Negative Feedback Loop

What do you guys make of a Negative Feedback Loop?

Is this a common thing to get bogged down in Negative thinking, for one thing to happen which sends you down in a negative spiral, where you can't see the positives and just focus on the negatives and it makes you worse and worse?

Or is that another disorder?

Parents
  • I think I understand what you're talking about.  It's a common sign of depression, which I've struggled with myself most of my adult life.  Bear in mind, I'm not a doctor though - just a guy who does the same stuff as you!

    It's important to remember that autism (lifelong neurological condition) is a separate thing from anxiety or depression (treatable mental illness).  However, in what I've read, both in science research and anecdotally, depression is a very common problem for autistic people, and the symptoms can be mistaken for each other.  I think it is quite common that symptoms of depression can hide autistic traits, making the autism harder to diagnose.  Or the other way around, that autism can make it harder to realise that we are depressed.

    If you find that getting bogged down is taking time away from other things, or if the loop is disturbing your sleep, then I would definitely have a word with a doctor or counsellor about depression, and possibly seeing if they will refer you to a psychologist to seek an accurate diagnosis.  The treatments for depression can be just as effective for autistic people as for anyone else - though it helps a lot if the practitioner is aware of the implications of working with an autistic patient, if that is the case.

    I'm still as autistic as I ever was - but getting some relief from depression was as beneficial for me as it would be anyone else.

Reply
  • I think I understand what you're talking about.  It's a common sign of depression, which I've struggled with myself most of my adult life.  Bear in mind, I'm not a doctor though - just a guy who does the same stuff as you!

    It's important to remember that autism (lifelong neurological condition) is a separate thing from anxiety or depression (treatable mental illness).  However, in what I've read, both in science research and anecdotally, depression is a very common problem for autistic people, and the symptoms can be mistaken for each other.  I think it is quite common that symptoms of depression can hide autistic traits, making the autism harder to diagnose.  Or the other way around, that autism can make it harder to realise that we are depressed.

    If you find that getting bogged down is taking time away from other things, or if the loop is disturbing your sleep, then I would definitely have a word with a doctor or counsellor about depression, and possibly seeing if they will refer you to a psychologist to seek an accurate diagnosis.  The treatments for depression can be just as effective for autistic people as for anyone else - though it helps a lot if the practitioner is aware of the implications of working with an autistic patient, if that is the case.

    I'm still as autistic as I ever was - but getting some relief from depression was as beneficial for me as it would be anyone else.

Children
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