Opiates and Autism

[squiddlydiddly]

Hi everyone,
I have read similar posts but nothing dealing directly with autism and drug abuse (mainly opiates).
My crazy guinea pig is autistic and currently in his third year as a history major at a university and not coincidently in his third year of narcotics use/addiction. That guinea pig loved pain killers, mainly Vicodin but he wouldn't pass up an Oxy or Codeine if it was around.
My friendly guinea pig pretty much followed the textbook case- got a prescription for his terrible headaches, one fun day a week turned into a daily habit. He sold his stuff (he misses the xbox360) and ignored the bills. It was evident he had a problem that had to be fixed, etc... So now he is on Suboxone and has been clean for 30 days (unless you count Sub...).
Apart from the detox, lack of sleep, Post Acute Withdrawal Symptoms, nostalgia for the pills, and on down the list, that weirdo guinea pig for the first time noticed the drilling thoughts and problematic emotions that are part of autism growing back inside of him. He has had 30 long days of soberness to think about this and realized what narcotics meant to him.
Hydrocodone was the lost guinea pig's way of masking his autism and living a daily life. Taking a few pills allowed the poor guy to go to class and not be bothered by his headaches, the poor lighting, uncomfortable seats, movement of classmates, or the bothersome noises of dragging chalk and pencils. Hydrocodone numbed him to everything that once was a problem and allowed the guinea pig to finally relax and live his life "normally." His use wasn't limited to the classroom though. As a history major, he was always researching and taking Vicodin made those long hours at the library delightful. His time at work went way better too as he was more at ease and didn't stutter like he does now when trying to help customers. Social situations like parties also weren't stressful but actually fun (being autistic at parties can cause a sensory overload). And after long days of being a full time student and a 30 hour part time worker, the funny guinea pig would tube dollar a Percocet or some Vics to slow down. When the guinea was high, his autism faded
But now that he's sober, that crazy guinea pig's autistic side has returned and so too have those terrible headaches. When he quit the pills, he failed his classes. I thought you were supposed to fail when you're on the drugs, not off. He had his 21st birthday recently and unfortunately could hardly drink due to a bad gull bladder and no aide from any opiates. His celebration at the bar was spent wishing for the night to end so he could breathe easier. Now everywhere he goes people are constantly asking "What" when he stutters something. And he is noticing cloudy emotions, not the detox ones, but from the autism. This causes a lot of stress and as I like to say, his shoulders are to his ears. Oh how he misses those meds.
It makes the guinea pig sad knowing that he should not go back to the drugs because of where it will take him, but he sure needs their aide in helping him cope with autism and his life.
So in the end, I posted this for my friend guinea pig because he wanted to know if anyone else's guinea pigs on DF are autistic or have any disorder and are addicted to narcotics/drugs. That misguided guinea pig of mine is having a really hard time staying off Hydrocodone and is looking for a role model/fellow guinea who shares a similar story and/or found a way to cope with autism and drug addiction.
Thank you for reading my lonely friend's debacle and thanks ahead of time for any knowledge shared.

Reputation Comments on this post:

	very open and honest account. interesting read too.
	Very open and honest, welcome

[Sarko]

Autism and Asperger's sufferers all suffer from a lack of empathy; they are placed at the lower end of the empathy continuum in comparison to the wider population and SWIM has worked in this area of research. SWIM has often wondered if an empathogen, such as MDMA, might be beneficial for some with the above conditions as that might help them obtain a higher level of empathy (and thus functionality).

Whilst SWIM would never recommend self-medicating, maybe it is possible for those sufferers to live a more complete life by using the above drugs in small doses?

Sadly SWIM has no knowledge of opiates in this area. The fact that these drugs are illegal makes it incredibly hard for researchers to get ethical approval to test them or public acceptance.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Very interesting and thought provoking.

[squiddlydiddly]

Oddly enough, before his opiate days, that fearless guinea pig was quite the avid xtc enthusiast. However, I don't know if the guinea pig's xtc was ever actually comprised of MDMA or, more likely, some other unknown substance (at least to him). In those days, he never would have considered taking a far smaller dose to test his emotions and daily life. Whatever was in those pills definitely made Mr. guinea pig more social and they also reduced almost all of his anxiety is situations that would have made him sweat under the tension. But the amounts he took were far above a functional level and by no means could be taken daily.
The little guinea pig is curious to know if adderall (Idk what it's called in the UK) would be considered an empathogen? Because it produces similar effects as xtc (to him) on a smaller scale. The guinea pig has taken a few adderalls here and there over the last few years with mixed results. At times, it made him sociable and a little more "in touch" with his thoughts and attention. Contrastingly. on one occasion, in a classroom of about 25 people, the adderall made the tense guinea pig more anxious and nervous and caught up in his senses then he would have been sober. Not taking the medicine on regular basis, I believe would affect how dramatic the drug's were. Once again, I don't know if adderall would be considered an empathogen or not though.

[bananaskin]

Originally Posted by squiddlydiddly

Oddly enough, before his opiate days, that fearless guinea pig was quite the avid xtc enthusiast. However, I don't know if the guinea pig's xtc was ever actually comprised of MDMA or, more likely, some other unknown substance (at least to him). In those days, he never would have considered taking a far smaller dose to test his emotions and daily life. Whatever was in those pills definitely made Mr. guinea pig more social and they also reduced almost all of his anxiety is situations that would have made him sweat under the tension. But the amounts he took were far above a functional level and by no means could be taken daily.
The little guinea pig is curious to know if adderall (Idk what it's called in the UK) would be considered an empathogen? Because it produces similar effects as xtc (to him) on a smaller scale. The guinea pig has taken a few adderalls here and there over the last few years with mixed results. At times, it made him sociable and a little more "in touch" with his thoughts and attention. Contrastingly. on one occasion, in a classroom of about 25 people, the adderall made the tense guinea pig more anxious and nervous and caught up in his senses then he would have been sober. Not taking the medicine on regular basis, I believe would affect how dramatic the drug's were. Once again, I don't know if adderall would be considered an empathogen or not though.

Does the Guinea Pig have ADD or ADHD?
Adderall and other pharmacuetical amphetamines have been helpful in treating the depleted dopamine levels in the brain and raising them to more normal levels.
Adderall an empathogen? One would think not...
My friend has an autistic son... only 4 but a lot to be learned and research into autism is rapidly moving.

[straightinarrow]

Please read this carefully, I'm an autistic (can't stand the word aspergers), 23 year old recovering addict. I was addicted to heroin, painkillers, benzos, alcohol, and cocaine for over 7 years. This is no fucking way to live life man, trust me when I say I know how fucking desperately hard it is to be an autistic person living in this world. It is pure fucking hell, but it is nothing compared to the agony of drug addiction. Like most other autistic people my life has been a living nightmare since I can ever remember. School was hell, I was the kid that all the other kids could attack, beat up, deface to get cool kid status from the other fucktards. I got extremely bitter and extremely violent. By the time I was 13 I was carrying a sharpened number 2 pencil everywhere I went HOPING for somebody to say one word to me so I could stab them. Drugs were like heaven to me, the first time I ever felt belonging in my life. The first time I ever felt comfortable in my own skin. I loved getting high, I mean I lived for it. I had a tent pitched in an abandoned lot behind a housing project where I copped my drugs. I've been stabbed, robbed, and assaulted more times than I can really recall. All through that I never once considered quitting, afterall anything is better than being some autistic loser, right? I hit my absolute rock bottom 2 years 4 months ago on christmas day. I was sitting in my tent alone, dope sick, dirty, emaciated, and stinking from months without a shower. I sat there and cried for what seemed like a good 24 hours. I mourned for myself, for my shitty fucking existence, for my impossible life. God please help me from this hell, please I will do anything. The next day I checked myself into detox. Ive been clean ever since. It was the hardest fucking thing ive ever done in my life, getting clean that is. I spent the first year literally holed up in my shitty sro hotel room except for meetings and to get food. Everyday I asked myself why the fuck I was sitting there with my racing thoughts, constant anxiety, and self-loathing when I could be out getting high and forgetting about my miserable life. This shit is an everyday battle but it is SO MUCH BETTER than the alternative. And you know what, my passions and dreams are the very thing I live for nowadays. I absolutely love history and politics and literally spend every free minute of my day reading and absorbing information about these things. You need to follow your dreams and passions, these are the only things that will save you from this horrible disease. You are a very brave person for even posting this and I beg you to stay strong and get through this life one day at a time. If you EVER need anybody to talk to get in touch with me, I would love to talk to you. I wish you and all the other people trying to free themselves from this disease godspeed.

Reputation Comments on this post:

	thank you for sharing your life experience and honest thoughts & truths.
	great example of courage and perserverance good job!
	Thank you for the honest and informative reply. It means a lot to the GP and DF.

[Dickon]

It's an interesting subject, and I really can't say anything about opiates for autism or Asperger's. adderall being amphetamine is not an empathogen though. I'd say, if anything, it was the opposite. Cocaine and (meth)amphetamine both tend to very self-centred thinking, rather than assisting with connecting to people.

D

Reputation Comments on this post:

Good Information and explanation on topic.

[Sarko]

Yeah, amphetamines are commonly prescribed to those with Asperger's and ADHD to help their concentration. ADHD has also been linked with the above disorders on the empathy continuum so it may have similar effects.

Thing is, something like that would improve your concentration and attention but not so much your GP's social skills.

[squiddlydiddly]

Yeah, that makes a lot more sense about the amphetamines. Thanks for responding. I can't say I like them a lot.
I've always been curious to know if someone with autism or aspergers would feel the effects of opiates more so or differently than most other people (differences in sensory integration). People like drugs for all kinds of different reasons. My guinea pig loved opiates not only for the euphoria but because it gave him a break from his often distracting and overbearing senses. Although it definitely developed into a daily social and stress relief habit too ... Too bad opiates are so addicting. I don't know if anyone else feels the same way as the guinea pig.

squiddlydiddly added 629 Minutes and 41 Seconds later...

Originally Posted by squiddlydiddly

Yeah, that makes a lot more sense about the amphetamines. Thanks for responding. I can't say I like them a lot.

Sorry, when I said, "I can't say I like them a lot," I was saying my perspective on amphetamines, not about the excellent and informative replies. Thank you. Upon rereading that, it sounded a little confusing.

[squiddlydiddly]

Banana, no the the guinea pig does not have ADD or ADHD, only aspergers. You are right though, every day there is new research being developed over autism. Straightinarrow, thank you so much for sharing swiy's life experiences. This has been a hard week for my guinea pig. He watched his grandfather die on Friday and can't quite get the image out of his head. He also can't quite seem to quiet the cravings. But swiy has reminded the gp why he needs to not use. I have yet to meet an addict who was also autistic and I can relate to your story. My guinea pig never pitched a tent but was damn close. He also had to deal with a lot bs growing up like swiy. Interpreting the world through autistic eyes can be very confusing and difficult. He was never a fighter but definitely more of a "flighter" (sorry, couldn't think of a correct word). It is also interesting that swiy likes history and politics so much (I don't know why that topic seems to attract so many autistic people). Anyways, swiy's story is honest and I know how hard it can be to tell others. Thank you so much everyone for replying to the thread. Today is day 63 for my guinea pig and he can't afford to lessen that number now.

[Master_Khan]

People that post these stories of hope & triumph are doing a world of good to swimmers who are thinking of journeying out onto that slippery slope. Thanks & keep up the good fight.