Autism is Exhausting! - March 2018

Autism Spectrum Disorders are Exhausting!

 

I’m sure you are aware of that. As parents, as carers, as supporters who work with people with an autism spectrum disorder you know how physically and mentally draining it can be. But do you know how exhausting it can be for someone who is on the autism spectrum? The short answer is very, but I thought I’d talk about what I think makes autism spectrum disorder exhausting!

 

The Day:

Where do I even begin? The second they wake up they’re burning energy processing all that is going on around them. Even if they have a routine in place, it is very difficult to control what is going to happen, when it will happen and where it will happen. An example might be when they are leaving the house in the morning to go to work. Personally, I can sometimes find it hard as my family work alternating shifts, I often find it difficult to adapt to that change, especially if I’m the only one at home as I need to take responsibility for turning everything off and locking the door. That can be a very hard process for me if the slightest thing doesn’t go the way I expected, not so much now but when I was younger. 

 

Adapting to change can be very hard for anybody, but especially those on the autism spectrum. One thing which recently threw me was a road closure, as I didn’t expect it. Therefore, I had to make a diversion. As I have said in a previous blog post driving with an autism spectrum disorder can be tricky due to the judgements and quick decision making. A small thing like that meaning I had to drive a different route uses a lot of energy trying to remain calm and solve the problem. By the time I got to work I was finding it hard to focus as I was then fixated on that one small problem.

 

Fixations are very difficult to deal with when on the autism spectrum, as you find it very tricky to move on or focus on something else. One-way people on the autism spectrum deal with their fixations is to tell people, quite often this is everyone around them. 

 

This is where autism spectrum disorders become very exhausting as you are constantly assessing everything and everyone around you, having to process lots of different things while getting on with what you should be doing, but then the light above you starts to flicker and buzz, giving you another fixation while you are still trying to move on from your previous fixation. While all this is going on you’re trying to do what you should be doing. 

 

Then there is the social aspect. Socialising with an autism spectrum can be very difficult. Something I find very tricky is to follow the conversation, and think of related things to say, yet you have these fixations you need to get out of your system so you need to share them, but as it doesn’t fit into the conversation you either share and nobody listens as it isn’t related or you keep quiet as you are trying to think of something to say.

 

That is just a few examples when someone on the autism spectrum may find things exhausting. But things don’t often get easier at night. 

 

The Night:

At night time you are trying to shut off, and process all that has happened in the day. Quite often something negative that happened during your day will pop into mind, it becomes a fixation which you cannot move on from, no matter how much you try and move away from those thoughts they just return. Then as you think of that negativity, you start to have all the negative things come back to you that have happened in your life that made you feel that emotion. Imagine having this battle each night as you are trying to sleep. This can often go on for a long time, resulting in limited sleep. 

 

Then you hear a noise outside of the house, resulting in you getting up to see what it is to put your mind at rest, as many people on the autism spectrum have sensory issues. Once they finally get to sleep it can take the slightest noise, movement, or smell that can wake them up. Often when they wake up they cannot go back to sleep. For me a big one is body temperature. I must be at exactly the right temperature, if I am too cold or too hot I will wake up and that will be it until I return to the right temperature, and as it is very frustrating I will find it very tricky to settle after that. 

 

I know that these issues may not affect everyone on the autism spectrum, and many people may suffer with other issues that I have not talked about. This is something that makes autism spectrum disorders so interesting, that each case is different. There may be some things in common, but so many differences amongst others. Making the autism spectrum exhausting for people who live life with it, but for the parents, carers and support who are trying to read what is going on, trying to make life easier. 

 

Write a comment

Comments: 5
  • #1

    Rudi Branagan (Wednesday, 14 March 2018 01:07)

    I absolutely loved this blog, I have a 12 year old daughter who is high functioning autistic, as a parent you just want to get into your children's mind and try to understand what they are thinking and be able to make troubling obstacles and situations a lot easier, I look forward to reading some more of your blogs.. ����

  • #2

    Karen Cross (Wednesday, 14 March 2018 07:39)

    Thank you for the clearer insight Jordan - so many layers of events and concerns throughout the day - definitely exhausting!
    Next Blog ... some strategies you’ve tried to help with this?
    Karen � x

  • #3

    jill (Wednesday, 14 March 2018 09:09)

    brilliant read my son 20 finding life very heard at the moment his sleep is so bad just stated taking Meds for his social anxiety thank you for your blog

  • #4

    JH (Friday, 16 March 2018 00:08)

    Such an insight - thank-you. I work with young people 18-24 with autistic spectrum disorders....and this has explained why certain things affect them and why they react the way they do...has given me a deeper understanding and will enable me to assist them with issues they may have ....

  • #5

    Sarah M (Tuesday, 20 March 2018 18:44)

    Thank you for sharing this information. I found this really interesting as I am the parent of a boy with ASD. I wish there was more information like this to read.