“A circuit breaker is an automatically operated electrical switch designed to protect an electrical circuit from damage caused by excess current, typically resulting from an overload or short circuit. Its basic function is to interrupt current flow after a fault is detected. Unlike a fuse, which operates once and then must be replaced, a circuit breaker can be reset (either manually or automatically) to resume normal operation.”
Our home has an outlet that often gets overloaded when we plug the iron into the power socket. I can always tell that the circuit is going to flip because the lights flutter first. It’s always a sign of too much input which normally leads to the circuit breaker shutting itself off to protect itself from permanent damage.
Sensory overload is one the most unseen and misunderstood aspects of ASD. On Thursday I took our oldest son to watch the Atlanta Falcons play in the new Mercedes Benz Stadium. It’s a beautiful facility and we had lots of fun.
My brain however tends to take in way too much input in large settings like concerts and football games and even church. I love being there, but I know that eventually the circuit in my brain will trip and I will have to reset it and start all over again.
What that normally means for me is complete and utter exhaustion. Normally that means a day of extreme fatigue and I am rarely able to get out of bed and my immune system stops working.
Today is one of those days. Thursday I took in too much input. Friday my circuit flipped. Today I am resting and resetting. This is autism spectrum disorder. This is my life, but having the chance to watch an NFL game with my son made it all worth while.
I know the emergency stop switch in the brain. At the Epilepsy-stroke-Unit I am cared for because of psychogenic and epileptic seizures. In Germany there is still no sufficient supply that takes the shutdown seriously.