How do you deal with or cope with Anxiety & Depression.....?

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How do you deal with or cope with Anxiety & Depression as an autistic adult?

Preferred coping mechanisms or strategies?

- Eat healthy food with variety of proteins and healthy fats to provide all the precursors for synthesis of neurotransmitters.
- Avoid refined carbs and vegetable oils to prevent blood glucose fluctuations, disruptions of brain energy supply and low-grade systemic inflammation contributing to onset of clinical depression.
- Exercise regularly to withdraw excess of amino acids from bloodstream, let tryptophan freely cross blood-brain barrier to synthesize serotonin and prevent it's metabolism into neurotoxic compounds and it's accumulation in the brain and to trigger adrenaline/noradrenaline cycles to enhance neurotransmission in noradrenergic/serotonergic neurons.
- Practice physical activity that requires spacial coordination, navigation, agility and accuracy to stimulate expression of BDNF (Brain-derived neurotrophic factor) and boost neurogenesis, improve cognitive function.
- Practice short HIIT workouts and breathing exercises to release endocannabinoids and lower cortisol and adrenaline, drain accumulated stress and anxiety.
- Get plenty of natural sunlight outdoors to increase synthesis of vitamin D3 and nitric oxide, gaseous neurotransmitter responsible for relaxation, vasodilation and normal heart rhythm.
- Get plenty of fresh air outdoors and indoors, especially monitor CO2 levels indoors to prevent suppression of normal brain function.
- Spend a lot of time walking in natural environment to "massage" my brain by visual and sensory stimulation signalling evolutionary favorable habitat and trigger expression of genes responsible for proper signalling of reward system.
- Meditate daily to increase ability to focus, be mindful, develop metacognition, ability to recognize and control my thought processes.

This is how I cope with anxiety and depression: I take 400mg of SAMe daily plus I smoke pot (its legal to grow and use in my state) Marijuana comes in varying strengths. I find the lower THC and high CBD work the best for me. I feel it is also important to view smoking as medicine, not to get high. I also meditate daily.

I definitely feel worse if I don't exercise or go outside for an extended period of time. I wouldn't say that this 100% eliminates any anxiety or depression though.

For me, having some sort of interest or hobby where I can progress and feel some sense of achievement really helps me to feel better about myself.