Do anxiety pills help you and issues with a job.

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Obviously the members here have changed over the years but I'm a long time member. I've discussed over the past 10 years being depressed/upset over being kicked out of college even YES despite now finishing my Bachelor in 2014 the suspension from 05 has haunted me to which I've mention here time and again. The same can be said of repeated OMG! family drama etc. Mood pills for 10+ years for a diagnosis of Bipolar 2 and a fairly recent AS diagnosis nothing. I started an anxiety pill this Jan. and a cloud is lifted. I feel better about myself and am more positive and don't have any depression meltdowns.

I saw a judge for SSI D Disability appeal (U.S.A.) and am not sure the outcome. Because of Anxiety Stress Depression I've worried over the prospect of a job. Never worked but jumping into an 8hr. full time is a must if you want to support yourself. My #1 worry is you "lose yourself" Gone are the days of enjoying video games relegated to only playing on days off despite having plenty of income to buy any game I want. Gone are the days of family get togethers even Birthdays IMO probably too tired/busy working to do any of that. Even MORE financial responsibility if I want a $1,000 a month place to live or a vehicle + insurance etc. EASY $2000+ a month to live so that 8hr. a day job BETTER PAY DAMN WELL!! !!

Yes I hear independence YA! But at the cost of your sanity? Did YOU lose your sanity??? Can you get a job while retaining leasure time and Birthdays?

Which anxiety pill are you taking? Some raise GABA in the brain and this seemed to hugely help my anxiety levels.
I have read quite a few scientific articles about many people on the spectrum being born GABA deficient, so I tried raising my GABA levels (Clonazepam trial) and it really worked out well for me, the transition to tranquility was immediate and dramatic.

Here's an article from the recent edition of Scientific American on GABA and autism, (though they describe it as a "new" finding, which it isn't. It's been known about in science circles for quite a time):

http://www.scientificamerican.com/artic ... at-autism/

One particularly interesting early in the 21st century (2002) found a very interesting finding: in ASD samples, researchers found a significant set of what appeared to be related correlations:

1) subjects had an elevated level of GABA in their plasma (blood system) compared to norms for NT levels
2) subjects had a decreased level of GABA in their neurotransmitters (brain) compared to norms for NT levels.

They could not explain why this inverse relationship existed, but they did theorize that it was intimately connected to the childhood and early adolescent depression that you see more often in ASD samples than normocentric sample, and concluded that as the science developed, GABA levels would possibly emerge as the first reliable biomarker which could be used for diagnostic purposes.

This kind of research to my mind holds much more promise than the neuroimaging of brain structures, however that is just my opinion and the neuroscientists obviously think the opposite.

For the more scientifically minded:

http://www.jneuroinflammation.com/conte ... 4-11-4.pdf

Note that the elevated GABA levels they reference in this study are plasma levels, not brain/neurotransmitter levels. Their findings on dopamine, oxytocin et al are extremely interesting too. Biomarkers as diagnosis and treatement for alleviation of troublesome symptoms of ASDs will probably become a reality in the next 10 years, unless other vested interests try to stop this development because it would impair their income streams (eg psychiatry, Autism Speaks etc).

If you look at the references at the end of this study, you will see that an enormous amount of work has already been done, though it never hits the headlines in the mainstream media, perhaps because it's not "sexy" enough/not the flavour of the month. Though the conclusions that these studies are making, and the research the conclusions are based on, seem to me to be far, far more robust than many of the reductionist neuroscience claims being made on the basis of imaged brain stuctures such as the amygdala etc (eg by neuroscientist Marcel Just, who actively seeks the headlines and is funded by Autism Speaks in some of his studies).

Working has never cost me my sanity.

To the contrary, it's helped me keep it.

Most people work.. and still have leisure time and attend birthday parties. You just adapt to being more effective with your off work time. You get what you need to done, then do what you want to. I find that even during busy work weeks I still make time to workout, go for a run, sit in the sun, read, chill out online, visit friends/family etc. What I don't do is waste much time doing absolutely nothing. Sometimes when I have a LOT of work to do & am working like ~65-70+ hours a week, then that's when I don't do much else besides work/eat/sleep/shower/commute.. and I'm OK with that as I like to "make hay when the sun shines" & stack some extra cash. If I'm only working 25-40h/week, there's still plenty of time to do other things in a day/week. I do them before work, after work, and on my days off. You just get better at managing your time & planning ahead to get things done that you need to do or to do things you want to do.

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No for supporting trump. Because doing so is deplorable.

Many things that seem overwhelming initially will eventually become comfortably manageable when you persevere and get used to them. A new job, new environment, new people, and the idea of "wasting" 8 hours every day Mon-Fri, sound too much, but you will learn to manage all that and still have time for yourself. If you work for 80 hours every week or if you are in a particularly stressful environment at work, then it might be different. But that's an extreme scenario. Once you are used to working 5x8hours every week, your mindset may change, you may realize that you enjoy that productive life style and you may feel even more motivated. You never know. I don't know about anxiety pills but if they helped you in other difficult situations, they may help you until you get used to work, too.

I am periodically seized by very strong anxiety and sometimes panic.

It's very destructive and strongly interferes with my ability to work.

I now take a strong anti anxiety medicine when that spiral begins and it cuts the whole nightmare process off quite sharply. I don't take this medication regularly or often, but when I need it, it's very good to have.

One thing that I haven't mentioned before is that caffeine lowers levels of the neurotransmitter GABA. So if you are a heavy coffee drinker, or heavy consumer of cold drinks that contain lots of caffeine, your GABA levels will decrease, and your anxiety theoretically goes up (because GABA's role as a neurotransmitter is to inhibit anxiety and stop neurons over-firing). Tea, though also containing some caffeine, doesn't seem to have the same effect, presumably because of other compensatory chemicals that it naturally contains (though some studies claim that it does). Taking magnesium also helps raise GABA levels in the brain; adequate levels of GABA tend generally to help people feel calm. Why people on the spectrum are more likely to be born with lowered levels is still a scientific mystery, so far as I am aware, though I keep on excavating research on it.

Excerpt from my GABA research file:

"All sorts of other unexpected things change GABA activity; the chemicals formed by aging whiskey in oak barrels increase GABA effect. Aging really does make whiskey mellower literally based on what it does to brain neurotransmitters. [33] These chemicals are released from the alcohol as a fragrance and appear to reach the brain by inhalation. [34] The fragrance of Oolong tea has a similar effect, increasing GABA action. [35] Extracts of green tea, black tea and oolong tea elicit a GABA response in test models. [36] Epigallocatechin gallate extracts from tea had the opposite effect, inhibiting the GABA response. Coffee extracts also inhibit GABA response. [37]Magnesium binds to GABA sites and increases effect. [38] Taurine protects against glutamate overstimulation. [39] [40] Its inhibitory effect may act as anxiolytic. [41]"

("anxiolytic" means something that decreases anxiety).

Thank you B19, all very interesting links. I will read the article later when I have some quiet time.

Zelda, I can sympathise, I have been affected by anxiety all my life. I currently take Citalopram which does seem to have taken the edge off things quite well, that said, it would take some serious medication to stop my head from going into overdrive.

I think work can be a double edged sword, it can be very frustrating/problematic/anxiety inducing, but if you can find work that you are interested in and coincides with your interests, then it can be very exciting (in a good way). I am fortunate enough to work for a large autism charity and am able to bring my life experiences into decisions about service provision. This is very rewarding, but I do accept I am very lucky in this regard. Maybe you can try to find something similar where you are?