Mati | The Autistic CoachHow do my #ActuallyAutistic comrades know that a meltdown is coming on?
An emotion? A sensation? Both?
Dave the Nomad 🇨🇦 
✊I've noticed that I start to feel fluttering in my chest, like I'm anxious, but I don't know why. Like I've drank too much caffeine, but I haven't.
It doesn't mean that a meltdown is imminent. It's more of an early warning sign that, if I don't do something different, I'm headed towards a meltdown.
Nick
Dr. Safari Boob@theautisticcoach @actuallyautistic it's usually coupled with confusion, I think there's also a sense of exhaustion with my eyes? I've also recognised I'm completely checked out from my body, usually because there's pain that is present but my interoception is not competent to process it or recognise it. Too many signals firing and I'm missing so many.
Marytzu@theautisticcoach @actuallyautistic I feel... raw... like skin that's been scratched again and again.
I think that's my walls coming down from exhaustion, mask coming off. Certain cognitive higher functions shutting down although I don't always feel tired.
I'm often not really aware of it in the moment. There's latency.
Before I know it, I'm screaming, yelling, there's adrenaline, there's a sharp hot pain in my skull like a flaming sword.
Sometimes, a feeling of righteousness, catharsis.