• Replies 15 replies
  • Subscribers 12 subscribers
  • Views 385 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Trigger warning for behaviours related to mental health

H2whoa

To be more explicit than the title, trigger warning for self harm and suicidal ideation. 

I am posting this hoping that it is allowed as I would sincerely appreciate your perspectives. 

I am recently diagnosed autistic man with a long history of severe mental health issues. This includes a lifetime of self harming behaviour and suicidal ideation. With my recent diagnosis, my doctor suggested that the self harm behaviour in particular might be connected to my autism. It is very habitual and feels very routine. It is constant, not just linked to periods of intense depression. In fact, I feel very agitated if my routine is disrupted.

My doctor actually suggested that I reach out here to see if anyone has experienced something similar and what, if anything, has been helpful to escape the routine. It made a certain amount of sense to me that the highly routine nature of it might be related to my autism, as it was partly this that made the mental team refer me for an autism assessment in the first place. 

Parents

  • Dear H2whoa,

    Welcome to the online community, I hope you enjoy your time here. Thank you for sharing your experiences of mental health issues, it sounds like you have had a hard time with it. If it any point these thoughts become to difficult  we advise you to contact 999 or any of the mental health crisis lines listed on our Urgent Help Page if you are at risk of immediate harm: https://www.autism.org.uk/what-we-do/help-and-support/urgent-help  

    Help for anyone struggling to cope  

    • Samaritans: Email jo@samaritans.org or call 116 123 for free, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  
    • Shout 85258: A free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging support service for anyone who is struggling to cope. Text the word ‘shout’ to 85258
    • Mind Infoline: 0300 1233393 for information and signposting (9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday)   
    • SANEline: 0300 304 7000 for anyone experiencing a mental health problem or supporting someone else (4.30pm to 10.30pm, every day)  
    • Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM): 0800 58 58 58, for anyone who is struggling or affected by suicide or suicidal thoughts (5pm to midnight every day).    

    You have had some great responses about others experiences. I have shared some resources below that could be worth taking a look at:

    Preference for order, predictability or routine

    Mental health and wellbeing

    Please continue to reach out with any questions you have, It is great to have you as part of the online community.

    Warmest wishes,

    Olivia Mod

Reply

  • Dear H2whoa,

    Welcome to the online community, I hope you enjoy your time here. Thank you for sharing your experiences of mental health issues, it sounds like you have had a hard time with it. If it any point these thoughts become to difficult  we advise you to contact 999 or any of the mental health crisis lines listed on our Urgent Help Page if you are at risk of immediate harm: https://www.autism.org.uk/what-we-do/help-and-support/urgent-help  

    Help for anyone struggling to cope  

    • Samaritans: Email jo@samaritans.org or call 116 123 for free, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  
    • Shout 85258: A free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging support service for anyone who is struggling to cope. Text the word ‘shout’ to 85258
    • Mind Infoline: 0300 1233393 for information and signposting (9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday)   
    • SANEline: 0300 304 7000 for anyone experiencing a mental health problem or supporting someone else (4.30pm to 10.30pm, every day)  
    • Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM): 0800 58 58 58, for anyone who is struggling or affected by suicide or suicidal thoughts (5pm to midnight every day).    

    You have had some great responses about others experiences. I have shared some resources below that could be worth taking a look at:

    Preference for order, predictability or routine

    Mental health and wellbeing

    Please continue to reach out with any questions you have, It is great to have you as part of the online community.

    Warmest wishes,

    Olivia Mod

Children