Psychoactive substances + autism

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How do the various mind altering substances influence the range of autism traits you display? Heres how it is for me.

Opioids - They make me feel really good but they make my social skills much worse so they make me appear more autistic. I feel like socializing more when I'm on opioids though.

Amphetamines - They tranquilize me (in a good way) and make my social skills much worse and make me appear way more autistic. I dislike socializing even more than usual when I'm on amphetamines.

MDMA - This drug almost makes me neurotypical. My social skills are 10 times better, I can read body language better and empatize with people. Also makes me feel really good, nothing like the tranquilized, sloppy effects amps have on me.

Mushrooms/Acid - I can't easily define the effects these have on me but I think they make me less autistic. I can read body language on them and I can socialize normally. I feel invinsible on them because I realize that all the years having this social handicap has made me exceptionally tough and fearless. Its interesting s**t, when I do psychedelics with people its like this buffer which is usually between us is dissolves and I can connect with them.

Benzodiazepines - Do little or nothing to me.

Alcohol - Just makes me less inhibited which makes my social skills even worse.

Cocaine/Crack - Haven't done it enough times to judge but I think this drug obliterates my self consciousness which results in way better social skills.

I have been using cannabis for a while now. It shuts me up which can be good but also the long term picture needs to be painted, and that may be less encouraging. Stuff doesnt get done that needs to get done, and that causes me problems.

If you're taking these substances with other people, presumably NT's, and noticing differences in your social skills, have you considered that it could also be because of the effect the substances have on the people you socialize with...?

I forgot to mention cannabis. Cannabis seems to amplify all autistic traits I have. I quit smoking it a few years ago but I have serious respect for that plant. They prescribed me dilaudid after an operation once and it did nothing to kill the pain so I resorted to smoking a joint and all pain miraculously went away. What a f****d up society we live in, where a plant like that is outlawed.


Yeah thats a good point. Especially when it comes to psychedelics. I've noticed that when I talk to sober people when I'm on psychedelics its like they're not all there, in comparison to when they are on psychedelics. Psychedelics do inhibit our mental filters and temporarily free us from our belief/memory induced negative hallucinations so theres no doubt that they make us more perceptive (under the right conditions). Heres an interesting lab study
http://blog.titaniumdreads.com/?p=1675
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 102557.htm
The Hollow Mask study. That videos from the documentary LSD: Trip to Hell. For years I, like many people that have done psychedelics, was convinced that they allow me to perceive things that I would ordinarily be oblivious to. Its ironic that many people have the idea that people take psychedelics to escape reality. The reality of the matter is that psychedelics force us to face reality (to a greater extent).

I would ask only how you think you know what you are like when you are under the influence.

Are you getting this info from others, or is it your own perception. If it is your own perception I wouldn't trust it. I think that's a no brainer. I don't trust my own perceptions when I'm under the influence of anything.

Anyway, the whole idea of speculating along these lines is bothersome to me. I don't do any drugs at all anymore with the exceptions of a couple of drinks every once in a while, two coffees a day, and a rare aspirin.

Everything else, to me, is just a huge waste of time.

If it werent for cannabis I dont think I would be as aware of my autistic tendencies. Far from a "cure", even temporarily, but very valuable for the perspective it brings.

MDMA actually has no effect on my social skills, which was probably the first red flag that something is not right about me.

One of my clues that I'm wired differently was how drugs affect me differently than those around me. Stimulants like caffeine (and anything stronger) mellowed me out and put me to sleep. Marijuana and mushrooms made me very energetic and active while others are sinking into the floor.

I don't do anything stronger than vitamins and a rare aspirin these days. But back when I was experimenting with stronger stuff, I was often surprised to see how different my reaction was to others' (and others were often annoyed by my different reaction.)

medical marijuana is now available legally in the UK (via Holland). Google 'Jim Pinky Starr' to find the story