05/04/2025
Thereâs a common pattern Iâm noticing among so many Autistic adults. The pattern is that in order for us to finally find out weâre Autistic, we have to reach complete physical and emotional burnout.
And those of us that somehow skate by without getting to this point, may never realize that theyâre Autistic at all. It took me almost 40 years to reach a place so low that I had to ask for help. It was through therapy that I learned why life had been so much harder for me. I then started asking myself the hard questions. And I started searching for an answer.
I learned that, âAutistic burnout is a state of exhaustion, loss of function, an increase in autistic traits, and withdrawal from life that results from continuously expending more resources than one has coping with activities and environments ill-suited to one's abilities and needs.â - Dr. Dora Raymaker.
In other words, Autistic burnout is the result of being asked to continuously do more than youâre capable of without enough time to recover.
Realizing that you're Autistic is crucial because it gives you access to your own community and strategies people use to help. Unfortunately, a diagnosis isnât always accessible for all of us. Thatâs why self-diagnosis is valid! But knowing that youâre Autistic is extremely important.
It took burnout for me to realize Iâm Autistic. Comment below if it did for you too. đ Image ID in Alt text.
