Autism, self analysis, regret, anxiety and distress. Suicide risk

As a psychology doctor I do find I analyse the reasons people choose what to write on this forum and a recurrent theme with virtually every post is distressed self analysis.

As autistic people we do have some 10 years shorter life expectancy than average with a very high suicide rate and I feel the main reason is our self analysis, regret and distress, coupled with our difficulty in pursuing and reinforcing enjoyment and fun.

Todays church bible reading was relevant

Matthew 6:25-27  “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?”

what do you think?  How can we best improve our daily living?

  • ...Greetings, Me again, I just see this reply, now...

    I think what I wrote below ( with the ' "sui-cide" risk' ) still applies. Try to Make time for Yourself. NOTE: I said upon what You enjoy or makes You happy... not so much upon 'achievements' or, um, 'what is left' - unless these also make You happy or You enjoy them. Whatever makes You *Strong* + Happy = <> TALENT. Focus upon that... whenever making others happy or obligations or regrets get You down...?

    ..."Regrets and missed opportunities" is unlike all I try to say before. And (supposedly) Everyone has these. Not our fault. Everyone cannot be All things To All People All of the Time, Y'know. You can maybe go back and change some of them, else, just live with it, like a lot of persons.

    ( ...Sorry, I do not comment about the article, Thanks for the link, though. It is too broad/generalising. The article also says that. Again, maybe someone else can debate it here, but I am not starting it. ) Again, Good Luck to.You (& I do love Top Gear upon Your TV Channel, "Dave"!)

  • Fools rush in where Angels fear to tread !

  • Well yes helping others gives an increase in. Serotonin well-being so is good in contrast to isolation which we may tend towards as social difficulties. Such are my conclusions 

  • Have a look at this 

    https://www.spectrumnews.org/news/study-identifies-predictors-early-death-among-autistic-people/

    I did the money stuff had 8 houses (without mortgages) and business stuff £1m. But lots of regrets and missed opportunities. Not focussing on achievements and what I have left! Miserable git!

  • Yes I did too many qualifications, anaesthetist, medical practitioner and researcher lead with MSc in the psychology of decision analysis-  why people make different choices

    so I am all 3.

  •  I think a lot of new people come to the forum and don't stay

    ...YES.

  • I'm not meaning to cause offence but on various posts you've claimed to be an anaethatist, gp and now a dr in psychology? Which one are you?

  • ...Sorry, Me again. I just noticed that "Sui-cide risk" was separate from the rest of the list in that Title. If this is the point, then just say so then explain. I would say not to keep changing Your own goals; that is, once acheiving something, then stick to whatever makes You happy/strong/empowered. Do not let anyone else sway Your own feelings (not even Me...?) and focus upon Your own strengths and What You feel You Know best to do. It is not selfish, it is self-defence, and after that You may consider others. The saying goes that if You cannot help Yourself then You cannot help other people, really...

    I had better leave off, now, this is turning into a monologue. Good Luck anyway.

  • what do you think?  How can we best improve our daily living?

    ...More money would do Me, for a start. But this leads onto too many other Topics so I say no more. As I said: Hopefully You may gain better replies than Mine, there...? But that TITLE has waaay too many topics in it... have a look around this Forum, I suggest most of all! (Type certain words into the "Search" Box.)

  • Greetings, & Thanks very much for the TV Channel, Mr."Dave"...

    As I often say, 'hopefully someone else will post a better reply thn this one'... but here are some comments anyway (Yes I am Autistic/Aspergers.).

    Paragraph 1: Pretty much a lot of persons first joining would be joining because they are or have someone they know (or a child, mostly) who is "diagnosed Autistic". They are thrown by the term, often not knowing what it means, and worry that, say, the World is Ending, maybe. The "Distressed Self Analysis" comes from as little as simply *looking up* the Term "Autism" to checking back upon anyone's life experiences in order to re-think: "so that is why I am so good at/could not do" various things.

    Paragraph 2: Buy more books or read up a bit more about Autism, I say. So I might only live to 140 instead of 150, or 100 instead 110... so what? They say the same about smokers, drinkers, drug-takers, meat-eaters... but there are plenty out there who live well past 110...

    ...The rest of that paragraph is up to the individual. Please try to research more into the great many folk who find "Autism as a *strength* and not as a restriction or disabillity.

    Last Paragraph(s): ...Ooh-err, "Religion" is one of the more controversial topics - here or anywhere - so I comment not about that, apart from pointing out that Birds will not gather/ nest in Barns, *only* so long as if the Barn is constantly cleaned, or if the barn has no rafters, or the barn is totally closed all of the time, or if the barn has some other occupants within its rafters (e.g. Bats). 

    ...Apart from all of that waffle... Wehey - Crack On, Dave! (...!)