High Rates of Suicide for people with Autism Survey

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Hello
I recently took a survey that was set up by a particular study group at one of the best known universities in the UK.
The survey was set up to attempt to understand the reasons why there is such a high rate of suicide in people who suffer from Autism Spectrum Disorder, I guess with the hope of creating some form of treatment or therapy that may help to prevent further suicidal problems.

*Now, before you read the next part, if you do have suicidal tendencies or are of a particularly delicate psychological disposition, I request that you stop reading now. Not that what follows is particularly toxic or intended to cause you to harm yourself in anyway, however, it is fairly emotionally fuelled and intense (not abusive), so may be not the best reading for anyone who is of a particularly fragile disposition.

OK, I was thinking about the problem at hand. And have written a short poem that I hope conveys at least some of the problems that people such as myself suffer from on our day to day existence but also over a lifetime of struggle.


Poem.. Autism….

NO JOB, NO INCOME, NO SHOPPING, NO SOCIAL LIFE, NO RESTAURANTS, NO NIGHTCLUBS, NO HOLIDAYS, NO NEW TOYS, NO STATUS, NO COMMUNICATION, NO GIRLFRIENDS, NO SEX, NO LOVE, NO KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES, NO FAMILY OF YOUR OWN. JUST... ANXIETY, STRESS, MORE STRESS, CONSTANT WORRY, EVEN MORE STRESS, DEPRESSION, POOR COMMUNICATION, MISINTERPRETATION, FRUSTRATION, IRITABILITY, CONFUSION, ANGER, OVERWHELMINGLY CRAZY BASTARD MELTDOWNS, VICTIMIZATION, RIDICULE, ISOLATION, SADISM, EXCLUSION, OSTACISATION, DISCONECTION AND LONLINESS.

Spend your entire life watching the world get on in life while for you time stands still, like waiting at a bus stop in the winter forever without a clue as to whether the bus will ever turn up or not, just standing there hanging, and as you do, all the neural typical people walk past and kick dirt in your face... including people who found success in life by stealing from you or basing their hilarious entertainment industry products on you, and in return you get excluded from all the fun, games and parties, all because you suffer from a disability that people can’t see, don’t understand and in many cases don’t recognise or for the most part don't even give a s**t about any way.

I mean..... who wouldn’t top themselves if that was their lot in life!

That’s why the world needs to change!

Please help people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (this includes people with Asperger Syndrome!)
Neuro typical people can help by stop being such *ankers to people with Autism. This includes people in the entertainment industry and in politics.

Thank you!

any thoughts....

Yeah, it's been pretty well-researched and documented that folks on the spectrum tend to be more unemployed and have a higher rate of suicide than NT's. Also, since quite a few people on the spectrum also have PTSD, bipolar disorder, anxiety, depression, and other psychological and physical maladies, we're pretty much sitting ducks from the get go.

I won't have to kill myself because I'll be dead in a few years anyway.

well, everyone ends up down the same path regardless.
Doesn't mean we cant do our best to make the best of what time and talents we have while on this planet.

In some ways, in creative terms, the isolation and exclusion is a gift.
As in most creative endeavours, talent requires time to develop often in isolation.
If I had people knocking on my door everyday, asking to get involved in this and that distraction.
It would really bug the hell out of me to the extent I would unplug my door bell, and turn off my phone!

For creative types, a high level of me time is essential.

[quote="redrobin62"]Yeah, it's been pretty well-researched and documented that folks on the spectrum tend to be more unemployed quote]
yeah, in the UK, I believe the rate is something like 75% people with ASD are unemployed.

The UK's National Autism Society ran (and is still running) a really long campaign to promote awareness of this which they presented to the UK government in hope to facilitate change.

The problem is, I believe that a great deal of the NAS and UK Government's solutions to this, is to give all people with ASD menial unpaid or min wage jobs or other token/pretend jobs to make a person think they are employed, so they can add meaning to their life...

I personally feel where that solution isn't particularly clever but easy. I think the UK government should be more intelligent and make better use of this untapped manpower, as surely someone can work out how to put to work some of these people in an enterprise that will generate income not only for the business owner but also for the employee.

I also think that there are quiet a few Asperger types, like myself, who have very highly refined skills in areas of their special interest, who, if given help with the areas that they have problems with may be able to really excel in their area of choice and generate not only a good income but an income higher than average.

Imagine, how many genius scientists, mathematicians, musicians, architects and artists there are out there who may even be qualified or partly qualified but who will never get anywhere as they have Asperger Syndrome.
This is a crime.

Why is that?

Its probably true. Not a single autistic person I ever knew that didn't want to die at some point in their lives