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Medication?

Possum

Our young person (somewhere on the autistic spectrum) is now on a degree course at university. Friendless, but not for want of trying. High functioning and articulate but suffering terribly and for years now from 'peaks' in anxiety which manifest as tearful alternately angry and sad 'meltdowns' which revolve around whether "being good" or "being annoying" and whether 'failing' at such things will cause a withdrawal of the (guaranteed) support and love of the family.  The conversation about it can repeat for hours and hours until we're all exhausted with endless reassurance.  Recently said they'd like some mild medication to help with these episodes. (Already tried mindfulness, CBT, counselling).

Anyone have any experience of meds for this high anxiety in someone under 21? Circumstances? Type? Effectiveness? I think GPs reluctant to prescribe because of suicide risk in the age group but young one finding the intensity so hard to handle and knows it.

Thanks in anticipation.

Parents
  • Former Member
    Former Member

    I totally support Zitami's account of their actual personal experience. Zitami clearly has a maturity advantage compared to the OP's YP. An OU course is also possible from more familiar surroundings and, I suspect, has lass time pressure as OU degrees are more modular and can be spread over a longer period.

    Drugs are not recommended in the treatment of autism and I would also add the words of the psychiatrist that diagnosed me "the morbidity [illness] of an autistic person is largely determined by their environment" If you put an autistic person in a congenial (for them) environment then they can thrive, if you put them in a toxic (for them) social/physical environment then they will come to harm.

    My own experience of university was as an undiagnosed person. Diagnosis, some years later, introduced additional stressors (there is a distinct stress related to having the label and the knowledge that one is different), and I have only experienced anxiety since then.

    At university I had a number of very close friends attempt and succeed in committing suicide. I never understood this at the time but in hindsight, and since it was a Physics course, issues around autism were probably not far away. Suicide is a very real thing to me, the subjects are not faceless and anonymous. Nothing can be worth that sacrifice.

    Education is useful stuff but it is not the only way to have a happy and contented life. "Education, education, education" is utter bunk for a significant number of people who should not be put through that particular mill.

    I obviously don't know the YP concerned and I don't know what the right answer is in their individual case so I can only give you my experience and let you and them make up their own minds.

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  • Former Member
    Former Member

    I totally support Zitami's account of their actual personal experience. Zitami clearly has a maturity advantage compared to the OP's YP. An OU course is also possible from more familiar surroundings and, I suspect, has lass time pressure as OU degrees are more modular and can be spread over a longer period.

    Drugs are not recommended in the treatment of autism and I would also add the words of the psychiatrist that diagnosed me "the morbidity [illness] of an autistic person is largely determined by their environment" If you put an autistic person in a congenial (for them) environment then they can thrive, if you put them in a toxic (for them) social/physical environment then they will come to harm.

    My own experience of university was as an undiagnosed person. Diagnosis, some years later, introduced additional stressors (there is a distinct stress related to having the label and the knowledge that one is different), and I have only experienced anxiety since then.

    At university I had a number of very close friends attempt and succeed in committing suicide. I never understood this at the time but in hindsight, and since it was a Physics course, issues around autism were probably not far away. Suicide is a very real thing to me, the subjects are not faceless and anonymous. Nothing can be worth that sacrifice.

    Education is useful stuff but it is not the only way to have a happy and contented life. "Education, education, education" is utter bunk for a significant number of people who should not be put through that particular mill.

    I obviously don't know the YP concerned and I don't know what the right answer is in their individual case so I can only give you my experience and let you and them make up their own minds.

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