Is drug addiction a bigger problem for people on the spectru

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A psychiatrist I went to a good while ago wouldn't prescribe me xanax because its addictive (I agree with him now, benzos are extremely hard to get off, and I didn't need them enough for the benefits to outweigh the negatives) and he said that this is especially a problem for people with autism. Personally, I have a big issue with getting addicted to substances, I seem to have this unscratchable itch which gives me the urge to alter my mind in any way I can. Is this a common thing for people with ASD?

First off, benzodiazepines are never a good idea for anything other than occasional anxiety. No doctor should ever prescribe them to someone with chronic or frequent anxiety. I can see how people with Asperger's or AS would be more prone to addiction, however. I think that social impairments can lead to anxiety and depression, and drugs are a very appealing route to make someone happy when socialization is so hard.

What I'm curious about is if this can relate to sensation-seeking behaviour--could Aspies use drugs as a form of stimming? It makes sense to me that some could. I also think that many people with AS don't respond to certain drugs the same ways that NT's do, which is another variable to consider.

From my understanding, yes. Especially because it's a bigger problem for those that are salicylate sensitive and I've read that 70% of people on the spectrum are sensitive to salicylate acids in foods/cosmetics etc.

I don't see why addiction should be a bigger problem for those on the spectrum.

I keep a watchful eye on my benzo intake to avoid tolerance and addiction. I know if I take them regularly I'll develop tolerance, they'll stop working and then I have all the fun of getting off them. Why should I put myself through that when benzos allow me to function?

I have a problem with medics prescribing 3 benzos a day for 3 months and then expecting anyone to be able to get off them.

And Effexor, despite being appallingly addictive, is still massively overprescribed.

I also don't see why this would be the case, and it doesn't match my experience. If anything I'd think that the pedantic rule following that most of you have would get in the way.

I like stimming with stims. But seriously, how is it any more "stimming" when an autistic person uses recreational drugs than when an NT does? They're both sensation seeking, that's the whole point.

I can see two viewpoints, both are related to lack of caring or understanding of social standards.

1.I am totally immune to "peer pressure" and other social pressures to take or keep taking substances.

2.BUT if I find a substance no matter how vilified and it improves my functioning and life or I enjoy it, and I am satisfied scientifically with how safe it is, then I will continue using it no matter how socially prohibited it is.

I can see people arguing that this doesn't meet the definition of drug abuse, which usually includes negative emotional and self destructive things but it is as close I get. And I have done enough drugs that I think I should qualify, however I always use them for enjoyment or improvement of my life and if the cost is too high it becomes not worth it to me.

Depression, anxiety, mood disorders, and mental illness are all associated with higher rates of drug use when compared to the unaffected population. People on the spectrum are more likely to have these co-morbid conditions, and I don't see how AS could offset the increase in addictive behavior that these conditions bring. Defending drug use for people on the spectrum by stating your own regular drug use is not a problem is not a convincing argument. It makes you sound like a drug addict. Addicts do not admit to being addicts; they defend their drug use, hence why they are still addicts.

Doofy made an interesting point--that some doctors will prescribe benzos for daily use for an extended period of time. This is such a bad thing to do it's ridiculous, and if an Aspie is an ardent rule follower, he will likely believe that this does not result in addiction because of the authority and expertise of the doctor. This could be another reason why Aspies are more prone to addiction and why they would be less likely to realize it.

As for stimming, people with AS stim more than NT's. If the sensation-seeking behavior of drug addicts that is present in NT's is equally present in people with AS, then the addition of the need to stim could cause an increase in the rate of addiction. It seems like a condition with a frequent symptom of sensation-seeking behavior would be more prone to doing things that cause sensation, such as drug use. Repeatedly seeking the same sensation in the form of an addictive drug will lead to addiction.

C'mon Aspies, we're supposed to be a logical bunch. This thread is making me sad.

By definition.


Why is it making you feel sad?

I'd like unrestricted access to morphine and cocaine. I'd monitor my use to check for tolerance and addiction and would restrict useage to avoid both. It is pointless to take drugs to stay "normal"; I want them to get high or to improve functionality.

Benzos improve my functionality enormously. I have as much diazepam and temazepam as I need. I monitor self carefully, pragmatically, with aspie logic. I'd apply the same logic to morph.

What makes me sad is the number of posters here who use Effexor. I dare any of them to miss a dose and report back...

I assumed we were talking about autism on it's own, adjusted for comorbidity. If we're just talking about people self-medicating for co-occurring disorders then I agree with you.


If you're referring to me, I didn't intend to use that as an argument. I was simply stating my experience, as is usually done in these types of threads. I was tired and may have phrased it poorly. I don't see anyone here "defending drug use for people on the spectrum".


It seems like a large jump from motor stereotypies to drug use. People with AS actually score lower on the Sensation Seeking Scale. (Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23962420) I don't think you can conclude that they're more likely to repeatedly engage in risk-taking behavior just because they seek out basic stimuli. Especially since it's not even clear that autistic stereotypies are a result of sensation-seeking.

If we are more susceptible, I'd suspect rigid routines more than stimming.


http://www.tijdschriftvoorpsychiatrie.n ... icles/9588

This Dutch paper provides an interesting overview of some of the conflicting evidence.

I think it's difficult to separate many of the co-morbid conditions from Asperger's with something like this, given that depression and anxiety (among other problems) are often attributed to how Asperger's negatively effects people's lives. This is really the strongest positive correlation I see between Asperger's and drug abuse. As for the sensation-seeking idea, I'm really more curious than anything, but it seems worth investigating whether or not people with Asperger's can use drugs to generate the same type of reward as stimming would. I expect it could go both ways in regards to stimming, though.

I think there are a lot of variables that would effect a statistical relationship, including factors that would expose people with Asperger's to drugs. I think that access to illicit drugs would be a major inhibitory factor for many people, as this is dependent on social networking. I can also see how teaching people with Asperger's to not use drugs would be more effective at preventing drug use than with NT's. This would be largely attributable to culture and environment and not Asperger's, however. What really interests me the most is the potential for addiction once someone on the spectrum has access to, or begins ingesting drugs, both legal and illegal. I would not be surprised to see a strong positive correlation here.

I won't say drugs are completely good or bad, regardless of legality, but I've known enough drug addicts for long enough to be pretty critical of how and why people use drugs. It's the psychological addiction that gets people--physical addiction comes later, but it's not necessary to cause problems. With how much certain drugs can help people on the spectrum short-term, I would expect a high propensity towards psychological addiction. I know that benzos would help me tremendously short-term, but in the long run I would be in pretty bad shape if I started taking them.

It's a good idea to point out the addictive nature of drugs like Effexor. Regular SSRI's are plenty dangerous by themselves, but slowing the reuptake of norepinephrine adds a whole other dimension. I'm sure it works wonders, but norepinephrine release is a primary function of amphetamines. Throw in a dopamine reuptake inhibitor and it's like your brain is making its own speed that never wears off. There separation of addiction and prescribed use with a mood-elevating drug that you take daily is where things get blurry. The Cult of Pharmacology by Richard DeGrandpre is a book that comes to mind here--it's worth a read for anyone interested in what makes drugs 'good' or 'bad'.

Are you referring to my post? I think you misunderstood I wasn't defending drug use for people on the spectrum or saying it wasn't a problem, I was just sharing my own experience.

I struggle with addiction myself, but originally it started to cope with my emotions, anxiety and depression. Another thing is I was very very very naïve, and didn't understand at all what I was getting into, and people take advantage of me a lot in these situations.

I've been using drugs of one description or another for the vast majority of my life.