What If you're not depressed or/and anxious...

Post Reply New Topic

What would it be if you weren't anxious or depressed to begin with? Or, at least recently if that happens. Or, if that happens in the future?
But then, this is just another "What if" question...


And please, do not divert this into "Being NT/Cure will get rid of either". Even though Autism is the root cause of the two, it IS possible not to have any, or able to deal or overcome the co-morbi(s) while still being in the spectrum.

Unlike asking "What would it be if there's a cure?" or "What would it be if you're born NT?", this can happen, and already happened.


If you're currently not depressed and/or anxious with no meds or any sort of treatment, how's your life?
And if you overcame either or both, what's the difference?
Even if it involves different stages of life, different changes in the environment or social status.

I'm rather curious what would it be if most autistics, especially high functioning, didn't had either co-morbi...
But then again, who knows?

Also, neurotypicals and other neuroatypicals are welcome to share experiences and opinions.

Gained Number Post Count (1).
Lose Time (n).

Lose more time here - Updates at least once a week.

Niether depression nor anxiety is a diagnostic trait of autism/aspergers.

And folks who are on ASD spectrum maybe up against stuff that NT arent but that doesnt necessarily mean that all asd folks are always anxious or depressed every moment of their lives. And NT folks (even the best adjusted) do not lead lives that are free of depression or anxiety.

I dont know how to really answer this.

I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder so im pretty much anxious 24/7 and the anxiety CAUSED my depression. However i am not depressed all the time, i go through bouts of depression that can last up to a year or two, but it goes away and comes back again. Also mensturation and OMS also causes depression.

I never overcame depression, it reacts to my environment, when my enviroment changes, so does my depression, either for better or for worse.

I have been depressed before due to environmental factors and I am also diagnosed with anxiety but it comes and goes and I can go days without having it so that makes me wonder about my own diagnoses and how it fits me. I have been reading about anxiety to see how it fits. Yes I have anxiety but I am trying to understand how I have an anxiety disorder because from my understanding anxiety disorder cannot be diagnosed if the symptoms are explained by another disorder such as pervasive developmental disorder, Bipolar, schizophrenia, ADHD, etc. Yes people can have anxiety due to their disability because of the stress it causes them and them having to work harder and not being understood can cause someone to have anxiety.

I'm sure I have some undiagnosed anxiety disorder of some kind. I'll go from having accomplished one thing and then something else will immediately pop in my head for me to be anxious over. Alcohol and exercise are the only times I can relax.

I am not anxious or depressed.
I have a normal amount of anxiety, like almost everyone is anxious at times about certain things, it's a normal part of life.
When I find myself getting overly anxious about something, I can choose to be less anxious by thinking differently and regulating emotions.

I wanna know more about the kind that impedes functioning and quality of life.

Gained Number Post Count (1).
Lose Time (n).

Lose more time here - Updates at least once a week.

Edna, yes, that's how GAD works. I have GAD and always have that jittery feeling, with few exceptions. Even if I'm somehow not aware of my feelings because I'm very engaged in a given moment, I will feel the effects shortly after, especially the effects of chronic tension. Although thoughts can increase or decrease anxiety, it's pretty much always there on some level. If it matters at all, I don't have an ASD diagnosis, just GAD, OCD, and depression.

I am not anxious or depressed (at least presently). With that being said, I do tend to worry a lot. As I tend to think through things and consider all possible outcomes.

I chose "never had either." The way I see it, I've been prone to anxiety all my life but it's never really knocked me down, so I prefer not to medicalise myself, I just see myself as a bit of a worrier. I've never had it so severe or prolonged that I've felt the need to take tranquillisers, apart from one brief occasion when I was under attack at work, and frankly part of the reason was so that I'd be able to counter the attack by saying the job was damaging my health so badly that I was on tablets for it. I did take them, and I hoped that they'd make me feel better, but they didn't. The anxiety, or whatever it was, got better as soon as the environmental source of the problem was removed. As for depression, sometimes I've felt down, but not for long, and as with anxiety I've always been able to function fairly normally through it. It's interesting that when my doctor first knew about my ASD diagnosis, he offered me antidepressants and tranquillisers - and nothing else - which suggests that the stereotype of the anxious, depressed Aspie is out there. I didn't dignify his offer with an answer.

I've always been adamant that I do not, nor have I ever, had anxiety or depression.
I have gone through tough periods in life, especially when dealing with a chronic debilitating illness a few years ago, but anyone would be bummed out by that. Responding to a severe illness by being down about it is normal. I suppose I'm "anxious" about some things that are related to autism (phone, unexpected or forced socialising, touch, etc) but it is not a constant condition, just a periodic response to stimuli. Again, everyone has this, it's normal.
One of my unpopular opinions is the over-use of depression and anxiety medication, instead of working out and resolving problems. Repeatedly, doctors had tried to put me on pills for supposed "depression" just because I was having a completely understandable reaction to my illness.
They even put dogs on anti anxiety and antidepressant drugs now. It's gone crazy.

If my depression and anxiety were taken away, what is underneath is frustration, just ongoing and perpetual frustration at not being able to do the things I'd like to do, feeling like I can't accomplish anything worthwhile and not having the kind of life I'd like to have.

Anxious but not depressed is the closest to how I am of the choices. According to doctors, I do have anxiety. According to me I do not have GAD but do have phobias. Depression is usually but now always gone.



PS-Adding a comment about the literal mindedness of AS....The poll used the word 'currently' in the question. Currently I am fine. Generally or something like 'most of the time'...would have been easier for me to understand.