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Can psychosis ever be part of autism??

I kind of what some answers to this once and for all. I was diagnosed with Asperger's at very nearly 16 (I'm now 21) having struggled all my life with anxiety and depression, had an eating disorder etc (all the classic Aspie girl stuff). About two years later, I had a mental health crisis. With hindsight, it was a result of issues I'd always had, but my moods and behaviour became more and more erratic over several months - I felt like death; I remember lying in dark rooms in excruciating mental pain, carefully planning how I would kill myself, sitting awake all night staring at walls with glazed eyes, hiding in cupboards at school unable to lift my head but then running around a few hours later, buying £100 worth of cakes and giggling and hallucinating diamonds on the pavement. Long story short, I ended up collapsed on the floor in the middle of town having run away from school, bleeding, screaming, I'd written the word 'liar' all over myself in marker pen, I was hearing voices, believing people were out to kill me, and I ended up having to be restrained and put in a police car; I was then taken home, and for some reason neither I or my family understand I was not offered any more intensive treatment (despite the police arranging a mental health act assessment: it either never happened or I don't remember it! I do remember a really horrible man coming round from the primary care mental health service the following day and utterly victim-blaming me, saying it was 'about choices' and all I needed to do was 'make an effort', and telling me I was having delusional thoughts in a very accusing tone which is not what you're meant to do when someone is having a psychotic episode). My GP just gave my parents a packet of Valium and told them to give it to me every four hours, including throughout the night, with the anti-psychotics I had already been prescribed by a private psychiatrist I was seeing, and told them to 'keep me safe and let nature take its course', so essentially my parents, who had jobs and my two younger sisters to look after, had to become psychiatric nurses in their own home. The worst thing for me was the effect this had on my family, and that the social services called a couple of days later to see if my sisters were safe from their out-of-control sister, when I would never lay a finger on my little sisters whether I was in crisis or not; I was the one in danger and I didn't see an NHS mental health professional for a month after seeing the vile primary care guy. But that's life I suppose.

  • I believe this documentary on psychosis is still on iPlayer

    You might find it useful to watch this documentary - https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/mental-health-and-me/psychosis

  • I have experienced psychosis. It is a natural stress response, as such, I suspect its common in the autistic community.

  • Some of what you are saying applies to me also.  I was under mental health assessment at about 11.  At 17 I was trying to kill myself with pills and had my stomach pumped, I don't know why I did it even now.  I was then detained under the mental health act and put in a place where adults were screaming for no reason. I had objects taken off me I may do myself harm with.  I didn't receive any counselling in my teens, no one asked me why I was behaving as I was.The nurses in the hospital just said I was wasting peoples time this was in 1977, I thought attitudes had moved on since then. The psychiatrist said nothing but wrote a lot of stuff down - I think it was just an assessment.  Recently I am on Mirtazapine which is an anti-psychotic which is meant to stabilise my mood.  I can read 4 books at once when I'm in an up phase, can't sit down and am running everywhere - I think it is adrenaline.  These episodes have been infrequent but as I get older - I am now in my 60's it has eased off.  Sounds like you are having an awful time of it.  It seems all the doctor is for is to keep you safe and others you come into contact with.  As you age you should have more control over your thoughts and emotions.  I used to smash things when I was younger, I once put my fist through a glass door!  I now just punch the wall or kick the settee, I don't harm anyone and I have no wish to either.  As I have aged I have gradually figured a lot of my issues on my own as I wasn't diagnosed with anything in my teens they said manic depression, I have had this all my life.  I don't know if this is an autistic trait though this is my story everyone is different.  Hang on in there, take care.

  • Never. 

    Psychosis is an NT reflection. They see their own fear reflecting back, their pack animal instincts deeply internalised so they think autists are similar