Autism and anxiety

Hi, thank you so much for replying and for sharing your experiences, it helps a lot knowing I’m not alone with my struggles. 

Hi Casey.

Yes, to some extent I do have a problem with germs and contamination. For example, if I ever have to use a bus or cab, I always make sure I have a shower later on just in case I was sitting where somebody a bit grubby was sitting. I also feel uneasy when I've shaken hands with someone, feeling compelled to wash my hands. It's the same with chairs. If I ever have to sit in a strange, dirty looking chair it makes me feel uncomfortable. I did shower every day when I was working as not doing so would make me feel tense when in bed and not being able to relax, even after a quick wash, however, now I'm retired that's not so much a problem as I don't come into contact with many people. I also used to hate having to go to work during very muggy weather because the shirt I was wearing seemed to cling uncomfortably to me, although I think that's more a case of touch sensitivity. Hospital stays are a nightmare too as if you're laid up and can't move very far you have to forgo washing for a while which makes me very tense. And as for using a bedpan - horrible!

I’m on antidepressants for my anxiety and it’s helped a lot and I’ve had help before with support but not really much now that I’m a bit older. 

Does anyone struggle with germ anxiety, I overthink germs so much and it panics me and I wash my hands so much, I find it exhausting. 

Hi, thank you so much for the advice

Hi, thank you so much for replying to me. I love dogs too

Hi Casey am new here too sightly overwhelmed if am honest, so many choices of topic and conversation isn’t there, wow ha ha my brain can’t cope with too many choices am like a child stood in the school dinner queue! 

I get very lonely but in some ways it’s also a choice because when am in the company of people I get so overwhelmed and end up needing several days to recuperate. Even my own family overwhelm me, love them but they do me head in ha ha. 

I write a lot, find it helps me make sense of things and although I can’t easily open up to anyone can sit down and blurb for England on a piece of paper or an electronic keyboard, eeee what did we do before technology? I can tell you because am that old ha ha we read, made scary tunnels and dens with chairs and blankets, rode our bikes everywhere, skipped in the street although I couldn’t get the hang of running in without making a kybosh of it and we spent ages at the local play park where I invariably fell off everything because my coordination was awful. Always covered in bruises…still am! 

Always found great companionship in animals especially dogs, cats, horses and hens. My dog Max is my best friend in the world, accepts me as I am and is happy as long as he’s cuddled, fed and walked bless him. Lying cuddled up to me as I blurb this, his presence ia great stabilising and comforting force in my life.

Hi Casey. , I feel the same. I cope by ploughing all of my energy into football, but everyone is different.

My best piece of advice is to talk about it. If you dont want to talk to a person or you feel that you cant, write it down. 

After writing things down I feel a great wave of relief and end up falling asleep.

But if you want to talk to a real person, impartially I check my messages every day 

I will say 100% dont bottle every thing up, eventually that cap will pop

I was 51, I'm 52 now lol. It's good that you have a good support network. Do you have any therapy or medication for your anxiety? I tried CBT and mindfulness but it just doesn't work for me. I was seeing a therapist online but had quite a blip last week so the doctor has referred me to the community mental health team. I've never delt with them before so I don't know what they're like/offer? 

Hi, yes I was young when I was diagnosed I think it was because I had a lot of support around me and I still do  I had a teacher who really understood and my family are amazing and support me everyday which I’m so thankful for  but I know a lot of people get diagnosed late, how old were you when you got diagnosed?

Hi there Casey, welcome to the online community.  It's good to have you here, and it's lovely to see that other community members have already been welcoming you.

I'd like to direct you to a couple of NAS guidance pages related to your post, which I've linked below.

Anxiety - this page has a lot of information about anxiety, including help and support you may be able to get to assist in managing it.

A guide for parents and carers of autistic people - while this is aimed at parents, it contains information that you might find helpful in talking to your parents about your autism in a way that may help them understand your particular difficulties more.

I hope these links are helpful to you, and am wishing you all the best going forward.  I hope you enjoy your time in our online community.

- Nicola Mod

Thank you Lonehare12, I really appreciate you replying to me

Hi Casey

You are not alone in this.....I know it's hard to do sometimes but talking about it with someone I trust helps, then you aren't carrying it around in your head all the time. I feel like I'm doing things wrong a lot too but it doesn't mean I'm wrong as a person. My son is 26 so not far from your age and id say the same to him.

Be kind to yourself.

HI Casey, I was going to say that's young to be diagnosed, but thinking about it (I presume from your username you're female?) it's quite late these days for a female to be diagnosed? Hopefully autism in females is being picked up on earlier now. I hope I'm making sense, it's almost 3am and I've had 2 hours sleep! 

Does anyone have any advice for coping with anxiety please, like any tips, also does anyone else have a struggle relationship with their parents I feel like mine don’t really understand and I always feel like I’m doing something wrong. 

Thank you

Thank you

Welcome to the forum Casey.

Hi Casey, just wanted to say welcome and hope you can enjoy chatting here! 

Hi, thank you for understanding. I was diagnosed with autism at 12, I am now 21