People commonly hear about stressed individuals saying, “I’m worried,” “I’m scared,” or perhaps “I’m anxious.” However, there’s a different anxiety disorder associated with the spectrum of autism. It’s called “distinct anxiety,” and it’s completely different from regular anxiety.
General anxiety is usually the result of worrying about the future or being judged. Distinct anxiety in autism is triggered by different things than general anxiety. It occurs when:
- Daily routines suddenly change
- Sounds, lights, or textures become overwhelming
- Social situations become confusing or overwhelming
- The person cannot access things they need to feel calm
Autistic people who cannot access things that help them manage their condition experience anxiety. This is similar to the anxiety a wheelchair user experiences when their wheelchair is taken away. Autistic people’s anxiety is not just “in their head.”
The Science Behind Distinct Anxiety
Researchers show that the brains of people with autism have some differences. The part of the brain that processes fear and emotions is called the amygdala.
This is the area that processes fear and emotional events in both normal and autistic people. However, in most people with autism, it doesn’t behave this way.
Studies have shown that the amygdala grows larger with age in people with autism. When it comes to interpreting clear patterns, such as wallpaper, as threatening, the amygdala overreacts.
This suggests that even small changes in the environment or sudden events can trigger extreme anxiety in people with autism. It has also been found that the brain circuits that regulate emotions function differently in them.
Therefore, it may be more difficult for autistic people to reduce their anxiety. Their minds are constantly in a state of worry that lasts longer than others.
Distinct anxiety causes issues, such as:
- Physical symptoms like headaches and stomachaches
- Inability to focus or learn
- Social isolation and loneliness
- Meltdowns or shutdowns in public
- Sadness and hopelessness
Anxiety even becomes worse when people don’t understand it. When others find fault or tell the person to calm down, it leads to the situation becoming more difficult.
Also keep in mind that anxiety disorders often co-occur with depression, so it’s best to consult a specialist in depression treatment as well.
Distinct Anxiety Examples
Let’s understand distinct anxiety with an example. Tom is a 25-year-old young man with autism who experiences some level of anxiety almost daily.
Morning Difficulties:
For Tom, every morning started with anxiety. His daily routine was the same. He ate the same breakfast at the same time and took the same bus to work. A slight deviation from the routine resulted in anxiety.
Last month, Tom was waiting at the bus stop. His heart was racing. Hands shaking. He couldn’t focus. He had a strong belief that something terrible was about to happen, although he knew that the bus would arrive at some point.
Work Challenges:
For Tom, unscheduled meetings or unexpected schedule changes in the workplace caused problems. His anxiety levels increased when his supervisor expected him to carry out new tasks that he had not been informed about. He always required time to adjust. Even conversations and telephone calls distract him a little.
Social Situations:
Tom was not comfortable interacting with other people at the office where he works. Not because he didn’t like them, but because of the feeling of judgment or humiliation. He feared that he might say the wrong thing or fail to pick up a social cue.
He also sweated in those situations despite the coolness of the room. Sometimes he needed time to be alone to calm down before rejoining the meeting.
Evening Difficulties:
By the end of the day, work also drained his energy levels. Even doing simple tasks such as going to the grocery store, he felt quite challenged. While shopping, he always picked the same item to avoid making multiple decisions.
Impact on Daily Life:
Tom’s anxiety also affected his sleep. He spent most of the night ruminating on the happenings of the previous day and thinking of things that could go wrong. This resulted in a cycle of sleeplessness coupled with severe anxiety attacks.
These issues often led him not to function properly during the day. Plus, family gatherings became one of the painful moments in Tom’s life. He felt lonely and isolated.
Physical Health Problems:
The constant stress also affected his physical health. He often experienced headaches. His stomach became a major source of the problem, and as a result, there were days when he ate very little.
Medical Support:
The turning point in his career was when he experienced a panic attack in the middle of a presentation. He felt some tightening in the chest. His breathing was not normal. He thought that he was experiencing a heart attack. His boss had to call an ambulance.
After a visit to the hospital, Tom realized that the anxiety was the physical cause of his medical symptoms. The doctor explained that anxiety is a medical condition just like diabetes or high blood pressure. It is not something that one can ‘cure’ by working hard. Tom’s family doctor ruled out the possibility that his symptoms were due to another health issue. After showing Tom’s family his results, he recommended that Tom visit a psychiatrist.
His psychiatrist confirmed that Tom was suffering from generalized anxiety disorder, the reason behind his troubled mind. The psychiatrist also ruled out the possibility that Tom was suffering from depression or any other psychological disorder that usually accompanies an anxiety disorder.
Customized Treatment Plan:
Tom’s treatment involved medication, therapy, and stress management skills. The psychiatrist prescribed medication that helps balance the chemicals in the brain. Through CBT, Tom came to understand that his mind, emotions, and behavior were.
Whenever his thoughts were overrun by thoughts such as “Something bad will happen to me”, his body would automatically produce fear, and he would unconsciously start avoiding the situation. The therapist helped him recognize and challenge doubtful thoughts by thinking, “Even if I do this, things will be bad,” with positive thoughts. The therapist also employed exposure therapy on Tom.
Exposure therapy is a technique that exposes the patient to whatever they fear in small steps. At first, Tom used a crowded elevator while wearing earplugs in his office building. The next time, he was able to use an elevator in a shopping mall and so on, until he was able to build his confidence.
Coping Skills:
In addition to the treatment, Tom’s doctor recommended that he adopt stress management techniques and certain lifestyle changes to manage his anxiety.
Tom writes down his daily activities (from anxiety trigger time to coping mechanisms he applied). He learned to make a habit of adjusting his timetable when needed. This helps him prepare for what to expect.
He adopted techniques for managing his sensory overload to reduce anxiety. These techniques include:
- Hearing protection in noisy environments
- Wearing sunglasses in the sunlight
- Seeking out quiet spaces when crowds get too much
- Having a quiet space to retreat to when stressed
Tom carries a little package that contains earplugs and a stress ball. These are simple gadgets that help him through rough situations.
At Tom’s workplace, organizing visual schedules that outline what will happen in different types of meetings is one of the hacks he applies.
Now he is no longer anxious about meetings like before, and is also able to overcome if his distinct anxiety emerges.
Overall, distinct anxiety is a treatable condition. With understanding, treatment, and simple methods, people with autism (like Tom) can successfully manage their anxiety. So, don’t delay; consult an anxiety specialist near me to diagnose underlying issues.
If you have any concerns about psychiatric medication, you can also consult a psychopharmacologist, who has extensive knowledge of psychopharmacology and medication management.
If they’re licensed in the state, you can also have them prescribe medication. For example, if you live in New York, an online psychiatrist NYC can prescribe your medication and send it electronically to a pharmacy, which is usually available for pickup the same day.
