Connection between Autism and Depression?

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14 Aug 2016, 5:02 pm

I'm fairly certain that my anxiety and depression were caused by mistreatment by so-called 'normal' people, given that I started showing symptoms of both in kindergarten and my symptoms are less problematic on weekends and vacations when I have more control over where and how to interact with the rest of humanity.

RetroGamer87
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15 Aug 2016, 3:44 am

marshall wrote:

I'm pretty sure my depression was not caused by bullying or mistreatment. Most of that came at an early age when I was not depressed. I was bullied some but still managed to enjoy my free time and interests. I became depressed in my late teens, and at that time I wasn't bullied as much as when I was younger.

Ditto.

ProfessorJohn wrote:

There definitely does seem to be a link, but so far it seems that no one is sure if the different brain wiring that comes with Autism also is more likely to cause depression, or if it is because we tend to not fit in, get bullied, can't connect with others, are less likely to have relationships and full time employment, etc.

I can to have relationships and full time employment. Yet they don't make me as happy as I thought they would

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ProfessorJohn
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15 Aug 2016, 9:49 am

Joe90 wrote:

This is why I can't relate to Aspies who are proud of their ASD, would hate a cure if there ever was one, think that ASD is a gift, and wants their children to be on the spectrum too. ASD can't be that great to live with and pass on to your children, if it causes depression.

This is one of the things that goes with Asperger's that I hate the most-the rumination and depression that goes with it.

ToughDiamond
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15 Aug 2016, 11:18 am

Joe90 wrote:

ASD can't be that great to live with and pass on to your children, if it causes depression.

ASD certainly isn't that great, but I don't think it's a particularly strong predictor of depression. In my own case, I'm not exactly Mr. Chuckles for much of the time, but I'm very rarely in what could even reasonably be called low spirits. I don't want to belittle those ASDers who feel that their depression is down to their brain chemistry, but I don't think depression is intrinsic to ASD, it's just a risk factor, and anybody could become depressed for all kinds of other reasons.

BitterCoffee
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15 Aug 2016, 6:26 pm

31% of people with Aspergers have depression[1]. 10% of people will get depression in their life[2].
Suicidal thoughts are 10 times more likely in people with Aspergers then the populace as a whole[1].
66% of people with Aspergers have reported suicidal thoughts[1].

I've always been sensitive and react more emotionally to things that don't bother others people. I've had bouts of depression my whole life and my first suicidal thought was at age 6. So I would not be surprised if some of the brain differences that cause Autism also cause depression. But the bulling, rejection etc could explain most of it.

[1]http://psychcentral.com/news/2014/10/13/suicidal-thoughts-10-times-more-likely-in-adults-with-aspergers/76016.html
[2]http://www.healthline.com/health/depression/statistics-infographic

ToughDiamond
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15 Aug 2016, 8:45 pm

Maybe I'm just one of the lucky ones then. Strange how twice as many Aspies report suicidal thoughts than depression. I suppose if I was asked "have you ever had suicidal thoughts?" I'd have to say yes, but when I examine the detail, those thoughts were extremely rare and they never went anywhere, it was really just a case of "dammit, life really sucks right now, I wonder if I'd be better off topping myself? No, I don't fancy that much," or "it would be good to have a quick, painless way of committing suicide around in case I got a terminal disease that kills very slowly and painfully and they refused to give me euthanasia, I wonder how it could be done?" Perhaps a neurotypical would immediately recognise that such thoughts didn't really qualify as the kind of suicidal thoughts the question was driving at, and would therefore answer "no" even though literally the answer would be "yes" ?

BitterCoffee
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15 Aug 2016, 10:36 pm

ToughDiamond wrote:

Good point. Communication differences might make it near impossible to gather any reliable data from polling questions.
I think "having a suicide plan" and/or "attempting suicide" are literal enough to make conclusions from. 35% of people with aspergers have had a plan or have attempted suicide[1]. This is 10 times higher then the populace as a whole [3]*.
So if there is any reporting chances of error in it looks like it is not high enough to make the results any different.

[3]http://www.save.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.viewPage&page_id=705D5DF4-055B-F1EC-3F66462866FCB4E6
*25(suicide attempts)+1(suicides)x12.3(rate over 100,000) equals 10%

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