[Added by mods- Content Warning: Sensitive Topic] What do you think about pornography from Autistic perspective?

Porn can release higher levels of dopamine than actual sex.

Autism is increasingly understood as involving dopaminergic dysregulation, particularly in the mesolimbic and mesocortical pathways—networks that are also centrally implicated in the development of addiction

embrace-autism.com/.../

I wonder if this was the reason for the question.

Well, that’s something I was interested in finding more about; the link between autism and addiction. I really do hope the powers that be put in more and more research into this. 

Have a look at the embrace autism link, it is a 2 part article. There a links to the sources. 

It's interesting to consider whether our desire for routines, repetitive actions and stimming are all related to certain brain chemicals. Either moving them up or down 

Are they soothing or coping strategies, or reward strategies.

Have a look at the embrace autism link, it is a 2 part article. There a links to the sources. 

It's interesting to consider whether our desire for routines, repetitive actions and stimming are all related to certain brain chemicals. Either moving them up or down 

Are they soothing or coping strategies, or reward strategies.

Thank you, sorry for the late reply. I have been searching for more answers around addiction and autism especially so that’s really helpful gives me a lot more food for thought. 

Checking that you have found this NAS main website page about addiction:

www.autism.org.uk/.../addiction

Smoking, nicotine, releases dopamine.

I started smoking around 20, somewhat daftly,  but stopped by 35.

I observed a number of things, how additive it was, how it made me feel, how hard it was to stop.

The interesting bit was how I quit. I tried to stop because I thought I should, but always failed. 

But one morning I suddenly thought all these diseases that other people get that will happen to me. You always think it will be someone else. As soon as I thought that I stubbed out the cigarette, left a packet on the mantlepiece and two boxes of cigars. The cigars have been untouched for  over 20 years.

I've not had one since.

I've always thought it strange I could turn it off just like that.

The addiction can also dangerously become routine, not having whatever you have is a huge change not just in how it may temporarily relieve any negative emotions when you do have it but also avoiding the overwhelming confrontation of emotions when it leaves your system. Autism and addiction seem to live off of each other like parasites feeding one another’s desires.