My Autistic Burnout: The World Too Full To Talk Origin Story

I’ve always wanted to embrace the strengths of being autistic, but the world has made it hard. The complex trauma of being atypical in so many ways builds up. Though I didn’t realize it until recently, I’ve struggled with autistic burnout since adolescence. I’ve also used creative expression for my entire life as a way to cope and as a source of joy. This site is both a way for me to continue to recover and build a sustainable livelihood, and a way to share what I’ve learned with others who have the same struggles.

I started wondering if I was autistic when I was in my mid 20s, but was fooled by my own masking and the invisibility of AFAB autistic people at the time. I received diagnoses of depression, anxiety, and seasonal affective disorder (SAD). When a therapist introduced me to the trait “highly sensitive person”, I grabbed onto it because it was the best explanation of my experience I could find. I intuitively understood that I needed something like a sensory diet and to pace myself to avoid crashes, but I was unable to find someone to help me create one. Mary Ellen Copeland’s “The Depression Workbook: A Guide to Living with Depression and Manic Depression” got me started on making something like a Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) for myself. Various other books, therapists, and healing modalities have helped in small ways, but I still was in a state of burnout more often than not. I began to self-identify as autistic when I learned about autistic burnout in 2020, and I was formally diagnosed with autism in 2023. That understanding has been life changing. I can now organize my knowledge of recovery in new ways and use it to support a more sustainable pattern for myself.

My hope is that this site will be a way to share that knowledge with others seeking recovery from autistic burn out, fewer meltdowns, and more ease in daily life. It has been said that our bodies keep the score, and they don’t speak English (or any other verbal language). Our wounded parts and somatic realities communicate in images, emotions, sensations, and actions. Trying to reason with these parts or tell their stories with words is indirect and can be less effective. I want each offering I share to not only provide information, but to facilitate experiences that will help the parts of us that are fluent in non-verbal communication to integrate the knowledge as well. Join me in finding healing, ease, and even joy in our unique nervous systems. Let’s explore together the World Too Full To Talk.