what is a "meltdown" ?

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I keep seeing people refer to a "meltdown", what exactly is this ?

It's what happens to you when you've been at your worksite faithfully on time for years then, out of the blue, they tell you your schedule's been changed causing you to bounce off the walls like a deflating balloon.

a meltdown is common in autism and aspergers. A meltdown is when something like a routine change, sensory overload, stress, pressure, or confusion can cause someone to loose control of their actions, they may :

*throw or hit things
*scream, yell, swear
*cry
*hyperventilate
*harming self
*rage at others and self


sometimes, a meltdown can seem like a black out, and you arent aware of what your doing.

Right, I see, thank you

Iwalways thought of when you end up doing stuff like this! I do this from time to time when my meltdowns get real bad!

To me a meltdown is exactly what is sound like. My mental image of a meltdown is that of a reactor going through chain reactions to its end.

My experience is that once a meltdown is occurring its like a ship that has sailed, Water over the falls. You really cant undo it and at least I have not been successful at stopping one.

It has also been my experience the the best defense for a meltdown: is truly a good offense. Typically I can see them building. That is the time to intervene. Not during the meltdown.

What happens to me during a meltdown, I stop blinking, my eyes widen, I suddenly become quiet all the while all the energy in the universe begins to collect in my body until I feel like I have the physical capability of an entire army, and that energy is either dispersed slowly after I try to control it long enough time for me to leave the situation that caused it, or if I'm prevented from leaving the situation, that leads to the final trigger which "all the energy in the universe" is released as a giant blast wave which usually results in significant property damage (example: ripping interior doors out of door frames and splitting the door in half, and then punching holes through the remaining pieces on the floor until all the energy is gone). Afterward a couple of days of silence are observed to adapt my mind to the situation that caused it in the first place.

But, this rarely happens to me anymore. If I feel like the energy is building, I just remove myself from the situation until I can rationalize and find alternative ways to adapt to the situation, or if I have a potential solution to the problem I run though the likely simulations in my mind about proposing it so I'll be better prepared and more rational which is better for everyone.

Would someone be able to explain is detail what happens during a meltdown, cause, effects, build up? Do you notice when you are near a meltdown? Are you able to prevent or stop them? Any specific examples that can be given?

I think i may have had minor meltdowns as a kid that would have just been taken as tantrums and I learnt not to do it. But then I'm quite borderline (based on self diagnosis)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWgApN3GZwA[/youtube]

I agree with the others who say that once a meltdown has started you can't stop it, but you can stop it whilst it's building by removal from the situation in some way.

During meltdowns I have broken things, which I always regret afterwards, but could not control it at the time.

I recall doing things like this a lot as a young child, but it stopped before the age of 10.