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Autism and SAD?

deductress
over 8 years ago

Hello all,

I was wondering if anyone was aware of any link between Autism Spectrum and Seasonal Affective Disorder?

I was only diagnosed with SAD a week or two ago, but when i thought back on past winters - i realised i seem to be affected more regularly by sensory overloads, or require frequent stimming during the winter time. Whereas in summer, i experience overloads very rarely and stimming is required very little.

Does anyone else feel the same way at all?

  • over 6 years ago

    My personal experience is in the negative.

    Around ten years ago I was travelling by bus through one of these 1920s/30s sprawling council estates.  It was the middle of a hot summer and I was stressed out almost to the point of having a meltdown.  There were no obvious threats either inside or outside the bus.  But I was on the point of panic.  A week later I suffered a repeat performance on the same bus route.

    This February I travelled on this route again,  in awful weather with sleet falling and I biting cold wind.  But I felt fine.  No negative feelings whatsoever.

  • over 6 years ago in reply to AndyStrong

    And I'm even later to the party!

    I joke my neurodiverse ancestry left Scotland to get more sunlight but bought a set of shonky genes they gave me.

    I'm in the middle of winter sleepiness. My antidepressant keeps me mostly OK for mood but I'm now really wanting some sunlight.

    I strongly suspect they are separate entities (neurodiversity and SAD) but SAD can exacerbate the issues

  • over 7 years ago

    Know it's an old post, but yes I've just started thinking of my seasonal depression as a huge increase in sensitivity and autistic traits in the winter.

    This includes overloads and meltdowns, stimming, becoming withdrawn and lethargic.

    I tried an SSRI this year for the first time, had a small effect on my mood but still felt hugely over stimulated all winter.

  • over 8 years ago

    Quick look at SAD indicates links to Melatonin and seratonin.

    http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/Pages/Introduction.aspx

    Melatonin is often helpful with sleep/internal clocks for autistic children (Adults too ?) and I guess that seratonin is related (not sure what is the causal factor) in depression since SSRIs are commonly used in depression. 

    For melatonin vs ASD see http://community.autism.org.uk/search/node/melatonin

    It all suggests differences in the wiring/chemistry of autistic minds.

    My guess is that some people with marginal, chemically based depression are pushed over an edge by winter so these may be helped by SSRIs, other people have other chemical differences and need extra melatonin. Autistic people can fall into either or both sets of people who would benefit from one of these treatments. Autistic people often have depression for other reasons that don't respond much to meds.

  • over 8 years ago

    I remember reading this and thinking someone can better give an input. I know people with SAD but not as far as I know on the spectrum. I had a work colleague who needed a lightbox by his desk in winter.

    It does seem to me to be an important question, because it might relate to depression and heightened sensory overload, so really deserves to be discussed. I thought perhaps if I replied I could nudge the topic back into view.

    Maybe no-one has ever given a thought to SAD as a factor because we would normally put things down to the autism.

    It really needs to be taken seriously