#chronic illness burnout

[ink-asunder]

Someone could make a really cool post about how autism burnout is affected by chronic illness. And by someone, I mean me.

Just consider it. Autism burnout occurs when an autistic person is overworked by the demand of living--as opposed to occupational burnout, or "alot of things keep happening all at once" burnout. And the demand of living is so much higher when you're chronically ill, disabled, and/or in chronic pain.

Self care now has a barrier of being in physical pain. Keeping your livingspace clean so it's not sensory hell is impossible when you can't even bend down. Being in constant physical pain just wears on the body, mind, and emotions in general, meaning even a "sensory good day" still merits the demand for noise cancelling headphones and sunglasses indoors.

Appointments are sensory hell. Offices are always brightly lit, cold, the chairs are uncomfy, and you have to be there and sit still and mask for so fucking long. Not to mention all the physical touch you have to endure. Oh, and the DEMAND AVOIDANCE of it all. I could kill god over giving his most autistic soldiers a chronic illness, because having a chronic condition is just Demands Central, babey.

And keep in mind this is still my life post-accomodation. I wear headphones and sunglasses, I use a shower chair and cane, I block out recovery days after appointments to help recharge. But there's just So Fucking Much that happens as a baseline to being chronically ill that just doesn't happen irl for everybody. Accommodation doesn't stop the meltdowns. It doesn't fix things.

[thesecretlifeofmecfs]

I'll be honest.

I'm so burnt out.

I have fought so hard. I've spent hundreds of hours researching, reading medical journals, listening to patient stories- trying to stay informed. I've spent money I don't have on experimental treatments, supplements, and medical equipment. I've fought so hard advocating for myself. I've made all the appointments I need to, some years out. I spend every day stepping on eggshells trying to not send myself into a flare from overexertion.

But then to lose all control of my health and just continue getting sicker.

To have doctors gaslight me, refuse to listen to me or show me an ounce of respect. For them to not be bothered to do 5 minutes of research to help. For them to continue to try to actively do me harm unless I advocate for myself.

I'm exhausted. What's the point? Why do I even bother spending so much energy on appointments when they don't even try to help me?

It feels that everyone else has given up on me, and I'm starting to feel the same way. I'm so tired of fighting just to get nowhere. I feel like I've been swimming upstream, just to finally get knocked down by the current.

I'll find my voice again. But for now, I need to rest.

[thepeacefulgarden]

[neuroticboyfriend]

chronic fatigue from mental illness and neurodivergency isn't something you can just will your way out of. your nervous system is part of your body. your brain is an organ. the fatigue is real. you're not lazy. so be kinder to yourself. be gentler with your bodymind.

[cytostiitch]

ive retired this zine from print but you can still look at it here - take care of yourself idiot <3

I make more stuff go look at it.

https://instagram.com/cytoplasm.kd

[cadavvera]

@yekokataa post about Jean in mesh top has never left my head for some reason...

Reference: https://www.wpr.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/True-Detective-014.jpg

[thevirgodoll]

sometimes, we have to have a day where we allow ourselves to do absolutely nothing because we are emotionally stuck. nothing seems right, and everything seems dreadfully mundane. you feel like you’re the only person on the planet (while also feeling like the world is spinning without you).

sometimes, distracting ourselves 24/7 with productivity stops us from realizing what we need. i hate that we have become a society where everything we do has to be commodified.

why can’t we be okay just doing “nothing” tasks? you don’t always have to be pursuing something. what happened to taking a few mins out to do that thing that feels like “nothing” but makes you happy? like what’s wrong with playing sims or taking a nap? what’s wrong with accepting that some days just don’t work and there’s nothing wrong with accepting that???

like…burnout is so real. ppl tell us to stay inspired and ~keep going~ but you have to have the energy and the presence to do so. like in all of us the spark is there, but we don’t have the capacity to nurse it.

better to let that fire burn organically (and light it again when you have time and energy…) as often as you can than to rush every second and not even know you’re at the end of the wick.

[melodymorningdew]

People underestimate burnout, but if you consistently press through burnout like I did for 20+ years, you can end up with stress related illnesses that last forever and don't go away... Stress can 100% unalive even the healthiest of people. You could be in physical pain the rest of your life. Rest now. Anyone being mean to you about it can get lost.

[emanonandtheirshitposting]

very often I feel like I am at my limit, like I'm gonna have a meltdown right here and right now, or I'll faint or just fall because of how exhausted I am. but it almost never actually happens and idk why. maybe it's because I control myself too much and can't let myself lose it. I wonder how much longer I'll be able to bottle everything up lol

overworking and staying up past 1 am certainly doesn't help because I already feel tired all the time, and when I work I usually sleep around 4 to 6 hours max. it's definitely gonna fuck me up in the future and I'll be sooo burnt out

[chronicsymptomsyndrome]

How do I recover from severe burnout with an overwhelmingly messy recovery space

How do I clean my overwhelmingly messy recovery space properly if I am severely burnt out

How do I recover from severe burnout if I’m constantly using all of my energy doing the bare minimum

How do I recover from severe burnout

How do I recover

[study-diaries]

Reminder!

Your worth is NOT defined by:

Grades

Appearance

Weight

Height

Nationality

Gender

Race

Religion

Work

Degree

Illness

Disability (mental/physical)

Income

Your worth is not defined by anything. You are definitely worth it. You are enough. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

[ink-asunder]

Having demand avoidance in a medical setting is literally hell. Like, patient autonomy is already absolute ass. It's only made worse when doctors CONSISTENTLY tell you what to do and act like you HAVE to do it instead of consulting with you first like normal fucking people.

[thesecretlifeofmecfs]

I'm usually a very positive person, I have been down the road of acceptance. But I'm struggling right now and going through medical burnout.

I'm sorry if there's a shift for a little while in the posts that I make, if I make any at all. Some of it will be sharing my feelings, maybe hoping it helps someone out there feel less alone (I know I have found great comfort in the empathetic company of others). Some of it may be positive quotes and such largely relating to chronic illness and mental health.

(Reminder: ME/CFS is a very physical illness and is NOT psychiatric or psychosomatic. However, like other severe chronic illnesses, it can lead to secondary depression, medical PTSD and burnout, etc)

[thepeacefulgarden]

[autisticdreamdrop]

sometimes you are a tired blob. and that's okay.

it's okay to be tired.

it's okay to be fatigued.

it's okay to rest.

it's okay to sleep.

it's okay to soothe.

it's okay. it's okay.

our brain makes it hard for us to feel these things are okay. others must feel this way too. you're not alone. it's okay. - The Dreamdrop System

art by Shane/Theo/Bug

[astrologicalz]

Idk how to do anything other than sit and watch tv and scroll on my phone when in burnout. Any tips on low energy/ex function/motivation things to do?? Pls help x