Published on 12, July, 2020
At work/uni, I often get to the point of almost crying in front of people, and I have suicidal thoughts. I've refused antidepressants in the past, in case they affect my uni performance and/or I become dependent on them. I know my depression isn't purely biological, it's because of my inability to fit in in the world. I'm interested to hear the experiences of other autistic individuals with antidepressants. Did they help you, or did your low mood persist because of your autism? How difficult were the side effects, did they affect your ability to work/study? Did you become dependent on them?
Thanks for your responses :)
Hi, I started taking anti-deppresants nearly two years ago, and they do help me. I don't experience any affect on my performance. I too was reluctant to take them, and for a long time refused, but it didn't help my mood or the thoughts I was having. I finally decided to try them, and since starting to take them, have tried about 4/5 different types, over the two years. I had some that had side effects I couldn't ignore, so changed, I also felt like some didn't work well so tried upping the dosage or changing tablets again. The last tablets I tried, the ones i'm on now, didn't work at the start, but the doctors upped the dosage and now they do help to stabalise my feelings. Tablets will work differently for different people so it is more of trial and error. In regards to things getting worse before they get better, I don't think it is quite that, in my experience it was just that I initially felt bad more often, not worse, until they kicked in and decided to help. But it was definitely worth it. I'd recommend looking into them and exploring your options with a doctor. Good luck