AS isn't what you think it is... AS --> PTSD

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I'm genuinely curious and hoping to learn. For those of you who have AS and PTSD concurrently, what are the symptoms you experience with PTSD that are distinct from AS?

1) The urge to beat the snot out of someone who rightly deserves it.
2) Waking up in a state of combat readiness whenever I hear a gunshot at night.
3) Breaking into a cold sweat whenever I hear a voice that sounds like my dad's.

I'll spare you most of the details but I disagree with OP, in my personal context at least, I had AS long before any PTSD symptoms. I didn't get the latter at school by any means either, at least not in any identifiable capacity. While I notice a number of continuities between the affects, my AS does not in & of itself cause anxiety attacks. When I need to use my long-term memory I have to be careful about recurrent freakouts if I recall something I learned under pressure, even if it's just some personal rule or a bit of trivia. When I'm among friends who felt all the same things less directly, I'm terse. I was always fascinated by out-of-body experiences, but its' [PTSD] taught me that my mind doesn't just reside in my head.

The stress comes with trying to understand how trauma is going to effect me & mine in the future. The disorder part has nothing to do with me, I didn't start it and I don't think that should be part of how everyone views this. Obsession with order is a whole different set of troubles. I don't think it can or should be cured either; marijuana (cannabidiol in particular) provides all the relief I need, and I can't get behind the idea of altering the way memory affects reasoning. It wouldn't be fair of me to redact my past traumas considering how easily I might spare someone else the same tough lessons.

While I have never been diagnosed with either formally (although I am beyond sure with both), I can tell you that I had my AS symptoms as early as I can remember. For example, I still remember in preschool going off and doing my own thing during gym class even though I was treated kindly by everyone and had what everyone would call a nearly perfect early childhood.

The PTSD symptoms came later, when I got to Junior High. I was always bullied starting in Kindergarten (1 on 1) but the PTSD symptoms started when I was completely powerless to do anything about it (1 kindhearted, sweet, naive kid vs 6-8 sociopaths).

Good way of putting it. I know I STILL start panicking when the phone rings unexpectedly almost 2 years after I got away from my unstable ex. Ditto to the cold sweat part too: not fun when it happens during a dream and I am up all night.

AS is not understanding what's going on with people around me. Talking and not being understood. People angry and I've no idea why. Being honest and kind (I think) and it blows up in my face. Not being invited, not being included, people saying I'm weird (and difficult) and I'd no idea. Maybe I thought the person was my friend, and turns out everyone else knew otherwise. And it is also being able to learn what to do that minimizes these things, though they do not ever go away. It is constant vigilance over that line between when are people affectionately teasing for differences and when are they making fun of and trying to cut me out.

PTSD is being afraid, is having flashbacks, is being lost in something that was real but it is not happening now; only you can see it/feel it/hear it/are living in it. PTSD is horrifying in intensity.

AS may mean being unable to communicate this, and many things, to others in a way they can relate to without hours of help learning how to talk/converse first because even if you are fortunate and have good vocabulary, that doesn't make for skill in conversation and you only know how to have a conversation about something if you've seen someone else do it first on a given topic and then can kind of script off this.

I don't see anything the same other than some superficial external appearance things that might make it look the same. They really are not the same.

I believe the only similarity is the underlying anxiety that can accompany both.

My take on this is that aspies are more likely to develop PSTD than allistics are. Not many people like our traits, so they might feel more inclined to abuse us and hate us. Many years of ostracism can cause many of us to develop PSTD.

I agree. The difference between the person I was and I am now after harassment and bullying that took place in recent years is so huge I can't really take it. I feel as if they killed me. I have severe symptoms and anxiety. I also started to self-harm, which I have never done before.

I clearly have PSTD, but it has nothing to do with autism. It is emotional pain caused by others, whereas autism is who I am, and on the contrary it used to be something beautiful.

Has anyone had any non-medication treatment for PSTD and did it work for you? I really hope there is a solution somewhere.

That was beautifully put. Describes my experience as well.

My own PTSD is specific anxieties, hallucinations, and nightmares concerning very specific situations that were traumatic to me in the past. One was legitimately abusive, but I also have PTSD symptoms just at the thought of trying to get a job - bringing back that feeling of being utterly overwhelmed, hopeless, and unable to function at the level expected of me.

So I agree that autistics can have symptoms very much like PTSD, just from the stress of trying to cope with the big, confusing, overwhelming world outside our home.