Does everyone have meltdowns?
19 Aug 2024, 4:48 am
Not everyone has meltdowns.
I do not know the general figures across the population though I do knkw the figures of those who have been diagnosed with autism in a study and it is surprizing.
60% of those who are on the spectrum experience meltdowns.
60% of those who are on the spectrum experience shutdowns.
There are lucky people on the spectrum that experience neither (I think it was 20%?)
Shutdowns come in different forms from coming out all mental to coming out in more physical ways with many displaying a mix of the two as the brain shuts itself down.
Meltdowns can also vary a bit from person to person on how they pan out.
There is a distinct difference between a meltdown and a temper tantrum as meltdowns, once they begin, can't be controlled. Tempers can when circumstances have changed.
(Example. A child sees their toy but their parents decide to take it from them and requires them to engage in something else such as to have lunch (Potential sudden decision change). The child starts to display meltdown/temper tantrum symptoms (So far both symptoms can look the same).
The toy is given back to the child. {The results of what takes place immediately after giving the toy back determines if the child was in a temper and could do with being disciplined, or a meltdown where support is needed}.
On being given back the toy, the child almost immediately (Or within quite a short period of time) stops acting up and goes to play with the toy. This indicates a temper tantrum has occurred.
On being given back the toy, the child keeps up the symptoms and can't stop. This indicates a meltdown.
Hope this helps parents work out the difference between the two as it is important to know, as some inadequately trained support workers who deal with autistic children and adults do not realize this and can give wrong advice. (E.g. by letting a child get away with tempers OR by telling off a child who is having a meltdown... Both cases can potentially cause longer term harm, either by ending up with an adult who thinks they can get away with things if they fly into a temper or by having an adult who does not trust their parents and ends up wanting to leave home as soon as they can as has genuinely had a hard time, despite their parents deeply loving them).
Brian0787
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Joined: 19 Aug 2024
Age: 37
Gender: Male
Posts: 622
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
20 Aug 2024, 10:36 pm
I do not know the general figures across the population though I do knkw the figures of those who have been diagnosed with autism in a study and it is surprizing.
60% of those who are on the spectrum experience meltdowns.
60% of those who are on the spectrum experience shutdowns.
There are lucky people on the spectrum that experience neither (I think it was 20%?)
Shutdowns come in different forms from coming out all mental to coming out in more physical ways with many displaying a mix of the two as the brain shuts itself down.
Meltdowns can also vary a bit from person to person on how they pan out.
There is a distinct difference between a meltdown and a temper tantrum as meltdowns, once they begin, can't be controlled. Tempers can when circumstances have changed.
(Example. A child sees their toy but their parents decide to take it from them and requires them to engage in something else such as to have lunch (Potential sudden decision change). The child starts to display meltdown/temper tantrum symptoms (So far both symptoms can look the same).
The toy is given back to the child. {The results of what takes place immediately after giving the toy back determines if the child was in a temper and could do with being disciplined, or a meltdown where support is needed}.
On being given back the toy, the child almost immediately (Or within quite a short period of time) stops acting up and goes to play with the toy. This indicates a temper tantrum has occurred.
On being given back the toy, the child keeps up the symptoms and can't stop. This indicates a meltdown.
Hope this helps parents work out the difference between the two as it is important to know, as some inadequately trained support workers who deal with autistic children and adults do not realize this and can give wrong advice. (E.g. by letting a child get away with tempers OR by telling off a child who is having a meltdown... Both cases can potentially cause longer term harm, either by ending up with an adult who thinks they can get away with things if they fly into a temper or by having an adult who does not trust their parents and ends up wanting to leave home as soon as they can as has genuinely had a hard time, despite their parents deeply loving them).
I had meltdowns when I was younger but now I have shutdowns. I was actually going to ask about that in a separate post. All the stress, the mental repetitions, my anxiety everything combined just makes me pretty much shut down and isolate myself where I just pretty much lay curled up in my bed and I feel like I can't handle anymore. I luckily have a medication called Ativan which is a Benzodiazepine which takes the edge off. It just really sucks. I am not sure if antipsychotics would possibly help? Probably another reason I need to get officially diagnosed to access some help. I feel like there gets to a point where I just can't handle anymore. It definitely adds to my depression. There comes times where I just want to leave and go to someplace out West or far away.
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"In this galaxy, there’s a mathematical probability of three million Earth-type planets. And in all the universe, three million million galaxies like this. And in all of that, and perhaps more...only one of each of us. Don’t destroy the one named Kirk." - Dr. Leonard McCoy, "Balance of Terror", Star Trek: The Original Series.
Last edited by Brian0787 on 20 Aug 2024, 10:47 pm, edited 3 times in total.
21 Aug 2024, 7:31 am
I do not know the general figures across the population though I do knkw the figures of those who have been diagnosed with autism in a study and it is surprizing.
60% of those who are on the spectrum experience meltdowns.
60% of those who are on the spectrum experience shutdowns.
There are lucky people on the spectrum that experience neither (I think it was 20%?)
Shutdowns come in different forms from coming out all mental to coming out in more physical ways with many displaying a mix of the two as the brain shuts itself down.
Meltdowns can also vary a bit from person to person on how they pan out.
There is a distinct difference between a meltdown and a temper tantrum as meltdowns, once they begin, can't be controlled. Tempers can when circumstances have changed.
(Example. A child sees their toy but their parents decide to take it from them and requires them to engage in something else such as to have lunch (Potential sudden decision change). The child starts to display meltdown/temper tantrum symptoms (So far both symptoms can look the same).
The toy is given back to the child. {The results of what takes place immediately after giving the toy back determines if the child was in a temper and could do with being disciplined, or a meltdown where support is needed}.
On being given back the toy, the child almost immediately (Or within quite a short period of time) stops acting up and goes to play with the toy. This indicates a temper tantrum has occurred.
On being given back the toy, the child keeps up the symptoms and can't stop. This indicates a meltdown.
Hope this helps parents work out the difference between the two as it is important to know, as some inadequately trained support workers who deal with autistic children and adults do not realize this and can give wrong advice. (E.g. by letting a child get away with tempers OR by telling off a child who is having a meltdown... Both cases can potentially cause longer term harm, either by ending up with an adult who thinks they can get away with things if they fly into a temper or by having an adult who does not trust their parents and ends up wanting to leave home as soon as they can as has genuinely had a hard time, despite their parents deeply loving them).
I had meltdowns when I was younger but now I have shutdowns. I was actually going to ask about that in a separate post. All the stress, the mental repetitions, my anxiety everything combined just makes me pretty much shut down and isolate myself where I just pretty much lay curled up in my bed and I feel like I can't handle anymore. I luckily have a medication called Ativan which is a Benzodiazepine which takes the edge off. It just really sucks. I am not sure if antipsychotics would possibly help? Probably another reason I need to get officially diagnosed to access some help. I feel like there gets to a point where I just can't handle anymore. It definitely adds to my depression. There comes times where I just want to leave and go to someplace out West or far away.
My mind shuts things down physically which I can notice before menally if that makes sense? Why it was so hard to find out what they were.
21 Aug 2024, 4:11 pm
I mostly had them as a child when I wasn't able to communicate or felt like I was being heard....which was a lot. I also would have them if someone was trying to force me to do something I obviously did not want to do such as jump into a swimming pool. But after I became an adult and FINNALLY had some autonomy and could say no and actually mean it I wasn't having meltdowns. I was also punished and mocked for meltdowns. I can NEVER watch that scene in Guardians of the Galaxy 3 where the High Evolutionary taunts Rocket Racoon for crying over the death of Lylla Otter beucase my parents did something very similar when I was in mid meltdown over my routine being disrupted. Instead of trying to comfort me, they would mock me and tape record me, play it back and say, "Listen to how awful you sound!" Thankfully we didn't have a video recorder and even more thankfully You Tube didn't exist yet.
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