Anyone else here with Asperger Syndrome?

[Maarten]

I have been diagnosed with this condition and I understand that normal SA therapy does not work for AS because the cause of the anxiety is different. So then the question arises of what kind of treatment does work for AS. I have been referred to a social skills training for people on the autistic spectrum but I find it hard to believe this will reduce my social anxiety. So I am very curious to know from anyone with AS or a similar condition if they have had any luck getting over their social anxiety.

 

[Shonen_Yo]

Yes, I suspect I have a mild form of Autism. SA and AS are two different things; you can approach SA the same anyone else does, mainly with cognitive therapy and gradual exposure therapy.

 

[Maarten]

Are you sure? So CBT will work for me even though I have AS? That would be great news for me!

EDIT: I know AS and SA are 2 different things but people with AS often suffer from social fears aswell.

 

[Maarten]

*Bump

 

[Shonen_Yo]

I know It's easy for someone with AS to fall on the outs of society. So, it's no surprise that a lot of us get SA, but I think it's safe to approach those issues separately .

 

[Maarten]

What I understand about it (and I could be wrong) is that people with SA have negative thoughts that are based on nothing and cause anxiety for them. So if you get rid of these thoughts you pretty much stop the anxiety. Then only some gradual exposure is needed to build up some confidence.

This approach does not work for the social anxiety that people with AS experience because their anxiety IS based on something: their lack of certain elementary social skills. So in the case of AS the anxiety serves a "useful" function preventing the person from humiliating himself in front of others.
(Fear of course serves to protect the individual from harm. In this case it protects his self esteem or his position in the group)

The anxiety was probably triggered in the past by the person humiliating himself in front of others. The person with AS could use CBT to get rid of the anxiety but this would only cause the person to humiliate himself again, triggering the anxiety again and he would be back to where he was before he started CBT. So the CBT does not address the root cause of the anxiety.

 

[Shonen_Yo]

Yeah, that would make sense. I suppose it depends on what kind of CBT though. You could learn how to react to these situations appropriately, which I hear is a big component of it.

 

[Rojomojo]

My brother has AS and its been tough for him. He's always been a little different, but once he he hit teen aged years it got really bad. He dropped out of school and all he did was sleep. When he was awake he had no real control over his emotions. However, he's on meds now, and after some time he's leveled out. He goes to work, school and is out in the world alot more now.

During his 'dark period' he had rally bad anxiety, but the medication helped him. At first he hated it, saying it made him feel like a different person, but now he no longer resents it.

The hardest thing was people thinking he was mentally handicap because of the way he acted in social situations, yet he's one of the smartest people i know.

The piece of advice he gave was never let it be an excuse.

 

[Maarten]

Thx for your reply Rojomojo. It's good to hear that medication has worked for your brother. I think I will try medications myself as well. Do you happen to know what kind of meds your brother uses?

 

[Maarten]

* Bump :wink:

 

[frizboy]

What are your symptoms? I just took a class on psychotropic drugs, let me see what I remember. Risperidone (trade name Risperdal) is commonly prescribed for autism spectrum disorder, and I would assume that includes AS. My bro actually has AS, and he's been taking all kinds of different medicines over the years, and that includes Risperdal. Other options include the neuroprotective drugs, like Gabapentin (Neurontin). My bro hasn't responded to many of these drugs, and they all have side effects. Risperdal, for instance, is associated with weight gain, which can be a major disadvantage. Definitely consult a doctor or other professional for their recommendation.

For social anxiety, cognitive-behavioral therapy is a popular treatment course. SSRIs are now the first-line pill to take, and these include paroxetine (Paxil) and fluoxetine (Prozac). If you're a male, you should think carefully before taking any of the older SSRIs, like the two I mentioned. As many as 80% of males experience sexual dysfunction on them. I think the new drug duloxetine (Cymbalta) is supposed to not have those side effects. Again, consult a doctor. You will probably want to take at least two drugs, one for the AS and one for the SA, so make sure there are no interactions.

Hope that helps!

 

[Maarten]

I just need medication for the SA not AS my symptoms are a pounding heart and an anxious feeling in the stomach and chest area.

I just read in The Complete guide to Asperger's Syndrome that CBT will work for my Anxiety and that it should indeed be accompanied with social skills training as I suspected.

 

[SpaceCase]

I've got Asperger's. You're NOT alone.

www.wrongplanet.net is a GREAT forum for AS people.


-SpaceCase