Dealing with Outbursts and Meltdowns: Tips for ADHD and Autism

I try to use my happy stims to my advantage to remind myself that there are many sides to autism/ADHD and not all of them are bad 💞

If i feel a meltdown coming on in a public place i usually stop speaking and looking at people and just speed around trying to get on with my day. I don't know if it helps or if its a stim but i also repeat phrases like "im ok" or "its ok" or "everythings ok" continually. It kinda distracts me and reminds me that im going to be ok. And after doing that for like half an hour usually ive calmed down or talking to myself non stop has worn me out a little so i dont have as much energy to meltdown. If im at home i sometimes just let it happen. Sometimes when im at home it feels like theres no stopping it. But at home it helps me to sit under my desk and kind of hide myself and not focus on my big, open room. Small places make me feel safer. It also helps me to put on sensory videos on YouTube to relax me, clear my mind and distract me. My favourite is like an rgb spaceship one. That last one also helps in public. The last time i almost had a meltdown was when i was walking to work on Christmas eve. It was 8am and not many people were out and I was walking watching the sensory video and telling myself that im okay over and over. Im grateful there werent many people out because i would have probably walked into them. And then when i got to work i was still talking to myself but i had to go into ultra mask mode and do my job. After a few hours of that i think i calmed down😅

I’m autistic, and a stay at home mum of four so it’s very easy for me to become overwhelmed and reach the point of a meltdown. I can’t completely escape the noise and isolate myself from my kids of course so I bought a pair of loop earplugs and they’re a life saver! I can stay in the kitchen, keeping an eye on them in the other room while muffling the noise and stim to my hearts content (still not used to doing so in front of my family) and when I’m ready, I can go back to them. If I have a meltdown and (almost always) feel awful afterwards, I HAVE to take that time for myself. I apologise to the kids, explain in a way they’ll understand, and have my partner or mum take over so that I can either lay in bed and reset, or take a shower to ‘wash away’ the negativity!

For me it’s really hard to control but taking the steps I need to avoid them such as eating even though I’m not hungry so that I don’t accidentally get hungry as that is one of my triggers and communicating with those around me lots so they understand in advance makes the actual meltdowns easier to deal with and recover from, escaping the situation that’s causing it can help during but is of course difficult to do but if you can go on a walk or something that can help calm down, but mainly don’t beat yourself up when it happens go to those you trust and hug them when you’re ready and do something nice after it’s just about moving forward through things best we can.

to prevent them i find it helps to isolate and do a BUNCH of stimming! kinda works through the overwhelm and feels relieving. i personally will listen to music i like and spin around or stomp n flap my arms as much as i can with my eyes squeezed shut! i also find wearing a compression vest/binder helps, or putting my weighted blanket over my shoulders. if its sensory overload, a warm bath in the dark is nice bc floating kinda feels like no sensory input! for recovering after, i like to put on some form of comfort media (ghibli movie, favourite show, soothing music) and curl up w a stuffie under my weighted blanket hope smth from this helps !!!

I am learning to calm my vagus nerve, get out of the stress response. The moment I can recognize what's happening: Cold water on face, on wrists, even neck. Pick a stim and have a quite darker room, head phones & dancing, jumping, tapping.

i usually get super overwhelmed by noice and lights, which usually causes a shutdown/meltdown for me, i shout and cry and usually hit things. when i feel too overwhelmed (while at home) i will go to my room, get into bed and blast my music. if not, i go to a bathroom usually and listen to the water running from taps, sometimes it helps. if noise is too much, i use my noise cancelling headphones or stuff my blanket or towel or something in my ears and over my eyes. my eczema doesn't like this which is such a sensory no, but it helps with the meltdowns