do most aspies have to be on antidepressants permanently?

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i am not on antidepressants right now, but i feel like i should be probably. do most people who have aspergers have to be on antidepressants? also, what is the suicde rate for people with aspergers? thanks.

i don't think so.

Personally I have little faith in drugs.

I don't think most of them, though. It's not uncommon, but but it's probably not the majority and I think few need them permanently.

I take antidepressants for depression. I've been told the rule of thumb is to take antidepressants for twice as long as you've been depressed. For me that means I stay on because I had undiagnosed and untreated disthymia since early childhood. I don't know if they changed that line of thinking or not. For the record, I'm one of the lucky ones. Antidepressants improved my life in a fundamental way. Life is far from perfect, but it doesn't beat me down anymore.

I have to agree with Aimless.

Meds help me a hell of a lot.

I probably will be on them permanently, but it's an individual thing. My doctor told me it's nothing to be ashamed of, people can't help it if their brains function differently, as we all know here.

Apparently there are a fair few people with ASD's who get depressed specifically about being the way they are (I'm one of them), but I couldn't give you numbers and I don't know if it's a significant amount or not.

I'm not on anti depressants because I'm afraid what they'll do to my body. I do however smoke pot once in a while, which is know to help depression (and according to wikipedia, autism) so I guess I do still self medicate.

Guess that just goes to show you people can react very differently to the same drug. Pot made everything far far worse for me.

It all depends on the individual, same as if a person isn't on the spectrum. If a person has depression and antidepressants help them, well and good. There are many ways of dealing with depression and antidepressants are one way.

Although, one thing to think of, a person on the spectrum may require a different dose. Sometimes we're very sensitive to certian medications and sometimes not, so just a thing to be aware of if you decide that you think meds will help you.

Most antidepressants don't work correctly on me, or have severe side effects; have read anecdotal studies that indicate that those on the spectrum often do not respond well to antidepressant medications. The depression is there, and separate from the ASD, but the neurochemistry and causation of the depression are substantial different and therefore isn't susceptible to the same chemical influences. Suicide rate for those on the spectrum is slightly higher than in the general population, again from observation and past reading, although I do not have a study on hand to offer in support of that. Anxiety medication helps me (and others, from their feedback) while beta blockers have provided some help for others - but need to talk to a doctor about such things extensively before starting another regimen of medications.


M.

I've been on antidepressants for 12 years, and I'm not going off them, any time, soon.

I think a problem a lot of people have (not just aspies) with antidepressents is being able to convey to the doctor accurately when either a specific drug is not working or a dose seems wrong. When the right does of the right meds is given to a person who really needs them it works miracles, but if you end up like I did already having problems talking to people in a way that makes sense to them let alone while on an antidepressent that is either the wrong one or the wrong dose so it is making that problem worse your kind of screwed. While I was on them everyone I tried to tell "these make me feel terrible can we please try somthing else" all I got back was that I didn't know what I was talking about and I seemed so much better. If you do believe they will help you I highly suggest making sure you can trust your doctor to listen about problems and side effects. If that means getting someone who does listen to come into appointments with you, writing it in a letter and explain I have trouble conveying my thoughts properly so I've taken the time to write it out to help speed the process, or something else do it because something potientally very helpful can be extremely hurtful if no one will listen about the sideeffect you may experience.

i started taking them once a few years ago cause i tried to kill myself, later i had more thought while on them cause i could drink while taking them, modern medicine is very basic at best its ment for the many not the few. the best think is to find out what works best for you

I was on a strong combination of medicines not long ago, and I've taken myself off of them. The way I look at it is, I have kept my job without these pills, I am slightly more agitated without them, but I'm still enjoying life, too. I was on two different meds for anxiety, and I haven't had a panic attack since i've been off of them, or a crying spell over something that made me anxious. I think if anything, I would go back to being on something for OCD because that's one of my biggest battles right now, but I haven't given in just yet either. I'd been on meds since I was around two, so the past year or so that i've been without them has been huge for me.

I have had nothing but problems with every antidepressant I have taken. I been to the well 6 times over the past 20 years and have had nothing but problems. My last trip was with Viibryd, which has damaged me so badly I may never recover. I now have tinnitus which is intermittent. I wanted someone to talk to, not psychoactive poisons. I would not have the problems I have with depression had I been given the proper coping mechanisms. I used to be a performing musician, these drugs killed my creativity.

There are a lot of common comorbids among Aspies. I would think the majority of Aspies would be on medication for comorbid disorders. I'm on Clomipramine for a comorbid OCD and I recently had to increase my dosage.

I've been on antidepressants for about 10 years now for panic and anxiety attacks. At first, I was terrified to go them for some kind of fear that they would change my personality or the way that I think. What really happened though, was that they took the edge off my anxiety and helped me to function a bit better. Although I have read from numerous places (anecdotal, mostly) that most Aspies are apt to being overmedicated compared to NTs. In fact it has happened to me, and after reducing my dose, I wound up having a lot fewer panic attacks than before.

If you think antidepressants might be for you, you might want to consult a doctor with some background expertise on autism spectrum disorders, speak up on any concerns you may have about the medication, and have some confidence that you know your mind better than anyone else.