[https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/autistic-individuals-may-be-more-likely-to-use-recreational-drugs-to-self-medicate-their-mental](https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/autistic-individuals-may-be-more-likely-to-use-recreational-drugs-to-self-medicate-their-mental)
[https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/mental-health/addiction](https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/mental-health/addiction)
it's a fact, that autistic people are more likely to use drugs to aid in masking, or simply, just to take the pain away
I'm not sure. but we might get in trouble with rule 4 talking about it. I suspect people like us might be more prone to using drugs to quiet our overactive brains.
I'm not sure how well researched backed this is, but we appear to be less likely to experiment with drugs, due to tenuous and sparse social connections, but more likely to fall into addiction once using, as we find ourselves compelled to use drugs as anxiolytics and masking aids, and are also prone to setting up entrenched routines.
I think I remember seeing something about addictive behavior being greater in autistic individuals. More struggles with alcoholism, for example.
Though, the autistic spectrum might be too vast for such a generalization. I doubt severally intellectually disabled autistics are touching controles substances at all. More introverted individuals may not have exposure to illegal drug sources. Would be interesting to see what traits autistic individuals with substance abuse issues have in common. Like, is it a comorbid condition like a personality disorder or is it directly autism.
Personally, I have a strong fear of being out of control of my mind or body so I’ve refused to experiment with anything. I did try alcohol but the taste is so offensive to me that I just can’t be bothered. Do absolutely love sugar though…. Want it constantly. Not sure how common my way is.
So I don't use any recreational drugs at the moment, and only used THC for a little bit to help with the nerve pain when I had shingles.
However I have been a smoker for a very long time, and it has been incredibly hard for me to quit. Smoking is how I would deal with some of the social anxiety I would feel, as it was a relatively easy out to get away.
It’s going to be extremes. Some wouldn’t take any drugs including alcohol. Some will make it more or less an interest. Acquiring drugs does tend to take some social skills.
I think it's real cause I have experienced it first hand. When your mind is busy and busy all day it feels nice to do something that truly hushes your head.. Even for a few hours its total bliss.
So which of the two types of autism did you get? The strong sense of justice and substance abuse combo? or the ability to count cards and draw realistic horses with ease autism?
Autistic people tend to be isolated, though many/most of us have some desire to have connections with other humans. Chronic loneliness seems to be a risk factor for addiction, look at the “Rat Park” series of experiments. Rats living in isolation would press the cocaine lever (over water lever) over and over until they killed themselves, and none of the rats living in a rat utopia filled with other rats and enrichment used the cocaine.
It could be biological, too, like reward/executive dysfunction or comorbid ADHD.
Some autistic people also just enjoy drugs, like most groups of humans since the dawn of time. I’ve noticed sometimes we use them to stim/enjoying the perceptual effects, sometimes it’s the routine aspect, sometimes it’s self medication. I use cannabis when I’m overwhelmed but also recreationally like probably 75% of young people in my state :D
I struggled with addiction to pretty much everything but psychedelics and heroin. I also have bpd, though, and I think the self-destructive behaviour is more linked to that. A lot of drugs, especially stimulates and benzos, helped me mask better but had extremely bad side effects. Psychedelics helped a lot. I've never found them addictive I won't go into it here, though, because I don't want to sound like I'm promoting them.
I was an addict for a long time just because it made masking easier and it dulled my senses lol.
I regret it a lot but it was really the only tool I had available to navigate life. It was the only thing I could really rely on or take comfort in.
[https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/autistic-individuals-may-be-more-likely-to-use-recreational-drugs-to-self-medicate-their-mental](https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/autistic-individuals-may-be-more-likely-to-use-recreational-drugs-to-self-medicate-their-mental) [https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/mental-health/addiction](https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/mental-health/addiction) it's a fact, that autistic people are more likely to use drugs to aid in masking, or simply, just to take the pain away
I'm not sure. but we might get in trouble with rule 4 talking about it. I suspect people like us might be more prone to using drugs to quiet our overactive brains.
Thx. I adjusted accordingly.
I'm not sure how well researched backed this is, but we appear to be less likely to experiment with drugs, due to tenuous and sparse social connections, but more likely to fall into addiction once using, as we find ourselves compelled to use drugs as anxiolytics and masking aids, and are also prone to setting up entrenched routines.
Take the pain away, take the pain away... lala!
I think I remember seeing something about addictive behavior being greater in autistic individuals. More struggles with alcoholism, for example. Though, the autistic spectrum might be too vast for such a generalization. I doubt severally intellectually disabled autistics are touching controles substances at all. More introverted individuals may not have exposure to illegal drug sources. Would be interesting to see what traits autistic individuals with substance abuse issues have in common. Like, is it a comorbid condition like a personality disorder or is it directly autism. Personally, I have a strong fear of being out of control of my mind or body so I’ve refused to experiment with anything. I did try alcohol but the taste is so offensive to me that I just can’t be bothered. Do absolutely love sugar though…. Want it constantly. Not sure how common my way is.
So I don't use any recreational drugs at the moment, and only used THC for a little bit to help with the nerve pain when I had shingles. However I have been a smoker for a very long time, and it has been incredibly hard for me to quit. Smoking is how I would deal with some of the social anxiety I would feel, as it was a relatively easy out to get away.
It’s going to be extremes. Some wouldn’t take any drugs including alcohol. Some will make it more or less an interest. Acquiring drugs does tend to take some social skills.
I think it's real cause I have experienced it first hand. When your mind is busy and busy all day it feels nice to do something that truly hushes your head.. Even for a few hours its total bliss.
Well I can only speak for myself, but the only drugs I take is alcohol and cannabis as an Aspie. But that’s all I take aside from my daily meds.
So which of the two types of autism did you get? The strong sense of justice and substance abuse combo? or the ability to count cards and draw realistic horses with ease autism?
Autistic people tend to be isolated, though many/most of us have some desire to have connections with other humans. Chronic loneliness seems to be a risk factor for addiction, look at the “Rat Park” series of experiments. Rats living in isolation would press the cocaine lever (over water lever) over and over until they killed themselves, and none of the rats living in a rat utopia filled with other rats and enrichment used the cocaine. It could be biological, too, like reward/executive dysfunction or comorbid ADHD. Some autistic people also just enjoy drugs, like most groups of humans since the dawn of time. I’ve noticed sometimes we use them to stim/enjoying the perceptual effects, sometimes it’s the routine aspect, sometimes it’s self medication. I use cannabis when I’m overwhelmed but also recreationally like probably 75% of young people in my state :D
I struggled with addiction to pretty much everything but psychedelics and heroin. I also have bpd, though, and I think the self-destructive behaviour is more linked to that. A lot of drugs, especially stimulates and benzos, helped me mask better but had extremely bad side effects. Psychedelics helped a lot. I've never found them addictive I won't go into it here, though, because I don't want to sound like I'm promoting them.
I was an addict for a long time just because it made masking easier and it dulled my senses lol. I regret it a lot but it was really the only tool I had available to navigate life. It was the only thing I could really rely on or take comfort in.
Not me. I'm Straight Edge. No drugs, no alcohol, cigarettes, no vape, no hookah.
That doesn't answer OPs question at all.