Published on 12, July, 2020
I had a bit of a meltdown today. The incident that tipped me over the edge was actually something others may not have even given much thought to, but to me it was huge. I had not long finished work for the day so the mental adjustment may have contributed to my overloaded, overwhelming feelings. Anyway, since I calmed down, I have had a severe headache and have had to fight the overwhelming urge to sleep. I wish I could cope better.
That sounds like a stress headache.
I've mentioned it before, but Autistics are impacted far more severely than NTs. We NEED a small amount of anti-anxiety medication (not anti-depressants) on the odd occasion. Not everyday. We need to be able to shut down the severe impact, think through the moment and plan for next time. Work out what is causing this kind of impact and how to break from it so it doesn't destroy us.
I’m on antidepressants. Should I change?
Anti-Depressants won't help stress.
Depression can be related to the Adrenal Gland, it can be related to the Thyroid. It could be a lack of Vitamin D, it could be the body shutting down. One thing Absolutely No One feels when depressed, is Stress. Stress (Anxiety) is the body's fight/flight mode activated. It's rarely, if ever, due to internal physiological mechanisms misfiring, but can be misguided or incomplete Perceptions. It's almost always due to external circumstances and many times ones we cannot properly identify and Lack the rules to deal with properly. But if you're in a heightened state of Stress, as an Autistic, you will never be able to think clearly and rationally about what's causing it, and alleviate / fix the problem. We do not live in the Wild, we cannot Out Run something causing stress.
Autistic individuals need Practical Resources to sort out the Sensory impact and Practical psychological 'tools', or Rules to engage with a society which acknowledges ethics while engaging with warped social contracts. Because unlike our NT peers, we are impacted SEVERELY - intensely.
For instance, someone saying Yes to getting a coffee but using that Yes as a possibility not a hard black and white yes. Thus, how can I ever trust they mean what they say? From someone who thinks for a minute or a few days about a Yes or a No, and who makes a point about not making promises, just giving a straight forward answer, this is crazy-making. This small thing can cause anxiety if it's someone we care for. The Rule of Engagement here now shifts from projecting on to them how I would operate, to only trusting them only as far as they're capable of being trusted. I cannot assume they actually mean Yes or No. I now have a whole extra set of rules to check in with when engaging with this person and that can create and Overload, a spinning beach ball, a rainbow-wheel-of-death. This can create anxiety.
However, I shouldn't need to take Xanax to deal with them unless I live with them. And if I live with them one of 3 things need to happen. I need to change and put up reminders they are not to be immediately trusted and be OK with that. Or we need to seek therapy and see if there is a negotiation which can be reached. Or I need to move out. NEVER assume the other will change. If I move out and they desire to change, it is more than reasonable to allow them a year or 2 to become integrated (words match actions) or build integrity. Once a substantial amount of time has concluded we can now operate with the same value, perhaps I can move back in.
This is never a small matter. But if I am in a heightened state of stress, I won't be able to breathe through the moment, identify the problem (it could be the LEDs in my home creating a low grade state of stress), and Fix It. This is what Anti-Anxiety medication is for. We take a micro-dose if needed, apply principles and rules to engage and think through the moment, and Troubleshoot the Problem. We can be naturally skilled at this. For me, it was around 35 - from about age 16 - hunting for perspectives, beliefs, understandings, finding mentors, learning ethics, learning morals (and learning how they change depending on ones economic status), trying out principles and social rules, digging through philosophy, psychology, psychoanalysis and discovering how NT humans treat one another and then discovering better standards of Being Human. x
Hi, my wife has struggled with depression and anxiety a lot in the last few years. She has been prescribed antidepressants along with beta blockers. To be honest, they have made little difference. Our old GP has retired and we have a young one now. The wife has stopped taking the previous drugs and is now prescribed large vitamin D doses along with HRT jell. It has made a difference.