It is worth figuring out what is adequately absorbing for times when it’s needed. It can be helpful for a person stuck on a worry to redirect their focus to something they find immersive and enjoyable. When these are negative or worrying thoughts, they can feed into depression and anxiety, and be extremely distressing. Many describe a feeling of not being able to ‘turn their thoughts off’, which can contribute to sleeplessness or difficulty relaxing. While these interests can be very fulfilling, and at times extremely productive, the flip side of this intense focus can be rumination and perseveration over worries or uncertainties. Many autistic people have the ability to focus very deeply on intense interests, and it can be difficult to stop and switch over to something else. It is good to be direct about social expectations and boundaries, as well as being honestly and openly reassuring about common concerns like being left out or made fun of. Many autistic people spend a lot of their lives ‘masking’ to fit in better socially, or putting extra energy into navigating a neurotypically-focused world it can be very helpful for non-autistic people to try to learn ways to meet autistic people in the middle. Socialising can be very exhausting for many autistic people, but it is often still desired, so it’s important that the person can feel safe in being allowed to be themselves, define their own boundaries, and say when they need alone time. It can also help for the non-autistic people in an autistic person’s life to try to connect with them based on their interests, and on their terms. This can be difficult in person, especially if traveling is a challenge, or if there aren’t suitable groups nearby, but online communities and even reading books and blogs by autistic writers can be very validating and a good starting point. It can also improve their self-knowledge, and help them feel more connected with those around them. Many autistic people find connecting with other like-minded individuals, the broader autistic community and others with shared interests, very valuable in reducing their sense of isolation. Unspoken social rules and non-verbal communication, like body language, can also be very confusing for many autistic people, adding to difficulties in social situations, and a greater chance of being misread. They may even have trauma from negative experiences of being bullied, ostracised, misunderstood or left out. This means that many autistic people can feel very isolated, not understood, and not accepted for who they are. Autistic people don’t lack empathy, but differences in how an individual might react to things, and lack of contact with those with relatable life experiences, can make it harder for an autistic person to relate to those around them, or for others to relate to them. There are a number of likely reasons for this.īeing autistic can make a person stand out from their non-autistic peers, because of differences in communication, interests and types of preferred social time, and in how an autistic person might experience the world. Recent studies suggest that autistic adults without learning difficulties could be up to nine times more likely to commit suicide than the general population. For example, a person in distress might find it hard to communicate, but that wouldn’t tell you anything about their abilities elsewhere.Īutistic people are far more likely to suffer from a wide range of mental health difficulties, the most common being anxiety and depression. The degree and types of support an autistic person might need therefore varies greatly depending on the individual. The autistic spectrum is not a line running from ‘high functioning’ to ‘low functioning’: Sensory differences, levels of anxiety, social preferences and executive functions all vary depending on the person and their environment.Īlthough some autistic people also have intellectual disabilities, and other neurological differences like epilepsy and dyspraxia, these are far from universal. The autistic population is extremely diverse. It is a difference a person is born with, and not something that can be ‘cured’. Autism is not a mental illness it is possible to be very happy and well-adjusted, and autistic. Resources and Local (Edinburgh) OrganisationsĪutism is a profound cognitive difference, meaning that autistic people can think and experience the world in very different ways.Seeking professional help for mental health difficulties.A short guide to autistic people’s mental health needs and how to meet them
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