Is depression common in aspergers and how does one know?

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Brittany2907
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05 Jun 2008, 6:43 am

Chadk wrote:
Hey.

So for 2 years now(It's actually 2 years since I susepcted I might be an aspie), and increasingly so, I have seemed what could be depressed. I have been very restless, I don't feel joy with what I usually did, very tired, huge food consumption increase and some moodswings.

Even small things can throw me off course. If I make a small mistake, a problem comes along or if things aren't as I expect them, I simply stop thinking and things goes around in circles. And I have a hard time making descisions.
I'm not suicidal at all though.

So I'm wondering, is despression common for aspergers and how does one know if it's something that one should seek help about?


I've been depressed on and off for 3 years. Mainly it's chronic depression but i've also had one episode of major depression last year and one when I was at high school (which is not included in the 3 years i've been depressed).
It's common for aspies to get depressed...apparently 2/3 do at sometime in their lives!

If you think that your depression is interferring with your typical ability of functioning then you should seek help. I know this can't be used as a diagnostic tool, but here is a depression test that can indicate whether you are experiencing depression and at what severity... http://www.lessons4living.com/depression_test2.htm


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Chadk
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05 Jun 2008, 6:53 am

15 points. But I found that it hardly even touched on some of the issues depressed patients experience.



AlkalineOutlaw
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05 Jun 2008, 7:29 am

nettiespaghetti wrote:
I've also read that depression is common in aspergers because it is tough to try to deal with being different in society, which I think is definitely true.


Its hard to say if the depression is from having to deal with AS or if its because of an actual chemical imbalance, I guess it could be both. It seems like most of us do suffer on and off from depression and anxiety though.

My fits of depression usually last for a few days and then maybe come back once every week or two -- its usually just small, stupid things that set it off, the way I reacted to something or what somebody said and I just keep replaying it in my head, thinking of what I should have done differently. Watching a movie or listening to some music can sometimes help cheer you up, anything to get your mind off the source of the depression, but you pretty much just have to wait it out and try not to think about whatever's making you depressed.



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05 Jun 2008, 8:13 am

Plunging you into depression is the fact that you (we) live in a bubble, in a cocoon you have built with great efforts but which is made, in some sense, of thoughts, of ethereal material, it's a spider's net. If someone enters clumsily in the cocoon, your refuge is severely damaged, or even it may collapse. And you always are in dread that that may happen. It takes time and new efforts to repair it, or, worst, build one anew.
So these is fatigue for us, constant weariness and an incredible consumption of psycho-fuel (see post above).


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05 Jun 2008, 9:13 am

In the most sincere manner of replying to this, I can only say, I've been dealing with Depression for over 21yrs now having used numerous medications to help me and finally finding a therapist whom has quality experience with interacating with Autistic adults.. 2nd, I've heard that sometimes therer tends to be a greater number of people developing Depression & Anxiety pertaining to autistic persons but, I'm unable to fully say if certain autitistic traits might increase the likelihood of such or other factors such as genetic potential,biological conditions and most importantly life-changing events through and through.. From my own perspective I feel inside that some qualities with dealing with social interactions has contributed to the onset of Depression but, never do I rule out the fact, that Depression does tend to run in my family though on my mom's side.Lastly, having to deal with the loss of 6 family members in the past 2 decades has never been easy however, I continue to press on even at times some people have erroneously labeled me as, "Annakin Skywalker transition to Darth Vader" I'll explain that reference at a later time so, for now I wholeheartedly hope that all autistic worldwide are able to exist in a normal or near-normal life with little or no troubles.. :)



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05 Jun 2008, 12:44 pm

Brittany2907 wrote:
Chadk wrote:
Hey.

So for 2 years now(It's actually 2 years since I susepcted I might be an aspie), and increasingly so, I have seemed what could be depressed. I have been very restless, I don't feel joy with what I usually did, very tired, huge food consumption increase and some moodswings.

Even small things can throw me off course. If I make a small mistake, a problem comes along or if things aren't as I expect them, I simply stop thinking and things goes around in circles. And I have a hard time making descisions.
I'm not suicidal at all though.

So I'm wondering, is despression common for aspergers and how does one know if it's something that one should seek help about?


I've been depressed on and off for 3 years. Mainly it's chronic depression but i've also had one episode of major depression last year and one when I was at high school (which is not included in the 3 years i've been depressed).
It's common for aspies to get depressed...apparently 2/3 do at sometime in their lives!

If you think that your depression is interferring with your typical ability of functioning then you should seek help. I know this can't be used as a diagnostic tool, but here is a depression test that can indicate whether you are experiencing depression and at what severity... http://www.lessons4living.com/depression_test2.htm


For quality purposes... I scored a 28, which seems about accurate. I know it's not your test; I just always like having comparative measurements. For example, when I first discovered the AQ Survey, I had some twenty people I know take it so I could get a sense of it's accuracy and scope. It was informative, though I am still trying to determine what having a score that was double digits above any of theirs means other than a reflection of the differences between us. Many of them have been supportive, and their scores did seem to match where I would have expected them to appear on such a chart.


M.


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Last edited by makuranososhi on 05 Jun 2008, 1:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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05 Jun 2008, 12:54 pm

Chadk wrote:
Even small things can throw me off course. If I make a small mistake, a problem comes along or if things aren't as I expect them, I simply stop thinking and things goes around in circles.


similar issues


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