For at least some of us, I think it's partially ADHD comorbidity. Substance abuse rates among those with ADHD is significant, and the comorbidity rate of ASD and ADHD is believed to be 50-70% or higher, depending on the source of the study
I did NOT know how to dress in high school and would put together outlandish outfits while acting goofy and unaware. I’d never smoked but people thought I was a stoner. Now at 22 I’m a full blown stoner who dresses in a very boring way and is constantly vigilant.
I never really got into alcohol but I was a heavy chain smoker and energy drink addict for many years. My autistic meltdown forced me to give up those vises fortunately.
Nice to experience another of our tribe that can fly under the radar. My alcohol addiction I think is mostly to shut my brain off, there's a ridiculous amount of thinking that goes on all the time . Our minds when at rest are apparently 40% more active that our unafflicted cousins. I don't know if that's anything to do with the underactive synaptic pruning that occurs around age 4. Or is it 7, I forget. Aside, a common comorbidity is adhd which is framed/medicated as being low dopamine. Both nicotine and alcohol boost dopamine quite significantly. Personally I feel utterly amazing when I drink. I don't think other people get quite the buzz we do. And nicotine the same. I was fatally addicted to both for a very long time. I cannot control either so I have to abstain completely. I can honestly say if it wasn't for having to go through withdrawal again, f'ing horrible, I would have cracked and started drinking again. BTW thanks so much for sharing. For me that is the best research we've got.
Yeah I stopped biting my nails as soon as i started smoking and vaping, it's a bad habit but it's like a stress response and managing stress is a top priority for me at the moment.
One of my earliest memory of anxiety was when I had to give up my pacifier. I am 32 now and I have never cut my fingernails…bleeding out haha I don’t get addicted to substances but I kinda know why they play a part of managing. I got diagnosed with autism at 26 and now at 32 I got diagnosed with ADHD and it’s so fascinating how I have spent my whole life trying to find language for my experience and felt so angry with myself for being sad and intense and shit. Yet I would never have thought of ADHD if my new doctor called me one day out of the blue after knowing me a year and said she had considered ADHD from the first time she met me. She saw me, or she heard me, but I can’t believe how DIFFERENT my language for these things is from the diagnostic criteria and every doctor ever. A litteral little autistic mind ican’t relate because the wording is assumed to be precise and definitive, but they are not for us to understand ourselves. They are made for the ones percieving us to see patterns and categorising them together, names it, but never explains it.
For me masking is just being non verbal or putting on my customer service persona. When I drank (heavily) it was so I could say what I was thinking. And boy did I! Lol but I don't really get your average hangover.. It was straight to DT's. So I'd have to drink more to stave it off.. Which made the DT's worse.. So I'd drink more... The vicious cycle. So I quit. But started doing painkillers.. Because I could get the same effect, without blacking out. Of course that just got progressively worse.. Until I had to quit that too. Now I just avoid being social at almost all cost. Luckily I happen to enjoy being alone.. Though I do sometimes miss people. Thank goodness for the internet.
Many people get the karaoke effect of thinking they’re great singers when they drink, as an autistic I find myself masking less in social interactions and that can be part of the appeal in drinking, but at 64, I’m less inclined to waste too many days on a hangover.
You look just like my ex , I miss him, you look like him. He has AuDHD and possibly FASD. The relationship failed because he was undiagnosed and high masking. I feel sad now I didn’t know and I didn’t understand the situation I was in , it was too much , especially with the information or knowledge, support etc.
I used to be addicted to alcohol. I still am addicted to cigarettes and Pepsi max. I've also been diagnosed with psychosis but now I'm wondering if that's a misdiagnosis because I act weird. I've not been officially diagnosed with autism as of yet. I'm waiting on an appointment with my Gp in order to be referred
You should replace weed with a different habit. Weight lifting or cardio exercises are extremely good at reducing anxiety, they increase you hunger and make you tired. They also cause a release of endorphins. Its not the same Obviously, but it's much much healthier, free and Arguably it might work better than weed depending on why you use it. Another thing that might help Significantly is meditation. There is nothing esoteric or spiritual About it, it is a very real and extremely effective practice to reducing anxiety, and to be more in control of your emotions. You might also try to just reduce weed, limit it to the weekends, if you can. I used to smoke a joint first thing in the morning, eat small amounts of edibles at work, and then when I was home I'd smoke bong. It was a fun time until it wasn't anymore. I smoked Daily for 5 years. Quitting had a lot of positive effects. Weed really didn't serve me at all anymore in the end.
@@carlpanzram7081 omg thank u so much. I really appreciate advice from someone who knows what they're talking about (has the experience). Unfortunately when I recently tried to quit I just was so insanely depressed, I couldn't hack it and I got some more and feel back to normal now. Quitting is hard. It's hard to struggle with other people there too, I have kids so I don't want to b having a breakdown obviously.
I'm in the same boat, including the "pretty sure" part. I used to drink heavily and chain smoke too. Replacing the habit with something else does seem to be the solution. I'm not there yet, but I want to be addicted to drawing and reading and composing music because I need something to be addicted to. Maybe addiction has its place and we've been using it wrong, maybe I'm only saying this because I'm stoned. And Gabor Mate says addiction comes from trauma.
@@splabbity Gabor mate, i keep hearing about him. I want to learn about trauma and stuff but when I try it's so painful and then I have to turn away. I remember when I first smoked weed, such an amazing feeling of relief, it was like ah ha so this is what it's like to feel comfortable. I knew that I'd really found something useful. I'm still smoking it except not this week because I'm so sick with the flu from hell lol. But my head is messed up enough with being sick that it doesn't feel that uncomfortable to exist
@@heedmydemands "So this is what it's like to feel comfortable..." You nailed it. That's exactly it. I'm sorry to hear you're sick, hope you feel better soon. One positive thing I can think about life is "it ain't over until it's over." the story is still continuing and there's still time to heal and take on the world with newfound strength, confidence and self respect. While trying not to be too serious.
For at least some of us, I think it's partially ADHD comorbidity. Substance abuse rates among those with ADHD is significant, and the comorbidity rate of ASD and ADHD is believed to be 50-70% or higher, depending on the source of the study
I did NOT know how to dress in high school and would put together outlandish outfits while acting goofy and unaware. I’d never smoked but people thought I was a stoner. Now at 22 I’m a full blown stoner who dresses in a very boring way and is constantly vigilant.
I never really got into alcohol but I was a heavy chain smoker and energy drink addict for many years. My autistic meltdown forced me to give up those vises fortunately.
Alcohol became my #1 go to for everything! 24/7 thanks for sharing
Nice to experience another of our tribe that can fly under the radar. My alcohol addiction I think is mostly to shut my brain off, there's a ridiculous amount of thinking that goes on all the time . Our minds when at rest are apparently 40% more active that our unafflicted cousins. I don't know if that's anything to do with the underactive synaptic pruning that occurs around age 4. Or is it 7, I forget. Aside, a common comorbidity is adhd which is framed/medicated as being low dopamine. Both nicotine and alcohol boost dopamine quite significantly. Personally I feel utterly amazing when I drink. I don't think other people get quite the buzz we do. And nicotine the same. I was fatally addicted to both for a very long time. I cannot control either so I have to abstain completely. I can honestly say if it wasn't for having to go through withdrawal again, f'ing horrible, I would have cracked and started drinking again.
BTW thanks so much for sharing. For me that is the best research we've got.
Wow. You just put my whole life into 7:07.
Thanks for this.
This is like watching myself in 3rd person.
I stopped drinking alcohol and started having overpriced lattes everyday. Feeling seen in this video.
Yeah I stopped biting my nails as soon as i started smoking and vaping, it's a bad habit but it's like a stress response and managing stress is a top priority for me at the moment.
One of my earliest memory of anxiety was when I had to give up my pacifier. I am 32 now and I have never cut my fingernails…bleeding out haha
I don’t get addicted to substances but I kinda know why they play a part of managing. I got diagnosed with autism at 26 and now at 32 I got diagnosed with ADHD and it’s so fascinating how I have spent my whole life trying to find language for my experience and felt so angry with myself for being sad and intense and shit. Yet I would never have thought of ADHD if my new doctor called me one day out of the blue after knowing me a year and said she had considered ADHD from the first time she met me.
She saw me, or she heard me, but I can’t believe how DIFFERENT my language for these things is from the diagnostic criteria and every doctor ever.
A litteral little autistic mind ican’t relate because the wording is assumed to be precise and definitive, but they are not for us to understand ourselves. They are made for the ones percieving us to see patterns and categorising them together, names it, but never explains it.
For me masking is just being non verbal or putting on my customer service persona. When I drank (heavily) it was so I could say what I was thinking. And boy did I! Lol but I don't really get your average hangover.. It was straight to DT's. So I'd have to drink more to stave it off.. Which made the DT's worse.. So I'd drink more... The vicious cycle. So I quit. But started doing painkillers.. Because I could get the same effect, without blacking out. Of course that just got progressively worse.. Until I had to quit that too. Now I just avoid being social at almost all cost. Luckily I happen to enjoy being alone.. Though I do sometimes miss people. Thank goodness for the internet.
Many people get the karaoke effect of thinking they’re great singers when they drink, as an autistic I find myself masking less in social interactions and that can be part of the appeal in drinking, but at 64, I’m less inclined to waste too many days on a hangover.
Also, I find certain stims can be addictive behavior, in the rush of enjoyment they can bring. “All things in moderation; including moderation.”
You look just like my ex , I miss him, you look like him. He has AuDHD and possibly FASD. The relationship failed because he was undiagnosed and high masking. I feel sad now I didn’t know and I didn’t understand the situation I was in , it was too much , especially with the information or knowledge, support etc.
Interesting
Thank you. I need help becoming normal. I have medical. Someone give me a number for bay area autism addiction cognitive help.
I used to be addicted to alcohol. I still am addicted to cigarettes and Pepsi max.
I've also been diagnosed with psychosis but now I'm wondering if that's a misdiagnosis because I act weird. I've not been officially diagnosed with autism as of yet. I'm waiting on an appointment with my Gp in order to be referred
Good luck
I'm pretty sure I'm autistic and i smoke weed a lot to help me manage. Now im trying to quit and i feel like i don't have a clue how to deal.
You should replace weed with a different habit. Weight lifting or cardio exercises are extremely good at reducing anxiety, they increase you hunger and make you tired. They also cause a release of endorphins.
Its not the same Obviously, but it's much much healthier, free and Arguably it might work better than weed depending on why you use it.
Another thing that might help Significantly is meditation. There is nothing esoteric or spiritual About it, it is a very real and extremely effective practice to reducing anxiety, and to be more in control of your emotions.
You might also try to just reduce weed, limit it to the weekends, if you can.
I used to smoke a joint first thing in the morning, eat small amounts of edibles at work, and then when I was home I'd smoke bong.
It was a fun time until it wasn't anymore. I smoked Daily for 5 years. Quitting had a lot of positive effects. Weed really didn't serve me at all anymore in the end.
@@carlpanzram7081 omg thank u so much. I really appreciate advice from someone who knows what they're talking about (has the experience). Unfortunately when I recently tried to quit I just was so insanely depressed, I couldn't hack it and I got some more and feel back to normal now. Quitting is hard. It's hard to struggle with other people there too, I have kids so I don't want to b having a breakdown obviously.
I'm in the same boat, including the "pretty sure" part. I used to drink heavily and chain smoke too. Replacing the habit with something else does seem to be the solution. I'm not there yet, but I want to be addicted to drawing and reading and composing music because I need something to be addicted to. Maybe addiction has its place and we've been using it wrong, maybe I'm only saying this because I'm stoned. And Gabor Mate says addiction comes from trauma.
@@splabbity Gabor mate, i keep hearing about him. I want to learn about trauma and stuff but when I try it's so painful and then I have to turn away. I remember when I first smoked weed, such an amazing feeling of relief, it was like ah ha so this is what it's like to feel comfortable. I knew that I'd really found something useful. I'm still smoking it except not this week because I'm so sick with the flu from hell lol. But my head is messed up enough with being sick that it doesn't feel that uncomfortable to exist
@@heedmydemands "So this is what it's like to feel comfortable..." You nailed it. That's exactly it. I'm sorry to hear you're sick, hope you feel better soon. One positive thing I can think about life is "it ain't over until it's over." the story is still continuing and there's still time to heal and take on the world with newfound strength, confidence and self respect. While trying not to be too serious.
sorry this is my autism channel.
Two cups of coffee is drug abuse???