Mental Health
12 terms
Autistic Burnout
A state of intense physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion experienced by autistic people.
Autistic Meltdown
An involuntary state of overwhelming distress in which an autistic person temporarily loses the ability to self-regulate, often resulting in crying, shouting, pacing, or other intense behaviors.
Autistic Shutdown
An involuntary response to overload where an autistic person becomes very quiet or unresponsive, withdrawing to protect themselves and reduce input.
Co-regulation
Supporting someone’s nervous system to calm or activate through shared cues: steady presence, tone, breath, and environment.
Decision Fatigue
Reduced decision quality and increased avoidance after many choices or prolonged demands.
Emotional Dysregulation
Difficulty adjusting the intensity and duration of emotions to match the situation, especially under stress.
Energy Budgeting
Planning activities around available energy using a structured, proactive plan.
Masking
Consciously or unconsciously hiding one's neurodivergent traits to fit in with neurotypical expectations.
Neuroaffirming
Creating spaces, practices, and attitudes that accept and support neurodivergent people as they are, rather than trying to change, fix, or hide their differences.
Overfunctioning / Underfunctioning
Two common responses to stress: doing "too much" (taking on everything, over‑controlling) or "shutting down" (reduced capacity, withdrawal).
Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria
Extreme emotional sensitivity and pain triggered by the perception of being rejected or criticized.
Spoon Theory (Energy Accounting)
A metaphor for limited daily energy (“spoons”) used to plan, pace, and communicate capacity.