Struggling with Anxiety!

Some anxiety IS amendable depending on the circumstance. But it seems autistic biology can be wired for a heightened anxiety and our society is not helpful. One factor I've found in medical journals is the link between GABA and its ability to shut-down an over-active brain. What has been found is that ADHD and Au have less GABA. I've found a mushroom compound with Lion's Mane incredible helpful as a daily supplement. 

But when unresolved matter, and unknown stressful factors send the brain into a sort of state of hyper analysis, anti-anxiety medication can help create clarity and in connexion with Problem-solving tools, it is possible to fix many situations which are causing anxiety in the first place. Fixing sensory environmental factors is sometimes the first. Adjusting work/home life however is necessary for the best of everyone involved and letting go of bad relationships.

But, in my experience, a looping / broken record of a melody will only be dissolved with a micro-dose of Xanax. No one should need these daily, as they're incredibly addictive and can also create anxiety if taken daily for 3-5 days in a row. So I use them sparingly when need be as this kind of stress is bad for health and I am responsible for a young adult who'd like me to stick around for a while :) 

Something my son said recently was really good advice which I will say to you is....instead of taking things to seriously try to relax a little in this way every time you approach a subject or get asked a question etc instead of getting anxious and thinking about all the many different tangents that you could think about and thus get stressed and anxious about..don't do that and instead react to these things in the moment. Example my son said he doesn't try to plan to much and instead reacts on the moment and this prevents him from being too much in his head and overthink things..hope that makes sense.

Or to put it another way for example the car needs washing and you don't want to do it and start to get anxious because you're thinking about all the things you should be doing etc...handle It this way...don't think about washing the car at all and then one day when you happen to pass it on the drive way and you feel the impulse then wash it in that moment. Hope that makes sense.

Sarah said:

I'm so tired of this now and frustrated. I just want to get on and enjoy my life but I'm plagued by anxiety and it's ruining me.

Hello Sarah, sorry to hear this is becoming so deblitating.

From what I have read about this, rituals and routines are the most commonly used self-management mechanisms for when anxiety starts to rear its ugly head.

In the short term it may be worth medicating yourself down from the sensitive state you are in, then engage with a therapist to develop a response that works for you as you come off the medication.

I have a slightly unusual response to my anxieties in that I get confrontational with them - so for example if having a job interview is giving me anxiety then I try to have several to beat the anxiety into its place and show it has no hold over me.

It does lead to some risky behaviour sometimes, but the self confidence it brings in being able to handle anything thrown at me means I get to live a more normal life than I otherwise would. That is just my way and I don't think it would work for many others.

Hi Sarah 

I have GAD and I've found that while meds don't 100% fix the problem, they do make enough of a difference that I'm able to focus on talking therapy.

It can be trickier to manage anxiety when you're autistic because sometimes it's hard to figure out what's the anxiety disorder and what's an autism-related source of anxiety that you could sort out yourself. For example, when you feel really anxious when you go to town, it could be the GAD or it could be the anxiety caused by sensory overload/the change to your usual routine- or both!

But while it is tough, it can be managed. I would say give the meds a try, see how that goes, and then introduce therapy once you're in the right mindset for it.

Hi Sarah welcome here. This is a really supportive community so I hope you find it a useful place to be.

I'm so sorry you're struggling with so much anxiety. You're definitely not alone with this.

Medication can work for some people so maybe you could try a small dose first and see how you get on and if it starts to help :o) 

My school therapist says about congratulating yourself on the good days and reminding yourself you did a good job like if you go out for five minutes. It's a small thing but you can still be proud of the small things.

Not every day will be a good day but enjoy them when they happen and then remind yourself that after a bad day there will be another good one soon.

Hope this helps and I hope you feel better soon ️

I think medication helped me a bit, but honestly I wish I was dealing with it. Three times I've fallen apart and been completely overwhelmed by anxiety and it's taken months at least to get back to anything approaching comfortable. The last one was last year and every day is still ruled by worry about whether something will set off a downward spiral back to nothing.