Does Autism worsens due to related medical conditions?

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Please allow me to elaborate on my question above...First of all, i am NT, happily married to a yet undiagnosed Aspie...And this is why i am very much interested on this topic...

I have done some research in recent years, and i have learned that there is a link between autism, epilepsy, and schizophrenia... ...I have learned that autism and epilepsy shorten the patient's life span... ...And it is of general knowledge that schizophrenia is degenerative... ...All of this concerns me greatly...Because autism, in and of itself, is limiting enough to the patient...My heart bends towards you all

Having said all of the above, please share your experience, living on the spectrum...I am particularly interested in your real life experience, which i understand varies from person to person...I am hereby inviting you all to reflect on your younger years... Looking back, would you say that overtime you have learned to cope better with your autistic traits?...And as a result of all the coping mechanisms you have learned over the years, your quality of life has improved considerably?...Or, have you noticed that, quite the contrary has happened, and your medical condition has worsen due to various factors, including comorbid medical conditions?...If so, would you be so kind to elaborate?...Thank you in advance for your enlightenment...

Greetings from my lockdown state, CA...Please stay safe...

I had severe autism as a very young child. I didn't speak until I was 5 1/2 years old. The only "physical things" I had were-----very frequent vomiting, and gastrointestinal problems. Both got better as I got older.

I've never had epilepsy.

I don't believe autism, in and of itself, shortens lifespan. I doubt very much if it will shorten mine.

Nor does schizophrenia, in and of itself.

Autism comes in many forms. Most of the time, people with "high-functioning" autism don't have other neurological manifestations. Nor are they predisposed towards acquiring one disease or another.

What causes epilepsy in people with autism---is usually something which is comorbid with autism. People with chromosomal disorders are more prone to epilepsy than those in the general population.

When research is done with Autism Spectrum Disorders, there's hardly ever an exposition of the "functioning" of the study participants. ASD's are treated as one disorder with virtually identical symptoms. People who conduct research don't seem to totally comprehend that autism is a "spectrum" and not one disorder with one cause.

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Very insightful...Thank you for clarifications...After reading your reply, i am left with this great feeling of HOPE...Thanks yet again...

I have anxiety so yes my symptoms will worsen. Stress will do it too.

In some ways I have improved over time, and in others I'm the same as I always was.

I've greatly improved my understanding of what's considered appropriate to say/do, and I think I'm pretty good at mimicking to get by in brief interactions where it's necessary to seem like a socially skilled person. Also being here has helped me work on my blunt/brazen/unfiltered responses, though I'm slow to improve in real life interactions.

But I'm still just as prone to shutdowns and meltdowns, still speak without thinking a lot, still have many sensory sensitivities, still very attached to my routines, etc.

As for the title question: with my physical conditions my ASD (as well as ADHD) can become more pronounced when I'm overloaded by physical flare ups. But I wouldn't say that it has caused a degeneration over time (i.e., my ASD hasn't worsened).

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I can relate to what you are saying above...Stress and anxiety impact our quality of life in so many negative ways...In my case, leading a simple life to the extent possible helps considerably...Also, i have read that cognitive therapy combined with medicine relieves the symptoms...Something to think about...

I used to wake up in seizures running around the house due to hallucinations at nite as a child, when I was still non verbal. I grew out of that eventually. I mean it still happens, but it is less 'effective', I can tell what is and what is not real now.

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The more that i read your story, the more that i admire your RESILIENCE...

As i read your reply, i see the similarities to my beloved (Aspie) husband...I did not know him in his younger years, but people who knew him back then are shocked in amazement with the changes he has made...To some of them, he seems like a different person...I assume that in his younger years, he was not very good at coping and masking...

His marriage to me has been most challenging, but at the same time, it has helped him tremendous...He has drawn closer to his mother and his siblings (they are all long-distance)...He is very hard-working like nobody i know besides my father, but before our marriage, he would constantly change jobs...Since our marriage, he has remained in the same job, working with the same people...I think this is a victory, in and of itself...

I hope that i can continue to be a source of stability and strength to him...But i confess, sometimes i get tired of feeling like my needs are not been met, or like i am not one of his priorities...When this happens, i become unhappy and argumentative, which leads to conflict between us...In recent times, in moments of weakness, i have blurred-out the words "separation" and "divorce"...At present-time, he is trying to meet me 'half-ways' per se...For as long as he is as FORGIVING as i have been, we should be ok...I remain HOPEFUL...Sorry i side-tracked in my train of thought...

In short, i am glad that autism itself is not degenerative; and therefore, i should not worry unnecessarily about my husband's medical condition worsening...Thank you for your insight...

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I am not your mother, but i am very proud of you for coping much better with your symptoms...Keep it up!

Your rite that autism by itself does not shorten life. There are various reasons people on the spectrum can have shorter life spans. We are more likely to be on various psych meds than the general population of NTs & psych meds can have various side-effects that can potentially shorten life. Some psych meds require blood work to watch for potential side-effects. For example I had to get blood work before my psych put me on the antipsychotic Seroquel/Quetiapine because it can raise blood sugar & cholesterol. Us autistics tend to have a bit of stress from living in a world that is not designed for us. We tend to be picky eaters & some of us(like me) can have very unhealthy eating habits. We tend to be introverted & into technology which can cause some of us to spend less time outside & do less physical activity than our NT peers. Some autistics turn to alcohol & illegal drugs to help cope. We are also more likely to commit suicide than our NT peers. We tend to have a harder time with employment than NTs & low or no income can lead to homelessness or living in a very unhealthy physical environment &/or sacrificing needed medical care. Some stay in very abusive relationships because of low self-esteem &/or feeling like there are no other options.
The things I mentioned are NOT due to autism itself but rather the problems we can have in life that can potentially be related to our autism. An autistic who is well adjusted & has a good life is not really anymore likely to have a shorter life span than their NT peers.

I don't think that an aspie husband can really meet someone's social needs, be it his wife or any person. Aspies simply lack the talent to meet people's social needs. They crave friendship, marriage, and companionship but they are simply not able to participate in it very well. You shouldn't feel that your husband is worse than other husbands though. He is different and you don't have a lesser husband than other women.

Schizophrenia and autism are two different things, while untreated shizophrenia is supposedly degerative, autism is stable over the life time, in fact, it often gets better as you age as our brains supposedly remain pliable longer and we are able to keep learning past when other people's brain stop growing around 25.

For the record, i should clarify that a lovers' quarrel should NOT and does NOT defines my HAPPY neuro-diverse marriage...Like most neuro-diverse marriages of less than two years, my beloved (Aspie) husband and i have had to ADJUST our expectations of each other drastically...And i confess with candor that this process has not been without friction...As a married couple, we are a work-in-progress...And we have come l-o-n-g ways, with God's blessing...

In fact, those of you who have read my posts, should be able to perceive the RESPECT, the ADMIRATION, and the PROFOUND, DEEP LOVE that i feel for my beloved husband...So, to read the above reply, specifically stating that my husband is not "worse" or "lesser", as if i need convincing, caught me totally by surprise... ...LOL

So just in case i have not made it clear to everyone in WP...My husband is NOT inferior to anyone due to his autistic traits...In my opinion, he is superior to many in various ways...And because i believe him to be superior in the ways that most matter to me, i married HIM instead of other attractive suitors...Time and time again, in my posts here, i have emphasized how BLESSED I AM TO HAVE HIM... And i will write a post about his strengths soon...Thank you

I suspect that my Mum has paranoid scizophrenia as well as autism. They are completely different. She actually accepts that she is autistic.

It hasn't made her autism worse, but it has ostracised her more. Her special interests are conspiracy theories. She wears a tin foil hat, I kid you not. It was easier for her when her special interests were a bit more main stream. People like talking about dogs for example. Now she's that crazy lady. She has a job which is good and her work mates are good to her. She's good at what she does, so they put up with the oddness.

She won't go and see a doctor about it. The rest of the world is wrong, not her. Nasa is hiding secrets from us, it's just that no one else knows, no she can't talk about it on the phone, "they are listening."

I have chronic fatigue syndrome. I don't know if it affects my autism. I can't mask when I'm too tired. I can't pretend to be jolly. I feel like I have selective mutism when I'm tired. I can't find words. Don't know if that is autism or CFS brain fog. I can't be bothered with people, when I'm not well, so that further ostracises you. Conversation is difficult enough when I'm well, when I'm exhausted it is not only immense effort, but exhausts me further. It's a vicious cycle.

I've started another thread about this which might interest you.

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Thank you for making a clear distinction, above, between autism and schizophrenia...The case of your Mom really helps distinguish one disorder from the other and how these two may correlate...I am glad to learn that your Mom does well in her job despite her medical condition(s)...Greetings to her...

Also, thank you for sharing your experience, here, about how your CFS may explain some of your symptoms...The fact that it takes tremendous effort and energy from your behalf to deal with people...Yet, you continue to make the effort, speaks positive of you...

I will definitely check-out your post on autism and being able to hold a job...I very much appreciate your input here in WP...Have a blessed Sunday

Anything that weakens the body will weaken the mind.