this post was submitted on 09 Jul 2026
222 points (95.9% liked)

Autism

10098 readers
454 users here now

A community for respectful discussion and memes related to autism acceptance. All neurotypes are welcome.

Community:

Values

  • Acceptance
  • Openness
  • Understanding
  • Equality
  • Reciprocity
  • Mutuality
  • Love

Rules

  1. No abusive, derogatory, or offensive post/comments e.g: racism, sexism, religious hatred, homophobia, gatekeeping, trolling.
  2. Posts do not need be related to autism, off-topic discussions are allowed. This is a safe space where people with autism can feel comfortable discussing whatever they feel like discussing, as long as it does not violate the standing rules.
  3. Your posts must include a text body. It doesn't have to be long, it just needs to be descriptive.
  4. Do not request donations.
  5. Be respectful in discussions.
  6. Do not post misinformation.
  7. Mark NSFW content accordingly.
  8. Do not promote Autism Speaks.
  9. General Lemmy World rules.
  10. No bots. Humans only.

Encouraged

  1. Open acceptance of all autism levels as a respectable neurotype.
  2. Funny memes.
  3. Respectful venting.
  4. Describe posts of pictures/memes using text in the body for our visually impaired users.
  5. Welcoming and accepting attitudes.
  6. Questions regarding autism.
  7. Questions on confusing situations.
  8. Seeking and sharing support.
  9. Engagement in our community's values.
  10. Expressing a difference of opinion without directly insulting another user.
  11. Please report questionable posts and let the mods deal with it.

.

Helpful Resources

founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
 
top 27 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] CADmonkey@lemmy.world 3 points 2 hours ago

My problem with medication is that I was given meds for ADHD way back when it was called ADD. One medication did nothing at all. Another medication did nothing to help the symptoms, but when I took it I became a 13 year old psychopath. I was mean and hurtful and angry toward everyone, and nobody around me deserved it.

Now I'm 45. My brain doesn't work "right" but I've sort of figured out how to make it do what I want. Id have to spend a crazy amount of money to maybe get medication that might work if I can get it, and there's just too much "If" involved for me to really pursue it.

[–] Sabata11792@ani.social 14 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

That THC is helping with a whole fuck ton of problems and got me off the daily liquor.

[–] CADmonkey@lemmy.world 4 points 2 hours ago

Thc gave me the ability to choose what I want to focus on, and it feels like a superpower.

[–] HeyJoe@lemmy.world 5 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

My friend gave me Vyvance one night to stay up and it changed my world. Things clicked and just made sense for the first time and it was wild. This was years ago, I still haven't asked my doctor about it.

[–] 0x0@infosec.pub 4 points 3 hours ago

Do it, it is worth it. The earlier the better, dont procrastinate it for years more.

[–] Jean_le_Flambeur@discuss.tchncs.de 7 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago)

Klicks "report for:"

"I am in this picture and i dont like it"

[–] Browse8474@lemmy.world 4 points 7 hours ago

I am medicated for Anxiety/Depression but they wasn't prescribed for ASD because Medication can't fix what isn't broken.

[–] Goldholz@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 7 hours ago

It does help me

[–] pedz@lemmy.ca 9 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago)

I tried Concerta and it helped. I would have continued but getting it was a hassle. It was super controlled and I couldn't live with the restrictions.

It was impossible to refill a bottle before the exact same day it was supposed to be empty. Not one before. And I couldn't get it at any pharmacy from my pharmacy's network. I was only supposed to get it at my local pharmacy.

So going anywhere required counting how many pills I had, and plans to get back home before I run out. Going on vacation needed my doctor's approval to get more pills than usual.

I really didn't like how they treated me so I stopped taking it and went back to self medication.

[–] 18107@aussie.zone 30 points 12 hours ago (3 children)

It took a long time and some trial and error, but I have finally found medication that helps (Ritalin - long acting).

I don't feel like a different person, and I don't feel like I don't have ADHD. I just feel a little more in control.

ExamplesInstead of working on a side project for 12 hours straight and forgetting to eat or work on the important tasks, I'm working on a side project for 12 hours with food and drink breaks, while being aware that the important tasks aren't being done.

Instead of getting irrationally angry when interrupted and going straight back to what I'm working on, I get angry for a few seconds, take some breaths to calm down, then listen to the person who interupted me before going back to what I was working on.

Instead of wandering aimlessly around the house unable to focus on anything, I wander for a while, then decide to have a nap because I'm now aware of the exhaustion.

It really isn't a miracle drug, but my life is so much better now. Most of the time I don't even notice the effects, but I really notice the lack of effect when I forget to take them for a week.

[–] cynar@lemmy.world 2 points 2 hours ago

I regularly have days where I think "did I take my drugs?" I can often tell by looking back at my day, and realising how much I got done, without running out of mental energy. My partner can also tell quite reliably if I've forgotten.

I'm still me, just a bit less scatter brained, a bit more productive, and better able to focus. I lose some creativity, but that's a fair trade for actually being able to apply my creativity.

[–] SharkWeek@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Ritalin is basically amphetamines.

I had it for a while, and then switched back to uncut speed. After I cleaned up, I found that exercising a lot had the same effect for me, and that got me through withdrawals :-)

[–] cynar@lemmy.world 2 points 2 hours ago

It's focused on minimising side effects, unlike speed, which is focused on the high.

When it works, it's amazing. You also don't develop significant tolerances (aka physical addiction) to it, if you have ADHD. It ends up working with your homeostatic systems, rather than against them.

Apparently it is a running job with many specialists. People with ADHD regularly forget to take the "highly addictive" drug.

[–] Windex007@lemmy.world 11 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Yeah. I don't feel mentally exhausted anymore.

Fighting with myself to do stupid pointless boring stuff that I hated was just so exhausting.

I still have to do stupid pointless boring stuff that I hate... but I don't ALSO have to fight myself to do it. Turns out that was like 60% of the expenditure.

So now I don't feel just drained by the end of the day. I come home with way more gas in the tank for the people I actually love.

Dang, that sounds incredible.

Maybe I should talk to my doc about this...

[–] Endymion_Mallorn@kbin.melroy.org 14 points 12 hours ago

Self-medication is a normal response to mental hassles.

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 4 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago)

Maybe. Too bad I have no way to pay for it even if I had insurance to see a doctor and get a prescription.

[–] daggermoon@piefed.world 1 points 7 hours ago

I think things are a little better but not significantly so.

[–] JoMiran@lemmy.ml 8 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Yes, but not THC. THC and my ADHD are mortal enemies. Uppers though...

[–] wheezy@lemmy.ml 4 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Yeah. I wish weed worked for me. I just turn into a ball of anxiety.

[–] Zarobi@aussie.zone 1 points 4 hours ago

I have this weird thing after weed where I slow down. Like my perception of the world and time slows down to the point where walking is painful because my steps are too slow. Try walking where each step takes a full 6 seconds, it's actually hard work. Nobody can understand me either because I'm talking too slowly. The dangerous part is gravity stays normal so I can't stop myself falling over like a statue if I fuck up 😂. I haven't found anyone else yet where this weirdness happens to them. No anxiety though, so that's a plus

[–] manuremy@sopuli.xyz 2 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago)

No, I don't think so. SSRI/SNRI meds have caused me to have psychotic episodes, very unpleasant and those don't get taken seriously at all, they just offer me the next on the list. Horrifying. Like they don't listen at all.

Methylphenidates are kinda okay.. The first year I was on wrong dose, 54 mg. It was too high, but my nurse told me that "once you have kids or go back to school you're gonna need this much." After the year, I had to get a new prescription for 36 mg, and it was okay. Then I got burn-out and it worsened my anxiety so I quit it and once I tried to start using it again, it flared up my GERD. Like bad, bad flare up, like ending down to the floor from the pains and all. That didn't get taken seriously either, so I'm not on anything right now. Also I could only get a prescription for one month at time so it's a lot of work to be constantly contacting the health center and lots of waiting, and money.

Propral was great, but my current nurse tells me it's nothing and not a real medicine when I told her that it has been a great help for me. That made me pissed off enough to quit it too.

CBD is nice, but sadly it's legal and illegal in my country so ehh, not worth it for me. L-Theanine is pretty good, helps me sleep and also calms me down during the day. I don't take it every day tho, only when I feel too anxious.

[–] BucketBong@p.hobo.social 6 points 12 hours ago

Well, I feel personally attacked...

[–] webghost0101@sopuli.xyz 4 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

A well made, high quality, HHC and CBD tincture, 2 drops a day is an actual miracle drug for me.

It doesn’t change who i am or how i function.

It just makes me capable to bridge my functioning to be compatible with how the rest of the worlds functions.

But because you can’t actually get custom cannabinoid medicine in any legal circuit anywhere (I believe) its availability was always going to be temporary… how i miss those days of simply being better.

[–] Unpigged@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 8 hours ago

s/self-//

medicated I can control my cravings much better.

[–] erinmeow@piefed.blahaj.zone 2 points 10 hours ago

ughughughugh meme about me

[–] Shellofbiomatter@lemmus.org 3 points 12 hours ago

Maybe, for most things i will try some form of pills solution as well as a part of trying to fix it before accepting it.

For ADHD, i have tried one med, but it had no effect on ADHD. It only raised heart rate in max+ dosages and it was rather expensive.
I tried concerta, long release one. For others i would have had to get special premission every time and obviously the cost as well.
ADHD and paperwork doesn't really go together well, so i determined that the cost of having ADHD isn't worth the effort and cost of meds.

Maybe in the future I'll try again when government adds some more ADHD meds into the list of supported meds and therapy gets cheaper or more accessible.