When You Hate Your Diagnosis: Autism, Aspergers and Depression

October 21, 2014 by m kelter

The question I receive the most: “A family member who is on the autism spectrum is also experiencing severe depression. What can I do to help them?”

I offered some initial thoughts in a recent post, but this time around I wanted to focus on a very specific facet of this issue. (Click here for a post that collects and summarizes every article in the Aspergers and depression series.)

One of the recurring themes in these questions is not just depression; it’s that the person is having a hard time accepting the diagnosis. The individual is described as hating their spectrum traits to such an extent that they refuse to accept the diagnosis or even discuss it. Those writing in about this frequently report that they have tried to offer positive, practical descriptions of the spectrum, yet find that this approach is only making things worse.

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Autism and Depression: managing self-hatred (Aspergers, ASD)

September 22, 2014 by m kelter

(This is part 6 in an ongoing series devoted to the topic of autism and depression; click here for a post that collects and summarizes every article in the series.)

As a kid on the autism spectrum, I received a lot of pressure to blend in and hide differences. As an adult on the autism spectrum, I now know what the consequences are for that kind of pressure.

When you are young and traits that are part of who you are receive negative reactions from people- especially from parents and teachers- it can very quickly erode your sense of confidence and well-being. This, in turn, creates a perfect storm for self-loathing and depression.

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Q and A Tuesday: childhood depression + adult autism spectrum diagnoses

April 16, 2014 by m kelter

Two very different questions from readers this time. One about a situation involving childhood depression. The other about determining when adults should seek an ASD diagnosis. Thanks to everyone for their questions, it gives all of us a way to discuss and think about these challenging issues; it is much appreciated.

The questions:

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Autism Spectrum Disorder and Depression, Part 4 (Aspergers, ASD)

February 27, 2014 by m kelter

The Sensory Connection

The goal of this ongoing series is to examine the interplay between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and depression. As mentioned in Part 2, it can be difficult to untangle one from the other since depression can hide behind autistic traits. But there’s another factor involved with ASD that can also allow depression to persist unchecked: sensory issues.

To cover the role of sensory issues in this dynamic, I’ll make 3 points.

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