Dysthymia and anxiety

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Shortly after learning I have Aspergers, it quickly became clear that I had spent my entire life in a state of low level anxiety, that regularly became high level. This is quite common with Autistic people.

I have since learned that one of the other contributing factors to anxiety is Dysthymia, a 'mild' form of major depression.

I have only recently been prescribed medication to manage these and the results have been very encouraging and very calming!

What is your experience with Anxiety and/or Dysthymia?

I have had various forms of counselling , including CBT where i went to the Maudsley in London to see a Psychologist. I also have had CBT more locally in Kent and when i was at college i had counselling there , these are all for depression. I was told to take ant-depressants once but i decided not to take them and said i wanted therapy instead. Also when i was at college i went through a period where i was harming myself a lot and also where i was withdrawing socially from the class around me and refusing to talk to other classmates. I felt very lonely and isolated at college and very down , last summer i thought i was going mad because i was having arguements with my mum and dad and others quite frequently. I often was frustrated and irritable and felt very unsociable , i was difficult at events and at work and tried to withdraw from situations and people. I still have ups and downs now and i am trying to get more counselling to deal with things and talk through things , i sometimes take the frustration out on myself and again this is the harming , then i hide it by wearing long shirts.
As for the anxiety side , i do worry a lot about what people think about me and how to fit in at work and in public in general. Also i get nervous when going to festivals with lots of people and if there are events where i am going away for the weekend where there will be lots of people. I also get nervous about meeting new people and interacting socially with new people because i think i may be found out and like to be seen as normal and also feel that i may not be accepted when with others. Also sleeping over other peoples houses for the night or more makes me anxious also because i don't trust others that easily. I would never go away anwhere in England or a foreign country for any lenght of time either because the anxiety would be too great for my liking in these scenarios too.