autism and alcohol

Drinking is indeed a tempting way to get the chaos in your brain to calm down a little bit. There's other ways, special interests, playing computergames, doing something during which time doesn't appear to exist. 

Over 5 years ago you wrote this.  How's it going?  I can so relate to everything that people have said in this post.  I started drinking alcohol at about 16 and found it was the magic drug and legal to help me function in social situations, which I always really struggled with; what to say, when, too silly, too boring, over the top, focus on my physical deficiencies..... etc. 40 years later, I have been on a roller coaster of excessive drinking failed relationships and the anxiety is always there.  2 sons, from different relationships, both on the spectrum, one diagnosed, which has turned the spotlight on me in that I have requested a diagnosis.  Hoping it will confirm why i'm like this and help me to get CBT to deal with the anxiety and low self esteem.  Alcoholism is not the problem, it is the symptom of the underlying anxiety.

That exists in my family too - on both sides....however I seem (so far) to be able to keep a control of it as I hate being drunk and not remembering what I did....or if I said something to upset anyone....

Do you mind me asking your age?

I feel the exact same way shopgirl....makes perfect sense....

It is so refreshing to finally meet people who feel the same and that we are not alone.

My wife thinks I have a problem however, the way you explain it makes just so much perfect sense

I've only ever drank once in my life, and it wasn't enough to do anything to me. But everyone in my family has addictive personality problems, with is something I'm concerned about.

Yeah but the inebriation makes us relax toobut in turn allows us to argue our point more eh? I did it recently at a dinner with colleagues and a supplier....I didn't realise I was doing it until a colleague pointed it out to me....

Gin makes you sin, whiskey makes you frisky, brandy makes you randy but vodka (devils drink) makes you tell the truth.....

My own observation is that my autism/ASD/whatevs becomes increasingly unmasked when tired, stressed or inebriated.  The latter is somewhat problematic as I feel it gives a bit of relief to me, but at the same time it makes my more autistic traits a lot more obvious.  Or at least it seems to, anyway.  I seem to be quite good at hiding it the rest of the time (well, for the time I'm actually not tired, stressed or inebriated, that is).

But alcohol's biggest evil is calories, and I'm fatter than I want, so I'm about to embark on a serious "reconsideration" of my intake on that basis alone.  I hate anything diet-related. D:

thank you longman. Ill take a look at that. the triggers refered to my drinking as opposed to the austism.

stateofindependence, this is exactly like me. im fully functional with my drinking (so to speak) but im not happy with it and i drink way more than i should and like you say there are health implications.

i dont feel at all though that my drinking is for social reasons which seems to be the usual case for people who drink with ASD. i think its more a sensory issue for me. almost like its my way of stimming.

i dont know if anybody else feels similarly?

Oh yes... this is the main reason I went for diagnosis. Started drinking in teens to deal with social anxiety (worked like magic, initially), and spent most of teens and 20s blind drunk. 

Nowadays I drink more to take the edge off the day - am very efficient with it, don't fall over, skip work, or turn up hungover, but it is taking its toll health-wise. And Longman is right, it has made my social isolation worse. I started drinking in an attempt to connect with other people but at some point it started having the opposite effect. 

Finding out I have Aspergers hasn't made me suddenly stop wanting a drink, but has made me realise I do need to make more of an effort, both with social interaction and resisting the nightly bottle of wine routine.

There is a book on this - "Asperger Syndrome and Alcohol - Drinking to Cope?" by Matthew Tinsley and Sarah Hendrickx - Jessica Kingsley Publishers 2008 (ISBN 978-1-84310-609-8   this number will help a library or bookshop locate it).

It has an interesting Foreword by Temple Grandin who observes that, had it not been for anti-depressant medications she might have resorted to alcohol. Her endorsement of the book is salutory.

I am concerned that you are asked what your triggers might be - another illustration of professional miscomprehension of autism.  Parents are constantly being told to note down the triggers of meltdowns and other reactions, when it would seem that such triggers are more like 'last straws' and it is underlying stress that pushes children to their endurance limits.

Alcoholism does seem to be a significant factor in adult autism. Partly it is suggested it might be to overcome social connectivity when in fact it can just make social isolation worse.