Autistic Burnout: Unmasking Capitalism’s Role Through the Power Threat Meaning Framework
The Ultimate Guide to Autistic Burnout, from the folks at Embrace Autism, is an essential resource that brings the unique voices of autistic individuals to the forefront. Authored by those with lived experience, the guide provides an authentic perspective that resonates deeply with the autistic community. This makes it a rare and important contribution, as it not only offers practical tools like symptom tracking forms and energy inventories, but it also speaks directly to the experiences of burnout in ways that traditional resources often overlook. The clinical insights within the guide are thoughtfully designed to help individuals identify, understand, and manage their burnout on a personal level, making it a highly accessible tool for self-care and professional support. By combining lived experience with professional expertise, it effectively bridges the gap between research and real-life application, offering a much-needed lifeline to those navigating the challenges of autistic burnout. The guide serves as both an educational resource for professionals and a practical support system for autistic people and their allies.
Addressing a Gap in Systemic Analysis
Whilst The Ultimate Guide to Autistic Burnout offers critical individual coping strategies, there is an important area that warrants further exploration: the role of systemic stressors in autistic burnout. The guide does an excellent job of addressing personal recovery and management, providing autistic individuals with practical tools to regain energy and manage the often overwhelming effects of burnout. However, it’s equally vital to consider the larger societal structures that contribute to this phenomenon. Burnout does not happen in a vacuum, and it is often the result of long-term exposure to environments that are not designed to accommodate the needs of autistic individuals.
Though the guide touches on some external factors, it could benefit from a deeper exploration of how systemic oppression plays a role in perpetuating burnout. Autistic individuals are often navigating systems—whether in the workplace, education, or healthcare—that are not only unsupportive but sometimes actively hostile. These environments demand masking, high levels of emotional regulation, and sensory adjustments, all of which lead to the emotional and physical exhaustion characteristic of burnout. When these systemic issues are overlooked, there is a risk of framing burnout as an individual failing rather than as a natural response to enduring environmental stressors.
The focus on personal recovery can feel incomplete without acknowledging how systemic challenges continuously drain autistic individuals. For instance, many autistic people experience burnout because they are forced to meet neurotypical expectations without adequate accommodations or understanding. When workplaces or schools require constant adaptation to fit into a rigid framework, the emotional labour becomes immense. By focusing solely on individual strategies, the guide risks suggesting that burnout is something to be managed by the autistic person alone, which can feel dismissive of the broader, systemic barriers contributing to the condition.
It is important to consider how systemic changes—such as creating more inclusive workspaces, fostering environments that honour neurodiverse needs, and advocating for structural support—could drastically reduce the prevalence of burnout in autistic individuals. Though the personal tools in the guide are invaluable, greater emphasis on collective advocacy and systemic change would empower autistic individuals to seek not only personal relief but also challenge the systems that cause them harm. A holistic approach, one that combines personal care with systemic change, is essential to address the full scope of autistic burnout and its contributing factors.
Empathy and Alexithymia: The Link to Burnout
For many of us, empathy is not the absence of understanding others’ emotions but often the opposite: an overwhelming hyper-empathy that complicates emotional processing. Whilst it is commonly assumed that autistic people lack empathy, the reality is that many experience an intense form of empathy, where we absorb and feel the emotions of those around us deeply. This can be further complicated by alexithymia, a condition that affects a majority of autistic people, where difficulties in identifying, sourcing, and describing one’s own emotions create a unique challenge. For those of us who are alexithymic, like myself, we must be constantly vigilant about understanding where our emotions come from, as we can easily absorb the feelings of others and mistakenly believe them to be our own.
This emotional absorption becomes even more difficult to navigate in environments that are unsupportive or outright hostile. In these spaces, where toxic or exclusionary systems prevail, the hyper-empathy that many autistic individuals experience can lead to emotional overload. The inability to accurately source emotions—whether they are internally generated or picked up from the surrounding environment—can cause significant confusion and distress. Alexithymia complicates this further, as the emotional signals become difficult to interpret, and emotions often manifest as physical sensations or an inexplicable sense of unease. When this happens in workplaces, schools, or social environments that are already unsympathetic to autistic needs, the result is often burnout.
In toxic systems, gaslighting compounds the problem. Autistic individuals are frequently told that their experiences of stress or discomfort are overreactions or misinterpretations, invalidating their emotional reality. This type of gaslighting is particularly harmful to those with alexithymia, as it reinforces the internal confusion about emotions, making it even harder to determine where feelings originate. In a workplace, for example, an autistic person might absorb the anxiety or frustration of colleagues, believing these emotions to be their own, only to be told that they are being “too sensitive” when they express distress. This constant misattribution of emotions can lead to a feeling of being out of control, heightening stress and making it difficult to recover from emotional overload.
The combination of hyper-empathy, alexithymia, and hostile environments makes autistic individuals particularly vulnerable to systemic burnout. Autistic people, especially those with alexithymia, must expend enormous amounts of energy managing not just their own emotions but also those they have absorbed from others. This emotional labour, often unrecognised by others, depletes personal reserves and leaves little room for recovery. Without adequate support or understanding from the surrounding environment, autistic individuals are left to manage this overwhelming emotional burden on their own, leading to burnout. Addressing this issue requires not just individual coping mechanisms but also systemic changes that acknowledge and support the emotional realities of autistic individuals, particularly those affected by alexithymia.
Framing Autistic Burnout with the Power Threat Meaning Framework
The Power Threat Meaning Framework (PTMF) offers a crucial lens for understanding autistic burnout, reframing it not as an individual failing but as a reaction to external threats in a society that is often hostile to neurodiversity. The PTMF shifts the narrative away from “What’s wrong with you?” to the more fitting question, “What happened to you?” This change in perspective is particularly powerful when applied to autistic burnout, which often arises from continuous exposure to environments that fail to accommodate autistic needs, impose rigid social expectations, and disregard the unique processing styles of neurodiverse individuals. Burnout, through this lens, becomes a survival response to living in a world that exerts control over autistic people by denying their autonomy and suppressing their needs.
In environments where power imbalances are rampant, autistic individuals are frequently placed in situations where they are expected to mask, conform, and suppress their authentic selves to fit into neurotypical standards. The PTMF highlights how such environments pose ongoing threats to the well-being of autistic people. The pressures to “blend in” or “act appropriately” can be incredibly draining, as indicated by the statements in the Autistic Burnout Construct, such as, “It became very draining to ‘act appropriately’ or ‘blend in’ when I was with other people” and “I felt burned out from everything that I needed to do.” These experiences reflect how systemic power structures force autistic individuals to constantly adapt in ways that strip them of their authenticity and deplete their energy, leading to burnout.
Burnout is not just a matter of physical or emotional exhaustion; it is deeply tied to power imbalances. Autistic individuals often face existential threats from a society that marginalises them, whether through high rates of unemployment or, more disturbingly, through discussions of eugenics in autism research. The threat is not only to their livelihoods but to their very existence. When individuals are bombarded by these constant pressures, the body and mind react in self-preservation, leading to the cognitive, emotional, and sensory overwhelm that defines autistic burnout. Statements from the burnout construct, like “I couldn’t take care of my responsibilities as much as before” and “Simple everyday tasks were physically or emotionally draining,” illustrate the toll this threat takes on a person’s ability to function.
The real work in addressing autistic burnout begins with meaning-making. The PTMF emphasises that people, when faced with threats, make sense of their experiences by identifying where these threats come from—often those in positions of power. For autistic individuals, part of this meaning-making process is understanding that their burnout is not just an individual experience but a response to systemic oppression. The societal structures we navigate every day, whether in workplaces that do not accommodate us or healthcare systems that push for conformity rather than support, are sources of their distress. This understanding empowers autistic individuals to not only recover but also begin advocating for systemic change.
The PTMF also helps to articulate the profound emotional and existential impacts of living in a world that poses constant threats. The statement “I was much more easily bothered by everyday sounds than I used to be” highlights the heightened sensitivity that often accompanies burnout, but this sensitivity can also be linked to a deeper awareness of the existential threats autistic people face. When every interaction with a hostile system reminds one of the lack of accommodation and the constant demand to mask, the burnout that follows is not just a result of physical exhaustion but of living in a state of perpetual threat.
Incorporating the PTMF into the understanding of autistic burnout offers a more holistic view that connects individual experiences with broader systemic factors. The process of meaning-making, guided by this framework, allows autistic individuals to not only understand the roots of their burnout but also to challenge the power structures that perpetuate it. This approach provides a pathway for both personal recovery and collective action, helping autistic individuals navigate a world that too often fails to recognise or respect their needs.
The Systemic Nature of Burnout: A Call for Change
The systemic nature of autistic burnout is deeply tied to external pressures that force autistic individuals to conform to a world designed around neurotypical expectations. One of the most significant external stressors comes from societal demands to mask or fit into these expectations without adequate support or accommodation. For autistic people, this constant pressure to hide their true selves and adapt to neurotypical norms can be exhausting. Burnout is the inevitable result of spending significant energy trying to blend into environments that refuse to adjust to meet autistic needs. Unfortunately, “The Ultimate Guide to Autistic Burnout,” whilst providing essential tools for individual recovery, seemingly overlooks the larger systemic forces at play. By focusing solely on personal strategies, it risks framing burnout as an individual problem rather than a response to external stressors.
In many ways, the capitalist systems that dominate modern society play a significant role in exacerbating autistic burnout. Capitalism’s relentless pursuit of productivity, growth, and profits often runs counter to the way many autistic people engage with work. For us, the joy of doing meaningful work often takes precedence over the pursuit of endless growth or quarterly profits. Many of us find deep satisfaction in doing something well, taking our time to ensure it’s done right, and working at our own pace. However, in capitalist systems, where Taylorism has shaped much of the work culture, productivity and profitability are prioritised above all else. Middle managers and employers often demand constant increases in output, with little regard for how these demands may negatively impact neurodivergent employees. This constant pressure to perform faster and produce more strips away the joy from work, turning it into another source of stress and contributing to burnout.
The failure to address these systemic challenges often leads to a form of gaslighting, where autistic individuals are told that their burnout is a personal failing rather than a consequence of oppressive systems. When the root cause of burnout is ignored, the burden of adaptation falls unfairly on the individual. Autistic people are often led to believe that we need to adjust or cope better, whilst the systems around them remain rigid and unchanged. This form of systemic gaslighting invalidates the experience of burnout as a natural reaction to hostile environments and instead places the blame on the autistic individual for not being able to manage the demands placed on them.
This systemic invalidation compounds the problem, as it not only contributes to burnout but also creates a sense of isolation and frustration. When the external forces driving burnout—such as the pressures of capitalist productivity, the demand to mask, and the lack of accommodations—are left unaddressed, autistic individuals are left to feel as though they are the problem. A call for change is urgently needed, not just in how burnout is treated on an individual level but in how society structures work, education, and social systems to accommodate autistic people. Burnout should not be seen as an inevitable personal issue to be managed but as a signal that the systems in place are failing to meet the needs of a diverse population. Only by addressing these systemic barriers can we begin to create environments where autistic individuals can thrive without the constant threat of burnout.
Incorporating Systemic Insights in Future Work
Whilst The Ultimate Guide to Autistic Burnout is an essential resource for helping individuals manage their burnout, there is a valuable opportunity for future editions to more explicitly acknowledge the systemic factors that contribute to burnout. The authors have done a commendable job focusing on providing practical tools for personal recovery, and it is important to recognise that their organisation's mission is primarily to support individuals, not to lead revolutionary change. However, there is room for the guide to subtly incorporate broader systemic insights, which could act as a springboard for those interested in addressing the larger forces that fuel autistic burnout.
One way this could be achieved is through the inclusion of chapters or sections that introduce the idea of systemic advocacy. These sections could offer guidance on how individuals and communities can challenge hostile systems through advocacy, community building, and policy change. Such content would not need to dominate the focus of the guide but could empower readers by showing them ways to advocate for themselves and others in a society that often fails to accommodate neurodiversity. A chapter on systemic advocacy could highlight small, achievable steps that individuals can take to push for change, such as advocating for workplace accommodations, participating in neurodiversity movements, or contributing to policy discussions on inclusivity. This would allow the guide to remain focused on helping individuals while also opening the door to broader conversations about systemic change.
Additionally, incorporating elements of the PTMF into future editions would provide a powerful tool for understanding the societal dynamics driving autistic burnout. By integrating the PTMF’s emphasis on how power imbalances and external threats contribute to mental and emotional distress, the guide could offer a fuller picture of burnout as a response to hostile systems. This wouldn’t necessarily require a radical shift in focus but could enhance the current framing by offering readers a way to understand their burnout in the context of the larger societal forces they navigate daily. The PTMF could help readers make sense of their experiences not only in terms of individual recovery but also in recognising the systemic roots of their distress.
In doing so, the guide could point to the gap that exists in its current framing—acknowledging that while personal recovery is essential, there is a need for collective action to address the external forces that perpetuate burnout. This subtle shift could serve as a springboard for readers who wish to engage with systemic issues, encouraging them to explore advocacy and policy change while continuing to prioritise their personal well-being.
Final thoughts …
To wrap up, addressing autistic burnout requires a holistic approach that combines the valuable clinical tools provided in “The Ultimate Guide to Autistic Burnout” with broader systemic advocacy. The guide does an excellent job of equipping individuals with practical strategies to manage burnout on a personal level, but it is essential to recognise that burnout is not solely an individual issue. It is often the result of navigating environments and systems that are fundamentally hostile to neurodiverse needs. Without addressing the external stressors that perpetuate burnout—such as societal demands to mask, lack of accommodations, and capitalist pressures to constantly increase productivity—autistic individuals are left to bear the burden of an uncaring system.
A comprehensive understanding of autistic burnout must acknowledge both the personal and systemic factors at play. Whilst individual-level support is critical for immediate relief, long-term solutions require collective efforts to challenge and change the systems that contribute to burnout. Autistic burnout must be understood as both an individual and societal phenomenon, with solutions that empower individuals while also pushing for systemic reforms. By integrating both personal recovery strategies and systemic advocacy, we can create a future where autistic individuals no longer face the overwhelming emotional and physical toll of burnout. It is only by addressing both the internal and external factors that we can truly support autistic individuals in living healthier, more fulfilling lives.