A Comic About The Spectrum Of Responses To Stress - We Talk Alot About The More Extreme Ends Of This

A comic about the spectrum of responses to stress - we talk alot about the more extreme ends of this and trauma, but the more subtle and every day responses can be harder to spot. if we can understand our own and other’s responses better, problems Are easier to confront and blaming is less likely to happen :) hope it’s helpful!!

If you would report an undocumented immigrant to ICE you would have reported me to the Nazis and I don’t fucking trust you

Source ~ IG @/morethanoneneurotype

[Begin Image Description: Black text on white background. Image of a person sitting with their knees up, curled forward to hide their face. A tree in the bottom left.

Title: "Gaslighting Autistics Looks Like"

It's too bright!

No it's not

It's too loud!

No it's not

It tastes yucky!

No it doesn't

I'm scared!

Don't be silly.

I hate going there.

No you don't.

I'm sorry!

No you aren't.

End Description]

Note: I am unsure if the above is exactly"gaslighting" in the intended meaning, but the refusal to acknowledge how we experience the world definitely is devastating and can be abusive in the right situation.

Source ~ Autism Women's Network

What is Autistic Burnout?

Signs:

Lack of motivation (hard to care about goals when everyday life is overwhelming)

Loss of executive functioning abilities (decision making, organisation etc)

Difficulty with self care

Easier to reach overload or meltdown

Loss of speech, selective mutism

Lethargy, exhaustion

Illness, digestive issues

Memory loss

Inability to maintain masks or use social skills

Overall seeming "more autisic" or stereotypical

May have a period of high energy before collapse

Causes:

Passing as neurotypical/suppressing traits

Doing "too much", too much stress

Ageing: needing more downtime, having less energy

Changes, good or bad (relationships, jobs, living arrangements, belongings, environment, routines...)

Sleep deprivation, poor nutrition, dehydration

Illness

Sensory or emotional overload

Strategies:

Time

Scheduling breaks, managing spoons

Leave of absence

Stimming, sensory diet

Exercise

Massage

Reminders and support

Routines

Better environment/job/etc

Boundaries, saying 'no'

Dropping the mask/facade

Solitude

Absolute quiet

Creative projects, passions, special interests

Paying attention to reactions and your body

E-MORTALITY / @blueskies-bluescreens / status of a steam user / death, virtual grief and your digital footprint by kelley edwards and johanna j. lunn / STurner4077 on twitter / the new forms of mourning: loss and exhibition of the death on the internet (2016) by julie alev dilmaç / description for all the ghosts in the machine: illusions of immortality in the digital age (2019) by elaine kasket

A comic about controlling your symptoms and trying to get other people to understand why it’s so hard to do so, in goo form