Adults Have Meltdowns, Too

When first introduced to the concept of "meltdowns" in a clinical sense, I had a picture of the term as a watered-down term for temper tantrums. For some, especially kids, it might certainly look like that on the outside. On the inside, though, a mind storm would probably be a more accurate description.

What is a meltdown or mind storm?

A meltdown is what happens when our processing systems are overwhelmed. On the inside, this can look like too much information to process. Whether too many tasks, too much noise, too many confusing social messages, or too much everything, a meltdown is akin to what happens when one presses a whole bunch of keys on a computer at the same time. At some point, almost everyone experiences this.

On the outside, a meltdown might look like running, hiding, yelling, going quiet, covering one's ears, shutting down, being unable to follow directions (note, this is different than simply not following them), and tears. Unfortunately, for some, self-harm is also part of a meltdown sometimes including headbanging or hitting oneself. In public, any of these behaviors is likely to be misunderstood.

Inside, the mind storm is individualized. Some are loud, like hurricanes. Too much stimulation and an urge to call for help in any way possible. Others have an icey quality, a freezing up where it is difficult to comprehend what others are saying, and checkout may be inevitable. Sometimes, someone will give short automatic answers as a way to camouflage.

Wait, isn't that just a panic attack?

In ways, it can look and feel like a bad panic attack. Meltdowns share many qualities of a panic attack. Still, a meltdown will often last longer, involve more disorientation, and take longer to recover from. A person having a meltdown might also not have the full slate of physical symptoms that hallmark panic attacks like a racing heart or sweating, although many people experiencing meltdowns do have some physical symptoms. To make things more confusing, research suggests that as many as 40 percent of autistic people may live with an anxiety disorder, which often includes panic attacks (Zaboski and Storch, 2018). There is a lot of overlap.

While youth often show little control over their meltdowns, adults are sometimes able to postpone or "hide" the outside part until they can find a safe space away from others. They may feel overwhelmed on the inside, but be able to camouflage it temporarily such that those around might not even know they are close to a mind storm.

Why are autistic people so vulnerable to meltdowns?

Brain

The neurobiology of autism is still quite mysterious, yet several anomalies have been identified. Among these have been alterations in connectivity between the two hemispheres of the brain as well as reduced volume of the corpus callosum, the brain region bridging these hemispheres. This differential pattern of functional connectivity has been linked in one functional magnetic resonance imaging study to scores on the Autism Diagnostic and Observation Scale-2, even among autistic people (Valenti et al., 2020).

What this means in terms of lived experience is still somewhat unknown. Yet, one hypothesis is that this differential connection may account for some of the differences in processing autistic people have such that an autistic person would have difficulty filtering out excess information. While most neurotypical people can zoom in on one sound or sight, an autistic person might perceive all these leading to sensory overload.

According to the intense world theory of autism, autistic people are often balancing an incredible amount of information including sensory, social, and otherwise (Meng et al., 2021). Understandably, this can be overwhelming, particularly when extra information is added through unexpected changes or particularly loud sensory information. This can overload a person's system, placing them at vulnerability for a meltdown. The autistic affinity for pattern recognition leads to a natural reliance on routine and expectation as a way to cope (Crespi, 2021). When something changes in that pattern—for example, when a person goes to the dentist only to find that the dentist's colleague is covering for their usual dentist—it is especially taxing, placing the person at higher risk of overload and meltdown.

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Mind

As mentioned before, autism is associated with a processing style of pattern recognition (Crespi, 2021). A part of this can be rule-governed thinking. This is something everyone does to some extent. We create small "rules" to make sense of the world. One many students might have is, "To get into college I must get 'good' grades." Both neurotypical and autistic people are usually able to find some flexibility in these "rules" when needed.

Still, when an autistic person is overwhelmed, and these "rules" are broken, it can be difficult to reassort one's self. Let's say an autistic student who greatly wants to get into college receives a low grade. It's already a high "brain overwhelm" day; other students hollering in the hallway; maybe someone made fun of them for a tic earlier. That low grade can feel quite grave leading to fatalistic thinking where everything has been ruined. At that moment, this person would find it difficult to use logic or weight of the grades as this would be only more information to process. This might push them into a meltdown.

Social

Autistic people are constantly adjusting their social behaviors to match neurotypical social norms and expectations. A common illustration of this is eye contact. Most neurotypical people use eye contact as a sign of respect. For an autistic person, eye contact adds buckets of information, and many choose not to make eye contact as a way to focus. Still, this isn't always socially welcome, and the autistic person might be pressured to make eye contact anyway.

Neurotypical social norms and expectations can be puzzling when these are not the intuitive settings that go along with the way your brain works. Unfortunately, this has resulted in a lot of unkindness and misunderstanding directed toward autistic people such as bullying, rejection, and exclusion. These experiences are painful for anyone.

Is it any wonder why autistic people have meltdowns?

How can I help someone going through a meltdown?

It's important to note that meltdowns are not a manipulative strategy. Not one client that I've met has enjoyed their meltdowns. Many carry shame for these, sometimes leading to isolation and withdrawal. We can't always see from the outside how much a person is wrangling with on the inside. In addition, the reactions others give to meltdowns are often punishing and/or unhelpful. Calling the police, for example, adds another unplanned presence, more social demands, and sensory overload (literal lights and sirens).

When an autistic person having a meltdown might behave strangely, they are usually not dangerous. They are braving a storm. An approach of kindness, turning down lights/sounds, and offering space can go a long way further. Nonjudgment and understanding that the person experiencing a mindstorm is doing their best at that moment can mean a lot.