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Autism assessment and medication

Cat

Hello,

So, after five years of putting it off, I'm finally getting round to rearranging my referral for an assessment. Since I was last referred, I have started taking sertraline for anxiety and other various mental health tribulations, and as a result I've become far less anxious about social interactions (among other things). I still find them draining and difficult to navigate, but I tend not to spiral as badly as I once did and seem far more laid back.

My question is, because of the differences in my behaviour since starting sertraline, I'm wondering if an assessor would ask me to come off it in order to see me in my natural habitat as it were. It's not a pleasant prospect so I'd rather be prepared, and if anyone has any insight into this worry of mine, I'd really appreciate any advice.

Parents

  • (Background - I was on SSRIs and more for a huge amount of time)

    My (still growing) understanding of Autism etc is that emotional dysregulation is just one of very many facets of the experience. And that is why I felt very confused for a long time, being told that my anxiety/depression were being managed with emotion modifying drugs but still feeling that the rest of my being lacked a valid explanation and hence I was still confused / surprised / suddenly unable to cope with situations that presented.

    SSRIs never fundamentally changed who I am or how my thinking and interaction patterns differ from others'

    I probably felt some highs and lows less acutely but - in my view - mental wellness is not the lynchpin of an Autism diagnosis.

    So: I'd be shocked if they asked you to come of meds; and frankly if they did, my bet would be that they're not really understanding the real nature of Autism (or at least, not skilled enough to see through the one aspect of it that you have a crutch for).

  • in reply to JJ

    This is very reassuring, thank you. I think I feel the same way, that my emotional dysregulatuon is being treated, but there are other aspects in my life that I can't explain through the lense of anxiety/depression (which in my experience seem to just be a symptom of coping with undiagnosed autism). I think going on SSRIs helps more in that I'm now able to recognise when I'm not coping and apply proper coping mechanisms to my situation.

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  • in reply to JJ

    This is very reassuring, thank you. I think I feel the same way, that my emotional dysregulatuon is being treated, but there are other aspects in my life that I can't explain through the lense of anxiety/depression (which in my experience seem to just be a symptom of coping with undiagnosed autism). I think going on SSRIs helps more in that I'm now able to recognise when I'm not coping and apply proper coping mechanisms to my situation.

Children
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