Published on 12, July, 2020
Any advice would be appreciated. My son aged 24, has recently been diagnosed with ASD, which explains why he has been self medicating with cannabis since the age of 14 and the last 5 years with cocaine. He has sought help with our local drug service and now doesn't use cannabis only cocaine and is attending weekly meetings, but he feels that this won't help in getting clean, as he takes it to cope with his ASD. He has been assessed by mental health and the ASD service, who cannot assist him with coping mechanisms as he is on drugs. So my son cannot get any help with his ASD because he's on drugs. We are both despairing and any advice would be appreciated.
I assume you live in the UK, Firstly autism services around the country do not offer service to assist adults on the autism spectrum to develop coping mechanisms, so please do not accept it’s the drug problem preventing them from helping him, secondly, you need to be aware that the mental health service and the autism services have a duty of care and should have contacted the local authorities to perform a needs assessment which should result social intervention which should include a social worker and drug rehabilitation.
If the mental health service and autism service haven’t requested a needs assessment through the local authority you can request one through your local authority yourself.
It’s very unusual for an individual who are only on the autism spectrum to take cocaine. It may be worth looking into your son having ADHD as well as Autism. cocaine is a stimulant and your son could of initially started taking it because he noticed a significant improvement similar to what he would have noticed if he started taking ADHD medications. I assume this as case and I can relate as a close family friend has just been diagnosis with ADHD after having a cocaine problem. Ironically he has autism too and it started with the use of cannabis to treat the issues with his undiagnosed autism. He has been through the needs assessment too and they have organised help and support and he is in his mid thirties.
the ADHD medications I am talking about isn’t bad at all, but may require someone other your son to control the medication as it can be addictive. But for the majority of people with ADHD who take the medication it allows their brain to function a bit quicker allowing them time to recognise situations better and help with impulsivity.
the weekly meeting are honestly not going work unless they are tailored or accommodative to the understand of autism and ADHD and are just stressing him out.
contact you local authority for a needs assessment before the drugs do serious harm to his mental capacity or worse he is sections unfairly under the mental health act, your local authority cannot deny him a needs assessment.
Blue, Thank you so much for your reply to my post. I read it to my son and he said 'that's what I have been wanting to hear for so long'. I am now doing to get in touch with Social Services and request an assessment.