Memory Loss After burnout/Meltdown

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I'm wondering if others experience a kind of amnesia / memory loss during meltdowns / burnout.

Although I have meltdowns (more internal than external), here have been a small handful of times throughout the decades that I have no recall of things I've done/said etc. This has only been after a particularly difficult life event where the meltdown lasted weeks or even months. Almost like when everything finally breaks or comes to a head and there is no more room 'inside' and things just kind of explode, my brain 'shorts out' or gets overloaded, or something and there will be a few hours that I cannot remember. Not everytime, but sometimes, I have said or done some pretty outrageous things and no matter how hard I try, I cannot remember any of it.

I was wondering if anyone else has experienced that and if so, what are things you've done to help keep you from getting to that point or how to you prevent it. Like I said, it's only happened a very few times throughout my life but I'd really like for that to never happen again because it is very disconcerting.

Thank you for any input.

If there was a lot of stress in the burnout, it is, if I understand the science correctly, possible for the hormones produced in response to stress, cortisol being the principal one, causing cognitive impairments such as poor short term memory for a period.

Anecdotally, a close friend who had been the subject of a false accusation of serious misconduct which had been made to the police and resulted in an anxious period after arrest, interviews and bail while the case was considered, and dropped, reported a period of several months with poor short term memory recovering from that episode

Wow, that is very interesting. A few months after a home invasion with SA I had a major meltdown. I had already been in what I now know to be burnout, but after that event I was wholly rejected by the few people in my life (wouldn't visit me because my home was considered 'dangerous' and pretty much stopped talking to me and even became hateful / blamed me). It culminated in an evening where I disconnected from my conscious self and really lashed out to a few people over the phone, but I have zero recollection of it.) I appreciate you shedding some light on the 'why'. I'm learning. It is all so overwhelming.

Sounds like you may have been dissociating due to stress. Dissociation can impair memory.

I work all day long and don't give myself a chance to rest, so burnout has become a part of me. I started noticing that I started having problems with my memory about a month ago when I started messing up project deadlines. The situation at work deteriorated, and I almost lost my career. When I talked to my psychologist about it, she said memory loss during a burnout is a common problem. I took a memory test and concluded that, on average, my memory had deteriorated by 11% in six months.

Not actual memory loss as remembering things but in making decisions I struggled with and what I did get which was scary was I forgot and had to quickly re-learn how to walk, which aas frightening when one is left standing in the middle of an open carpark not knowing what to do!

I had an extremely bad meltdown at work once, this was in December 2012 I remember that very clearly. In fact, this is one of the worst meltdowns I think I have ever had in my adult life. Honestly, I blacked out and don't even remember the whole thing. All I know is, that weekend (this was on a Friday) I felt physically awful and slept most of the time.

I've been dealing with workplace burnout for years and believe me, the struggle is real.

Yes, definately when it comes to short term memory. Oddly, a long time later (6 months to 2 years later) one can remember what was said that one could not recall (Or make sense of what was said) just after it was said at the time, as at the time it was as if what they said was in a forengn language! But when ones long term memory kicks in, one can remember everything in detail and make sense of what was said too!

I never had this experience but I have heard of rage blackouts where people act out in anger & don't remember. It would not surprise me if something like this could happen with autistic meltdowns & burnouts.

My advice for prevention would be to take a proactive role with your mental health. Try to minimize your triggers. Try to take breaks in stressfull situations. Counceling might potentially help with that. Try to relax & enjoy yourself more. Psych meds might help as well.