I have been diagnosed as being autistic since 1998.
Back then, there was no term for autistic burnout.
In fact, there were not many things that are around today to deeply complex the mind.
I just did what I had to do. Years of schooling, then work and program, it was just what I did.
Years of compliance and doing what was expected, without question, you just did it.
But eventually, I became independent, and it has taken some time, but I am on the right track.
One of the newest nuances I have had to learn to navigate as being an independent autistic man is managing the long-term effects of what is known as autistic burnout.
It also took accepting and learning that what had been pressed in my mind about certain medicines is not the only thing it helps or that I thought it was the culprit of making me zombified or sedated.
That took research, assurance and trial and error to comprehend that I had to manage my autistic burnout differently.
COVID lockdowns did not help, it just made having to recover more challenging than before because of having to shift into a new normalcy.
Now, I practice radical acceptance not only to the fact that life is the way that it is, but that autistic burnout is reality too and that I must accommodate my personal needs for the proper recovery from it.
It also means that my life is not the same as many others and that recharging my batteries is a must do after long periods of having to autistically mask in a world that is not made for me.
If I am accepting my diagnosis for what it is, then I must accept that I must do what Is right, including knowing that autistic burnout is reality and that recovery in crucial to my mental health and being well.
I am autistic, it Is part of who I am and I live my life differently than others. Take it or leave it.
I know I have to in order to have the life I want. That is the battle I must face.
Dustin's Dynasty 