aspergers and alcoholism

Post Reply New Topic

Hey everybody, I have been diagnosed with aspergers and am also an alcoholic who has been sober now for almost two years. I have always drank alcohol to self medicate for social anxiety and just any other problems in my life. I was diagnosed with social anxiety and agoraphobia (fear of panic attacks) and never did much with anybody. That was in my 20's. In my 30's I got real delusional and had some very delusional beliefs that lasted about 5 years and all I did was sit at home, drink, and live out my delusional fantasy. I then went to treatment and rehab about 2 years ago and am involved in AA now and although doing better, still am struggling a little with adjusting to life with aspergers in sobriety. I am making friends and have a job but still struggling some with loneliness without the ease and comfort of alcohol and after effects of years of isolation. Was just wondering if anybody else can relate? Thanks!

I'm also diagnosed agoraphobia and self-medicate with marijuana. Being sober is challenging enough, but being sober with asd is a real accomplishment. I'm glad to hear you go to meetings. Support groups can be incredibly healing.

Brave, brave post OP and searingly honest. I know exactly what you're going through mate. Good luck and good energy to you.

<--- Failure. Gets sobriety, like, two months here, three months there, but always relapse. At least he's off the hard drugs. His medication doesn't help with his anxiety. He feels it makes him worse. At least drinking "turns the world down," that is, makes it tolerable otherwise he can't cope.

Welcome. The journey to clarity is a huge step back to the best things in life, and good on you for travelling to the light.

I can't relax without a drink, it's an impossibility.
Been to rehab, it helped a bit.

^ 14 months out now.
The dead can speak.

I have self medicated all my life to escape my anxiety. Back in time I didn’t realise firstly that it was anxiety I was suffering from, the secondly when I did identify it I didn’t understand it’s root. Now I do know it’s autism which is the root cause of my anxiety and that I cannot self medicate to get me over a “bad patch”. My anxiety is not going to go away ever. My anxiety is part of my autism and my autism is a part of me.

When my anxiety is bad I would do anything to escape it. On the outside of me, mostly because I have learned to accept my background level of anxiety, no one can tell, I have learned to cover up. I learned to cover up myself medication too.

I am not going to discuss my own “tactics” here, but I might suggest that you are far from being alone. It’s a struggle.

I never liked drinking but I do smoke a lot of weed. Medical card and legal state so at least I don't break the law anymore. It's also not really an "escape" I find I can only really enjoy being high if I have nothing to worry about. Otherwise I focus on that thing and am not satisfied until I fix it. But when I calm oh man do I get calmer. First time I drank alcohol I got so sick and wondered why people do this. First time being stoned I thought "I can do this every day"

Yes I can relate to what you are saying. I had self-medicated for my whole adult life. Congratulations on your sobriety. You're right, sobriety and Asperger's is a bi**h. For me, it will be six years in February. (Now I self-medicate with food instead. but my liver is happier!! !!) May sound crazy, but the one thing that really helped me was meditation. Might be something to look into. I know it can certainly help with the anxiety piece and it might help overall with other areas.


Truly man, I hope you give yourself credit, crawling out of a bottle is NO easy task and staying out of it is even harder, but you did it and are doing it!! !!

Shark