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Anxiety and Autism- Help!

The Riddler

Hi, this is my first post on this, or any forum. I am 44 and currently awaiting an official assessment/ diagnosis. Although I pretty convinced it's a thing.

I have struggled with anxiety for a while and been treated for this. However, what I want to know is how prominent is anxiety as an issue to people, particularly adults, with aspergers? I really struggle with social situations and this increases if there is a possibility of any sort of confrontation or debate.

Anyway, if people could share their thoughts and experiences it would be really helpful.

Thanks.

  • in reply to The Riddler

    I think that's a good attitude to have, to not care what others think if you're doing something that doesn't look 'normal'. I waver a bit, sometimes able to not mind and sometimes I do and I just wish I could be invisible to other people so I don't have to worry about how they might respond to my weird or 'inappropriate' behaviours.

    I have a fidget spinner but I actually find other objects more useful - smooth wooden things like a little ring, or polished pebbles, or conkers. They fit my pockets a bit better too. I can also use some items of jewellery like a beaded bracelet.

  • in reply to Invisiblewoman

    Thanks for this comprehensive response. Certainly what you say about uncertainty rings true, and is what lead me to leave the post in the first place. I always over analyse events in an attempt to predict every outcome and every conversation that may occur, so I can have a pre-prepared response.

    I have found recently that carrying a fidget spinner with me helps. If I'm out and about and get anxious I can use it and it's just enough of a distraction to get me through. Fortunately I am beyond caring what people think about a 44 year old with a kids toy! Wink

  • in reply to JohnS

    This is good to know. My experience of CBT is very much the same. I explained my thoughts to the therapist, who basically told me to just stopped thinking like that! 

  • in reply to Invisiblewoman

    Sounds familiar :) :)

    I found CBT a waste of time to be honest. Basically a Psychologist engaging in "Small Talk" in some vein hope it will make you feel better. 

  • in reply to Invisiblewoman

    I also should have said that my anxiety (and depression) and lack of response to conventional treatments like medication and standard talking therapies were what led to me seeking diagnosis.

  • I don't know what the official statistics say, nor how accurate they are (standard anxiety screening tools aren't necessarily going to work for autistic people) but I would guess that more than half of autistic people have some level of clinical anxiety that causes difficulty in daily life.

    I have had quite a bit of talking therapy for anxiety and depression and it's been partially useful, but I only got my diagnosis in July so I'm only just getting some suitable therapy: unadapted therapy, like regular CBT, is often unhelpful and might actually make things worse. I thought I was getting panic symptoms in places like supermarkets so my therapists gave the standard CBT advice that if you stay in a situation when you're panicking, the anxiety will subside as you discover that the situation is safe.

    Unfortunately what no one figured out was that I was actually experiencing sensory overload which was causing symptoms that looked like anxiety. But by staying, I was just getting overloaded more. Now I can make decisions based on avoiding or reducing the sensory overload, but I don't unlearn rules easily so I've got to practice with my new understanding before it will feel okay.

    I find uncertainty really anxiety provoking too. I don't have a way of dealing with this yet. Some theories suggest that autistic people struggle to predict unfamiliar events. Actually I think what is going on for me is that I'm predicting many possible outcomes and events, and becoming overwhelmed by trying to work out how to respond appropriately to all of them in case one of them happens.

  • Its a big, big issue for me. Its what led ti my diagnosis, as my medication of Citalopram wasn't working as well as it used to. When i saw a Psychiatrist, he suggested i take Escitalopram and surprisingly also diagnosed me with Aspergers. That led onto a formal diagnosis. I soon gave up on Escitalopram and was put on Venlafaxine. This has given me weird vivid dreams and flushes, so i have swaoped back onto Citalopram.

    The drugs certainly take the edge of things, when I'm out, i'm less sensitive to noise and more tolerant of busy places.

    I've had long periods when i didn't need medication and only take it, when things srack up and put me into an almost permanent state of anxiety.

    Unfortunately, my anxiety is a symptom of my Autism and I have to live with it. Hopefully, I will be able to go part time next year which will make my life a lot easier :)