General Personality Science

Autistic Burnout

A state of chronic exhaustion, loss of skills, and reduced tolerance to stimuli resulting from prolonged masking and sensory/social overload. Different from occupational burnout.

Autistic burnout (Raymaker et al., 2020) is distinct from workplace burnout. It involves: pervasive exhaustion (physical, mental, emotional), loss of previously held skills (regression in speech, social ability, self-care), and reduced tolerance to sensory input.

Causes: prolonged masking, cumulative sensory overload, life transitions, and not having adequate recovery time. It can last weeks to years.

Recovery requires: radical reduction of demands, sensory control, cessation of masking, and often extended time off work. Unlike occupational burnout, autistic burnout affects fundamental functioning, not just work performance.

Related Terms

Introversion

A personality preference for lower stimulation environments. Introverts recharge through solitude and deep focus, prefer small groups over large parties, and think before speaking.

Personality Trait

A relatively stable pattern of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that distinguishes one person from another. Traits are continuous dimensions (not categories) measured on a spectrum.

Ambivert

A person who falls near the middle of the introversion-extraversion spectrum, displaying both introverted and extroverted behaviors depending on context. Most people (60-70%) are ambiverts.

Dark Triad

Three socially aversive personality traits: Narcissism (grandiosity, entitlement), Machiavellianism (manipulation, cynicism), and Psychopathy (callousness, impulsivity). Present to varying degrees in the general population.

Five Factor Model (FFM)

The scientific framework behind the Big Five personality test. Developed through decades of factor analysis, identifying five broad dimensions that account for most of the variance in human personality.

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