Medicine to reduce/eliminate autistic obsessions?

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Hello, my name is Metalwolf and I am still relatively new here.

Recently my doctor has put me on a medication to try and reduce my autistic obsessions. It is Zoloft. While I in all honesty do not want my obsessions reduced or taken away, I feel pressured by my mother to take this medication. Otherwise she will try and dismiss any discussion that I want to have about my obsession, unless it is the "I don't want the obsession anymore," deal.

I badly want to give into my obsession, and I have suffered 2 hospitalizations from depression because I could not give into it. I am forced not to think about it much, as doing so will only serve to increase the desire I have for it.

My obsession:
I want to have a baby.
I am 28 years old, a woman, and I have a job. But I am living with my parents because I do not have enough money to afford an apartment. So I am stuck.

But anyway, the point is this: Does medication have any ways of taking away or reducing an autistic obsession, or is that just wishful thinking? And would anyone here want to give up their obsession if they could?

Dont take the stuff. It usually doesnt work. It has serious side effects is extremely difficult to come off of and lead to a long lasting mental problem
that is much more severe than anything a regular person can develope.

What in heavens name are you at 28 years old doing being bossed around
by your mother. You should defentintaly look into services to assist you getting your own place.

Yeah, Zoloft does reduce obsessions in relation to OCD and ASDs; there are clinical trials to prove such for the aforementioned disorders. The more severe the obsessions, the better people respond.

I couldn't even post here if it wasn't for the Zoloft; "all-encompassing" was exactly that with me in relation to my obsessions. In fact, I probably wouldn't know I had an ASD without taking such, I only cared for that single obsession, nothing else.

O, and it doesn't take away obsessions, it just allows one to focus on other things; I like it better now, personally.

Last edited by Danielismyname on 30 Mar 2008, 10:45 am, edited 1 time in total.

To me, obsessions are one of the best parts about being austistic (in my case Aspergian)! ! Why the hell would anyone want to give them up? And there is no way you'd get me on any medication of any sort for anything like that.

I can see how it could be tricky in your situation, and how your parents would be a little concerned about it though. Why not work on things to enable it to happen - have you got a job? Can you work? Can you save? Could you support a child, realistically? Have you got a partner? Etc etc. Perhaps by proving you'd be ok to do it your parents could relax a little about it?

Also, why not get some books about AS/Autism and the obsessions that go with it to show them it isn't necessarily a bad thing. Think of how many awesome things have been invented and devised by autistics with obsessions!!

Don't take it if you don't want it, you should be the one in charge of what drugs you take.

There are trials for anything, meanwhile AD only really have effect on some forms of depression.
You have a job, you do deploy other activities, so what's so bad about your obsession that you'd need to experiment with meds?

Well, normally I'd say keep the obsession, but if you're unwed and living with your parents, I honestly don't think having a baby is a good idea.

A few years ago I was put on Topomax for obsessive thinking, which was reduced dramatically.

This is very complicated, because the tendency toward obsession and the wanting a baby may be two distinct things:
a. general obsessiveness, and
b. hormones

Believe me, I am familiar with these two forces, and finally had my first baby at 35. I later took medications, which do help reduce the obsessions (as well as the desire to keep the obsessions), but I am certain that they would have had no effect on my overwhelming urge to have a baby; I am convinced that was a pure, hormonal drive.

The other thing you should be aware of is that you should NOT consider becoming pregnant if you are on those drugs, and, as nightbender wrote, they are very difficult to come off.

As far as being a single Mom, it is do-able, but difficult - if you don't make enough money for an apartment, having a child will make your money situation even tighter. You would need years of financial support, and/or free daycare, if your parents are up for it.

Good luck!