Aspergers & Depression: How common is it?

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I have Aspergers,& I'm pretty sure I have depression. I am higher functioning on that autism spectrum.

Very common.

I don't know any aspies who have NOT dealt with depression. It hits all of us. Whenever you look around you, and you see people enjoying a full happy life, and everything you start and every relation you attempt to start comes crashing down even with your best of intentions... depression comes naturally.

There are ways to avoid it, tho. One way is to surround yourself with other aspies on your level. Strangely enough it seems to always cheer me up for as long as it lasts. meetings/groups will help, although living with or near other aspies on your level is the ultimate answer.

By "on your level" I mean aspies in a similar age group (+-5yrs) and educational and upbringing style.

Another alternative is to live alone far away from other humans. This is possible on a working class wage or with some savings in countries like the USA or Australia. you can buy an acre of land or more for under $5000 in more places than you'd imagine. Live on $300 of grains a year and grow veggies and roots on your own using free fertilizer (leaf humus and humanure) and raise chicken for eggs, meat, and feathers in a chicken coop. Chickens have an amazing ability to survive on human scrap foods and on wide varieties of grasses, bugs, and other vegetation. You can have a well dug or collect roof gutter water with a filter. You can get your power, heat, and hot water from solar panels (or propane for extremely cold environments or rainy days)

All you would need to do is work only 2 or 3 weeks out of the year to cover all your bills. (taxes, grains,seed, propane,toothpaste,soap,etc)

Building a cabin and the electrical plumbing aspect of it seems complicated, but it's not. I've done several dry runs just building cabins and installing solar and I've crunched out all the numbers over and over...

I've got 6 years experience working in construction and building maintenance, so it's a breeze for me, but anyone with enough persistence can get it done.

With 250watts (1 solar panel) and two refurbished ($36) car batteries (12V) I have powered a window air conditioner that kept my cabin cool through nights with 90F+ degree weather. If anything, this experience will also give you a new appreciation for the usefulness of tap water and outlet power.. it will make it better if you do ever decide to rejoin society.

Not sure living alone would help my depression, I hate being lonely....but I like the idea of the self sufficient farm, once again though I'd want other people living there who could help with taking care of whatever animals and growing food and such. Trouble is what if you cannot work and thus cannot save up the money to purchase land and all the resources you need to make it work? I guess I'd prefer a commune rather than living alone....but once again how do you get the initial money to build one? I certainly don't know enough people with jobs who want to save up for a commune but it isn't a bad idea if one is able to collect the funds.

I would say the only times I have had depression were in high school (along with teenage angst) because I so could not figure out why I could not fit in. Then also, when I lived with my first husband's family and his dad completely broke me down and tried to change/ mold me into who he wanted me to be.. so that I was completely depersonalized.. I had depression for a few years after that. I get major mood swings (depending on surroundings, events, energy level) but not depression.

I don't know. I have an aspie friend who moved into a more rural environment and he doesn't like it. He tends toward the being more comfortable with isolation end of the spectrum, but I think he likes to have busy, people-filled areas where he can walk and observe other people. That's enough to satisfy his need for human contact and he doesn't have that where he is and he says it's gotten to him.

Yes, depression is very common in the AS population. It's more common in any minority, frankly.

I've dealt with depression for most of my life. There are plenty of good treatment options if it doesn't clear up on it's own.

For some people, myself included, depression will be something I 'manage/work with' for the rest of my life, not 'cure.'

I don't think it is exclusively because of AS, AS is just one of several factors.

just out of curiosity... and if it's not too personal, what are the other factors?

all aspies are high functioning,in autism;the term high functioning means an IQ over seventy,however some aspies have more severe autism than other aspies the effects of which will clash with their daily lives.

clinical depression is extremely common in aspies but more so from situational based causes [such as bullying,isolation, wanting friends and not having them etc] than biological.

its also very common in those of us with low functioning autism but it isnt easy to recognise because we dont show emotions, understand them,and lack the communication to tell others,in us;it shows as increased severe challenging behavior and further withdrawal.

I have depression, ASD, anxiety, and PTSD. Co-occurring issues are very common

Why is it so common for them to occur together?

Aspies commonly:

Are socially isolated despite wanting social interactions and having the best intentions, leading to a poor support system. This also leads to being bullied, even in adult life and being abandoned by friends/peers

Are un/under employed leading to being unsatisfying work experience and poor financial situations

Experience autistic burnout which often leads to stress, and the after effects or stress commonly include depression

Have poor self esteem

Tend to over-analyse, which statistically makes people less happy

Suffer from anxiety, which leads to a pessimistic outlook on life causing depression

Depend more heavily on family members, and the loss of one if often even more devastating than normal

Are negatively effected/shunned by sensory issues

The Psychologist who diagnosed me, indicated I had an ongoing, underlying, mild depression that gets worse during periods of stress and change bringing on major depression. My understanding (based upon my research) is that this is quite common.

Check

Check (though, fortunately, financial situation is OK)

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Check (depend upon my wife)

Check (though not as intensely as others on this forum)

Um?Check mate!?! LOL

I'm also from an abusive household and have also had to deal with frequent homophobia. Individually alone, those can cause depression. I often sum my life as: "I'm a double minority from an abusive home."

Same combo here.

Yeah, I've got dysthymia (chronic depression) as well as ASD. They're probably related because I'm stuck in a world that I'm not equipped to deal with...

FUN TIMES AHOY