Those who suffer from autism have a very difficult and challenging life. It is difficult for them to communicate their thoughts and feelings so others can understand them, and often have sensory issues. Even when they are surrounded by a loving and supportive family, they feel like they are alone, which is why so many people with autism suffer from anxiety and depression.
With all of the other issues that are involved with autism, depression and anxiety often go unnoticed. This is often because the autistic person is not capable of expressing his emotions adequately. Depression is a complex emotional disorder that affects millions of people. Even people with the best communication skills have difficulty explaining and understanding their depression. A person with autism has extreme difficulty explaining and understanding his depression and anxiety.
Anxiety is difficult to pinpoint in autistic cases because the autistic person may show symptoms of anxiety on a daily basis. Many tasks can make an autistic very anxious, especially if the task breaks the autistic person’s usual routine. An autistic person relies on order and sameness as a means of understanding his surroundings. Any change in routine can cause great anxiety, but this does not mean that the autistic person has an anxiety disorder.
An autistic person will likely feel cut off from everyone else, which is why they are often thought to be suffering from depression, however this condition as well as anxiety disorders are very difficult to diagnose and treat. Unlike a person with full ability to communicate, and autistic person is unable to tell you if they are feeling better.
What usually happens is that a family member becomes concerned about their behaviour, or worries that they may be depressed or anxious and they are then put on medication. While you wouldn’t want a perfectly healthy person to be taking anti-depressants or anti-anxiety drugs, with persons who have autism there are some other beneficial aspect of these medications, such as that they improve focus and decrease excessive movement that is common in many autistics.
I have worked with one autistic girl for several years. As she got older, she demonstrated some signs of depression and anxiety. Her parents consulted with her doctor who prescribed an antidepressant medication. I added some light therapy and some sensory integration activities into her therapy routine. We also introduced emotions into her program. Her depression and anxiety have lessened and she is functioning very well on the medication. Her attention to tasks has also improved greatly.
Parents who are faced with the possibility of their autistic son’s or daughter’s depression and anxiety may want to consider talking to their child’s doctor. He may have a recommendation that will help lessen the despair and hopelessness associated with depression and anxiety so their child can focus on other things.
