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Was My Love of Recreational Drugs Connected to Autism?
Research suggests that ‘untreated autism’ is tied to alcohol and drug abuse
Between ages 13 and 17, I was obsessed with drugs. I had no idea I was autistic then, but it would certainly meet the requirements to be classified as a special interest. Drugs fascinated me, and I wanted to try them all. I loved the way draw made me giggle, and speed made me feel calm and effective. Ecstasy was my all-time favourite. Unlike alcohol, it didn’t make my face red, and it didn’t make me puke or humiliate myself. Hurray!
It turns out that my interest may have been more typical than I ever realised. Research shows that untreated autism spectrum disorder is tied to alcohol and drug abuse in a measurable way, according to a Taiwanese study published in 2021.
“Substance abuse problems were more prevalent among those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) than among sex- and age-matched controls, ”
Was I already self-medicating at 13? Trying to correct a psyche that I’d already subconsciously registered was not easy to manage? Hard to say. At the time, all I knew was that drugs made me feel great.
Until I tried acid.
At first, nothing happened. We huddled together in my double bed, laughing and…
