AS and PTSD
15 Apr 2015, 6:56 pm
I'm sure I have both, yet everyone close to me absolutely INSISTS that I "only" have PTSD. Uhm, no, PTSD doesn't lead to being in your late 30s and unable to have a romantic relationship that lasts longer than a few months. It doesn't make you have a screaming fit when you're accused of something you didn't do. PTSD (even if it's the result of years of horrific emotional & mental abuse) doesn't make you get involved with severe alcoholics because they're "nice" to you, and you figure you'll not do better.
I know I have AS; I was reading by age 3, have taught myself bass / cello / how to draw well / German, love researching herbal medicines, collect dictionaries...
Are the two ever co-morbid? I'm struggling to figure out what's wrong with me so I can figure out what's actually RIGHT.
16 Apr 2015, 10:00 am
People with AS can develop PTSD. And we are actually especially prone to complex-PTSD because of our constant bad experiences in social life, such as bullying.
But complex-PTSD itself can mimic AS too and it can cause all the symptoms you mentioned. The question is if the bad experiences made you develop of AS-like traits or a real AS was the reason for bad experiences to occur in the first place.
What age did you start having trouble with social interaction?
Was it before or after the traumatic experiences?
Do you have any sensory issues? Are you routine-depended?
16 Apr 2015, 10:05 am
I believe that the two disorders can be related, but each can exist on its own. I recently started wondering about how prevalent they are in combination. So, I will be watching this topic. 
_________________
Diagnosed in 2015 with ASD Level 1 by the University of Utah Health Care Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinic using the ADOS-2 Module 4 assessment instrument [11/30] -- Screened in 2014 with ASD by using the University of Cambridge Autism Research Centre AQ (Adult) [43/50]; EQ-60 for adults [11/80]; FQ [43/135]; SQ (Adult) [130/150] self-reported screening inventories -- Assessed since 1978 with an estimated IQ [≈145] by several clinicians -- Contact on WrongPlanet.net by private message (PM)
16 Apr 2015, 10:48 am
But complex-PTSD itself can mimic AS too and it can cause all the symptoms you mentioned. The question is if the bad experiences made you develop of AS-like traits or a real AS was the reason for bad experiences to occur in the first place.
What age did you start having trouble with social interaction?
Was it before or after the traumatic experiences?
Do you have any sensory issues? Are you routine-depended?
I don't know, honestly; I was always unpopular and bullied in school (even by teachers), but not sure if this was because I was the adopted mixed kid of white parents or otherwise.
I constantly feel like I have to be "on" and entertaining; I do remember being scolded as a child for "not smiling enough" and having issues with saying please/thank you.
The abuse was probably ongoing, but I remember it starting after my dad died.
So if it's "just" PTSD, what can be done about it? Nothing? I don't have the resources (financially or as far as a support system goes) to really do much. That, and I won't take psych meds; I'm too sensitive to synthetic stuff.
16 Apr 2015, 11:21 am
https://outofthefog.net/CommonNonBehaviors/CPTSD.html
Little has been done in clinical studies of treatment of C-PTSD. However, in general the following is recommended:
- Removal of and protection from the source of the trauma and/or abuse.
- Acknowledgement of the trauma as real, important and undeserved.
- Acknowledge that the trauma came from something that was stronger than the victim and therefore could not be avoided.
- Acknowledgement of the "complex" nature of C-PTSD - that responses to earlier traumas may have led to decisions that brought on additional, undeserved trauma.
- Acknowledgement that recovery from the trauma is not trivial and will require significant time and effort.
- Separation of residual problems into those that the victim can resolve (such as personal improvement goals) and those that the victim cannot resolve (such as the behavior of a disordered family member)
- Mourning for what has been lost and cannot be recovered.
- Identification of what has been lost and can be recovered.
- Program of recovery with focus on what can be improved in an individual's life that is under their own control.
- Placement in a supportive environment where the victim can discover they are not alone and can receive validation for their successes and support through their struggles.
- As necessary, personal therapy to promote self-discovery.
- As required, prescription of antidepressant medications.
What to do about C-PTSD if you've got it:
Remove yourself from the primary or situation or secondary situations stemming from the primary abuse. Seek therapy. Talk about it. Write about it. Meditation. Medication if needed. Physical Exercise. Rewrite the script of your life.
What not to do about it:
Stay. Hold it in. Bottle it up. Act out. Isolate. Self-abuse. Perpetuate the cycle.
Basically the easiest way of healing it is getting into a supportive relationship, talking about the past and crying as much as needed.
Apparently.
I have AS and C-PTSD and I haven't deal with my past yet so unfortunately I can't tell you how to get rid of the trauma. I am doing exactly what I shouldn't do: holding it in and isolating myself. Hehe. But that's what one is supposed to do according to social norms, right? It's not a good thing to complain and cry in public. And it's better to not have a boyfriend than deal with the painful emotions. Especially since I prefer to stay alone anyway because other people are too noisy and bothersome. I can get so busy with my special interest that I forget about by friends existence for a few months.
16 Apr 2015, 11:39 am
But like I said, I don't have the financial resources to afford a "supportive environment". I post stuff on FB, but nobody is really there for me if I succeed at anything.
What was lost and can't be retrieved was family, a sense of belonging, and my self worth.
I desperately want parents, because living on my own has been nothing short of a constant fight to survive; I was kicked out at 17 (weeks before I turned 18, when the survivor benefits stopped coming) and spent the next 18 yrs trying to keep a roof over my head. Knowing that I don't and can't have parents is devastating, especially for an adoptee.
And oh, I cry all the time. I'll stay in bed and read, then cry, then read some more, check FB, cry... I used to cut myself, but have that up for good 8 yrs ago. Now I draw comics of my constant misadventures, but that's not going to gain me parents.
16 Apr 2015, 11:53 am
Actually, PTSD can and does often cause those issues. Especially when it's caused by abuse.
Children learn how relationships work from how their relationships with caregivers worked. If you were abused by a caregiver, you'll have learnt unhealthy lessons about relationships, which could very well lead to both poor choice of partner and difficulty making a relationship last.
As for screaming fits when you're wrongfully accused, well, most people are upset by being wrongfully accused. However, people with PTSD often have problems with regulating strong emotions, especially if the situation reminds them of the trauma. (For example, if your abusers wrongfully accused you of things.)
I'm not saying you don't have AS - I don't know you well enough to say - but the problems you've described are all fairly typical of abuse survivors.
16 Apr 2015, 12:07 pm
"...severe and repeated bullying can precipitate the clinical signs of PTSD in children with Asperger's Syndrome and a fear of physical injury through bullying is often reported by children with Asperger's Syndrome who are anxious (Russell & Stronoff 2004)
The person can have intrusive memories of the traumatic event that are very difficult to 'block.' An Adolescent with Asperger's Syndrome explained to me that the intrusive thoughts (about being the target of very malicious bullying) appear almost to argue with him. He explained that his inner voice 'does not let me calm down very easily. It keeps on going on about what happened and going on how wrong the other person was to me.' The original event was obviously traumatic but intrusive thoughts an mental re-enactment will cause the person repeatedly to experience the same feelings of fear and distress.
The treatment is medication and psychotherapy...The cognitive restructuring component of CBT is then used to change thoughts and reactions, and achieve resolution or closure."
- Tony Attwood, The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome [p 139]
_________________
"I don't mean to sound bitter, cynical or cruel - but I am, so that's how it comes out." - Bill Hicks
16 Apr 2015, 12:14 pm
"...severe and repeated bullying can precipitate the clinical signs of PTSD in children with Asperger's Syndrome and a fear of physical injury through bullying is often reported by children with Asperger's Syndrome who are anxious (Russell & Stronoff 2004)
The person can have intrusive memories of the traumatic event that are very difficult to 'block.' An Adolescent with Asperger's Syndrome explained to me that the intrusive thoughts (about being the target of very malicious bullying) appear almost to argue with him. He explained that his inner voice 'does not let me calm down very easily. It keeps on going on about what happened and going on how wrong the other person was to me.' The original event was obviously traumatic but intrusive thoughts an mental re-enactment will cause the person repeatedly to experience the same feelings of fear and distress.
The treatment is medication and psychotherapy...The cognitive restructuring component of CBT is then used to change thoughts and reactions, and achieve resolution or closure."
- Tony Attwood, The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome [p 139]
This happens to me! It happened earlier today; I was unable to prevent it from happening, and had to hold my skull together to keep it inside.
Unfortunately, meds don't work for me; the last time I took any meds, it removed my ability to play my bass (I sat with it in my hands and cried because 10 yrs of experience was just GONE) or write poetry. I'd rather suffer and have my creativity than be completely numb and beige.
16 Apr 2015, 3:55 pm
Wrong.
You cannot retrieve your family (at least the members that died) but the sense of belonging and self worth CAN be fixed.
You regain sense of belonging by finding a place where you belong. It might be a relationship, a job or even an interest. You can find an Internet forum or a help group that makes you feel you finally belong somewhere. And you can even escape into a fantasy world and belong there.
You regain self worth in a similar way: by finding what you are good at and doing it, being proud of yourself for doing your best. And if other people don't seem to appreciate it - screw them. What you think about yourself is more important than what others think about you.
11 May 2015, 8:12 pm
I just finished undergoing DSM-V testing for autism, and as it turns out, I do meet the criteria... barely. I also meet the criteria for PTSD. The psychologist who tested me noted that my autism spectrum symptoms started later than normal (age 6) and corresponded to the age of my first significant trauma. She then went on to posit that my autism was essentially an atypical coping mechanism for trauma, rather than being something I was born with.
I've never heard of trauma "causing" autism, and I can find very few references to support this in the literature. I suspect that the psychologist is full of it. I won't dispute that I meet the criteria for both PTSD and autism, but one causing the other? That seems unlikely.
The situation is made more complex by the fact that I am less combative than your typical PTSDer and more interested in other people than your typical ASDer. Checklist-wise, I have both, but doctors repeatedly tell me that I don't "look like" other patients they have treated.
If anyone else has both PTSD and autism and has found a therapy that helps them, please let me know. My life is highly unpleasant at the moment and I'm desperate for suggestions to improve it. Everything I've tried so far has been a total bust.
13 May 2015, 12:47 am
You must find a cathartic output for the stuff that's holding you down. It matters little whither PTSD or AS is the cause.
My output is music and really loud guitars, so it blasts that stuff outta my head. I also use to fish for hours on end. Afterwards, it's like a releasing of giving a f*ck.
If you find a cathartic release, dealing with "normal" issues, can be easier to deal with.
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