Signs of anxiety/depression different in Aspies/NTs?

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As in, do you think a person with Asperger’s or an ASD is likely to kind of develop and show depression and anxiety in different ways because of neurological differences and differences in the way they show emotions? Do you think they are more or less likely to be in denial of their depression/anxiety if they do have it?

My mum wants to take me to the doctor’s to get help for anxiety and depression of which she says she’s seen signs in me for years, but I don’t know whether she’s overreacting or not. One part of me thinks that she might be right—the other is sceptical because I don’t fit that typical…stereotype of depression/anxiety, almost, and I think it might just be the negative/stupid/failure of a person that I am.

For me, with “depression” (if that’s really what it is) I don’t get tearful often – I seem to get more tearful when I’m frustrated, and it takes me a kind of energy to cry. I don’t have many problems sleeping but would honestly sleep/stay in bed 12 hours + if I did not have to get up, and I do on weekends. I go through phases of eating very little and then phases of eating a lot at once. With anxiety, I tend to shut down very quickly and kind of detach myself, finding it difficult to switch back “on” again. I don’t experience that many physical symptoms to a great extent, possibly because I just avoid things/have the kind of defence mechanism of switching off.

I also get very down on myself/blame myself for everything because it’s difficult to believe that I’m “real” as a person and that my feelings are “real”, since I can’t even seem to recognise them properly. I feel sort of like I was a mistake and everyone else is in on something I’m missing…meaning that if I can’t cope with the way I am I’m just meant to die. I can’t really explain it. >.< And then when I write things down, even honestly, I always feel as if I’m exaggerating and making my whole life up.

For those of you with an ASD who have been through or are suffering from depression and anxiety, what have your difficulties and signs been? What does it feel like for you?

I don't know how do you feel, but there are signs of depression if you don't find any pleasure in any activity - when you can't enjoy music anymore, can't laugh when you watch/hear something funny - have negative thoughts (thinking much about death, suicide, illnesses), don't have enough energy (you're feeling old and without vitality), don't have an appetite, etc. THEN it is about depression. Depression is a serious mental disorder and SHOULDN'T be confused with sadness. MANY people confuse them but they are not the same!

Read here about the differences between sadness and depression:
http://mentalhealth.about.com/cs/depres ... ressad.htm

I have had once a short depression that lasted 2 weeks and it felt horrible: I had insomnia and couldn't sleep more than 2-3 hours per night, felt very weak in my body, lost my appetite, I was thinking constantly about death and worried about the future, couldn't watch any movie or laugh, couldn't listen to music. But I got rid of it fast, firstly through activity, avoiding negative thinking and autosuggestion... and without any freakin' pills! However, my depression wasn't old but if it is present for a long time, then there might be need for medication.

And no, I don't think the signs of depression are different for aspies or NTs.

You've described almost exactly, how I have felt for the longest time. You feel down, lacking total energy, even for thinking. You feel like your mind is deteriorating, and you don't feel strong emotions unless you are agitated by something, or something jogs a memory of emotion *which is rarer*. You feel near moronic expressing your problems\concerns because you're not sure if you're explaining them properly, if they are real, or a manifestation of something you've made up unconsciously. Depressed but not in touch with your emotions enough for them to appear on the surface, and harder to explain.

*Since a couple of years, it has been easier to explain for me, however. Even a year ago, I was struggling way more for words. I'm also at a point where I don't want to die, but close*

Though I'm now being suspected of having a PDD-NOS. Maybe it's different if you have ASD.

I think the signs and symptoms are the same. It might be possible that it is less obvious in those with ASD who seem rather emotionless to begin with though. I had severe depression not that long ago. I don't feel depressed at all anymore, but I am told by family members I still look miserable sometimes. Ummm....I guess that's just my natural look as I don't give off much emotion. An NT person and some of the spectrum might be more obvious.

I tend to slip into deep depression combined with anxiety leading to suicidal thoughts and self hatred othertimes I juse shut myself away and become a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hikikomori for months at a time not taling to my firends for 5 or more months at a time as well.

The signs and symptoms, what depression feels like is the same for someone with aspergers and NT's. Wheather NT, Bipolar, Schizophrenia or whatever, The criteria in the DSM 4 applies just the same for everyone, however, the difference is how your depression is manifested in your aspie personality traits. One example that comes right off the top of my head, part of my Aspergers is that I like to rock back and forth and when Im depressed my rocking gets kicked into overdrive. Another example that might relate to Aspergers, but I have bipolar and I can tell a NT that Im depressed and they think that they know what depression is and that they just push themselves through it but I can explain just how deep, dark, hopeless and suicidal my depression is and there is no way they could even imagine the darkness I am stuck in.

I think that any signs or symptoms of depression overlap with NT's and its really hard to tell. There are many things that we both experience the same way but I think the biggest difference is behaviors and severity of depression.

Ive been in and out of psych hospitals at least 25 times in the past 3 years and so Ive had a chance to talk to a lot of people with various different mental disorders from aspergers to TBI to MDD and the biggest diffecence Ive found between NT's and those with mental illness, is the severity of every aspect of depression. The emotions, the obsessive thoughts, the thoughts of suicide or self harm. I think the best way to put it is simply in colors. An NT experiences a slightly gray depression while someone with mental illness has more of a black or the blackest of black kind of depression.

i think its very diferent and likely to be missed in aspies