What is a Meltdown in Autism and How to deal with it and Role of Homeopathy

A meltdown is an intense response to overwhelming circumstances, a complete loss of behavioral control in an autistic person. People with autism often have difficulty expressing when they are feeling overly anxious or overwhelmed, which leads to an involuntary coping mechanism, called as ‘meltdown’.

It is very common for autistic persons to experience such meltdowns. As a parent, it is distressing, as well as mentally tiring and can be physically challenging. Most parents of children with autism do everything they can to avoid new or unexpected circumstances that may instigate overload that could lead to a meltdown.

Physical Signs:

Symptoms typically begin at age of 2 to 3 months, when autistic symptoms set-in. The common signs of a meltdown include:

• Hand flapping
• Head hitting
• Kicking
• Pacing
• Rocking
• Hyperventilating
• Being unable to communicate

It helps parents once they understand what a meltdown is, as then you are able to gain the ability to foresee the signs of a meltdown, as well as identify the causes and reduce the frequency.

Meltdowns are just as individual as the unique personalities that children are born with. The cause of these meltdowns varies from child to child and much depends upon the situation itself. Here are some common trigger points:

• Sensory Overload:
Autistic children could well have hypersensitivities in one or more of their senses and some senses can be under-sensitive. This can provoke sensory overload with too much stimulation, followed by panic and a meltdown in the autistic child.
• Information Overload:
An autistic child finds it difficult to deal with an information overload. Autistic children get confused when too much complexity comes at them at once, such as too many instructions or demands or language that is not understood. This can lead to stress, anxiety and physical pain in some children.
• Emotional Overload:
When a child has problems expressing themselves, it ordinarily is too complicated for them to understand their own feelings. Children with autism may find it difficult to ask for help when they become anxious, and when they don’t have the intrinsic mechanisms to calm down, their emotions become too much to handle and a meltdown ensues.
• Individualistic:
Autism symptoms are highly individualistic (and hypersensitive) in nature just like autism-affected children who are born with unique personalities.

Dealing with a Meltdown

Parents of these children need to develop skills in calming themselves so that they can help their children learn to calm themselves, as well. Parents should not panic in such situations. It is advised that they should not get too embarrassed about it and seek homeopathic treatment.

What to do during such meltdown:-

• Be empathetic, i.e. listening and acknowledging their struggle without judgment. ...
• Make them feel safe and loved. ...
• Eliminate punishments. ...
• Focus on your child, not staring bystanders. ...
• Teach them coping strategies once they're calm

Firstly, parents should calm themselves when their child is experiencing such meltdowns and not to take stress. Here’s what they can do:-

1. Stay patient and understand what your child is experiencing:
   The child cannot help that he/ she has such a sensitive temperament. And inspite of this, she is doing the best she can, given her emotional state. Give your child a quiet space.
   
   
2. Validate your child’s feelings:
   It is advised that the parent should remain calm and cool when his child is experiencing meltdown episodes. He or she may seem irrational and inconsolable, have an elevated heart rate or simply get flooded with stress hormones. Make sure that the child is safe. Then assess the need of your child.
   
   
3. Listen quietly and repeat:
   Parent has to hear and listen to your child while you sit quietly near him. Try just repeating what they are saying to you. Don’t argue. Tell them that you are listening carefully. Speak slowly and very quietly.
   
   
4. Not to get too anxious:
   It is required that the parent should control the child’s unruly behaviour and not become very anxious with it. Do not fight, complain, argue or criticize the child or even talk more about it.
   
   
5. You’re not spoiling the child:
   This approach does not make the matter worse or complicated or the child is not being spoilt. This is a condition of high anxiety and hence should be dealt with empathy.
   
   
6. Try Breathing exercises:
   It is advised to practice certain breathing exercises. Breathe in slowly over five seconds and exhale slowly over the next five seconds. Use the second hand on your watch and get absorbed in taking deep belly breaths. As you become focused on your own self-calming skills, your child may decide to join in. The other advantage of an explicit focus on self-control is that you’re serving as a role model and the focus directs you away from being coercive with your child.
   
   

Role of Homeopathy in Meltdown

A ‘meltdown’ is where a person with autism loses control due to emotional responses to environmental factors. They aren't usually caused by one specific thing. Triggers build up until the person becomes so overwhelmed that they can't take in any more information.

These children are called “anxious,” “difficult,” “easily distressed,” “explosive” and “highly emotional.” Parents often experience them as being rigid and inflexible.

Homeopathy treats the cause of meltdown like immature brain, birth hypoxia, etc. Homeopathy follows a holistic approach towards the patient affected such meltdowns. Regular intake of Homeopathic remedy disrupts the meltdown episodes, cycles of repetitive movements, hand flapping. These are many symptoms which homeopathy can treat and thus give relief to the unruly, undisciplined patient.

The frequency of these meltdown cycles gets reduced and making them to disappear gradually. So, homeopathy effectively helps to overcome the symptoms on its own. Homeopathic medicines aid in normal sensory and cognitive development in such children and contribute to cognitive well being.

Homeopathy treats the person in disease, rather than the diseased person and follows a holistic approach. Homeopathy is useful in treating meltdown in growing children as well as adults. The individualistic approach of homeopathy makes it very supportive in relieving symptoms.

Earlier the patient seeks treatment, better are the chances of improvement. Homeopathy medicines reverse meltdown symptoms helping the patient to live a normal and mindful life.