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Lateralus
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06 May 2007, 8:49 am

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Depression in people with Asperger syndrome may be related to a growing awareness of their disability or a sense of being different from their peer group and/or an inability to form relationships or take part in social activities successfully. Personal accounts by young people with Asperger syndrome frequently refer to attempts to make friends but "I just did not know the rules of what you were or were not supposed to do" www.users.dircon.co.uk/~cns/jeanpaul.html Indeed, some people have even been accused of harassment in their attempts to socialise, something that can only add to their depression and anxiety; "I also did not know how to approach girls and ask them to go out with me. I would just walk up and talk to them, whether they wanted to talk to me or not. Some accused me of harassment, but I thought that was the way everybody did that." www.users.dircon.co.uk/~cns/jeanpaul.html


From reading some internet pages and watching some videos my current condition has nothing to do with my AS in other words my depression is not because i can not make friends i know what i am supposed to do and i do have friends i just tend to either stay away depressive day or be fine and girls i do know what to say and if they are intrested or not again my stumbling block tends to be overcome with depressive feeling and really bad anxiety.


Quote:
Symptoms of depression can be psychological (poor concentration/memory, thoughts of death or suicide, tearfulness); physical (slowing down or agitation, tiredness/lack of energy, sleep problems, disturbed appetite (weight loss or gain)); or affects of mood and motivation (eg low mood, loss of interest or pleasure, hopelessness, helplessness, worthlessness, withdrawal or bizarre beliefs etc.) People with depression can also experience periods of mania.


I have poor concentration i suppose i have short term memory problems but great long term i have Suicidal ideation looking down at things and going hey is this high enough even though i have no intention to do it. I have physical slowing down agitation tiredness due to lack of sleep i have had sleep problems for a long time. My appetite is i eat very little when depressed eat a lot when happy but i suppose that is normal. I have mixed moods and motivation eg low mood loss of interest or pleasure hopelessness helplessness worthlessness, withdrawal ( relate a lot to this) bizarre beliefs well erm i suppose but never thought i was jesus or something. I don't know much about mania from what i have read i don't think my hyper mood is extreme enough for bi-polar 1 or 2 there is unipolar but am not sure what that is and the milder Dysthymia.

I was wondering if it sounds like i do have a comorbid condition and if so wouid a doctor know what to do, the difference in it being a comorbid condition. I have never been about mental health but i suppose it will be notes?



alexbeetle
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06 May 2007, 9:38 am

I don`t know enough about the technical descriptions. I was depressed for years and finally got refered to a pschiatrist who said it was reactive to my life being generally cr*p.
I find my depression relates very much to how much sleep I have and remembering to eat and drink, but it goes up and down quite drastic from day to say. I have the experience now to know that things pass if I hang on. I do the suicide thinking quite a lot - trying to assess different methods even when things are going well.


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larsenjw92286
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06 May 2007, 10:04 am

It sounds like you fit in very well with us here, yes.


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Zsazsa
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06 May 2007, 10:50 am

People with Asperger Syndrome are prone to develop depression and some are almost constantly anxious, which might indicate a Generalized Anxiety Disorder. One
of the problems faced by people with Aspergers is that we use our intellect rather than intuition to succeed in social situations and because of this, we are in an almost constant state of alertness and anxiety, leading to a risk of mental and physical exhaustion. In addition, people with Asperger Syndrome can became clinically depressed as a reaction to their realization of having considerable difficulties with social difficulties. The depressive reaction can be internalized, leadind to self-criticism and even thoughts of suicide; or externalized resulting in the criticism of others and a
n expresion of frustration or anger. Blame is directed at oneself: "I am stupid"; or
others: "It's all your fault."
I (finally!) have a great psychiatrist who has given me an anti-anxiety drug, Clonazepam twice a day and an anti-depressant, Citalopram, once a day and it is the BEST I have ever felt in a long time.



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06 May 2007, 11:26 am

I'm glad to read you are doing well, Zsazsa. :D


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06 May 2007, 11:47 am

I developed Social Anxiety party because of not relating to people. My understanding is general anxiety is part of and not just developed from ASD. Every morning I wake up my gut floods with adrenalin. I can't have any sounding alarm clock. Any kind of crashing about could ruin my day.

I have never had clinical depression. Everything is just anxiety racing. I haven't been able to feel sadness for a while. Just frustration and worry. Sometimes I resent that I'm not bed ridden. I think I should be, that would be more 'normal' in my situation. Kind of why I don't think I been taken that seriously.



simon2wright
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06 May 2007, 2:14 pm

I used to suffer from depression, I was diagnosed with clinical depression 2 years ago, I was told that depression is very common in aspies by the psychiatrist.
I still suffer from social anxiety and have found both perphenazine and prochlorperazine very helpful.
Simon



Shadowbound
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06 May 2007, 3:12 pm

I used to get depressed a lot but I put that down to not getting enough sleep. I've also suffered with panic attacks. Panic attacks are worse than physical pain I think. I still have my anxious moment but I have not had a full blown attack for a while thank goodness.



cecilfienkelstien
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06 May 2007, 4:47 pm

i am no doctor but it does soung like you are depressed. Alot of people withAsperger's myself included have comorbid stuff going on. I run a support group for aspies and all the group members have at some point in therir lives( and they are all teenagers) have been depressed. So it is Very common. good luck :)



TrishC7
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07 May 2007, 6:11 am

It's true, 'co-morbidities' are common. Unipolar depression simply means straight depression, as opposed to bipolar where the downs alternate with really noticeable 'ups.'