Autism with depression and anxiety

I think finding ‘peace’ right now is extremely difficult for a number of reasons. The background noise of all that’s happened over the last two years has been very disquieting and unsettling on multiple levels. Add tips that a Govt led by a narcissist who patently doesn’t care about anyone (least of all the most vulnerable) and all the other things like war, climate change, global economic downturns and shortages - who COULD feel at peace right now?! I think anxiety and depression are actually completely normal responses to the world we are living in. 

Thank you so much for your response. This makes so much sense to me and is a perspective I hadn't considered before now. I teach in a primary school therefore the sensory overload, as well as work life balance can be difficult. The demands of teaching nowadays, due to changes in the children, is hard and high expectations and targets place lots of pressure. I also bring work home and juggle my own kids while marking and planning. Burnout seems totally plausible. 

I really identify with what you said about the world becoming more draining in general. You're right - technology, phones, pressures are all worsening and I think it is more difficult to get any sort of 'peace'. I have only been medicated so far but really want to try other therapies. Was considering CBT but as you say it isn't good for the autistic mind, may have to re-evaluate.

Thanks x

I'm sorry to hear this.  I also suffered with depression for a long time, as well as social anxiety.  I was diagnosed with autism last year aged 37.  I found that just getting my diagnosis helped a lot with the depression, although not the social anxiety.  I no longer felt like a failure.  I hope your mental health will also improve given more time to adjust (it took me about a year for my diagnosis to fully sink in).

Possibly a stupid question: have you tried therapy?  People on the spectrum seem to do badly with CBT (the usual go-to therapy for depression and anxiety).  Autism-adjusted CBT is available, but very hard to get hold of.  I find psychotherapy useful to vent and get new perspectives on problems (I can get stuck with one way of looking at things), but it didn't cure me and some people don't like it at all.

It is also possible that part of the depression is autistic exhaustion or burnout (I think this was a factor in my case).  If you work, that may be exhausting you.  There may be adjustments you can ask for in the workplace that will make things easier.  Even if you aren't working, just navigating the environment around you may be a draining experience and building up into exhaustion or burnout over time.  I don't know if I'm getting old or if the world is getting louder, flashier and more over-stimulating (possible, now there are moving screens everywhere), but I find just doing shopping a difficult experience.  I try to shop online and, if I can't, avoid long shopping trips and just buy what I need and leave as fast as possible.

Thank you so much x

Thanks so much for this response. I identify with it greatly. I appreciate the links and I will have a good read of them.

Thanks x

There are some good threads here on this, including one I started which might help: https://community.autism.org.uk/f/health-and-wellbeing/26018/anxiety-stress-vs-depression 

But also:

https://community.autism.org.uk/f/adults-on-the-autistic-spectrum/26691/autism-vs-anxiety

https://community.autism.org.uk/f/adults-on-the-autistic-spectrum/26624/anxiety-or-autism 

The Autistic wired brain would've been brilliant in a tribal setting. When the Values of society change, it tends to marginalise various groups. Currently, extroverted theatrics which NeuroTypical individuals tend to possess due to how they're wired / programmed (more in their language/semiotic lobes), is a Value to the economy. So Adverts and communities are created and built around and for them. Never in history has the sort of media fame been 'valued'. Add NTypical brains aren't as intensely impacted by sensory input, so not only do we reason, perceive and communicate different, but also pick up an extraordinary amount of external information intensely. Being marginalised from society, even if you only sense this as a sub(merged) conscious afterthought, is depressing. It can also create anxiety due to the financial impact it has on our lives. 

I needed a lot o help identifying factors that I was responding to due to language issues. I'm still always trying to find the word to identify a thing, a mysterious exchange, an object, a definition. 

I've personally found understanding how the world operates, how NTypical society is navigated, what autistic strengths and limits are, have created ease. The 2 most difficult things to deal with have been unresolved matters and being misrepresented. Many of us here have suffered a good deal of injustice. x

My doctor said it is common in people with autism. 

Hello Stacey, I'm really sorry you have been through so much. Mental health sucks and is really hard to live and deal with. I've struggled with it since I was 15 and it's still not great now. I do struggle with anxiety and depression as well. Including suicidal thoughts which has led to attempts. My doctor said a few years ago that it's common for people on the spectrum to have anxiety and depression, I don't know if she was right but she seemed to think that was true. I still struggle real bad with all of this so I can't give you any help for it sadly, but, if you need to talk then my door is always open for you. :) 

Thabk you for your comment. As awful as it is, it's good to know others share the same feelings and can offer support and advice. Sorry for your difficult times.

Is depression and anxiety common with autism. I have been diagnosed depression and anxiety plus a couple months ago I got diagnosed with autism. (16m) it's a long story of why it took so long to get diagnosed but anyway my question is are depression and anxiety common in us autists.

Hi Stacey - sorry to hear you’ve had so many tough times and challenges over the years.

I think that autism almost always comes along with a certain amount of anxiety and depression. 
Inhave been trying to manage my anxiety for decades - it’s been an ongoing problem for me that at times has become completely overwhelming. Years ago my GP prescribed anti-depressants but I couldn’t tolerate them - I had appalling side effects that just about finished me off. But I got through that thankfully. 

I’m happy for you that you have a diagnosis. Hopefully it will help you to deal with both processing your past and also m9ving forward with greater understanding about how to improve your life - what you want and what you need. 

good luck!