Autistic Depression - Research is horribly lacking

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Treatment of depression in autism spectrum disorder

this data is unsurprising due to the fact that there is a high occurrence of co-morbid bipolar disorder with Autistic spectrum individuals.

When you think about it, depression is one aspect of life with autism that seems really overlooked, considering that it must be very common. The causes are a no-brainer really. Loneliness, stress, emotional exhaustion from trying to conform, social rejection, and feelings of worthlessness due to lack of social or other skills. Believe me, I've felt it all. But yeah, there definitely needs to be more research into it. Maybe it'll help those of us who do suffer from depression, such as myself, to find some light.

I dealt with depression when I was in college. I went to a psychiatrist who first gave me Lexapro. That was awful. It had numerous side effects and few, if any, positive effects. Eventually he switched me to Effexor XR. That was much better. It had fewer side effects but still made me want to sleep all the time. On the plus side, it helped my depression noticeably within the first couple days after starting it. In retrospect, I wonder if I should have stayed on the starter dose (37.5mg). Of course, he had me work up to 150mg (and, for a while, 300mg) but it didn't seem to help any more on the higher doses. It not only helped with my depression but also seemed to cool my temper a bit and reduce my OCD.

The worst part was coming off of it. That was MONTHS of absolute HELL! My psychiatrist told me that he never saw anyone have trouble coming off it if they tapered the dose. I did! Even decreasing slowly I had months of nausea, dizziness, and a horrible temper. For the first time in almost a decade I wasn't sleeping all the time so I was awake to endure it. The last step was the hardest because the smallest dose they make is 37.5mg and I just couldn't go from that to 0. I ended up having to open up the capsules, count out the beads, and make them a lower dose. I did that for a few months and finally managed to get completely off it.

Because of how horrible it was getting off of Effexor, I'm very scared of trying an SSRI/SNRI again. This is currently a problem because I now have severe anxiety issues and I have doctors trying to convince me to try them again. Of course, I do understand that Effexor is supposedly one of the worst to get off of due to its short half-life. Still, I'm very wary of them.

This has been my personal experience. Maybe someone else will find it helpful.

I have major depression, disthymic disorder & generalized anxiety disorder. Non of the typical antidepressants worked long term for me.

For me the antiparkinson drug called selegiline did wonders for my mood & helped significantly with my low sense of energy. This drug has now been released in patch form for depression. For me the pill form worked just fine & probably significantly cheaper.

This drug is not something that is for everyone especially if you already have psychotic symptoms as this could make them worse but for those with problems like mine that are treatment resistant to normal antidepressants this could be a real benefit to them.

When taking it you definitely feel more energetic but without feeling like your on a caffeine high i.e. no buzz. Sleep for me when I was on it was decent in spite of the extra energy.

Like anyone else whether autistic or not depression, it's causes & best treatment is very much a thing of trial & error.

Unlike the previous posters experience with venlafaxine there really is no withdrawal symptoms with this however the effects of this drug stay with you for up to 2 weeks after stopping. This is an MAO type B inhibitor so you can't start any other treatments for at least 2 weeks after stopping this nor can you start it within 2 weeks of stopping any other treatment for depression. 5 weeks if you were on prozac previously.

If there were a way to cope with depression and treat it without using pharmaceuticals with toxic side effects, then I would look into it. Talk alone wouldn't do it either, unless you could find good friends who share your interests and are willing to listen to you. As Denis Istomin says of his mom Klaudiya, who is also his coach, "I don't have to pay for her, like I would for the other coaches." I'm not willing to pay some stranger to talk about my possible Asperger syndrome and associated difficulties, which are small in degree compared to those of others on the board, who are also struggling with major illnesses. Most of them don't know about Asperger syndrome.

My DX Dr said that Autistic people tend to come from families with a history of anxiety and depression.

I've only been depressed when I let my self-esteem get low. If I boost my self-worth and my confidence goes up the depression/regression/repeated overloads go away.

I experience hard depression for the whole life, but now I'm at moment where I'm standing in the highest of possible points and depression is only a state of mind. Without the right medications, I wouldn't be here any more. Antidepressants are perfection for me.

depression runs in my family but I'm the only one that doesn't have it. I was diagnosed late with autism but they never mentioned being depressed and the like.

Yes, forums like these are the best resources available to find out how to take medications. Particularly when we are talking about Aspies who often have superb long term memories which greatly enhance the ability to figure out what works best. Sometimes we make dumb mistakes and discover better ways of doing stuff accidentally!

When I had ECT back in 2005/6, I wondered if anyone had done any research on people with ASDs who had ECT for depression. For me it worked well but I lost a lot of memory that still hasn't come back. Most of 2005 is blank for me.

I'm taking moclobemide (Aurorix), which is a reversible MAOI. It has been the best antidepressant for me so far.

I am going through a depression-like phase right now. An incident earlier in the year has robbed me of my new emerging sense of self. Even though the issue has been resolved on some level, the damage done is permanent. I have hurt everybody who matters in my life.