Published on 12, July, 2020
I think it can, and there are a few articles online that explore how autism relates to trauma and PTSD. Compared to neurotypical people, trauma in autistic people has different causes and plays out in different ways.
Some examples:
Although there is a little research on the topic, I think it deserves more. I would guess that the above examples are all risk factors for depression, stress, alcoholism, heart disease, and a whole host of other health problems.
I was diagnosed yesterday aged 53
Being extremely good at maths and coming from an academic family, I went into banking. My career started really well and I rose through the ranks with relative ease becoming the finance manager of a merchant bank. The problem that arose was that the higher I was promoted - the less I was using my strengths (number crunching) and the more I was having to do things I was very poor at (board meetings, meeting solicitors, being responsible for other peoples mistakes etc)
I pushed myself to the point of destruction and after some sort of meltdown I was forced to leave. I then spent 4 years looking after a my two children aged 6 months and 2 years at the time whilst my wife resumed her career
I then became a postman which I have been doing for the past 20 years. I have struggled with anxiety most of my life which has gradually got worse to the point that I ended up being diagnosed ASD
The question is - would I have taken the route into merchant banking if I had had a diagnosis during my school years? Probably not but would I have ended up in a better place? I don't know
What would I have done differently had I known is a question I've been asking myself. You can't change what's happened though.