken.

I'm lucky I get through a month without a meltdown or a rage attack. Mainly because there's a new global crisis happening every five seconds.

I had what I called "berserker episodes".
I would latch onto the throat of whoever goaded me into it and it would require several people to detach me. Haven't had one since I had the crap beaten out of me by one targets group of friends.

I found that some overloads can be overridden by rhythms and beats.
When a crowd was getting to me I found sticking my head in a bass bin could settle me.
Paying for that with Tinnitus now

I still have those crying meltdowns from time to time. A friend of mine calls me Big Baby Schultz because he thinks it's funny.

I have meltdowns everyday from loneliness and weekends make me extremely suicidal because all I can think about is how I feel like I am completely trash because no one wants to be my intention person friend and how everyone else is out doing water sports or movies, bowling and enjoying themselves with their friends and I'm not even worthy enough to have anyone to talk to.

My kids and I do.
They can be downright terrifying especially when they collide at the same time.