The meltdown ends, but for autism moms, the aftermath lingers. In this episode of The Autism Mom Coach, the first of a two-part series, Lisa names what she calls the meltdown hangover: the emotional, mental, and physical fallout that can outlast the meltdown itself by hours, days, or even weeks. Drawing on her own experience with homework meltdowns and her son's perfectionism, she walks through the telltale signs (exhaustion, shame and guilt, rumination, anxiety, and grief) and explains why, unlike a regular hangover, this one runs on your own thoughts and can stretch on as long as you let it. The goal this week is simple awareness, the necessary first step before next week's strategies for recovery.

In this episode, you'll learn:

What a "meltdown hangover" is and its five common signs (exhaustion, shame and guilt, rumination, anxiety, and grief), drawn from Lisa's own life and her coaching clients.
Why meltdown hangovers can last far longer than a regular hangover, since the symptoms are largely your own thoughts, and how staying stuck in them can keep you chronically depleted between meltdowns.
A set of reflective questions to help you identify your personal hangover symptoms, from your energy and emotions right afterward to how kind or scolding your inner voice is.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Resources mentioned: