Link: https://old.reddit.com/r/autism/comments/1vq9ogi/autism_substance_abuse/

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/autism by /u/feistyredhead444 on 2026-08-16 21:48:53+00:00.

(mentioning of substances and addiction ⚠️)

Hello! 👋🏻

This is my first post, coming from an autistic woman. If this is a subject you’re not allowed to touch, I apologize and I’ll remove it. I was wondering if anyone else with autism has experiences with substance abuse, such as alcohol issues, substances or even other self-destructive issues. What caused you to start and, if you managed to stop what was your motive?

To keep it short, I had major alcohol issues for about 2,5 years and as I reflect on it today, I’ve realized that my autism and mental health issues made me very vulnerable to addiction. The first sip of alcohol was like a total relief for me. I dare to say it acted as a total blocker for my autistic traits and my personality in general. You become like a floating object without having to think so much, and social interactions suddenly don’t stress you out. In situations where I’d normally become overstimulated and anxious I could just casually float by it feeling chilled out.

As you may have suspected and realized already, alcohol became a sinking ship for me and a very dangerous pathway to take if you feel that kind of relief. As a last act of harm reduction I just really want to mention how easy it is to take a really terrible pathway in life if you don’t see the warning signs early on and stop, not just to cut it out, but manage to get sober as early as possible. I also want to point out the importance of finding peace within yourself and to treat eventual mental health issues if you are capable to. Even more important is to get help to understand your diagnosis and how you work before you EVER decide to touch a substance. I learned that the hard way unfortunately and that’s why I’m trying to help people out, if I can proceed to. //Feisty ❤️‍🩹