Aspergers and Mental Health

From speaking in discussion groups and forums with other Aspies, two things have become clear:

1. 1.   There seems to be a high prevalence of Mental Health (MH) disorders amongst Aspies.
2. 2.   People ignore MH issues in Aspie's, as though it is impossible to have both.

First thing to note is, Asperger Syndrome (AS) is a neurobiological disorder. It is NOT a mental health disorder. Some say it is a faulty wiring of the brain, although I prefer to think of it as being different wiring; it's not faulty, it's alternative!!

This alternative wiring is the source of much debate. Can somebody with a difference in their brain possibly suffer an illness of the ‘normal’ brain?

The equivalent to this question is ‘How can both a white person and a black person have eczema?’… ie It is a LUDICROUS question. The make-up of skin is the same no matter the colour, it just contains more or less melanin. Similarly, all human brains are the same; just some have differences in make-up.

Recent research shows that there is a visible difference in the brain of someone suffering from certain mental issues, such as depression. In certain types of depression the hypothalamus in the brain is undersized. The research suggests that this is self-fuelling. The brain produces less ‘happy hormone’ (both dopamine and serotonin count here) which causes the part of the brain which produces them (the hypothalamus) to shrink, thus reducing the person’s ability to create these happy chemicals.

How could this link to an Autism Spectrum Disorder?

AS causes a wide range of issues, from social difficulties to sensory processing difficulties. It does not itself cause a dopamine or seratonin deficiency. 

However, the difficulties brought about by, for example, social isolation can act as catalysts for MH difficulties. 

Imagine, you're out with people you consider friends, they are all having fun, having many conversations over each other, and laughing at private jokes.

As an Aspie, you're wanting to have fun too, but you're overwhelmed by the new member of the group; Who are they? Why do we know them? Am I allowed to speak to them? Do they like me? 

You cannot keep up with the conversations that are happening... In fact, there's that much noise that you cannot tell one from the other, so you're smiling at people completely unaware of what they are saying... Is a smile appropriate? What if they're explaining how a family member died?? Have they been cheated on by their partner? Are they mocking me and I'm joining in the laughter?  You don't understand what they're laughing about; Why is that funny?? They keep saying spoon?? What's so funny about a piece of cutlery?

In short, instead of having a relaxing time socialising, you spend your time stressing out. You feel like you're there but in a bubble. You can see everything going on, they can see you, but you have a barrier, you can't quite engage with the group. The longer this continues the more it compounds itself. This over time can develop into a stress related illness, and furthermore the lack of stimulation of serotonin and dopamine can cause clinical depression... So tell me again how Aspie's cannot get a mental health problem???

There are other mental illnesses that this social stress can cause… for example, Anxiety… Wouldn’t you be anxious if you didn’t understand any of the social cues around you??

In short, whilst AS can make you more susceptible to mental illness, it does not cause it, and it is not to be written off as ‘inevitable’. It is as treatable as in a neurotypical person. Please remember this.