Depression and aspergers

My motto is 'Procrastination is the thief of time', and 'don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today'.

That book sounds interesting. I am more of a thinker than a doer, so could do with some encouragement.

Read the book by Richard Carlson "Stop Thinking Start Living" it is my bible - I am on my 14 th reading if it - reiterating the fact that we have to keep on practising - worth every penny 

And I do agree about some of the comments here.  I do spend a lot of time worrying, or thinking, rather than actually doing anything, or thinking, anything positive.  It's taken me time to change my thinking habits but any small steps I take now will always be beneficial for the future

Unfortunately, it is related.  A build up of anxieties from being on the autism spectrum can get overwhelming and can manifest itselfinto deprssion.  I've battled with it a lot in my life and so did my granny.  She had Asperger's also and spent a lot of time on medication.

I was put on all sorts of medication when I was younger, but I would argue that it wasn't solving the problem.  No one realised I was on the autism spectrum until about 3 years ago.  I've had problems with depressions, anxiety, and OCD.

Luckily, there is some things that do help.  CBT was great for me because it helped me realise what my anxiety triggers were, and the lower the levels of anxiety the easier it is to deal with things.  I was also told I had to try and achieve things everyday, to remove the feeling of being overwhelmed.  I was told to write a small list and tick off things I had done that day.  Anything was allowed on this list, even simple little things such as taking the rubbish out.  It shows you are accomplishing something and will in time help with building some confidence.

The Asperger's brain is so always on the go it is easy to see why we can be easy targets for depression.  I won't lie, sometimes I still struggle, but I remember everything I've been through and all that I have achieved and I think to myself, I've been through all that and I'm still here, why give up now?   I don't believe medication alone ever helps depression.  I never understand doctors who just send people off with some pills and hope that somehow they will gradually get better on their own.  The medication helps youto take the steps needed to deal with depression, such as CBT or other confidence building help that may be on offer.  

I know the world outside and society can be unsettling to us, but there are ways and support to help you cope with it  :)

thanks, I am already on medication, but I do worry and I also spend alot of time trying to remember lots of facts about people so that i dont get caught out , if that makes sense

I will second Longman, the trick is breaking cycles of negitave reinforcment, something I aspire to do but often struggle with. I was taight simply to redirect my thoughts when I find myself dwelling on negitaves, but if the concern is a reall one, how ever distant slim or intangable shifting my thoughts feels... irisponsible.

I also have the problem that I redily pick up negitave asosiations to other stimuli. For example I had some sucesses managing my anxiety via Meditation. I'd que up a favorite song, always the same one and listen to it as a timer. But during one of my bad periods I was striken by depressave thoughts and a panic attack that cut clean though it, and now I'm left afraid of using that song or medatating because of the association now forged. 

While there may be more fundamantal inclinations towards depression, the problem of coping with an unsympathetic society doesn't help. But the other thing you could address is any disposition to worry.

My own theory is that the need to analyse social situations, in order to fill the gaps in what we miss, gives a higher predisposition to analyse everything. So we probably spend an undue amount of time worrying.

Moreover the process may mean going through all the different permutations of what might happen, as a consequence of this happening, as a consequence of that happening. And there will be an inclination to explore the negatives (about which we might worry) rather than the positives (which we might not expect to happen to us).

So you end up with negative reinforcement - a tendancy to dwell on all the negative possibilities, which generates low self esteem and low self confidence. This can become an addiction, and is bound to increase the potential for clinical depression.

If you can find any ways to avoid negative reinforcement - break phrases or flicking you ear lobe to stop yourself doing it, or trying to think of positives (counting your blessings), or asking yourself how likely are most of the outcomes you've been mulling over, it will make a difference.

Medication might have to be the option, but anything you can do in the meantime to up your self esteem must be crucial.

Yes this is true.  The rate of co-morbid mental health issues with ASC is at least 70%.

Usually, improving your circumstances can lift you out of it but obviously this is not always possible and it can be just life itself (existing in a society that doesn't understand) that has caused it.

You might want to speak to your GP about some anti-depressants to see you out of it as then you will feel more able to challenge anything in your life that is causing it.