Hi Everyone,

Just read the thread started by Patcher a little while ago (Patcher, I hope the support from the boards is starting to make life a little easier for you. I really identify with how you feel and didn't want to 'jump' on your thread with this post). It just struck me how many of us are experiencing depression and other anxiety related disorders (I myself have Bi-Polar). I did read an article recently about links between psychiatric disorders and ASD - they were basically saying that they think genetic pre-dispositions to both conditions run in families and that the females tend to get the psychiatric stuff, the males tend to get ASD).

Any thoughts on this? How many others are there coping with their own psychiatric difficulties as well as their kids' learning difficulties? Is there history of either conditions in the family or have some parents found coping with the disorder has made them depressed? Do you find coping with the autism tough or dealing with the system (for my part my son's a breeze, it's the doctors and the teachers that drive me crazy).

I just find this really interesting - all the mums I meet with kids with difficulties also suffer from depression, often triggered by the pregnancy or the birth. Any views would be really welcome!

Janine x

I'm not a mother (except to cats) and don't feel I'm depressed, but I do have anxiety. Sometimes, when I get nervous I start have gagging attacks.

My heart goes out to everyone going through the problems associated with autism and Asperger's, and accompanying anxiety and depression. My problems are relatively small, but that doesn't mean I don't understand.

I suffered for anxiety attacks for years (starting after the birth of my second daughter). After the birth of my fourth child, my anxiety got so much worse, I got postpartum depression, and required medication (which I still continue to take). I have four children, three with PDD-NOS.

-Steph

Hi Janine,

I can relate to all the parents of ASD kids who experience anxiety and/or depression. I have suffered from depression on and off since I can remember. When my son was diagnosed I also started experiencing really bad anxiety. Medication doesn't work for me. I am going to start seeing a cognitive-behavioral therapist soon. Exercise helps me a lot when I can get myself motivated to go to the gym. I have a lot family members who suffer from depression and anxiety. My son is doing great though- he is proof that early inervention does work.

Kathy

Hiya everyone,

Thanks for replying. Sorry to hear that things are difficult for you. 9catmum do you think your anxiety relates to the ASD? Did one come before the other (if you don't mind me asking?). Steph and Kathy, I wondered if you had been told that there was a link between depression and autism if it would have affected choices you made regarding your kids? The reason I'm being so nosy is because I'm talking with a friend at the minute about starting a campaign in the UK. We speak to loads of parents whose stories bear lots of similarites, and what we'd like to see is more information for parents even before they become parents. I've been prone to depression for a long time. If I'd known that might make my child more susceptible to ASD, then I would have done more research into things like vaccinations, medication, heavy metal build up, etc, and probably would have made different choices about some of the things that have happened over the last few years. I just wondered if you would have done anything differently and, if there is a link, if you'd have liked to have known about it sooner rather than later? I feel a little like I've been cheated - like someone could have warned me and things might have been different. I also wonder if children with 'depressive' parents should be screened more rigourously - here in the UK it can take years to get a diagnosis and I have had to fight continuously even to get him assessed.

Would love to know your views.

I did not have the depression until after the birth of my fourth child, but had the anxiety after number two. I don't think enough is really known about the cause of autism yet to determine what exactly puts families at greater risk. I was always amazed at the number of autistic children who had mothers or grandmothers with other Neurological diseases like Multiple Sclerosis. I know that is something that we have talked about in a post in the past, but it still amazes me how common it is. I do think if I had known my children had an increased chance of being on the autism spectrum, that I would not have had four kids, or that I would have made different decisions from the beginning.

Because my two oldest daughters are both high functioning, they were not diagnosed until after the birth of my fourth child. My fourth child, my son, is diagnosed with PDD-NOS, but they felt that he was really on the lower end of the spectrum. They chose to diagnose him with PDD-NOS rather than Autism because of his age at the time. Plus, we wanted to give him some time to prove us wrong. He has made lots of progress and is now saying a couple words. Tonight he even said "cookie." I was so excited, because his sisters were eating cookies, so it was very appropriately used. Anyway, good luck to you.

-Steph

I think my anxiety may be related to Asperger's. I have struggled with it much of my life. It is only bad at certain times. Otherwise, I consider my life quite good.

Hiya Steph,

Thanks for your reply. I understand what you mean about more knowledge affecting your choices. I don't think anything would put me off having any more children at this stage, but I would certainly do things very differently with a second child. Plus the fact that I just have the one son and he is high functioning makes a big difference. I have a friend with a son whose problems are immense, and she says there's just no way she could cope with a baby as he's so much more work than a child (or children) would normally be.

I hope there is more research done on this subject - it would really make such a big difference.

Catmom, I just wondered if anything helps with your anxiety? Do you find any of your symptoms increase when you're anxious? I just ask because my son gets more 'autistic' when he's stressed out - you can't move around the house without tripping over rows of anything he can get his hands on and his eye contact goes right out of the window.

Thanks

Picali,

Yes, there are times when my symptoms are more pronounced. I would consider my problems more physical in nature, such as increased gagging and increased susceptibility to headaches.

Hi everyone,

I belong to a mom's support group for asd kids and the majority of moms don't have a history of anxiety or depression. I have found that a lot of asd kids have fathers in the engineering field. (my husband is a software and mechanical engineer.) I also have a history of allergies. If I had known then what I do now I would have done things differently. I had 5 ultrasounds with my son -I would not have done this because I have read there is a link between ultrasounds and autism. I also took benadryl and sudafed several times during my pregnancy beacuase my allergies were so bad-I feel guilty about that now. I also had several stressful events during my pregnancy. My labor was induced with pitocin and I was given two antibiotics during labor because I was beta strep positive. My son got his first immunzations at 2 months-but according to his MD they did not contain thimerisol. He also got his first ear infection at 5 months and was given antibiotics. I probably will never know what caused my son to be on the spectrum. I have a 5 year old daughter who is neurotypical. I am not planning on having more kids but if I do I will definitley do some things differently.

Kathy