Greta wrote: ↑March 6th, 2018, 6:15 pm
As for autism, being on the spectrum myself,
If so, you would probably be viewed as afflicted with what is called High Functioning Autism (HFA), as it is evident from your facility with language,( the written word, at least), that your IQ is well above the 70 point cut off that demarcates "high function" in the case of persons with
bone fide Autistic Spectrum Disorders. Bear in mind, however, that HFA ,as opposed to Asperger Syndrome, ( which is also, in many cases a "high functioning species of Autism Spectrum Disorder in adults) does not yet
officially exist as a legitimate mental disorder in the West. HFA, in short, is not included in any major, official Western psychiatric nosology ( such as the DSM in the US or the ICD in Europe) at present. This means that, strictly speaking, a registered psychiatrist cannot diagnose an adult with HFA, because the condition does not yet actually exist as far as the mainstream psychiatric establishment is concerned.
Of course, the truth is, that such a condition as HFS does indeed, almost certainly exist and will, in time, be officially acknowledged.
People with genuine high functioning autism characteristically have material impairments with respect to social communication. Having to socialise with others ( and often even just having others around them at close quarters) in an office at work, for example, is something they typically find very stressful; psychiatrists say that they are highly prone to experience "chronic social anxiety". This is probably why you found the sedative, anxiolytic properties of cannabis "therapeutic" in the way that you have described when you experimented with the substance.
The difficulty in your case is that HFA is a 24/7 ( hard-wired neurodevelopmental) mental disorder and their is, at present, no cure; so, if you wanted to use cannabis to control the symptoms of social anxiety associated with your condition you would need to use it on a regular, daily, long-term basis. The big problem here is that chronic, long-term exposure to cannabis is believed - ( and there is hard empirical research evidence to support this claim) - to
double your risk for acquiring a psychotic disorder, in particular, schizophrenia. And trust me, as someone who worked as a hospital pharmacist for many years and has a special interest in psychopharmacology, I can tell you that the kind of suffering patients with schizophrenia experience makes having a condition like HFA seem like a walk in the park. In short, if you decided to use cannabis as a regular anxiolytic, you'd effectively be playing Russian Roulette with your sanity. Far better to use a drug like Valium ( diazepam) IMO if your social anxiety is particularly disabling. Even though drugs like Valium( benzodiazepines) can be very addictive for
some individuals,they are, generally-speaking, safe when used prudently for the long-term treatment of chronic anxiety that has an organic (neurobiological) aetiology (such as does your HFA-associated social anxiety).
Finally, on a personal, though highly controversial (theoretical) note, I firmly believe that low daily doses of stimulant drugs like dexamphetamine sulphate and "Ritalin" (methylphenidate) can be extremely therapeutic in the treatment of conditions like Asperger Syndrome/HFA in adults and should be
trialled as a matter of course by any psychiatrists who is experiencing difficulty trying to stabilize stubborn/refractory symptoms of moderate to severe anxiety in any of his/her adult patient/s with these conditions.
Regards
Dachshund