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Diagnosed with anxiety and depression and autism

Dumbo :)

Anyone else being diagnosed with anxiety and depression along with autism? How do you cope, what are your coping mechanisms? I find the only thing that relaxes me when I’m feeling stressed or anxious is colouring. I obsess over buying colouring books and pens I must have hundreds haha. I find it difficult to get motivated to do things other than colouring. I feel like I isolate myself from the outside world and would much rather stay at home in my own comforts. Would love to know how others get on and hear how it effects people 

Parents

  • I’ve got ASD, ADHD, GAD (General anxiety disorder), and MDD (Major depressive disorder). I’m medicated for ADHD/GAD/MDD, which helps a lot. Sorry I can’t go into details about what medications have worked for me, as that is against community guidelines.

    Coping can be tough. One thing that helps me cope is helping people on this site or at work. I assist people with disabilities find employment, so I get a bit of a sense of belonging when I’m able to give others even a little assistance.

    Video games have been a life-long coping mechanism for me. I tend to play easy, repetitive games so I can easily catch a sense of accomplishment.

    Finally I arrange music. I once explained it to a therapist that it’s like “coloring books, but with music,” in that basically the music is already written, I just have to revise it in another context. Once I’m done arranging a song I keep it for myself and listen to them when I’m feeling down to remind myself that I can accomplish good things.

    So yeah, that’s how I cope basically.

  • in reply to profdanger

    First of all thank you for the reply, second of all sorry to hear you have a lot to cope with! I find it extremely difficult to focus on something if I’m that way our so credit to you for accomplishing all that! I really am trying to do more things with my day but I just get into a hole which I can’t seem to get out of and feel like I’m wasting my life away. I’m medicated for my anxiety and depression and recently been diagnosed with autism which has explained a lot of things. I do like watching tv but I can only focus on things I’ve already seen and can’t concentrate on something I Havant seen. Really good way of looking at things though where you remind yourself you can accomplish things! Slight smile

  • in reply to Dumbo :)
    Dumbo :) said:
    I do like watching tv but I can only focus on things I’ve already seen and can’t concentrate on something I Havant seen.

    Absolutely same here. I watch the same things over and over. Drives my wife and friends nuts because I often refuse to watch new things even if we know I’ll like it lol.

    Yeah! Reminders that you can accomplish things are a great fix for depression in particular. In your case, maybe hanging up some of your best colorings could remind you that you can make meaningful things, too?

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  • in reply to Dumbo :)
    Dumbo :) said:
    I do like watching tv but I can only focus on things I’ve already seen and can’t concentrate on something I Havant seen.

    Absolutely same here. I watch the same things over and over. Drives my wife and friends nuts because I often refuse to watch new things even if we know I’ll like it lol.

    Yeah! Reminders that you can accomplish things are a great fix for depression in particular. In your case, maybe hanging up some of your best colorings could remind you that you can make meaningful things, too?

Children
  • in reply to profdanger

    Exactly the same with my partner he always says I can’t make a decision we flick for ages trying to find something to watch because I won’t watch anything I’ve not seenJoy same with food, can never decide what food to orderJoy

    yeah that’s a great idea! I have got a lot better because when I first started colouring they was a right mess but yeah practice makes perfect I suppose!Sweat smile