Substance misuse

[Aspergers_Aspie]

A step into the unknown for me potentially coming up, as I have never talked to an organisation before about drinking. I am going to try going myself alone first then seeing if a follow up may be good maybe with a support worker. I know I will be so nervous. A step into the unknown generally I think can be nerve wracking.

Except I have talked to support workers from the autism charity' I am registered with.

 

[Aspergers_Aspie]

I believe if in my life I never drank too much, I would be disappointed, stressed and saddened by some people who don't a cept those for how they speak or behave, we are all people regardless of autism or any condition
Even a non condition thing, how we look is unimportant.

 

[Aspergers_Aspie]

I think one reason I drink is having to change how I am not being able to be my true self.

 

[Aspergers_Aspie]

At first I didn't tell my GP but now I have and he has asked an orginisation to get in touch with the autism charity, so someone can accompany me for support and in case I get tongue tied. Its regrets and people not always making the most of life and being good, sometimes choosing to be wicked and stupid that I drink too.
Also I think talking about drinking, I think pubs and cafes for that matter, should allow autistic people to use the toilets without buying anything

 

[Outdated]

Different neural structures and different life experiences make all these sorts of drugs behave a little differently with us that they do with most other people. I was a big drinker when I was young. Culturally there's not a lot of difference between Aus and the UK. I was the typical young cashed up tradesman that spent most nights of the week in the pub after work, a few beers and a decent meal and some socialising.

For me beer was a social lubricant, without it I was too shy and quiet to have much of a social life but tip a few beers in and you couldn't shut me up. The trick was control your drinks to maintain the right balance between amusing and obnoxious. I was like this from age 16 until I burnt out in my early 40s.

For some strange reason I never formed an addiction to alcohol, by all rights I should have. When I burnt out I did it big time and ran away in to the rainforests to escape from society, and when I was away from people I no longer needed alcohol. It does still help me to socialise except these days I'm too old to drink very much and I don't go out much. At home I rarely drink.

I think something that might have had a big impact on me was an extremely traumatic period of life for me in my mid 20s, and it was during this that I discovered that alcohol is really not a very good friend when you're feeling down. In fact exactly the opposite, it amplifies your feelings of misery. At this time I set a new life rule for myself - to save the recreational drugs for times when I'm in a mood to be recreational.

 

[Rodafina]

At first I didn't tell my GP but now I have and he has asked an orginisation to get in touch with the autism charity, so someone can accompany me for support and in case I get tongue tied. Its regrets and people not always making the most of life and being good, sometimes choosing to be wicked and stupid that I drink too.
Also I think talking about drinking, I think pubs and cafes for that matter, should allow autistic people to use the toilets without buying anything

It’s good to start to understand some of the parts of your life that could be problematic and lead toward more drinking. Ultimately, if we do not understand the thoughts and feelings that we have that contribute to sustained problems with alcohol, it’s very difficult to stop for very long.

I’m seeing this thread for the first time. Have you made any progress recently in getting some help and taking the next step toward quitting drinking? I see you mentioned it to your GP, which I think is a great idea. Are there any other sort of support in your life that you have?

I think talking about drinking with people who drink can be troublesome (for someone like myself who is in recovery). But, talking about drinking with other people in recovery or non-drinkers has the opposite effect on me. It has been very helpful.

I’ve been struggling with drugs and alcohol for years. I know it can be hard, but I hope you continue to persevere with this goal. I hope you find what you need to leave the drink behind, because it is quite a devilish thing for some of us.

 

[tazz]

I think talking about drinking, I think pubs and cafes for that matter, should allow autistic people to use the toilets without buying anything

Some are more accommodating if you specifically ask for the accessible toilet (disabled toilet or whatever it's called).

Edit: I also just recalled, in the UK there is this RADAR Key scheme. A lot of accessible toilets are locked and you need a special key to open them. You can buy them online for a few quid. There's no need to actually be "disabled". When I was living on the road, I bought one. It was very useful.

https://news.motability.co.uk/every...ey-where-can-i-use-them-and-how-do-i-get-one/

 

[Aspergers_Aspie]

Some are more accommodating if you specifically ask for the accessible toilet (disabled toilet or whatever it's called).

Edit: I also just recalled, in the UK there is this RADAR Key scheme. A lot of accessible toilets are locked and you need a special key to open them. You can buy them online for a few quid. There's no need to actually be "disabled". When I was living on the road, I bought one. It was very useful.

https://news.motability.co.uk/every...ey-where-can-i-use-them-and-how-do-i-get-one/

Thanks but I would hope disabled people do use them only as if their busy and a disabled person needs to use one

 

[Au Naturel]

At first I didn't tell my GP but now I have and he has asked an orginisation to get in touch with the autism charity, so someone can accompany me for support and in case I get tongue tied. Its regrets and people not always making the most of life and being good, sometimes choosing to be wicked and stupid that I drink too.
Also I think talking about drinking, I think pubs and cafes for that matter, should allow autistic people to use the toilets without buying anything

That's pretty much the rule in the States. Most gas stations, restaurants, and grocery stores have public restrooms. There's a law in California about (most) gas stations having a restroom available. (Sometimes they violate the law. ) Maybe you have to request the key or get a combination, but they are still open to anyone. Or they refer you to a nearby business with an open restroom.

Some places have a real problem with people sleeping in them or doing drugs or vandalizing them.

 

[Outdated]

Some places have a real problem with people sleeping in them or doing drugs or vandalizing them.

We've got some great public toilets here now but only in the CBD. They're all fully automated and self cleaning. They're also on a timer, stay still too long and it it will warn you first, then open the doors. Regardless of wether you stay still or not, remaining in there more then 15 mins will trigger it's self cleaning cycle and you'll get hit by high pressure water jets. No one sleeps in them and they're usually very clean.

 

[Aspergers_Aspie]

I have told my GP at first I was reluctant. I was concerned about my emotional/mental wellbeing in general and went to a hospital where I accepted the offer of speaking to the mental well being team. I find fake coughing and sniffing when I am around amongst others reasons why I am stressed at times (I am providing 3 links to these topics)

https://www.reddit.com/r/TooAfraidToAsk/comments/8ddjms

https://www.reddit.com/r/TooAfraidToAsk/comments/8ddjms

https://www.reddit.com/r/socialskills/comments/80rni2

 

[Au Naturel]

I have told my GP at first I was reluctant. I was concerned about my emotional/mental wellbeing in general and went to a hospital where I accepted the offer of speaking to the mental well being team. I find fake coughing and sniffing when I am around amongst others reasons why I am stressed at times (I am providing 3 links to these topics)

https://www.reddit.com/r/TooAfraidToAsk/comments/8ddjms

https://www.reddit.com/r/TooAfraidToAsk/comments/8ddjms

https://www.reddit.com/r/socialskills/comments/80rni2

How do you know it is fake? Could this be a spotlight effect, and you are assuming you are the focus when you aren't?

Is there something about your presentation that would make you particularly cough-worthy?

 

[Aspergers_Aspie]

Why do in the UK, they put scary photos of lungs and hearts on cifgarette packs but they don't put scary photos of livers on alcohol bottles?

 

[Rodafina]

Why do in the UK, they put scary photos of lungs and hearts on cifgarette packs but they don't put scary photos of livers on alcohol bottles?

That’s a good idea. It probably would not have stopped me back in the day, though. But still, it might help some people.

 

[Au Naturel]

Why do in the UK, they put scary photos of lungs and hearts on cifgarette packs but they don't put scary photos of livers on alcohol bottles?

Classic example of not understanding the motivations of a user of a product. People who are not inclined to smoke think that by projecting their fears onto a product label, the people who are inclined to smoke will become afraid. It is nonsense, of course, but it makes the antismoking crowd feel better.

Everyone has known since the 60s that smoking ruins your lungs and causes cancer, emphysema, and heart attacks. Everyone. People who started smoking after that either didn't care or believed they could get away with it. Putting pictures of rotting lungs on cigarette packages made smoking cool.

 

[Aspergers_Aspie]

The woman who has been effectively my girlfriend inspired me to tell my GP about my alcohol issues, before that I was only happy telling alcohol helplines and autism drop in centre support workers.
I found this webpage that could be useful for other autistics with alcohol issue Webpage Link.

 

[Aspergers_Aspie]

The woman is only seeing herself as my friend at the moment but I hope more than anything she goes back to seeing me as her partner. I love her and only have feelings for her and only want to be in a relationship with her

 

[Rodafina]

The woman is only seeing herself as my friend at the moment but I hope more than anything she goes back to seeing me as her partner. I love her and only have feelings for her and only want to be in a relationship with her

Have you made any progress in dealing with your alcohol issues since you last posted on this in June?

 

[Aspergers_Aspie]

As well as the autism charity saying I have had too many one to ones and my mental health nurse not wanting to see me until 'something comes up' something always is there and I have always benefitted from meeting the nurse! I am regularly low and regularly phone helplines, I have been to hospital and spoken with mental health teams on occasions. I took more of my medications than I was supposed to. I don't see the organisation worker about alcohol that often, I feel let down by the autism charity and NHS. At least I got to say to the alcohol issues organisation worker that one reason why I drink is when some people deliberately try to be rude and if people don't try and make the most of life that can be stressful

 

[Boogs]

Can't say much helpful other than regards the alcohol side...

First, it's very much a drug, like tobacco, caffeine, heroin, cannabis, etc etc etc.
It effects different people very differently. It can take only a year or two to become addicted, some people may take 10 years or more to become so. Some can stop without too much physical issue, some can die from the withdrawals in extreme cases. Habituation as opposed to addiction can still be very harmful. There is likely no totally safe amount, and even controlling units consumed may still be an issue (some binge drink once a week, binge drinking very harmful).

Alcohol though is different from a great many psychoactive drugs, cannabinoids, stimulants, opiates and opioid's, and many more operate on the body's cell receptors like a key in a lock to activate an existing process.
Alcohol, to be brutally honest, would be classed far closer (if not the same) as solvent abuse. It effects just about every part of the body in a negative fashion, and operates on the mind by preventing the brain from operating correctly in almost all it's functions.

The only reason alcohol isn't far more vilified like tobacco is the huge wealth generated from sales and consumption, and the powerful lobbying groups that funds.

My only advice I could give from my own substance misuse experiences is to try to analyse why you had a drink when you feel you needed one and couldn't control it (as opposed to having a pint with a mate in the pub - a controlled, minor consumption for positive reasons) after the fact. Understanding the reasons why your mind keeps following the repeated patterns can make self awareness of what you're actually doing and why far more focussed, and gives you something tangible to work on.
But proper support will give you far better guidance than I can, my little offer there is just a part of the game, not a complete solution. Good luck and don't be scared to fail or acknowledge percieved failure. Failure can be the most powerful of teaching experiences. Few if any get it right first time.