Autism and mental health

What is autism?

Being autistic does not mean that you have a disease or illness. It means that your brain functions in a different way from other people.

It’s either something you’re born with or something that first appears when you’re young.

Autism is a not a medical condition that can be treated or cured. However, some people require help with particular tasks.

Autism and mental health

Autistic people, like everybody else, can have good mental health however , according to autism research charity, Autistica, seven out of ten autistic people have a mental health issue such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

There is little research into why this is, but it may be because autistic people experience:

• Difficulty in understanding other people’s feelings, as well as communicating their own
• Being too over or under-sensitive to things like loud noises and bright lights, as well as finding crowded, noisy spaces challenging
• Having a tendency for familiar routines and finding unexpected changes to such routines difficult or stressful
• Having an intense interest in things
• Body language, sarcasm, and facial emotions are difficult to read.

All of these traits can be experienced to different degrees. Experiencing one or more of these traits doesn’t necessarily mean you are autistic. But if these kinds of things are consistently present and are impacting upon your life, you may consider talking to your GP to discuss how you can seek a formal diagnosis.

Looking after your mental health

If you are on the autistic spectrum, just the same as any young person, it is vital that you get professional help when you need it. But it’s equally important to look after yourself. We recommend regular exercise, eating well, getting enough sleep and talking things through with people you know and trust.

You might find unexpected changes very stressful, so trying to keep daily routines as predictable as possible and this will help you to reduce anxiety.