Anxiety, Depression and Aspergers

Post Reply New Topic

I recently took the MMPI which is a psychological profile. The profile showed something that didn't suprise me: that when it comes to anxiety and depression, I tend to be almost off the charts. The psychologist was shocked by this. I kept looking at him as if he just didn't get it. I knew that one of things aspies tend to deal with is A LOT of anxiety. I have been taking meds to help with the depression and they have helped.

I guess I'm wondering if anyone else has ever dealt with a medical professional that doesn't seem to understand some of the conditions of Aspergers.

All....The...Time.... Most medical professionals in WI don't know anything about autism or Asperger's. Some have never even heard the term Asperger's and have asked me what it is and how to spell it. Sheesh!

yeah i've had severe depression + couple of anxiety disorders..

Very few medical professionals 'Get it' in relation to Aspergers. One psychiatrist chastised me for always wanting re-assurance, low self esteem and "why can't you be more like me, I'm not worried how I look". He could not understand why I was treatment resistanct to medications and felt I was not giving it a go. There appears to be many with AS/autsim who do not respond to medication and have severe adverse side effects.

Lack of understanding and awareness of Aspergers appears to be a common occurrence in the medical fraternity. I felt my psychiatrist assumed people with AS have no emotions and are not trustworthy individuals. I could feel his dislike towards me strongly.

Found a Clinical Psychologist specialising in AS, such a relief not being judged and treated with respect.

BTW I never knew my anxiety was extreme and suffered from depression most of my life until the medical professional pointed it out to me.

My level of depression has gone way down since my diagnosis and therapy. Since leaving therapy I have learned not to be anxious about my anxiety...if that makes sense.

My depression and anxiety was not related to an actual anxiety depression diagnosis, but more related to my Asperger's. I also once was diagnosed with OCD, but my obsessions again were pleasurable relating to my Asperger's. The anxiety and depression was because I was put in an inappropriate placement(a group home/day agency), even though I am intelligent and do not and never needed any assistance with anything. This caused a self-esteem problem. The doctor's realized this and I was taking off medications and I was told and so was my family that I would do better independently using my potential, with psychotherapy to help me with the emotional parts of getting on with my life(which I am doing well). The medications not only caused severe to profound adverse side effects, but caused a lot of my health problems(I even had type 2 diabetes, but got off the Seroquel med that caused it and now I am no longer a diabetic, nor insulin resistant and I am completely cured). The medications made me "mentally ret*d", even though I have an extremely high IQ, but the medications made my brain shut off so bad, that I could not even read at one point. It was horrible.

i'm currently diagnosed with OCD, Agoraphobia, Generalised anxiety disorder & ADHD.. but other than the ADHD i think this is just a "symptom" of Aspergers.. plus i had to be assessed many miles from home & i was anxious to the point of being physically sick by the time i arrived. silly doctors

I've done quite a bit of research on this. Depression and anxiety are far more common in the AS population than the rest of the population.

There are numerous reasons for this that you could probably guess. It's hard to live in an overstimulating world that does not accept you!

I've been diagnosed bipolar (which is genetic,) but my depressions have been labeled severe-profound. My last one like that was 14 years ago though. I have an anxiety disorder and also have been diagnosed with agorophobia (although I managed to move from NC to OR!) I also have NLD with my AS.

All the time. My allergist told me I have acid reflux diease and to take tums when needed. He told me i'm allergic to red maple leaves(only if digested) and histamine. Okay first of all just because i have A.S. doesn't mean i will EAT red maple leaves. Second of all I have found out that I have had an reaction to grapes since i was like eight from histamine in the grapes, but my allergist never gave me a list of foods to advoid with histamine. In matter of fact he practically rolled his eyes and shoved me out the door when he read my chart and found out i have A.S.

Psychiatrist only know how to dish out medication, and have a black or white way of dealing with things, they are only useful in extreme cases such as paranoid schizophrenia. One tried to tell me that in no way did I have AS, psychologist a year later told me that in no way am I a NT...

I was dxed with depression,anxiety, and social anxiety

The best way to get over stress, depression and anxiety is to take a break from your regular schedule, go out, and take good sleep. This helps in clearing the mind and try consulting a specialist who can suggest you as how you can get over your problem. There are various prescription drugs to get over anxiety and depression, but these should only be used in accordance with the instruction of a physician and going on anti depressants should be the last option. Rather than going on drugs, one should look for the reason behind there problem . Keeping yourself busy and changing the schedule also helps sometimes to get over stress and depression.

Does being depressed because you were negatively labeled in the past count?

I clicked on this thread since, in just three words, you managed to sum me up.
When I had to take one of those strange tests, I was off the chart with my depression and anxiety. I don't see why anyone was surprised really.

I was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome when I was 21. During my late teenage years, when I was making the transition into adulthood, I suffered a psychotic breakdown at the age of 16. Since then I have been dealing with obsessive thoughts, paranoid ideations, severe depression, and generalized and social anxiety conditions. At 18 I went to see a psychiatrist, who then put me on medication. When I was 19 I went in for a psychiatric evaluation and was diagnosed with Schizoaffective disorder and Obsessive-compulsive disorder. From the age of 16-19 were the worst 3 years of my life. I am 21 now and I seem to have recovered from my psychotic breakdown; however, it has left its mark on my mental health because I still have Generalized and Social Anxiety, as well as occasional bouts of obsessive thoughts. I still experience depression as well, but not nearly as severe as it used to be.