Regular burnout is running out of gas. ADHD burnout is running out of gas while carrying twice the weight, because every "normal" thing requires more cognitive effort. A vacation won't fix it. Because the source isn't the workload. It's the effort of functioning in a world that wasn't built for your brain.
What ADHD burnout is
It happens when compensatory strategies collapse. The reminder systems, the heroic last-minute efforts, the constant self-monitoring, pretending everything is fine — all of it costs executive function. When you spend most of it on compensation, there's nothing left for living.
Why regular recovery doesn't work
A break without structure can make things worse — you lose routines, systems fall apart, and coming back is harder. Self-care requires executive function you don't have. Setting boundaries means saying no to things providing the external structure you depend on.
ADHD-specific recovery
Reduce the compensation load. Let some masking behaviors go. Let the house be messy. Shame of imperfection is less damaging than the cost of maintaining the mask.
Rebuild slowly. One anchor: a consistent morning routine or a single daily task. Build from there.
Audit energy leaks. What requires disproportionate executive function for minimal return? Cut what you can. Protecting your energy isn't selfish.
ADHD burnout isn't permanent. But recovering means accepting the pre-burnout level was unsustainable. You don't want to "get back to normal." Normal was killing you. You want a new normal with less masking and more honest accommodation. That's what we're building.