Mental Health
Autism is not a mental health problem but many people with autism do struggle with mental health. For some people they are so linked that autism and mental health may as well be the same topic
Ethan shares his thoughts on mental health and autism
You’d be hard pressed to find anyone on the spectrum who doesn’t struggle with mental health problems. Whether this is because of autism itself or simply the result of an endlessly chaotic world; it’s very hard to determine which one is the case or perhaps it’s both.
One common struggle is social anxiety. A lot of effort goes into making friends and building relationships with other human beings. The irony of this struggle is that autistic people often find neurotypical people (non-autistic people) tiring to be around. Simply put: a desire to form relationships with people you find confusing and stressful can be a source of anxiety
There are lots of things that might trigger an autistic person, too many to list and some that might surprise you. The main difficulty in questions is known as overload. Overload can take many forms depending on the individual but the one you’re likely most familiar with is a ‘meltdown’ which can constitute shouting, potential violence, swearing and crying. In essence, a meltdown is a loss of control. A meltdown can occur under a number of circumstances but the most common is when an autistic person enters a social environment whih they find overwhelming. An effort is often made to stay calm and control the stress that bubbles under the surface but eventually it becomes too much.
Young people have told us that these things help them when things get difficult
- Find someone you trust to talk about things when things get difficult
- Mindfulness or breathing techniques
- Stimming
- Taking time out when you need it
- Drawing
- Find something squishable and squeeze it!
- Fidgets
During our research, we came across this app that Autistica has made called Molehill Mountain to help autistic people manage anxiety. You an find out more here
What things impact on your mental health and what helps you to look after your mental health?
