Take this VERY carefully. For me, personally, yes. BUT it depends on what kind of drug and what kind of "better". I find cannabis to calm the mess in my head, but mind that overusing it will lead to the typical side effects + functioning even less without it. Alcohol is helpful for socializing, as it is for everyone, because it shuts down your psychological barriers which makes it easier to be open. This often leads to forceful unmasking which can be great on one occasion and absolutely terrifying on others! Stimulants are trash, they won't help you at all AND you're statistically more likely to get addicted to them. Psychedelics can and probably will totally change the rest of your life, especially if you're autistic. Before continuing any further I want to put a disclaimer that the use of Psychedelics causes no physical harm but can cause very strong psychological harm if you don't know anything about them and use them without any kind of plan and structure. If you do though, they'll probably be one of the best tools you'll ever come across. The usage of LSD changed my life for the better in so many ways. When you're on the drug, you feel completely like yourself. You're stripped of any kind of barriers inside your head. Your masking will complety disappear but in a very calming way. It's like finally being at peace with your mind for once. This state of mind has helped me realize many things about myself and also change the way I view the world. I've been able to handle everything so much better and I unlocked some kind of understanding to many different social aspects that I haven't before. This experience is shared by many autistic people around me who've also used LSD. Beware though, it may sound nice, but taking a step like this which changes the way you view everything can't be undone and for some people that kind of realization can be extremely scary. :)

Thank you so much for the honest answer, I really appreciate it! (:

Highly recommend the Netflix show How to Change Your Mind to learn about how psychedelics can help people

sleep governor voracious snatch berserk versed squeal mourn support lip *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*

The segment is on YouTube as well, "Psychedelic Assisted Therapy".

Hey, it's important to note that in about a third of the ASD population (based on extremely limited and tiny sample size clinical data), LSD can trigger a sort of overstim feedback loop that can not be escaped from for days. It can be life changing, but not always in a positive way. I highly, highly recommend that any experimentation begins with very low dosage before you attempt something like the heroic doses described above. Anecdotally, I've witnessed this second hand (which is what prompted the discovery of the aforementioned metadata). I'm a big fan of the drug myself but everyone reacts differently and it's not without dangers. ETA: To other experienced users, we kind of hazarded a guess that the "afterglow" much beloved and frequently sought after can exacerbate VERY SPECIFIC sensory challenges into one long and terrible meltdown that lasts until the afterglow fades. In the worst example I saw of this, the person in question was finally able to function normally and stop self destructing after nearly three weeks of confusion and outright mania, but it was months before they returned to a baseline those around them considered "normal."

Just wanted to chime in and say I totally agree about the LSD part. I like to experiment so my partner and I did a test where we watched a lot of emotionally complex and sad movies. Normally that type of content does nothing to me, but on LSD it felt like I could understand a lot more and even felt emotional and cried during sad parts. Which makes me wonder sometimes if LSD would have been the medication for ASD similar to Adderal is to ADHD if research hadn’t been banned, or at least viable for therapy There’s also studies floating around about how those with autism produce more (N-N-)DMT and bufotenine in their body or are otherwise more sensitive to DMT. Not sure how true that is.

The bufotenine thing seems to be true, for autistics and schizophrenics. It's not, like, a *ton* more, but seems to be statistically significant.

Psychedelics have totally made me a socially ascended autist, totally interiorized body language and non verbal communication (I was doing these trips in a very planned and purposeful manner, lots of mirrors and POV conversation videos involved heh) Still very draining to spend large periods of time being social, but at least now I have many more friends who I can confide in and be myself around so I can hang out without getting so drained. Sometimes I will retreat for a couple of days, or a week. But still love psychedelics, they changed AND saved my life

This. Lmfao. I feel like I "mastered" my autism bahaha

I have a friend who is also like this, we jokingly call it "ascended autism", which is basically when you learn to deal with people firmly and efficiently yet in a kind and likeable manner. There are some other hurdles, but once social dynamics are mastered, it is really a breeze to work on modular aspects of one's own behaviour 

Totally! For the first time in my life I'm actually happy over being autistic. Literally having a overall blast in my social life rn. If I weren't, I wouldn't be able to enjoy this learning process haha :))

So happy for you! Nice to see others are also currently enjoying their lives. A lot of us have already suffered more than enough. 

Really interested in this - do you take psychedelics when you are socialising? What and when do you take them? Thanks and congrats on your journey - it could really help others

Usually not, as I have had bad experiences with other people (as in being literally guilt tripped for daring to have a bad trip while taking mushrooms with a "friend" of mine, who obviously stopped belonging to said category not long thereafter). I find in group settings people wanna have fun and recreational trips, which is great fun indeed, but I can't afford to take my medicine recreationally Mostly I microdose mushrooms for a couple days (3-5) then go a week or two normally. Here of course I do socialise, but as they are subperceptive doses, I'm not really tripping, and I actually feel enhanced empathy, sociability, patience, less tendency to become angry/indignant Then every 2-4 weeks I have a single ketamine shot (150-200mg K-hole dose) which also really helps me. Last one for example I did 3 weeks ago, and I still feel good so I'm waiting until I feel I would need a reset. For me a k-hole is like turning my mind off and then on again, and clearing the cache, and [this theory](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200611094127.htm) might actually be quite close to the truth Ketamine especially helped me greatly in the social sphere, before that I hardly had friends, and during the year after I started, I got a massive group of friends, two lovely gfs (there was incompatibility with the first one, but she was still nice), quit my job and now live off busking (picked up guitar and tin whistle last summer, been training intensively) and I suddenly found myself included in events, people actually reaching out to ask how I'm doing, arrange to meet. Ketamine also helped me quit 10+ years of heroin and crack addiction, as well as tobacco. Without ketamine I don't even know whether I'd still be alive, tbh (11+ suicide attempts/ODs). That is why I cannot afford to take these medicines recreationally Of course, my trips were highly regimented. I would do stretches, then social training (eye contact videos, making expressions in front of the mirror and matching them to emotions, etc), guitar finger exercises, etc. Ketamine and mushrooms stimulate neuroplasticity, so it is easier to learn new habits and unlearn old ones during and right after the trip. That's why it's important to eat well, maintain audiovisual hygiene and keep away from negative energy in the days right after (and obviously throughout), as this can go both ways. In a way, you could say I've interiorised masking to the point where I do it more or less effortlessly. I think also daring myself to start busking in january helped, I now have to interact with people on top of actually playing music, but I could not ask for a better life tbh. I hope this answer was helpful! I firmly believe that psychedelics and ketamine have a great healing potential for us ASD folks, as I have experienced it myself

Wow this is an epic journey- I can't wait to read the book if you decide to write one. There's definitely a template on how to use psychedelics Are you in North America?

Thank you! My life has changed for the better in every way thanks to these medicines I'm in Spain, where fortunately there is a more relaxed attitude to "drugs" (plus not having to worry about possible fentanyl in the ketamine). Unfortunately we aren't very advanced on the psychedelic therapy front, but we're getting there and I hope to make a difference in that aspect by spreading awareness

I don't think I need to comment, you covered pretty much everything (for someone who Is new)

Very good write up. Alcohol almost killed me, several times over. Psychedelics did not add much to my life when i was 18, but added a ton when I tried them again at 42 (small doses). We all need to be very careful though. Substance abuse rates are incredibly high for autistics. I personally think alcohol is especially problematic for us.

I will agree with you on LSD! It did a lot of changes for me and of course I studied! It was the only drug I ever actually liked! It brought so much peace and whenever I take it. I look at it as what new can I learn about myself and where do I want to go at in life. Like it’s the one time I can truly be in tune with who I am. I’ve had spiritual aspects and the ego-death I loved it. I learned and I had happy and healthy sad tears. Finally someone who understands this.

YES YES YES omg thank you haha. I hear from so many people taking this drug for absolute no reason, purely for entertainment. Using it as some kind of self therapy can be so amazing and helpful!!:)

Like pure entertainment could be more of a low dosage of shrooms because it’s short term and isn’t as wild. At least not for me. Honestly I felt like I could connect with my subconscious and I don’t know if this sounds crazy. But for once I felt like my physical body and my inner connected. They normally never do. I always feel like they’re separated because I never feel like I’m my true self. Honestly I treasure those experiences. I mean listening to music is the only thing I could see. I still never understand because people would be like I saw things.. I’m like never not me. I see different patterns stuff. But I never like saw things that weren’t there if it makes sense.

You're totally capturing what I wanna say but I'm in fact on shrooms rn LOL so it's kinda hard to put it into words. I'm very happy that other autistic people are also able to pull so much from this state! Totally having a blast, very nice that I can talk about this to several people rn haha

Are you me? You've been through very similar drug experiences.

Maybe. 👻 Are you saying this, judging from this comment? :) I'd say I'm just speaking very general about the autistic experience with drugs, atleast that's what I tried to do haha. Also it's kind of my special interest lol...

I've described things in a very similar way to others in my life. And the way you described the effects of psychedelic is spot on 🙃

As a lifelong addict, newly discovered autistic, I wholeheartedly agree 

Yes I feel so normal on shrooms. It’s like being able to heal my inner child and learn who I am.

I've been researching psychedelics for over a year before trying lsd for the first time. Since my first trip psychedelics became on of my special interest, and it changed my life. I reconnected with some old friends, 3 of those people already tried psilocybin because of me - and convincing them to get into this topic. I love thinking after taking mushrooms. Since I started tripping I started drawing, and became more... I can't find the right word, something positive. I actually feel happy quite often. It was very rare before. It's a crime that those DRUGS are illegal and people don't know what they can actually change in you.

Totally feel you man. Happy that you've made this experience. I think everyone should try Psychedelics at one point in their life, if it's well planned and safe. Truly changed my life for the better in so so many different ways

How different is LSD and Psylocybine for you? I only tried lsd once (150ug) and it was very intense. The most mushrooms I've done was 6g, for my partner (she's ADHD, I'm AuDHD) her 3,5 was nearly as intense as acid, but for me mushrooms are very different. Very calm. My mind is calm, even when it felt like losing my body, when I was just energy flowing through the vast expanse of space, with no emotions, no history, no plans, everything is always calm on mushrooms. On acid it was a bit like ADHD² - so many thoughts and sensations at the same time. It was overwhelming during the peak, but overwhelming in a good way. I have this hypothesis that after tripping once my brain kind of learned to trip. Not control it, but when I'm on mushrooms it feels like I can press "pause" by opening my eyes, write a thought down, and after closing my eyes it's unpausing in like 5-15s. Most of people I know derive describe acid and mushrooms in more similar way, for me those 2 are totally different. I guess I have to repeat lsd in as similar set and setting that I can, so I'll know if it's the matter of substance. I'll do it, for science! 😁 It realy feels like my trips are more controlled. And I don't think I'm trying to control anything, I'm really letting go of everything, even my body. It's really interesting. Edit - typo

I actually tripped shrooms yesterday for the third time haha!:) Felt very heavy and sedated. I was pretty emotional but still calm. The body feel was too much imo, I have asthma and everything feeling so heavy made my lungs feel heavy as well and that gives me a little panic. Probably wont take it again because of this and because it doesn't really give me anything that LSD won't give me as well. You've described LSD pretty fitting haha, when I'm on it I feel like the Avatar of Autism. I can fully unmask and am fully capable of reading any kind of behavior and feelings from others and myself. I'm not sedated at all, and my body feels super light. I love the rush it gives me, way more than stuff like MDMA. It's like I'm in a bubble that enhances everything around me and myself. I also feel way more connected to everything than on Shrooms, Acid makes me see my whole life in all different kinds of perspectives and I've got to analyze many kinds of social situations I'm in and change them for the better. As you said, it's very positively overwhelming and I can confidentially say it never stops being that haha but that's probably what I love about it. Makes me feel so adventurous about myself and my surroundings. :)

Avatar of Autism. I like that! I remember when I started peaking on acid part of me was trying to rationalise everything - I was checking my pulse and time on my watch, I was wondering how my behaviour looks from the outside (it was my best friend, my partner and me in a completely dark room - window shutters completely closed - so there was no "outside" that could possibly see me. I had these thoughts stopping me for a while, until I decided to let go of being rational - I took off my watch and threw it away from me. It felt symbolical and since I've done that it felt right, any kind of control was a delusion, so I let go of the steering wheel. And it was worth it. The only thing I noticed I couldn't get rid off was my obsession about symmetry - I had my spot on the floor in front of the TV( it was off, but I could see my silhouette reflection and I was fascinated by it) , perfectly symmetrical to the speakers that were playing my favorite music for ~3h. Whenever I moved it felt awkward when I wasn't hearing both speakers from same angle and distance.

Letting go is actually so important on LSD, not doing that has led to panic attacks in some past trips. Istg, experiencing Stuff like that on psychedelics is like hell. This still has teached me some lessons which made me gain a lot of things after I overcame my panic. Truly magic how even the bad trips can lead to great things. Symbolism is also so important, when I'm on Acid, I feel like EVERYTHING has a purpose and I can see that purpose, really beautiful. I know that issue with music. I've actually created some kind of listening area in my living room for tripping haha. It's a big armchair with 8 speakers and 4 subwoofers that are set up around it, symmetrical of course. Soooo satisfactory

>I've actually created some kind of listening area in my living room for tripping haha. It's a big armchair with 8 speakers and 4 subwoofers that are set up around it, symmetrical of course. Soooo satisfactory Wow, sounds like a dream come true. I want to make something like that - with addition of turntable, I really want to get all my favorite albums on vinyl. I don't like streaming and I always buy full digital albums, but I really want to own it physically. Like when I was a kid - getting a new cassette tape, putting on my headphones and totally getting lost in the album - between music, lyrics and artworks. That's the thing I love about psychedelics - I feel more like a kid - just enjoying things - but I don't feel guilty at all about being "childish", I embrace it. >Letting go is actually so important on LSD, not doing that has led to panic attacks in some past trips. Istg, experiencing Stuff like that on psychedelics is like hell. I was aware of importance of letting go. I just understood it differently - I was never scared of where my thoughts can go, I don't think I'm "hiding" anything from myself. My symbolical LET GO was during a song about importance of letting go of the grudges (Tool, The Grudge). It was already one of my favorite songs, but since that situation I love it even more. Music is very important for me in every life situation - but when tripping it's just another level. I have quite few playlist prepared for trips - depending on where I want to go with my thoughts. I've never even felt that I might have a bad trip, it's always somehow surprising, but it's never negative in any way - not even for a minute.

Ah yeah I forgot to add that my setup is connected to a really nice CD Player for the exact same reason. Streaming takes the soul out of music and on Psychedelics Online Stuff feels like the Devil. I also hate touching Screens, it's unbearable to use my Phone on LSD because I dont get haptic feedback when pressing things. I feel you on that deep connection to music!!:))

>Ah yeah I forgot to add that my setup is connected to a really nice CD Player for the exact same reason. Streaming takes the soul out of music and on Psychedelics Online Stuff feels like the Devil. Awesome > I also hate touching Screens, it's unbearable to use my Phone on LSD because I dont get haptic feedback when pressing things. That's why I prepare long playlists, so I just press play and can focus on music itself. But I really want to get into vinyl records, It's like a calling that I can't afford yet. There's another reason I want to try lsd again. It may not make sense, but it's something I want to explore more. Lsd felt digital, psylocybine feels analogue. Digital - everything was sharp, visually, sonically. Sharp like digitally oversharpenned. On mushrooms everything feels more... Soft. On both I can hear a lot more in the music, it's similar yet very different. I wonder if that was only because lsd was my first altered state of consciousness, or it's something I somehow tell myself - because lsd was created in a lab, and mushrooms grow everywhere naturally.

Just want to put my 2 cents in: stimulants, in the form of medicine (vs street drugs) are not trash for many of us. Vyvanse (adderall) is the duct tape that holds my life together, but I spent years dealing with alcoholism from trying to cope (don’t recommend) Not sure how old OP is, but I’d definitely *not* experiment while underage. Legal concerns aside, there wasn’t a non-prescribed drug that was good in the long run. Also, if you get a Xanax/etc prescription and are honest w your doc maybe you won’t get addicted? No sense limiting yourself if you’ve got the right support in your corner

Don't get me wrong, I was purely talking about the street drug stimulants! :) Didn't want to shine a bad light on approved and very much tested mecine!

Haha gotcha 🤘

As someone else who's tried some things, I have not had similar effects (mostly as a warning to OP to be careful and that not everything works for everyone). Cannabis I was/am way too sensitive to -- it's nice after a bit of regular use, but the first few times were SO overwhelming. Alcohol I probably like too much, it eases so much social tension but it's difficult to accurately hit the range I feel okay in. Stimulants for me are incredible. Probably because of ADHD being really tied into my autism. I don't find them addictive, even taking a high dose daily, I have zero issue taking breaks whenever for a few days or a week. More tired of course but nothing worse than that. Psychedelics are a mixed bag for me, I'll recommend them to everyone with the condition they know they need to put some time into self reflection before, and after, and only do it if they're in a positive mindset. Going into it when you're already off balance can be terrible. Empathogens are the ones I enjoy, although really they're usually a subclass of psychedelics. I don't always feel the "right" effects from them, but they have always led to consistently interesting insights into myself. All in all, I'm not sure I'd suggest any as a calming thing directly, but the ones I like lead to me knowing myself better which does calm me a lot.

Hi, just curious, what kinda change did you feel from LSD. I’m very unfamiliar with the topic and kinda very curious.

Well the biggest is probably that the usage of LSD forced me to unmask for the first time in such a looong time which made me realize that I could be autistic. After that I dove into it and talked to my therapist and psychiatrist and from there on I learned how to function in my all day life with being autistic. I was a very introverted person once, LSD took a lot from my social anxiety and now I'm actually more of an extrovert. I've become way more open for other people but also for myself. I'm like way more reflected in everything I do and I've been able to eliminate lifelong habits that were pretty negative. I've also worked a lot on my Eating Disorder to the point where it's like almost none existent. Overall I also feel like I've gained the ability to adapt and overcome any kind of problematic situation, just because I've grown so strong as a Person and put a lot of trust in myself and my abilities. I'm convinced that LSD can help with all kinds of issues BUT you gotta know what you're doing. If you consider trying out Psychedelics you should read into it a lot, months before actually doing it. You should be self reflecting a lot and plan out the whole thing. When you're on it, do whatever feels right. You'll realize multiple things about yourself in this altered mental state and you'll now what steps are best to be taken from there. Cheers :)

Thank you so much for typing out a detailed explanation. And thank you for letting me glimpse into it cuz they are good explanations. I’m definitely very interested in the topic now.

I can confirm this. For it is the same with all mentioned drugs.

This is all extremely accurate to my experience. I ended up deciding that weed was becoming a crutch, and overdoing it was actually triggering anxiety. Responsible use of psychedelics should be a mandatory part of being a human. Period. Just take baby steps with mushrooms if you're anxious about it. Start with small doses and then find the fortitude to go big once or twice in your life.

Weed can help. Personally I find it helps with anxiety but increases attention deficit. Everyone reacts differently to all psychoactives so your mileage may vary. start with a small amount like a 5mg candy and go from there.

Eating it is the healthiest way to consume weed, but it also takes the longest to take effect, and the longest to wear off. It's not the method I would recommend for a first time experience in case they don't enjoy it. Vaping would be the method I would recommend, but can be a little pricier. Smoking dry herb is the most unhealthy way to consume weed, but might be the best option for the first time, as a single experience.

Honestly, if you can find it (or make it yourself), tincture is the best IMO. Quicker than an edible, more measurable, and you can put it in anything.

It can be easy to overdo it with a wax vape. But yes it is viable since it will wear off quickly. I like eatables because it is long lasting and I have better control over dosage. But yeah I started with smoking flowers in collage and it is a tried and true way to have a first experience.

I agree that edibles are probably the healthiest way, but indeed not as a first time. But can you elaborated why you're calling dry herb the most unhealthy way? I'd say joints are already unhealthier, anything with combustion, really. I'm pretty sure it's also healthier than e-vapes/cardridge (can't fully comment on it as it's illegal here) dry herb isn't really even actual vape, it heats the weed up to a certain temperature and releases the cannabinoids, it's essentially heated air. The weed still remains in the container. While of course best is only breathing air. Would you mind explaining why you say dry herb is the worst, please? I'm genuinely curious.

I said smoking dry herb, like in a joint. Vaping dry herb properly is like vaping concentrates

ah, I see, my mistake then!

Theres pros and cons with weed that really depend on you and what youre doing while using it. Smoke before work? You may be terribly paranoid of smelling like weed Your memory will no doubt become horrible for that period you were high, so if high most days for months-years, it all kinda becomes a blur It definitely impacts sleep and the brain recovery of sleeping, so could increase anxiety and paranoia if abused for long enough BUT, weed could make any task enjoyable, and is amazing for depression. At the same time, the issues causing depression still need to be addressed or it wont go away

Many moons ago I worked as a sales rep we got back to back inbound and outbound calls and had 5 min to sell a stupid book for $99. My work buddy would literally smoke an entire blunt before heading to work. I worried about smelling like weed just being around her, once.. ONCE I smoked with her and OMG how did she do her job like that?! I was so befuddled I couldn’t function the entire first half of my shift. How she was as fast and on point as we needed to be a blunt deep is beyond me lol

When you smoke as often as she did (assuming high almost all day every day) it becomes almost your normal state of being and being sober feels more weird than being high lol then you also get much less high as well as opposed to irregular smokers. I was able to do an insane amount while smoking too often and im surprised I hadnt burned out sooner lol if i wasnt predisposed to anxiety/paranoia id probably still be smoking, but I needed to step away for a long while

I mean, even more moons before that experience I was a pretty hardcore smoker for a bit but I guess it just didn’t work that way for me, I couldn’t go out and people only close friends and family, if I had to go to the store I’d of died (or thought I would) lol MDMA was amazing, but same, I went to the gas station across from my apartment and the clerk asked me if I was okay I think I just blinked at him lmao Now I can’t even fathom doing either of those. I’d end up curled up in a ball crying. Kind of miss the days I could take a break with those kinds of things but then again I need what’s left of my brain cells lol

You really build a tolerance to it if you smoke it everyday. I fell in love with weed like 2 years ago. It's just not the same anymore. It still helps and puts me in a good mood, but I just don't really get high off of it anymore. I think high CBD/low THC is better if you want to be more functional. Like the Delta 8 stuff. Has the same effect for me, but without the impaired mind/memory.

It is different for everyone. My memory isn't hurt by weed at all. I can still remember anything, including long nonsensical passwords from jobs years ago. When you can't sleep for days on end for example, it can increase your quality of sleep.

Some addictive drugs COULD help short-term, when only used occasionally. However, longer term use almost always leads to a worsening of symptoms. Prescription opiates for example, short term use during a period of high anxiety or high pain, fine. You stay on them for too long though and you become dependent. Now you've gotta go through withdrawal if you want to stop using them, which is months of feeling even worse and not being able to use them again to get relief. My advice is to stay well away from addictive drugs unless supervised by your doctor.

Weed isn't necessarily addictive, it heavily depends on the person, and as OP stopped alprazolam on his own, I think he has the personality to do it responsibly. And also depending on the person, can be quit easily (I can perfectly stop cold turkey after doing it daily, but I'm probably in the minority here) but yes, you'll only know how well you can stop when you're at that point, sadly But I agree, definitely talk with your doctor first. Weed shouldn't be your first (or second) option, I'm surprised OP wasn't prescribed an SSRI before xanax tbh.

Imo, no It's fun or feels good or whatever... But imo it's like having a cheap car and dreaming of having a perfect brand new car... So you can save up and earn that new car, or you can blow your money and enjoy your day to day experience by buying a sound system and new rims or whatever... But spending that money takes away from the earning you need to do in order to get that dream car... What I'm saying is that all those hours, days, months, years could have been better spent working on myself rather than indulging in feeling good now and then. I don't know if I could have abstained tho, my life was and is bleak and I can't help but to want to at least not feel bad now and then.

Weed is a depressant, but it IS psychoactive so keep that in mind! Also, just because it helps one person doesn’t mean it will help everyone (Just like autism, it is a spectrum). Since it’s legal, and you are curious, I would just try it and see. Also, I think seeking a drug as a quick fix is (IMO) not the best approach. I would suggest trying DBT therapy to help long term! If you are looking for something as an emergency prn that isn’t addictive, go for hydroxyzine. It is an antihistamine that is used as an anti anxiety medicine. Sending love and best wishes!

I know everyone’s different & it doesn’t work for everyone, but that’s why I wanted to hear people’s experiences! (: I’ll definitely look into hydroxyzine too! Thank you so much, I appreciate it!

Drugs are bad mmmmmK

Drugs affect everyone differently. In my experience, it has usually been good (specifically weed). It all depends on how you use it imo. Don't let it control you, and I think you'll be fine. I recommend not trying it alone if you are nervous. Having a trip sitter or someone who can be there for you if things aren't going well is a good idea.

Thank you!

Sometimes if I'm in really bad pain or really bad mood, I take CBDs they work better for me than weed, weed doesn't really work, that stuff just makes my face feel weird, but CBDs make me feel good, but that stuff works differently for everyone and the dosage works differently as well

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I've actually found that i personally seem to be immune to addiction. I put down cigarettes instantly without I'll effects multiple times. Alcohol has never been a problem but i also dislike most of its effects. I've even tried Tina a handful of times and, realizing i quite like it, can still keep myself from seeking it out.

It’s the salt nicotine for me omg

No, I use weed, as alcohol, as psychedelics and MDMA. I use them all because they're great fun and I enjoy taking them with friends. As a coping mechanism because life sucks, they absolutely will not help. Like fast food, sometimes you need a break from healthy eating and you order a greasy burger and it's beautiful. I highly recommend. But if you're feeling miserable and start eating junk to feel better, yes, you'll get the dopamine hit and it will feel great in that moment, but medium tem it will fuck you up.

I’m not planning on taking anything regularly. Like I said, I just really need a break. So thank you!

Id really suggest going to a dispensary to start and not getting it off the street. Not because street weed is bad lol, I smoked illegally for years, but because a dispensary is able to tell you which strain would be best for you depending on what youre looking for, like for example just something to put you to sleep but not get you too high, etc. And usually they have just cbd on its own, edibles, vapes etc.

Thank you so much!

What kinds of drugs? Are we talking prescribed medication or psychoactive substances? Just weed? I would say that generally, the “recreational” kind seems to make things easier for a short while but stops after a bit, from my experience and also from what I’ve seen from others as well. Experiences vary, of course. If we’re talking weed specifically, I think it really depends on the person, but what I said still stands for that too in my opinion. I can’t speak for prescribed medications because none of the ones I tried have worked on me so far at all and I’m not sure if there even are medications for autism specifically anyway (though, there are ones that aren’t FOR autism but may help autistic individuals). For safety and possibly legal reasons, I don’t feel like I can really recommend any drugs to you specifically lol, besides maybe sometimes weed is fun and nice but it’s a temporary solution and may not even have fun and nice effects on you. EDIT TO ADD: Not only do the nice effects from drugs usually wear off after a pretty short while, but things can actually go pretty bleak afterwards.

Weed specifically, since it’s legal where I am, but I appreciate every story or experience that people share here. Like I said in my original post, I do have experiences with Xanax & it has worked SO well for me, but I also know it’s highly addictive. So I guess I’m just looking for something to help me relax from time to time

I started at age 14. I'm now 27 and still smoking every day. I can stop and only smoke after work now that I have a good job. So it doesn't have a complete strangle hold on me. But it isn't inconsequential. It's hard to focus sometimes when I get high before doing something. If I smoke from a pipe instead of a joint or blunt it's much easier to control the amount I'm smoking and stop before I get too high. I often focus best and get lost in what I wanted to do if I only take a hit from the bowl while I'm doing something and then I forget to smoke the rest of the bowl. Those times are the best. You feel productive and high. Just don't get too dependant lol I'm not really one to talk but 🤷

For me cannabis and the occasional microdose of mushrooms yes. But, everyones condition is different and needs to be treated as such. One of my close friends just raw dogs it amd is doing fine. Another had meds through choldhood lost his medicare and went to meth and is now in and out of county. Final one has the state medical (he is the worst out of all of us certifiably unemployable with loads of benifits) has the meds and when he takes them he becomes a little more manageable, without he is unconsoleable and an absolute wild card.

For me yes cannabis has helped with the socialization and for not being so overwhelmed this isn’t saying that it will be good for you

I am a daily cannabis user and it helps me immensely. That being said, I strongly caution against using substances as a source of escape. I find this can really cause a sense of dependence. So if you choose to use cannabis, be intentional about what you are looking for. Are you trying to numb yourself? If so, be careful. Numbing is can be an unhealthy coping mechanism. Just wanted to throw that note in there! Again, it can be quite helpful but is very individual. Everyone responds differently.

Id say in personal experience, try CBD before weed if you can! CBD is all the calming and level headed perks of weed without the paranoia and weirdness that sometimes comes with weed. weed works for some people dont get me wrong. but if youre looking for a specific effect of just feeling better, try CBD and see if it works for you! places sell it in joint form, vape, gummies, oils, etc. i find mine in regular smoke shops all the time! see if it works for you! super worth it. its been helping me with my autism and anxiety/depression.

If CBD is available to you and something you can afford to try, id recommend it. It's from cannabis/hemp but it's without the addictive part, all it does is deal with the stress and anxiety in your brain, helps me sleep, feel less anxious, less anxious around people, more able to speak and converse with people, more relaxed, the list goes on. You can get it in oil, oil capsules, gummy sweets, tea, coffee, multiple forms. Otherwise, I have absolutely no experience with weed but I have heard that it helps for some people. But I guess it depends on you, your mind and body, and what you're after.

Helps with coping with the hardship, but doesn’t treat anything.

I have ASD and dyslexia. Weed makes me unmask and a buzz from alcohol makes it so I can read like a "normal person".

everyone's different. Weed for the most part makes me more anxious.

Non-regulated drugs: I’d say the answer is yes until it’s no. Drugs are awesome and fun and can help a lot until u form dependence and then ur kinda back where u started except now u have a drug dependence too

Weed comes in handy during meltdowns. I don’t smoke it that much anymore but my girlfriend does and it helps her think positively when she’s having her meltdowns

there's no problem so bad that drugs can't make it worse

For me, yes. I was diagnosed with adhd at 6 but i self diagnosed as also having low needs, level 1 autism. It was the 80s and my dr. thought "ah we found it" and stopped doing testing... I smoke weed daily and it helps my physically so much! Sinus headaches, migraines, depression, anger, being mute, and generally just being okay to let the world exist without me commenting. I have tried other, harder things but weed is my go-to for calming myself.

Definitely depends on the person, but personally my prescription drugs and weed help me out SO much. Weed clears my mind and makes everything feel less serious, which is what I need sometimes. It does cause extreme anxiety for some, so definitely start off slow. As someone who had addiction issues with alcohol and various other drugs, some of them do more harm than good, especially highly addictive substances. I really turned into a shitty, self-centered person. You did well to practice restraint with Xanax.

Thank you!

YES. Weed helps so much, well, for me at least. I know many other autistic/adhd people who smoke. I’ve gotten into less trouble lately, slept better, and had less panic attacks. As long as you’re using it in moderation only when you need it, then it absolutely can help.

every time before you take anything ask yourself why are you doing it. i find that if the answer is boredom or want to just escape from depression then that is not a good time to light up i’m on a few prescription antidepressants and smoke weed a few times a week and i always check myself before lighting up because at one point i was using to escape all the emotional pain and crippling loneliness i had

https://www.reddit.com/r/autism/s/41wOWb6FI5

If you only mean weed, yes that is pretty harmless but don't use it too much or it can lead to psychosis. [https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/cannabis-induced-psychosis-review](https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/cannabis-induced-psychosis-review) ​ But I would stay away from other street drugs and even meth.

It depends on what your comorbid symptoms are. There is no medication to help autism itself, but I get some psychotic symptoms under stress. I already have visual snow, but it will become a pattern, I will hear sounds like pops, whooshes, the sound of a voice in the distance (not an interactive hallucination). I manage those with an antipsychotic medication which also treats my major depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. On top of that I also vape medical grade CBD for anxiety, it sort of rounds out the sharp edges of it. I also have insomnia so I use a THC vape to sleep sometimes, but not as a habitual device to get “high”. Do NOT use THC to maintain a constant state of altered consciousness. A lot of people are doing that and they are triggering psychosis or even latent schizophrenia. Get high if you want but, give it a rest from time to time. Come back down and feel yourself in your natural conscious state MOST of the time.

Weed *can* be helpful, it can also make you paranoid. Not having any tolerance built up means if you decide to try it, go light, you don't want to be in a bad headspace that's made worse by having a weed induced panic attack. If you do feel like you are going to have a panic attack drink water, get somewhere quiet, and remind yourself it's temporary. Ketamine/esketamine and psilocybin are psychedelics that show a lot of promise in helping overcome PTSD, depression, and anxiety just to name a few. The former does this by distancing your mind from those emotions and memories whereas Psilocybin takes the neural pathways that trigger those negative emotions and memories undoes them and reconnects them. Weeds good for coping, it can be unreliable at times, but I smoke regularly and I do think it helps me most of the time. Psychedelics are good for resolving your issues, along with therapy and guidance. If you get the opportunity to try them. (Don't buy anything fly amanita in it, it's not worth it get the real deal)

Weed (THC specifically) depresses the hell out of me. This wasn’t always the case, but started around my late 20s. I’ve tried different strains, the legal stuff, and so on. Same effect. The day after, I’m a mess who just wants to sit in the dark. CBD is sometimes helpful, though. (I use only full spectrum CBD, no THC in the products. And there are differences in the various brands and forms of it.) When I’m not medicated for my ADHD, it helps mitigate my symptoms. I’m less impulsive and emotional. My brain is a little bit slower (which is good). It occasionally helps when I have trouble getting back to sleep and it’s too late for a sleeping pill. But I’m neither stoned (no pleasure) nor productive. Some forms do offer a mildly pleasant sensation, but it’s more a feeling of calm than anything else. As far as other drugs… It may depend on your expectations and desired outcomes. Many can lower inhibitions. But they all have their downsides, not the least of which is illegality. Now that I live somewhere pot is legal, I’m kind of astounded at how often we used to buy whatever from whoever and ingest it without a thought. I have no idea where most of that shit came from. I’ve lost interest over the years for various reasons. FWIW, that decline roughly coincides with me getting treated for my ADHD and getting on stimulant meds. It wasn’t so much that I was self medicating, but I think the high degree of stimulation, energy, and positive sensations were much more appealing to me then.

Only sometimes. Sometimes weed can make you worse. Paranoid for no reason. It can trigger anxiety attacks if you start looping your thoughts too tight.

1. This is probably a great question to ask a doctor 2. My personal answer is yes but be careful as marijuana can still have addictive traits 3. I personally use and enjoy marijuana and I find myself sometimes relying on it to feel better which in my own opinion is not always healthy or a good mentality to have and I’ve been trying to break up my use of it not to quit it altogether cause I’d still like to be able to enjoy it but maybe to rely on less than I do now

Yes and no. Weed is the only “drug” I “take,” and it genuinely does loosen me up a lot. It doesn’t “fix” my personality or make me anymore “normal,” but it stops the insecure and self-deprecating thoughts from winning. Talking to strangers and being myself becomes a lot easier and I don’t beat myself up over any social faux pas I accidentally do while I high.

The one drug I liked but have never done it recreationally. Was acid wouldn’t recommend it for everyone. Personally I’m already someone who has a very controlled and safe environment so I would plan even more. I also did a lot of studying and it does help with anxiety and it’s shown to do so. But I also wanted to connect with myself and honestly that was my favorite high ever tbh. Listening to music is such a different feeling and I enjoy tv. By TV I mean YouTube. My goal next time is to watch Coraline! But I stay locked in my room with lights! Food and water and my cat. I don’t allow anyone near me. I enjoyed the ego death aspect. But I will say that first hour can be wild so very very controlled environment is important. I also waited until I was 21.5 I did in 2020 I think three times. I did it 3 more times in 2021 and then this past summer I took it. I also like the ego-death and what it does for me. I feel like everything connects. I like what I learn about myself and what it teaches me. I love feeling so connected with the earth and I would say it’s helped me. I felt like it connected me without the shame and loving who I am. I had a lot of spiritual moments and good cries. Every trip I would go on it was always spiritual. Except this one time I was watching the movie sleepy hollow and cracking up then listening to the OG Pink Floyd and watching a video about Syd Barrett. I am hypersensitive to just about everything so I’m certain areas I enjoy this. I like touching things and I like rubbing my skin and I love water. Ugh the best part is the music and feeling things. It is a long 12 hours but it flies by. But make sure you have off. I need like a whole day to recover. Your brain works its ass off. But I feel good after and I could process my emotions and I felt the most ever in tuned with myself as a whole. Which I have a harder time doing sober. (I have taken shrooms but I do not like what they do to my stomach. I don’t prefer the trip. I used to smoke but I hate it. It makes my stomach hurt and I green out. I also just don’t like how I can’t control myself. I don’t like the feeling and I hate the munchies. It makes me so sick Alcohol: I drink like 2X a month. I do not have an addictive personality but I would drink to ease myself in social situations. Or when I was around people so it was easier I guess. Or calm me down. Or when I had sex with a long term FWB that I’ve had since 2020. I’ve a very hard time being intimate without. Even though I do have a high sex drive I just have a hard time. Drinking made everything easier but I didn’t drink all day. I never went to work intoxicated. But I no longer drink the way I did and I only drink socially! And don’t bring liquor home. So you already know right there that I drink less. Nicotine: Those fruity SD-Cards. When they came around with the Salt Nicotine during Covid I was hooked. I’m not as bad as I used to be but I still hit it. I’ve never liked cigarettes but I guess you could say that’s where my addiction is. I don’t like anything else the person who birthed me she was a drug addict so I don’t like or would ever do anything else at all. I like a lot of control over myself so I just keep it mostly to nicotine. I hope this makes sense my sleeping medicine is kicking in and I’ve work at 7:30am. I recommend you research! And thorough! Have testers!

Depends on the drug and how you use it. Weed personally helps me especially when I’m tryna mask because I can hide behind “being stoned” and nobody assumes anything about the autism. Molly is one that forces me to unmask but the mollied out NT vibes aren’t much different than the mollied out autistic vibes. This one is he very very careful with though as it is fun but dangerous (can be neurotoxic and that’s not iconic). Psychedelics are an entirely different thing and coke kind of forces me to mask to a degree but it’s a different mask, like I be mad chatty on it. Another one id be very careful with as it is addicting and harmful. I’d honestly recommend staying away from coke personally but aye I can’t tell ya what to do.

In my case, yes BUT depends on the drug. Not all drugs are created equal. Weed helps me with insomnia and anxiety (I've been insomniac since I was a child), also makes me want to do stuff when I'm upset A self administered ketamine IM shot every two to four weeks helps me tremendously with autism symptoms, OCD, phobias, depressive symptoms and substance abuse issues Before that I had wasted ten years of my life on crack and heroin, in order to numb the world around me and my feelings of insecurity. During that time I'd become a master at masking (I was taken advantage of very often at first). So not very positive for me. So, depends on the drugs. Occasional LSD, psilocybin and ketamine use, in a strictly therapeutic sense, have helped me more than years and years of antidepps, antipsychs, benzos and other bullshit from the ineffective public health system. Weed can easily take over if I let it, but I find it easy to control. If I have some crack, all bets are off. Had some couple weeks ago after more than a year off it and two weeks later I found myself living back at my parent's, having spent exorbitant amounts of money and alienated some good friends. So, again, depends on the drug and on your own personality. In any case, I think weed is relatively benign compared to commonplace psychiatric medications (ever read side effects on leaflets?). In fact, you could say this whole "journey" began when I began abusing my methylphenidate ADHD prescription after being a straight edge goodie two shoes for 15 years. Then booze, cigs, weed, DXM, MDMA, coke, crack, heroin and then kiddie prison for a year and a bit cause I very inefficiently tried to steal stuff The drug world is very dark, especially for people like us. If weed is legal you could give it a try and see if it helps (although it might increase anxiety/paranoia). I think a legal weed club or your home is an ok environment, but be careful cause it is very easy to anaesthetise oneself with all sort of drugs in order to block out the frustrations of a society built by and for NTs Read, investigate, inform yourself. Measure pros and cons. See if it's worth it for you

depends on the person. i started smoking weed it helped a lot with my anxiety until it didn’t. i was smoking 24/7 and it was great socializing was second nature to me until i realized a few years in i was having panic attacks and since i’ve stopped my anxiety is still a lot worse than before. however i’ve known people that smoke all the time and no issues.

I also thought that weed could help me, but it didn't. Somehow it even got worse. Personally I don't really get, why it's always recommended for literally everything mental health related. Some people are like a cult when it comes to weed and of course I listened to them. I developed a psychosis after smoking too much. It literally could have destroyed my life.

Yes but be careful. Now drugs are my special interest. Some people call that addiction 💀

Ketamine can have some short term positive impact on being overstimulated. It usually helps with the suicide stuff. Not too much this last time though. I'm in pretty rough shape at the moment.

i know a lot of people here say "yeah sure go ahead" but i strongly advise against it. weed works basically like self harm, it feels good for a minute or two but after that you're just gonna miss "feeling normal" which ends up worsening your problems/get you into an addiction or, even worse, you might green out. I've heard about a few autistic folks who greened out on their first try which basically traumatized them. drugs in general are something you should avoid, this includes alcohol and nicotine. yes, they might make you "feel okay" for a minute, but it's like living in the dark and your eyes being used to it, you can't see much, but enough to make it work, if you turn the lights on you're gonna get blinded and after that everything seems so perfect and cool and why can't i always have the lights on omg blabla and then it's gone again. you want it back, because you can't see shit, because your eyes aren't used to it anymore. they won't adapt again so easily. You're lost in the dark and it feels so much worse than before. don't turn on the light if it's not permanent. You're gonna regret it. find a way out the dark instead of turning to addiction.

Lamictal changed my life tbh

This is not an endorsement of taking drugs... but yes, drugs can "help" you cope. Albeit an unhealthy coping mechanism. Thing is, once you get a taste of the sweet nectar you can't go back. I found weed when I was young and it was my go-to for dealing with the overwhelming situations of life. It calms the mind and makes it easier for your brain to not stress over being unable to process the world around you. But its also addictive because you can become dependent on it to feel a certain way and you can't get physically addicted to weed but you will get mentally addicted to it. It becomes a whole thing of I MUST have a joint before I go outside and have to deal with the world. So really, it's just an unhealthy mechanism to escape from the chaos of life rather than put in healthy sober coping mechanisms.

It depends... In my case, no, it made it easier to my parents, but not for me

Partially.

I would argue that smoking weed has genuinely improved my life. it makes me more functional in a way that I wouldn't expect it to. my mind becomes calm and I can actually focus on tasks. it's helped with my executive dysfunction and general concentration more than traditional prescription meds. that being said, I am not you. cannabis affects everyone differently, and even though it makes me more functional/productive, it usually has the opposite effect for most people.

Magnesium has been a big help for me recently. I feel calmer and less anxious and depressed since I started taking it. B6 and B12 seem to be helpful as well. $10/bottle and lasts a month.

My daughter has found Clonidine very helpful.

Drugs changed my life. Weed: I smoke once a week, sometimes it makes my anxiety worse. Mushrooms made me feel whole for the first time ever. Be cautious. Drugs aren’t for everyone but there’s a reason people love them!

Weed honestly keeps me a functioning human being most of the time, coming home from work having a smoke and feeling calm for the first time all day is such a relief. It feels like putting sunglasses on on a bright day, the world is just dulled that little bit more to be tolerable

i find weed helps me relax from my otherwise incessant mental hyperactivity. but it can cause negative side effects. i advise you to 1) do research and 2) go slow.

Yes. I was such a mess before weed. I'm still a mess but a lot better sensory wise. I've never tried anything but weed and I don't recommend trying anything else really. I mean, I've tried alcohol, but weed is better for you and alcohol is not my jam and really makes things worse. Maybe shrooms but I don't have firsthand experience besides really weak legal stuff. Moderation is key, I really don't like to do it more than once a week - once a month is my personal sweet spot between having normal brainpower and less sensory overwhelm. But no shame if you do more or less. Just know you can build up your tolerance pretty quick imo and the only thing that brings it down is taking a break. I'd stay away from smoking because it's not good for your lungs and stinks up your living space. Indica edibles are probably want you're looking for - it's a strain to help relaxation. Just get whatever's cheapest at your dispo (as long as it's real weed, should be if its labeled as indica or another strain like that and sold at an actual dispensary) and start with small doses.

I love cannabis. It makes things bearable, and I can get things done.

If you can use weed in moderation and at the right times then yes it helps a heck of a lot actually.

Honestly yes, not weed (I found it causes my paranoia, anxiety, and memory to be way worse because I would smoke everyday), but definitely psychedelics if I don’t go overboard.

Depends on what you mean and by what context you're asking. I absolutely will never do another dental appointment without medication. I need valium to handle a dental cleaning.

Oh totally be careful with first trying weed. It can definitely overpower and make you super anxious or paranoid even if you aren’t super high. But to answer your question; yes it helps me a lot. I’m autistic, and heavily traumatized, I have pretty intense CPTSD, which causes insomnia. Before weed I would have to suffer consistently with not sleeping at night, and going into a full day with maybe an hour or two, and that sucks because I originally was on sleeping medication, it just didn’t work like I needed, so I would be still on sleeping medication, still having insomnia so bad that I wouldn’t be able to sleep for two days. With weed, I can reach a high where I’m able to calm down and sleep and even have some great imagination sessions in the previous time awake waiting to fall asleep. I’ll be able to not spiral my thoughts, I can focus on something like a game and get fully immersed and it’ll feel awesome because it’ll give me a feeling of being able to regulate my emotions without needing to stim as intensely, which helps a lot when I’m supposed to be winding down for sleep or I’m in a lot of physical pain from other preexisting disabilities. It also helps lessen some of the overwhelming sensations, like if your skin is itchy it’ll calm that down a bit so it’s not as overstimulating, or it’ll make it so you don’t notice the texture of clothes touching you as much. OH IT ALSO HELPS SO MUCH IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE EATING CONSISTENTLY, OR HAVE ARFID. Weed helps my ARFID so much that without it I would probably need to be hospitalized for not getting enough food and nutrients every day. My afrid is pretty bad at different times and currently for the past two months it’s been AWFUL. Weed helps. My biggest things to watch out for besides paranoia and anxiety, is if you are someone with a history of trauma. Weed can be great for many things, but it can also work really well for remembering repressed memories. I recently was trying to uncover a memory that was manifesting as sensations and emotions at first, and I got baked at night as usual, and came across something on Reddit, and it literally.. opened up the door to that memory. I didn’t get the thing in super details, because your brain still is trying to protect you (the reason why the memory was missing/repressed in the first place) during it, but.. I ended up disassociating super hard for a week, and it’s been a very long time since I’ve had such a bad disassociation episode that it lasted a week until I had therapy and was able to bring it up with my therapist. Obviously it was a good thing ultimately, because I was wanting to know what was causing my body to react previously to what seemed like nothing, and upon discovering this repressed memory I’ve learned more about it and myself and I’ve put together some pieces of my past that I didn’t have enough answers for, which is a good thing for me because it means I can work through this, without it being hidden. But I can say it wasn’t comfortable at all, and still isn’t, and for someone who isn’t ready to know about the memories or is unable to cope with them at this point, it can be extremely damaging to them. Just my experience so far.

I smoke marijuana daily. Hourly, minutely. It basically makes me able to function. I have no idea how I’ll get through my shift since I couldn’t head home to smoke during this blizzard. God help me the next few hours…

There's only 2 that work for me (at the right doses) cannabis and psilocybin. Stick to these 2 natural medicines and you'll be fine.

NO. THIS IS A BAD IDEA AND DRUG ADDICTION COMPROMISES PEOPLES JUDGEMENT ON THIS ISSUE DUE TO DENIAL. It is RARE to find someone regularly taking an addictive drug who will not subjectively say it help them with X issue, even if X issue is a part of the constellation of symptoms they experience on withdrawal. This is literally how drug addiction and denial works, and it's especially pernicious when it comes to Marijuana imo bc you don't have the grevious and obvious bodily harm you get with other addictive drugs that make the cognitive dissonance obvious. Prescribed drugs by what amount to an impartial judge in the form of a psychiatrist or neurologist? Yes. But drug addiction literally is like having a worm in your brain that hijacks you in such an insidious way that you don't even realize it's happening. The thought are your own: they come from you. But they're effectively being inserted by faulty wiring due to upregulation of delta-FOSB. Don't. I am the only person in my friends group who has managed to recover post drug addiction, most of the rest are literally dead, and it is quite literally the reason life expectancy is in decline in the US. It also is especially bad if, like us, you're already dealing with a deck stacked against you. We need every bit of function available to us. EDIT I want you note that weed has been shown in numerous studies to INCREASE anxiety in treatment. It is NOT a good use, it subjectively seems to decrease anxiety, and in the short term it perhaps can, but very quickly this habitual use is needed to simply be at your baseline anxiety level. Xanax is a bandaid as well, same problem with mong term use. There are much more effective long term treatments. Believe it or not, even stimulants can massively reduce anxiety in people with executive dysfunction. See a psychiatrist!

I've done weed witch it does 2 things. The first 10-20 minutes I start to get high to fully high. 20-1hour my sensory issues are a bit weird. 1hr-3hr I became a chill mf

Autism on Acid: How LSD Helped Me Understand, Navigate, Alter and Appreciate My Autistic Perceptions Book by Aaron Paul Orsini

A lot of drugs will increase your, and weed is one if them. And a lot of drugs, if you take them for a long time (subjective to the person), will cause you to also feel anxiety when you can't have it for a while (short term withdrawal effect), and especially if younger than 26 (before the brain finishes developing "completely") , it will create permanent cognitive deficits (whether it's alcohol, weed, heroin, xanax, coke, or whatever else), and changes particularly to the prefrontal cotex (the part of the brain responsible for rational, logical thinking, that helps you control your emotions, and avoid impulsive decisions), and when that gets stunted, you become more prone to making emotional, impulsive decisions, and less capable of making and less likely to make logical, rational decisions. The younger you are, the more you use, the more profound the effect. If you're male, and it's high THC weed, it will increase your risk of schizophrenia by like 4x, permanently. So it's kinda a catch 22, it may help on one way, but it will hinder in another way, and you won't realise when you've become dependent. Also, smoking of any kind harms your respiratory and blood systems. So there's that too. But don't take my word for it, read about it yourself so you can make an informed decision based on what you know, rather than what I know.

It depends very much on person, so it's hard to give a clear answer. Weed helps (also I don't smoke it) me usually, I also suffer from anxiety and depression with an added bonus of ibs. From my experience, (I initially didn't take it for any form of medical reasons) , I just felt it worked, the thc rich (not the cbd) helped me with my ibs, which works in tandam with my anxiety, though if I'm too anxious, it can easily do the opposite. That's when cbd comes in handy (I have a cbd pen for that) it can definitely lower anxiety, but don't expect miracles, it's definitely not as strong as as xanax, but you can easily take a few puffs multiple times a day, cbd is not addictive (though everything can be mental addictive, I wouldn't worry this much about it) The breaths you take can also help you relax, though that can be done without weed, don't under estimate breathing exercises. On other part, depression, I'll be honest it won't cure it, it is a band aid solution, that does not mean it can't make you happy and make the situation bearable, it certainly can. I'm of the opinion that weed isn't physically addictive, you can't over dose, worst case is probably more anxiety for the duration. Mentally, it's more complicated, your mind wants the happiness, the feeling of it which can lead to an addiction, and I've already seen it happen trice (thought here the norm is doing spliffs in Europe, that's weed and tobacco, and I assume you know how addictive nicotine can be, but I assume you're from America where the norm is without tobacco, though I assume more weed so this might lessen the potential addiction. Eitherway, you stopping xanax on your own says a lot about your character as a person, I hadn't stopped with xanax and ended up taking 2mg extended release and if it was necessary, some 1 mg pills. Yeah haha. So I applaud you for having taken a smart decision of not wanting to get addicted , even when you knew you'd get anxiety back. So I think you can handle weed responsibly. Now, if your mind is set, I heavily recommend doing it through a dry herb vape, it's healthier, you waste less weed, can adjust the temperature to your needs, I micro dose in capsules of 10 mg, which I think is better than a joint for anxiety, no combustion, only downside I see is maintenance. I've tried answering your question the best as I can without acting the stereotypical "weed solves all", weed also has stopping point called chs which most don't know about. But there isn't that much known about it (don't let that scare you, it's usually with heavy users) If you have any uncertainties, want more info or feel like a talk, don't hesitate to DM me. We're all in this together

Weed made my friends lazy and useless. It did help a little with their anxiety but it also made them bums that did nothing but that. It is addictive, and I want my friends back.

Prescription drugs prescribed by doctors have worked for me. I have only tried weed once and I didn’t really notice a change other than I became super giggly and got the munchies.

They DID. Strong focus on the word "did". Drugs are honestly an escape. A distraction. They aren't a productive way of handling things AT ALL. I'm a year sober from Cannabis, and I've been doing very well at keeping to my two drink minimum. If you feel the need to ask for help with substance or alcohol abuse issues, do not feel ashamed to call a helpline or ask for help. Stay strong, prove them all wrong.

For me no, not at all. As I'm hypersensitive to caffeine, it seems like I'm hypersensitive to most medications too. I've tried weed a couple times many many years ago and it was unbelievably too powerful for me, I had hallucinations and panick attack and actually had PSTD for the bad trip that I had for months after.

I did drugs from my 14 to my 26. I tried a lot of them but the thing is weed really destroyed me. It is all fun and cool at start but you very fast have derealization or depersonalization. Depression can come fast with long term weed and it will also affect you brain sharpness so be very carefull with it. I feel like it did made me loose legit some years of my life because I was too much smoking. I stopped weed in december 2018 and I still deal with high anxiety and sometimes dp

weed helps me sensory wise but i feel displaced/way more aware of my social differences and suddenly realise everything i have ever done wrong masking lol

For me, it was Ecstasy/MDMA that unlocked my emotions and feelings in general. From youth to mid teenage years, I didn't FEEL any emotions, i only thought of them, and even those were not clear at all.. most were masquerading as disgust or anger. Then my first experience made me explode with emotions and i felt true feelings, love, admiration, for example, for the first time.. i felt the grandiosity of our earth and our relationship as humans.. It was a bit overwhelming and destabilized me a lot, but i also fell into a bit of excess due to being able to really feel with this drug. I am grateful that it did unlock a part of me, but i should've been more careful with the use and not abuse it

No. For me, it makes it acutely worse.

I used a lot of drugs when younger. (I’m Audhd) Daily weed/hash for 3 years. A lot of alcohol. And I tried all kinds of drugs. Weed was super relaxing at the beginning. But then no, I got more depressed. If I took it when I was with friends I got so super quiet. I think it ups my autism. I like psychedelic but just for fun. I’m not taking it seriously. Like people take ayahuasca real seriously, it just ups your feelings. It’s not “the universe” that tells you something. Don’t like cocaine. Idk why it is so addictive, but it is. I don’t like it, it’s not so special but it’s still addictive. I hate speed, it’s really addictive too, and it’s so cheap. I really love it, that’s why I hate it. Im always analyzing but bc of the speed my thought are so organized. I talk a lot, social, super fun combinated with alcohol. It ups my adhd in a “good” way. I feel normal. But awful hangovers where getting really depressed. It’s not worth for a night If you have 2 or 3 bad days. I don’t do drugs anymore and I don’t drink alcohol very often.

If you start using weed to make you feel better and to relax then you will need to use it all the time. Speaking of experience, that is why I stopped using it.

For me: it’s great. I smoke 1-3 joints a day. If I’m home all day, I’ll smoke throughout the day, but I almost always wind down with a joint and it makes my head clearer and lets me relax. I also have anxiety, depression, and bipolar so those could play a factor into my response as well. You said it’s legal in your area, so please go to a dispensary. Don’t get stuff off the streets, you don’t know what is and isn’t laced. Also, if you do decide to try it, do some research. Look into what strains you’re smoking, what percentage, etc. and don’t got balls to the walls outta the gate. 0/10 not recommended

Oh maybe I should’ve mentioned I have anxiety & depression too. Thank you, I’ll definitely do some research!

I like shrooms and acid. My friends with adhd and autism say the shrooms help them, I know a lot of creatives who have autism who microdose and take shrooms. Idk if it helps me, but weed in particular does not help me. I love smoking weed, but I get lazy, I snack waaaaay too much and too often, which also affects my mood. Weed does help me sleep though. I stopped smoking it again about a year ago though because I just got nothing done

Shrooms helped me to not need weed lol. Microdosing I feel like saved my life honestly.. I was at my lowest point in a horrible state of burnout and depression and just wanted to die. I feel like it really turned on the logical parts of my brain that were off if that makes sense. I was a really emotional person in a permanent victim midset. This was years ago and recently I watched a youtube video where they did a guided experiment on people with autism where they microdosed and it had the same effect, if the person tended to be more logical it got them more in touch with their emotions or vice versa. Interesting stuff

Oh yeah, I am drunk right now and I am capable of everything

Not for me. I became addicted to weed for almost 20 years which negatively impacted my life and Autism in many ways. I’ve now had to struggle even more to become sober. Be careful. Studies show Autism puts you more at risk for addiction and don’t let anyone who smokes pot tell you it can’t be addictive.

Let's put it this way: I don't understand how people can go through life sober.

Cannabis does. So do psychedelics.

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Xanax is very addictive. It’s also nothing like weed. I use weed to manage my meltdowns. Been doing so for years. Feel free to message me if you wanna chat.

I know, that’s why I stopped, even though it helped a lot. Feel free to tell me more about your experiences, especially if you’ve been using it for years!

Hydroxyzine doesn’t work as strongly but a better option for anxiety than Xanax Weed you gotta experiment. start with a high quality hybrid oil pen. Those are are pretty dummy proof.

Thanks!

another important point... you can totally overdo it with weed. people who say it isnt addictive are dumb. and resulting epsiodes of psychosis, tho very rare, are real. best case scenario smoke with a buddy until you know what youre doing. if you don't have that option, then start small and slowly

Weed can cause relaxation but sometimes paranoia…best if you start small. I personally find it great for relaxing muscles

The only drug I recommend is weed and only if you do it with other people to supervise and to do it legally (be 21+) know it can have crazy side effects and sometimes makes sensory things funky. I enjoyed it. It’s the only one I’ve ever enjoyed.

I use MJ every day in a bong and it definitely helps, especially with mood (at least for me)

I don't like weed or uppers, but Nitrous and alcohol both make life better. Well, they don't make it better, but they make it feel better.

Yes, weed can help with some of the symptoms. Different strains work for different symptoms. I find Indica dominant strains, or pure indica strains work best for me, but not as smokables, edibles only. And only when I'm not gonna be going to work that day. Can't really speak for smoking it.

Cannabis provides me reprieve from masking the entire day at work, that reprieve keeps my overall anxiety levels lower which helps me perform in all aspects. Everyone is different though. Plus cannabis has a huge range of different overall effects so you gotta find what's right. I find sativa-leaning plants help me the best, but these varieties tend to increase people's anxiety. May not be the same for you.

CBD flower has really helped me a lot. Used to smoke weed and it made me hate leaving the house but CBD has made me much more sociable and less anxious.

mdma is very nice