Low energy and intrusive thoughts

@klash89 Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Many times we may have a few things going on at the same time, and trying to narrow down the causes can be a challenge!

What was your formal ASD diagnosis? For example, mine was Aspergers Syndrome.

My suggestion is to start with a good physical exam, and feel comfortable you are in good health in that regard. Are you following a healthy diet, getting adequate sleep and moderate exercise? Have you had any major emotional or mental traumas that have not been addressed? It's surprising how other factors can interfere with our well-being, and we may not even be aware! From there, looking at your past practices [too much screen time for example] can be something to address. Autism is a spectrum, and how it may affect us at one time may be different in another situation.

What do you find interests you in the course of a day, or week?
Ginger

My formal diagnosis as a kid was Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD). I fell one requirement short of Asperger's. But they keep changing the labels and now by the medical community's standard I'm just considered to be on the autism spectrum.

As for what you said about the physical exam, I have had many tests done, and all of them have come back saying that my levels are normal. I eat pretty healthily, making sure to avoid junk food most of the time and getting vegetables in most days. I get a good amount of sleep every night, although I have to take melatonin for that to happen (I practice good sleep hygiene to a strict degree, despite what the need for melatonin would lead you to believe. I suspect this need for melatonin is caused by my condition producing the low energy and intrusive thoughts.) I no longer exercise aside from walking. This is because even though I've been told that exercise will increase a person's energy over time, the last couple of times I tried that it did not increase mine. And yes, I stuck to that exercise for more than just a few days. A significant portion of my day is spent resting/sleeping, so I want to invest my time in what things are higher on my priorities, and exercise is a lower priority for me, one reason being is that I'm a skinny guy with a fast metabolism. I have not had any traumatic experiences.

My interests are reading and illustrating. It's only recently that I've really gotten into illustrating, so I'm trying to build up my skill.

I'm a young adult and I'm still having to live with my parents because of my low energy. I wasn't exaggerating when I said we have tried just about everything to get myself back to normal. But thank you for responding to my post.

Also, I forgot to add in my first reply that as a kid I was also diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). Another piece of info to consider.

@klash89 It appears you are trying different things, and have a handle on what hasn't worked for you so far. I was formally diagnosed, as an adult, with Aspergers Syndrome and can understand some of the obstacles you are facing.

A couple of things I would suggest:
- start writing out your thoughts, and illustrating them if so inclined. A couple of years ago I started a conversation here on Mayo Clinic Connect: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/journaling-the-write-stuff-for-you/
For me, journaling has been quite insightful. And as you will read this thread, there are so many ways to approach this. It's not just words, you can expand into art journaling, writing poems, essays, etc. A look back after some time doing this, you may find your enthusiasm and energy has increased. My preference is to do it long-hand, for a couple of reasons: much more portable for me, and I can see how my mood is when looking at the handwriting.

- Zentangle is a great form of "meditative art" if you'd like to call it that. I discovered this in 2018, and it has changed my life! https://zentangle.com/ Take a look at their website

Remember, one's normal is not always another's normal, even in the autism world. We get upset and tired of being stuck in one spot, and it takes a great deal of commitment and effort to make a change. Even if we do not find the right key at the beginning, it is important to keep trying. Sometimes little changes at a time will make a difference in the long run. I am glad you came here to find a path.
Ginger

Wow! This is EXACTLY what is going on with my 26 year old son with ASD and depression! Horribly low energy, cant make it to his VERY part time job, and one college class. Intrusive thoughts are CONSTANT! He is near suicidal because of this. Hates himself.

Your son seems to be the one person in a million, perhaps literally, who is in my particular situation! I figure you and him have pretty much tried everything by this point to get him back to normal, and I understand how it can lead to discouragement. I know what it's like to try and try and try and try and try and try and try, and STILL not succeed, not just at fixing the aforementioned symptoms, but at many goals I would like to accomplish. I say that because I figure he can say the same thing regarding himself.

I am sorry to hear that your son is having a very rough time. As for your son's depression, my advice would be to guard the way he thinks about himself. Having intrusive thoughts, I know well that defeatist and discouraging thoughts are going to pop in his head regardless of whether or not he is wilfully choosing to think on them, but I believe it would make a significant difference if he does not wilfully think such things. Much of the time depression is rooted in the way we think about ourselves and life. I make sure to guard my thoughts and I believe the peace I have regarding my situation is due in large part from this. Doesn't mean I'm thrilled about everything that goes wrong in my life, but I'm not consumed by it.

I was pleased to see your reply and know that there's somebody out there who's in the same boat as I am.

@asdmom Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. It sounds like you and @klash89 can certainly share common experiences, and they offered some great insight.

I think that for many of us on the autism spectrum also deal with depression of some sort. It may come from feeling we are so different, how we live, how we view the world, etc. It's hard to get out of that rut, and can take a lot of work. For me, finding something that engages my sense of accomplishment has helped. It reminds me that I can do something.
Ginger

As I said in the initial post, it is likely that my condition is related to hyperstimulation, given the symptoms. Actually, I strongly suspect that is what it is. In case your son has not tried this yet, give relaxation techniques a shot. In particular, guided imagery relaxation exercises can help to temporarily lower intrusive thoughts, which can then make it easier to relax. It did not help to lower my intrusive thoughts, but it might work for him. For people trying to recover from hyperstimulation, it usually takes 3 months of daily practicing relaxation exercises (30 minutes twice daily) to first notice improvement in symptoms. The process can be sped up by pouring in more time for doing it in a day. I'll point out that it's not considered healthy to go for more than 2 hours total of relaxation practice in a day.

In addition, screen use may be playing a role in the progression of his symptoms. I would recommend that he uses the computer, phone, etc. at a low brightness, not for more than 2 hours in a day, and that it not involve much stimulating elements, like rapidly changing colors. Video games in particular can overstimulate someone with ASD. And if you have not tried this yet, abstinence from electronics for a few months should be given a shot (except when using them is necessary), at the same time you try the relaxation techniques.

Bear in mind that I did all of this and it still did not help, but it has helped others with hyperstimulation. If your son does this stuff and still does not improve, tell him that it did not work for me either and that he's not alone. Also, it may be a sign that ASD can complicate hyperstimulation and prevent recovery in a way that the medical community is not yet aware of.

Of course, given the fact that he has probably been in this mess for a long time, y'all may have already tried this stuff. I just wanted to give this advice in case you haven't.