Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi. Young autistic guy here.
I just recently signed up here and I'm not used to writing in forums at all, but with this subject I find myself really eager and passionate to write about it.
Maybe I haven't dug deep enough on the internet, but I see less resources for people who have both mental illness and autism. I have both. There's a stigma surrounding it, where it seems 'impossible' to have both be co-morbid, to basically have both at the same time. The fact is, both are possible. If anyone's needed to read that, who feels invalid, or a complete fraud/fake, you're not. Many factors can create mental illness. Trauma, loss, bullying, etc. Even non-autistics can have one or more mental illnesses or physical ailments.
Why is it important to have more resources? Because from my own personal experience of being made to feel as if I'm lying about having both, you can feel so, so misunderstood. The mental health side gets put on the back burner and gradually things deteriorate for those affected, because there's not enough discussion and resources about mental illness and autism being both common together.
I had a diagnosis of Asperger's in 1991 and schizophrenia in 2000. Then I developed depression in 2008 after my mum died.
The mental health aspect, on reflection, was misleading and that I should have focused on my Aspie side. Before the spells in mental health treatment, I was a motivated IT student. Then, the jobs I had didn't last long. Either through feeling sorry for myself, or the fact most were voluntary.
However, I am motivated and am able to use initiative. All because I was left to take responsibility for my family home. My parents and grandparents are all dead, and my brother is at University.