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<blockquote data-quote="MadCatLady" data-source="post: 15281" data-attributes="member: 7960">Welcome.&nbsp; There are lots of us here with experience of autistic burnout.&nbsp; I'm currently on the Pathway Programme and can thoroughly recommend it.&nbsp; It's for newly diagnosed/self identified autistics and covers burnout and so much more.&nbsp; I suggest you sign up for the next course.In terms of burnout in middle age, it's often a combination of masking and cognitive and sensory overload.&nbsp; I've been in burnout for over a year and it's much more than physical exhaustion.&nbsp; I've withdrawn socially because my social battery gets really rundown and my sensory sensitivities are heightened.&nbsp; For me the difference from depression is that my concentration is good and I can read and do solitary activities at home.&nbsp; I did get very fatigued needing&nbsp; 10 hours sleep a night, sometimes more, but I'm needing less now.&nbsp; One lovely thing about the Pathway Programme is the support group and hearing from others and sharing coping strategies.&nbsp; Many are in burnout and some quite severe burnout and it's good to know you are not alone.&nbsp; Medical acceptance of autistic burnout is limited and I really struggled with friends who treated like depression and encouraged exercise and socialising when I instinctively knew I had no energy for this.&nbsp; I found totally withdrawing into my ien space lifted my energy and I'm generally quite a sociable person.I've come to diagnosis through seeking help for my mental health as I also have Complex trauma symptoms.&nbsp; I had no idea I might be autistic until late November last year and it's been a huge shock.&nbsp; However my instincts around my burnout have proved correct, and especially for women the menopause can really trigger an inability to carry on masking and coping with autism and the wheels coming off.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="MadCatLady, post: 15281, member: 7960"] Welcome. There are lots of us here with experience of autistic burnout. I'm currently on the Pathway Programme and can thoroughly recommend it. It's for newly diagnosed/self identified autistics and covers burnout and so much more. I suggest you sign up for the next course. In terms of burnout in middle age, it's often a combination of masking and cognitive and sensory overload. I've been in burnout for over a year and it's much more than physical exhaustion. I've withdrawn socially because my social battery gets really rundown and my sensory sensitivities are heightened. For me the difference from depression is that my concentration is good and I can read and do solitary activities at home. I did get very fatigued needing 10 hours sleep a night, sometimes more, but I'm needing less now. One lovely thing about the Pathway Programme is the support group and hearing from others and sharing coping strategies. Many are in burnout and some quite severe burnout and it's good to know you are not alone. Medical acceptance of autistic burnout is limited and I really struggled with friends who treated like depression and encouraged exercise and socialising when I instinctively knew I had no energy for this. I found totally withdrawing into my ien space lifted my energy and I'm generally quite a sociable person. I've come to diagnosis through seeking help for my mental health as I also have Complex trauma symptoms. I had no idea I might be autistic until late November last year and it's been a huge shock. However my instincts around my burnout have proved correct, and especially for women the menopause can really trigger an inability to carry on masking and coping with autism and the wheels coming off. [/QUOTE]

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