Depression and anxiety can impact your life in a number of ways, including your relationships with others, your job, and the enjoyment of daily activities. Mary Einarson of Spectrum Counseling, serving Minneapolis, Plymouth, and the rest of Minnesota online, provides the necessary therapy to maintain a high quality of life even with these challenges.
The Connection Between Autism and Depression and/or Anxiety
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2018, about one in eight people throughout the world were living with a mental health concern, like anxiety or depression. As somebody who specializes in clients on the spectrum, Mary sees a significant number of clients with autism and either depression or anxiety because these individuals are more at risk for these issues.
For example, it's easy for a person with autism to focus on their career to the exclusion of nurturing their need for fun, relaxation, and socialization. Ultimately, this can lead to burnout, anxiety, and depression.
The symptoms associated with autism, discrimination, and the social stigma surrounding autism also can contribute to depression and/or anxiety.
Understanding the Signs
It's vital, especially as a neurodivergent person, for you to understand the signs of depression or anxiety and receive the necessary treatment as soon as possible.
Signs of anxiety include the following:
- Nervousness or restlessness
- Feeling tense
- Elevated heart rate or rapid breathing
- Feeling impending danger or doom
- Struggling to fall and stay asleep
- Difficulty concentrating
- Practicing avoidance
- Gastrointestinal symptoms
Depression, on the other hand, may cause any of the following:
- Feeling sad, hopeless, empty, or guilty
- Suffering from irritability or frustration over minute issues
- Sleeping too much or not enough
- Feeling tired or not having energy
- Experiencing outbursts of anger
- Decreased appetite or eating more than usual
- Thoughts of suicide or death
- Unexplained headaches or back pain
How Mary Can Assist
Treatment is informed by understanding of how autism affects you as you learn ways to cope and adjust to reduce anxiety or depression’s toll on your life. Through therapy, Mary can help you replace the negative thoughts you have of yourself or your situation with positive ones. Therapy can also give you the tools you need for social situations to make them less stressful.
Mary Einarson of Spectrum Counseling, serving Minneapolis, Plymouth, and Minnesota online, provides mental health support for those with mood disorders. And, as a counselor specializing in autism, she can help people on the spectrum live a fulfilling life without anxiety or depression.
