meltdown advice

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Hi guys, hope you are well!
I'm new to wrongplanet

Was hoping for some advice, i have aspergers syndrome was diagnosed when i was a young one, it's nothing new but from the age of 17 i have used patterns of escapism. It's only the beginning of this year i have even felt autistic fully since i was young, was crazy how much valium and other substances helped me mask my emotions!!

I'm now 27 and my life is beautiful, i started my own business beginning of the year, met a beautiful partner early this year...
My meltdowns are ruining everything tho, i just don't know how to cope with them apart from benzos which isn't the way, i want to learn to handle these head on in a healthy manner? they are horrible like having a psychotic episode and blacking out!! i feel dangerous to society when i do experience them and it's not nice for people i love to experience

can any of my aspies or anyone on the spectrum give me any advice?
it's ruining my life and putting me in a terrible mind state of not even wanting to be here sometimes

thank you c

I'm not sure how to stop a meltdown in progress. I'm sure it's possible, but prevention might be a better bet.
You could try keeping a journal for a week or two to see if any patterns emerge leading up to your meltdowns.
Try preemptively making a list of things that you consider stressors.
For example:
-not sleeping enough
-forgetting to eat or drink water
-masking in public
-loud noises (or other sensory issues)
That way, you can go through your list before you journal to see if you checked any boxes. In doing so, you may discover things that weren't on your list that may be troubling you. Once you have an idea of what might be leading up to your meltdowns, you can begin to strategize how to give yourself the self care you need or how to ask for accommodations from others when you start to feel overwhelmed. You could even strategize with your partner or other loved ones.
Other than that, if you have access to healthcare, this is definitely something you could work on with a therapist.
I hope this was helpful, but even if it isn't I wish the best of luck to you and yours!

Any more advice people?

Thank you for responding

When I was in management and had an unpleasant surprise that would normally trigger a meltdown, I would excuse myself and take a walk to another building and back. The five to ten minute delay was usually sufficent to allow things to calm down enough.

Have you considered something like an SSRI med (commonly known as an 'anti-depressant'), to reduce your levels of anxiety? In the event that anxiety could be leading to meltdowns, this may be helpful.

They tend to have less risks and side effects than benzos.

You might have to get used to the idea that you need medication for life, which is a hard pill to swallow.

Excuse the pun.

This is just over 2 years ago that I had uploaded this video content and I did after all make it to the place where I wanted to film my flowers.