Autistic burnout
Autistic burnout is a state of intense mental, emotional, or physical exhaustion experienced by some autistic people. It is linked with a loss of skills and function as well as increased sensitivity to stimuli. Social withdrawal has been described both as a characteristic of and a response to autistic burnout. Autistic burnout is caused by masking or camouflaging or, more generally, the stress resulting from living in a neurotypical environment that does not sufficiently accommodate the needs of autistic people. Research Initially discussed informally within the autistic community, especially on blogs and social media, autistic burnout has been the subject of research since the late 2010s, as an example of the growing influence of autistic self-advocacy on academic autism research. As of 2023, research suggests that autistic burnout may differ from clinical depression and occupational burnout in both etiology and presentation. In contrast to depression, anhedonia and sleep problems are not typically reported as symptoms. In contrast to occupational burnout, autistic burnout does not necessarily have to relate to employment and goes along with increased sensory sensitivity. Autistic burnout further differs from occupational burnout in that the latter is widely recognized and thus more readily validated by others, making it