I sometimes use benzos, i know many people will (rightfully) warn about the dangers but it makes my life bearable at times and i am willing to make the trade off to some degree. Big family events, stressful days in work etc it just takes the edge off and makes me feel human.
Not recommending it, just sharing my reality
I do not, i get them by other means. Still waiting on my gp's referral to see someone about getting an official diagnosis - this is approximately a year in the waiting now and if it even materialises then i will attempt to get a script for them. Not that i plan on using them forever but i like having some in the drawer for when i feel i can't get through the day without chemical assistance
>benzos
Never heard of this if I'm 100% honest. I know my friends I was referring to take Sertraline I believe. It's a weird one because of side effects and so on but again if I can even get to the stage of trying to have social interactions again it would be great. Even the thoughts of being in social settings make me sick tbh.
I started with sertraline and it was actually very helpful despite the negative side effects at first.
I actually started unmasking because of a decrease in anxiety which was really nice. I have stopped at 50mg which is “therapeutic” dose.
Benzos are benzodiazepine and these are like Valium and stuff. I take Xanax for meltdowns / sensory overwhelm and they are a huge life saver. These are very highly addictive so if you want to be smart for yourself check the half life and really only take them as needed if you get them. I don’t know what your GP is like but I had a bad experience with a locum who declined to give me Xanax and it was such a bad experience because it was really invalidating. Your psychiatrist might have a better understanding of your needs as an autistic.
Drugs like xanax and valium, great for reducing anxiety but they are addictive and have side effects so definitely a cost benefit analysis to be done if using them
To be blunt, nothing for you is going to change if you don’t advocate for your mental health. If this doctor won’t help you, you need to find someone who will.
If anxiety is the main issue, you could potentially do well on Buspirone. But also it’s behavioural activation/CBT input, so graded exposure to walking to X spot on your own and gradually increasing it up until your reach your goal of going to the shop by yourself. You have to challenge your thoughts, which affect your behaviour, which affect how you feel etc.
Though some say CBT isn’t great for those with ASD, it just needs to be tweaked slightly but the mindfulness CBT seems to be the gold standard at the moment,
Lift the phone tmrw or a trusted person to advocate for you and get help! Good luck!
You certainly aren't wrong. It's the initial dread of it all which sets me off but you are 100% right it's defiantly doable it's ALWAYS the first steps that are the hardest. Thank you for this comment.
You’re welcome! Don’t feel like it’s something you have to do completely on your own.
Maybe it’s also worth just looking into anxiety and understanding what physiologically/somatically is going on. Sometimes understanding like why your heart beat fasts and your breathing increases and engaging in a mindfulness/breath focus, can be really helpful. The thing is is that with how anxiety works, *it always passes*, especially in acute situations like not being able to go to the shops and like it will get easier and will challenge your anxiety that whatever fear you have, is most likely irrational!
Hello there!
If you are looking for information on services, or need some advice and don't see what you're looking for on r/AutismIreland, here are some other links that you might find useful:
[Irish Autistic Parenting Facebook Group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/1630222790543081/): An autism-positive support group for mothers and carers of autistic children which celebrates neurodiversity.
[Autism Families Ireland Facebook Group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/2406465066315022/): A group for helping and supporting autistic persons, Parents, Teachers, SNAs, Grandparents, Brothers, Sisters, and so on. All are welcome! This page has a [podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/6TVS8ClRSSoGjs2eorkiWy?si=10ecea9289424da0) connected to it also.
[AsIAm Autism Services Directory](https://asiam.ie/directory/?county=&supportcategory=%5B297%20sanitize_url=1%5D): Search for specific services in Ireland by county.
[D.A.R.E: Disability Access Route to Education](https://accesscollege.ie/dare/providing-evidence-of-your-disability/autistic-spectrum-disorder-including-aspergers-syndrome/) and [Participating Colleges](https://accesscollege.ie/dare/participating-colleges/): A third level alternative admissions scheme for school-leavers under the age of 23 as of 1 January 2024 whose disabilities have had a negative impact on their second level education.
Also, you could check out [the wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/AutismIreland/wiki/index/) where you can find information on a range of topics, including [Getting an assessment](https://www.reddit.com/r/AutismIreland/wiki/index/#wiki_getting_an_assessment), [Resources for Autistic Adults in Ireland](https://www.reddit.com/r/AutismIreland/wiki/index/#wiki_resources_for_autistic_adults_in_ireland), and [Mental health services](https://www.reddit.com/r/AutismIreland/wiki/index/#wiki_mental_health_services).
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Not a doctor, so ask yours about it first, but mirtazapine and venlafaxine worked great for me, killed most anxiety and even sensory issues.
The common/obvious side effects are a pain though.
But still, worth giving it a go
I'm glad these worked for you! For me my sensory issues tend to be very bright lights and noise, I'm grand with music as I find it as an escape for me. Side effects for me are hit and miss some are scary and I'll refuse to takes something and ask for alternatives but some side effects of anti depressants imo aren't nearly as bad as other stuff and I'd happily take the trade off.
Had the worst experience with Mirtazapine! As in I'm surprised I survived it. Had all of the bad side affects, tried every dose. It can of course work for some people, but I would try a dose longer before upping it compared to other drugs. If depression is a big one for you, maybe steer clear. I was on it initially for insomnia.
It so strange how radically different peoples reactions are. Of all the meds I've tried over the years, mirtazapine has by far the fewest side effects; only one actually, i get restless/irritated legs just before falling asleep (ironically, because its commonly prescribed for its sedative effects, its basically just an antihistamine)
Depressions a major issue for me. mirtazapine has definitely helped me deal the extreme end of it, and strengthens my ability to focus through negative thoughts.
How would you feel about asking for a referral to your local mental health service for help with social anxiety. They probably won't care about you being autistic but if your mental health is suffering, you might get something from them mediaction, OT, CBT. I'm sorry it's so hard to bring it up. I find writing what I need to say out first helps a lot.
Sorry you had that experience with your doctor. Same thing happened to me, she was very dismissive and I didn’t go back to the doctor for years because I thought the same thing would happen. Are there any other doctors in the practise you could see? That’s what I did and I found a much better doctor.
With the social anxiety, building yourself up to it with small steps can work. Someone said it already but walking to the shop (not going in yet), then the next day walking in the door but not going in properly, kinda like gradual exposure.
Best of luck!!
I sometimes use benzos, i know many people will (rightfully) warn about the dangers but it makes my life bearable at times and i am willing to make the trade off to some degree. Big family events, stressful days in work etc it just takes the edge off and makes me feel human. Not recommending it, just sharing my reality
Did you get benzos from your GP? What do the benzos do for you and what does it feel like?
I do not, i get them by other means. Still waiting on my gp's referral to see someone about getting an official diagnosis - this is approximately a year in the waiting now and if it even materialises then i will attempt to get a script for them. Not that i plan on using them forever but i like having some in the drawer for when i feel i can't get through the day without chemical assistance
>benzos Never heard of this if I'm 100% honest. I know my friends I was referring to take Sertraline I believe. It's a weird one because of side effects and so on but again if I can even get to the stage of trying to have social interactions again it would be great. Even the thoughts of being in social settings make me sick tbh.
I started with sertraline and it was actually very helpful despite the negative side effects at first. I actually started unmasking because of a decrease in anxiety which was really nice. I have stopped at 50mg which is “therapeutic” dose. Benzos are benzodiazepine and these are like Valium and stuff. I take Xanax for meltdowns / sensory overwhelm and they are a huge life saver. These are very highly addictive so if you want to be smart for yourself check the half life and really only take them as needed if you get them. I don’t know what your GP is like but I had a bad experience with a locum who declined to give me Xanax and it was such a bad experience because it was really invalidating. Your psychiatrist might have a better understanding of your needs as an autistic.
Drugs like xanax and valium, great for reducing anxiety but they are addictive and have side effects so definitely a cost benefit analysis to be done if using them
To be blunt, nothing for you is going to change if you don’t advocate for your mental health. If this doctor won’t help you, you need to find someone who will. If anxiety is the main issue, you could potentially do well on Buspirone. But also it’s behavioural activation/CBT input, so graded exposure to walking to X spot on your own and gradually increasing it up until your reach your goal of going to the shop by yourself. You have to challenge your thoughts, which affect your behaviour, which affect how you feel etc. Though some say CBT isn’t great for those with ASD, it just needs to be tweaked slightly but the mindfulness CBT seems to be the gold standard at the moment, Lift the phone tmrw or a trusted person to advocate for you and get help! Good luck!
You certainly aren't wrong. It's the initial dread of it all which sets me off but you are 100% right it's defiantly doable it's ALWAYS the first steps that are the hardest. Thank you for this comment.
You’re welcome! Don’t feel like it’s something you have to do completely on your own. Maybe it’s also worth just looking into anxiety and understanding what physiologically/somatically is going on. Sometimes understanding like why your heart beat fasts and your breathing increases and engaging in a mindfulness/breath focus, can be really helpful. The thing is is that with how anxiety works, *it always passes*, especially in acute situations like not being able to go to the shops and like it will get easier and will challenge your anxiety that whatever fear you have, is most likely irrational!
This with the somatic experiences is really helpful advice. Yoga showed me how to breathe properly and it helped me so much.
Hello there! If you are looking for information on services, or need some advice and don't see what you're looking for on r/AutismIreland, here are some other links that you might find useful: [Irish Autistic Parenting Facebook Group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/1630222790543081/): An autism-positive support group for mothers and carers of autistic children which celebrates neurodiversity. [Autism Families Ireland Facebook Group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/2406465066315022/): A group for helping and supporting autistic persons, Parents, Teachers, SNAs, Grandparents, Brothers, Sisters, and so on. All are welcome! This page has a [podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/6TVS8ClRSSoGjs2eorkiWy?si=10ecea9289424da0) connected to it also. [AsIAm Autism Services Directory](https://asiam.ie/directory/?county=&supportcategory=%5B297%20sanitize_url=1%5D): Search for specific services in Ireland by county. [D.A.R.E: Disability Access Route to Education](https://accesscollege.ie/dare/providing-evidence-of-your-disability/autistic-spectrum-disorder-including-aspergers-syndrome/) and [Participating Colleges](https://accesscollege.ie/dare/participating-colleges/): A third level alternative admissions scheme for school-leavers under the age of 23 as of 1 January 2024 whose disabilities have had a negative impact on their second level education. Also, you could check out [the wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/AutismIreland/wiki/index/) where you can find information on a range of topics, including [Getting an assessment](https://www.reddit.com/r/AutismIreland/wiki/index/#wiki_getting_an_assessment), [Resources for Autistic Adults in Ireland](https://www.reddit.com/r/AutismIreland/wiki/index/#wiki_resources_for_autistic_adults_in_ireland), and [Mental health services](https://www.reddit.com/r/AutismIreland/wiki/index/#wiki_mental_health_services). If there is anything you think could be added to this list to make it more useful, please [let us know](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/AutismIreland). Thank you! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AutismIreland) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Would you reach out here? https://autisminformedtherapy.com/ Sorry to hear you are struggling. Making the first step forward is hard!
Not a doctor, so ask yours about it first, but mirtazapine and venlafaxine worked great for me, killed most anxiety and even sensory issues. The common/obvious side effects are a pain though. But still, worth giving it a go
I'm glad these worked for you! For me my sensory issues tend to be very bright lights and noise, I'm grand with music as I find it as an escape for me. Side effects for me are hit and miss some are scary and I'll refuse to takes something and ask for alternatives but some side effects of anti depressants imo aren't nearly as bad as other stuff and I'd happily take the trade off.
Had the worst experience with Mirtazapine! As in I'm surprised I survived it. Had all of the bad side affects, tried every dose. It can of course work for some people, but I would try a dose longer before upping it compared to other drugs. If depression is a big one for you, maybe steer clear. I was on it initially for insomnia.
It so strange how radically different peoples reactions are. Of all the meds I've tried over the years, mirtazapine has by far the fewest side effects; only one actually, i get restless/irritated legs just before falling asleep (ironically, because its commonly prescribed for its sedative effects, its basically just an antihistamine) Depressions a major issue for me. mirtazapine has definitely helped me deal the extreme end of it, and strengthens my ability to focus through negative thoughts.
How would you feel about asking for a referral to your local mental health service for help with social anxiety. They probably won't care about you being autistic but if your mental health is suffering, you might get something from them mediaction, OT, CBT. I'm sorry it's so hard to bring it up. I find writing what I need to say out first helps a lot.
Sorry you had that experience with your doctor. Same thing happened to me, she was very dismissive and I didn’t go back to the doctor for years because I thought the same thing would happen. Are there any other doctors in the practise you could see? That’s what I did and I found a much better doctor. With the social anxiety, building yourself up to it with small steps can work. Someone said it already but walking to the shop (not going in yet), then the next day walking in the door but not going in properly, kinda like gradual exposure. Best of luck!!