[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Living with Autism

Living with autism can be a struggle, whether you have this disability yourself or are caring for a child, sibling or parent with it. Whether it is family problems or issues like healthy living, autism can have a significant impact on your day to day life. But you shouldn’t let it consume your happiness or cause mental health problems like anxiety or depression. There are many ways to manage living with autism and make life that little bit easier for everyone involved. Read on for my top tips on how to live with autism as well as an overview of some of the common problems people can face.

Family Issues

Living with autism not only affects you but the whole family as well. Parents, siblings and even friends have to alter their lives slightly to meet the complex needs of a person with autism. While these people will want to do whatever they can to make their family members with autism happy and comfortable, it can often cause them to stress mentally, financially and even physically. If you have autism and can see how sometimes you affect your family like this, it can cause you to view yourself as unwanted or a burden when this is entirely not the case.

Anxiety

Unfortunately, anxiety and depression can affect people with autism, even when in some cases, they already struggle to comprehend and control their emotions. It can affect children or adults with autism and is often caused by the inability to make sense of the things going on around them. This could be due to many things, such as a change in the daily routine at school or at home. Noisy or brightly coloured environments can also cause anxiety or panic attacks so always try to find somewhere quiet for them if this happens.

Healthy Living

Someone with autism still needs the same basic levels of self-care as everyone else. A healthy, balanced diet, exercise, enough sleep and plenty of water is a necessity for anyone. Access to health care is also essential, but sometimes people with autism can find themselves unable to seek help because they can’t accurately describe the medical problem they have - whether that is psychological or physical. It is crucial you find out the problem using correct communication to help enhance your understanding of any pain a person with autism is going through.

Don’t be Afraid to Ask for Help

It isn’t easy for everyone to live with autism, whether you are the patient yourself or a family member supporting them. It can be challenging to understand the complex emotions, thoughts and actions that come with autism and mental health issues that can develop, such as anxiety and depression. A top tip to remember is that if you are ever struggling with something, you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help. Whether it is sensory overload or a task that you cannot complete alone, set yourself a time limit to try to sort it out yourself before you politely ask for help from others. There’s no need to fear being ridiculed or embarrassed as people are understanding and won’t mind taking a couple of minutes out of their time to assist you.

Try to Understand and Control Your Depression and Anxiety

There are various ways you can control your depression and anxiety to reduce the symptoms, which will make living with autism much easier. Medication can be used which can take the edge off some of the worst feelings and symptoms brought on by these mental health issues. You might have to test out a few different ones with your doctor, but they can help significantly. You can also try relaxation techniques, often suggested by a therapist, like meditation, massages and even listening to music.The best way to get a handle on your depression and anxiety is to understand them and learn about your autism. By taking the time to talk to others or carry out research, you can appreciate yourself more and feel more accepting of who you are. This will boost self-pride and confidence and help to alleviate some of your mental health symptoms.

Seek out Help in Therapy

Sometimes we can feel alone or isolated in our struggle with disabilities or mental health. But, therapy can be the perfect outlet you need to talk to others about your concerns, feelings and behaviour without feeling judged or on your own. As an experienced counsellor, I have qualifications and experience in working with a range of clients, including those with disabilities. Autistic clients can find helpful advice and support from counselling, making them feel more confident in themselves and able to take more control over their life and symptoms.If you feel like you are struggling to live with your autism and need help handling any mental health problems that can arise, you don’t need to feel alone. Contact me today to learn more about my services as a Warrington base counsellor and how I can help you.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]