I am autistic with PTSD and a lot of the work I do involves helping clients and their caregivers understand how to manage the co-occurrence of the two. (2/)
This usually involves becoming aware of the difference between meltdowns and flashbacks, both of which can come on suddenly ('being triggered') and cause visible distress. (3/)
This can be frightening and uncomfortable to an observer. Social trauma (gaslighting, confusion, deception, rejection, disinclusion, ostracism) can trigger both, often simultaneously. (4/)
In my case, meltdowns are the result of overstimulation and reduced stress tolerance - 'out of spoons' is a common phrase in the disability community. (5/)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoon_the…
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoon_the…
The key marker of a meltdown for me is the cascade effect, where it feels like a certain point is reached and my brain literally begins the process of rapidly & literally melting down, leading to a sense of physical and mental exhaustion. (6/)
I get meltdowns regularly from shopping too long; tedious, repetitive tasks such as filling out applications & forms; trying to perform too many small actions at once - housecleaning, laundry, event planning, packing, setting up a campsite, etc. (7/)
With PTSD, I experience two types of flashbacks, emotional & visual. The emotional type is more common, and can accompany a meltdown, especially if related to social trauma. (8/)
There is an onrush of intense emotion and my adrenaline begins to spike, but I may not always be able to tie it immediately to a past memory. (9/)
psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-mi…
psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-mi…
Visual flashbacks are more rare for me, and are accompanied by a hallucinatory replay of the painful memory - I can actually see the triggering event happening again in front of me, and relive it during the flashback. (10/)
During a meltdown, taking a break and/or removing myself from the stressful situation, if possible, allows me the space to de-escalate and recover. This usually works for PTSD triggers as well, and is known as the flight response. (11/)
If I am unable to flee, or the person continues to push, my fight response will kick in and I can become hostile and aggressive (the scary part of PTSD). I call this my werewolf. In this case, it's even more important to get to safety so I can de-escalate. (12/)
If I can't remove myself from the stressor during a meltdown, I can become agitated and flustered, which can look like aggression, but then tend to somatically collapse shortly after, rather than escalate. (13/)
I think I've touched on the basics of my experiences with the two, & am happy to clarify further in the comments, but I need to end this thread for now. I don't know how other tweeters do it, b/c this one took over an hour & has me on the verge of a meltdown right now. (End/) 🤪
