Ever had a nervous breakdown?

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Thanks for the tip about feverfew. My anxiety is actually close to non-existent 98% of the time; I was in therapy for a little bit, and have learned to almost completely manage my anxiety on my own. I also moved to a new apartment (my near-breakdown was tied to my old job as a live-in care provider, so getting anywhere but there was a great change of scenery) and made a bunch of other changes. For me it's mainly feeling like I'm lower on energy than I used to be, and more than anything, just trying to feel my way around what to expect going forward. It's almost like "researching" AS meltdown experiences with myself being a test case. I'm not worried as much as I am seeking knowledge and more self-awareness as related to AS.

Low energy levels are common for many people with AS, it relates to poor ability to retain muscle tone and the fact that you are 'running twice as fast to keep up' in terms of people skills, which can get exhausting mentally. I've had physical stamina problems ever since my teens. You say it's a new phenomenon for you so I don't know how it has come about.

I'll clarify a bit more: it's low relative to what I have usually had in the past. I definitely have sleep/schedule/energy issues normally, but what is different now is I feel like I have lowered energy ceiling from what I had before. The OP talked about the fatigue they experienced after their meltdown, so I assumed that all the aftermath stuff talked about here was in relation peoples' respective normal levels with AS.

Speaking generally now, I find the keeping up with people is not just more mental effort, but physical as well. Having to pay attention to the details of people and conversation to try to keep creates physical tension from being on high alert so you can process what is going on around you at a decent pace. I find this to be one of two main causes of anxiety (the other being the feelings of loss of control and uncertainty from being disconnected), as you can be a bit high strung sometimes (kind of like being at the starting line and waiting for the gun to sound so you can go-go-go and try to keep pace). It is the coming down from this, especially if a lot of energy has been used or just plained bottomed out, that any feelings of depression come about. It's like a roller coaster ride (though I am starting to be a fairly competent ride operator). Sorry for the digression, and I hope this post made sense and clarifies more what I had previously said.

yeah, mental effort or just keeping up the mask of normality is tiring physically. I was happier when I was oblivious and undx'ed, unaware and unconcerned about my social blunders, but after about 24 I developed some awareness of my failings and yet had no ability to act otherwise, so that sort of thing tends to be depressing. I didn't get a dx until I was about 40.

This definitely happened to me when I started realizing that I didn't know how to talk to people and make friends. I tried, but was so miserable. I had to deal with past issues that I had tried to repress for a long time also. I am still mad that AS was never considered when my social problems were the most prevalent they could have been. I went through what seemed like every disorder that existed, but never even knew that there could be a disorder that was causing my immediate stress, which is what put me over the edge. I remember acting like an animal at an ER intake when a nurse wanted to sedate me. I started having chronic pain associated with depression, and I couldn't stay sane for anything. I don't really think I was insane, but I know now how I act when I'm upset about trying to be like everyone else, and I fail at the attempt. In a way, I have given up at fitting in, but only to really get comfortable with myself, until I feel confident to go back out and try to be in public groups just to hang out. I am still in recovery from my breakdown, and it's been about four years since the big one. I'm now 26 going on 27 in Feb. I just want my life back, so I can fit it in with my new life that I've managed to create with bare bones emotional support.

I have had two, one at age 17 and the other at age 23.

Both were nervous breakdown slipping to catatonia or something. The big issue was feeling that I couldn't bring myself to do more schoolwork or something like that.

Interestingly enough, this is largely what I've been doing since my diagnosis last year.

I'm rather amazed that the nexus of traumatic events that befell me four years ago didn't drive me into full nervous breakdown - but they did rob me of all enthusiasm for life for a couple of years, even more severely than the low-energy levels I've had for my adult life.