Misc How can hallucinogens be used to help autistic people?

[SomeGuyLOL]

Last week I was diagnosed with ASD1. I am late diagnosed 22M. My diagnosis changed quite a few times but I think ASD1 is the one that makes the most sense.

Quite literally two days after that I took my first LSD. I was at a beach near a forest. For the first half of the trip I was at the beach calmly thinking and doing introspection. Then we went back into the forest where there was a camping packed of people. There I was very overstimulated.

The thing that has stuck the most from my LSD trip was my rumination. ASD1 can make you ruminate quite a lot. Since I was literally a kid in primary school I can fall very easily into a rumination loop and be quite self-loathing. In my LSD trip there was a moment that my rumination was very strong, but since then, it seems that it has declined, even now after a few days that I’m sober.

I know that it is still very experimental but I know that hallucinogens are being studied as mental health treatment, specially magic shrooms, but I would like to know about LSD, and what is the science behind it, specially with autism. If LSD or any other hallucinogen can help me with some of the symptoms I less like from ASD then I am open to use them occasionally.

 

[Mildred Ratched]

I’ve heard MDMA can help autistic people and I hope to try it one day.

Never heard about LSD being used to help autistic people.

 

[felixandrea]

Last week I was diagnosed with ASD1. I am late diagnosed 22M. My diagnosis changed quite a few times but I think ASD1 is the one that makes the most sense.

Quite literally two days after that I took my first LSD. I was at a beach near a forest. For the first half of the trip I was at the beach calmly thinking and doing introspection. Then we went back into the forest where there was a camping packed of people. There I was very overstimulated.

The thing that has stuck the most from my LSD trip was my rumination. ASD1 can make you ruminate quite a lot. Since I was literally a kid in primary school I can fall very easily into a rumination loop and be quite self-loathing. In my LSD trip there was a moment that my rumination was very strong, but since then, it seems that it has declined, even now after a few days that I’m sober.

I know that it is still very experimental but I know that hallucinogens are being studied as mental health treatment, specially magic shrooms, but I would like to know about LSD, and what is the science behind it, specially with autism. If LSD or any other hallucinogen can help me with some of the symptoms I less like from ASD then I am open to use them occasionally. heardle

As someone who's also interested in the research, I'd just be careful not to assume that because you felt better after one experience, it's a reliable treatment.

There is some early research looking at psychedelics for various mental health conditions, but for autism specifically the evidence is still very limited. It's also hard to separate the effects of the drug itself from things like having a meaningful experience, being in a relaxing environment, or simply viewing your thoughts from a different perspective.

The reduction in rumination you described is interesting, though. Even if it doesn't last forever, it might be worth reflecting on why those thoughts felt different afterward and discussing that with a therapist who understands ASD. That could help you build on the insight without relying on psychedelics.

Hopefully we'll get better clinical data over the next few years, because it's an area that definitely deserves careful research rather than assumptions in either direction.

 

[Gridlink]

I have autism also and I'd anecdotally say that any hallucinogen can help you open up to others and change problem behaviors. At least all the ones I have tried can do that...shrooms, lsd, 2-cb.
Dxm, ketamine, and pcp were honestly great for introspection and learning to love myself.
MDMA and mda also can help socially and emotionally.
Going to be honest opiates also helped me, but having been addicted to oxy, h, and fent I cannot really recommend that route. Too many problems caused by illegalization.