Published on 12, July, 2020
As an artist I also have many artist friends, many of whom I suspect would fit the diagnostic criteria for ASC.
The majority of those same people experience anxiety & stomach issues (IBS, IBD, etc).
So, this thread asks: Do any of you not get stomach issues every day/week?
...because I suspect this might be an interesting commonality between us all on the spectrum?
Could the difficulties we have to navigate day to day be interrupting our 'gut-brain-axis' and so be an easy to spot sign of an autistic person?
Sounds random now I write it, but I'm curious
Yes it's something I have suffered from for as long as I can remember. I've had all the tests to rule out any serious disease and I've had to learn to live with it on a daily basis.
Thankfully my issues haven't been as bad as my (undiagnosed autistic) mum. She has been in and out of hospital with her gastrointestinal problems since I was a child and has had surgical intervention on numerous occasions.
JT said:Could the difficulties we have to navigate day to day be interrupting our 'gut-brain-axis' and so be an easy to spot sign of an autistic person?
It does seem to be so common in us that I am surprised it is not asked about in the diagnostic process.
Yes I also wish they would have more guidance on how to manage such digestive issues in autistic people. So far only my dietitian has been helpful but the doctors have mostly not been and have even made things worse... because they then thought I must have anorexia nervosa... I knew this was not the case and I even tried to convince myself (because I just wanted an explanation...) but it just never fit. My dietitian agrees... and I wish I had been listened too. Now that I know that I am autistic, I can understand my problems around digestion and food much better... but still there is just no proper support. I really feel like decreasing stress and anxiety in my life would help so so much also for digestion.
Years ago a specialist at the hospital suggested a low fodmap diet to me.
https://community.autism.org.uk/f/adults-on-the-autistic-spectrum/15392/ibs-and-the-low-fodmap-diet
I found it quite restrictive as so many of the foods I loved were on the avoid list. There are some foods that clearly do increase gas and bloating, perhaps for everyone but maybe we are more sensitive to it. Nowadays I try to be mindful of limiting some of those rather than avoiding completely.
I agree that the issues are so strongly linked to stress and anxiety. In the fight or flight response the body slows down or shuts down the digestive processes.