A post about #AutisticBurnout, #trauma, #Boundaries and #MentalHealth
I'm physically and emotionally burned out and I picked up some trauma from the events of the past year. I was burned out from work at the start of it and then some mental health emergencies exploded into our lives.
I had to dedicate my everything to my wife from December 2021 to September 2022. There were weeks where I had to be by her side or within earshot of her to be sure of her safety, and yet, I still had to work and run a business.
Neither of us knew what was going on and I was (at the time) the only person she had in her life that knows her well enough and she trusted to get through even the worst darkness.
I worked with her doctor, her therapist and I took notes and journaled about what she was going through. I was a there for her to share her thoughts and feelings, and I was the recipient of them as well at times.
This was a non-stop, high stress situation for me until we figured out what was causing the emotional turmoil and it re-triggered my hyper-vigilance which is just starting to abate.
Once we got her the right help and got her stable, which she has been for over 2 months, I was able to start to relax, but... my brain and body didn't know how to anymore.
I was exhausted, I would have random panic attacks over benign texts before I even read them, I would "overreact" to something someone said that I would normally brush off or process different, and my sensory issues are through the roof.
I haven’t been able to take any “me” time off work.
I had to get on the path to healing and that meant that I had to set some boundaries.
1/2