Research Research Re. Ptsd And Autism Connections

[greenleaf]

Brain biology! Eventually I will learn this anatomy stuff...

"Autism spectrum disorders" (ASD) can include many changes: amygdala size increases, large cortisol reactions to stress, difficulty understanding one's own emotions, fight-or-flight nervous system responses to loud noises or even "normal" sensory input that isn't processed normally, and lots of emotional regulation troubles of different sorts,... with every person being somewhat different.

ASD is largely genetic but was not understood decades ago, so many folks could have had a parent who had to struggle with ASD without help. Lots of interactions possible with trauma.

Autism in females "presents" very differently from males in many people, and is quite likely underdiagnosed (partly due to ASD criteria being based on male patterns) according to other recent research.

Borderline personality disorder seems to be a common misdiagnosis for women with ASD; the emotional regulation issues overlap. Many adults with undiagnosed ASD have depression due to years of struggles, and services for adults are well behind those for kids.

Women with ASDare apparently better on average than men at "acting normal", probably biology plus motivations (that probably are biological too). To paraphrase loosely, we do lots of cognitive work on figuring out "normal" human behavior and slowly learn to model some things that are automatic or intuitive for others, but that is a stressful activity or at least takes energy and is slower than "normal". Learning that doesn't change the underlying neurological difficulties -- sensory overloads, physiological stress from things that others tolerate normally, emotion regulation trouble and social consequences from that -- autism is quite varied. ...so,if ASD actually 1 in 68 or so, how many adults might have this going on? (The people who claim autism is all a new thing caused by vaccines drive me nuts; a lot of adults are out there right now, needing services.)

Also, a thought... once you're traumatized: if you can't discern subtle facial expressions of people who might support you, and you often don't yourself use facial expressions that other people understand as "upset", you might have more trouble getting support from the existing societal setups for supporting survivors (I think that has been an issue for me).

Autistic "shutdowns" seem to me to overlap a lot with dissociation, folks can find that discussed on the web.

I am hoping that abstracts are ok to post, plus a small quote:
(snippet from the below article re. trauma, emotion regulation, and ASD)

"Biological anomalies implicated in emotion regulation deficits, such as structural anomalies of the brain (e.g. medial prefrontal cortex, amygdala, cingulate cortex and orbitofrontal cortex) and physiological anomalies (e.g. enhanced startle response) are also implicated in ASD (White et al. 2014). "
from
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
November 2015, Volume 45, Issue 11, pp 3475-3486

Traumatic Childhood Events and Autism Spectrum Disorder

• Connor Morrow Kerns
• , Craig J. Newschaffer
• , Steven J. Berkowitz

Abstract
Traumatic childhood events are associated with a wide range of negative physical, psychological and adaptive outcomes over the life course and are one of the few identifiable causes of psychiatric illness. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be at increased risk for both encountering traumatic events and developing traumatic sequelae; however, this topic has been understudied. This review considers the rationale for examining traumatic events and related symptomology in individuals with ASD and summarizes the limited research on this topic. A conceptual framework for understanding the interplay of ASD, trauma and traumatic sequelae is proposed and recommendations for future research presented.

 

[Knak]

With increased evidence of the link between vaccination and autism, with evidence routinely suppressed, and the above stated increased risk encountering trauma when autism exists, I wonder to what degree receiving vaccinations play in causation of PTSD or CPTSD.
This is what I wonder about in myself as I had a distinct change of personality at the age of nine. By the age of ten I began to wish I was dead and that has never left me.

 

[greenleaf]

@Knak, there are a lot of possible reasons for a change around the age of 9 other than vaccines... trauma around that age, for instance, or earlier trauma that affects one differently as kids around you start learning new ways to socialize.

Kids with ASD (autism spectrum disorders, the latest acronym...) also have different problems as the (NT) "neurotypical" kids around them get into new developmental stages; while the ASD kids are usually developing too, they often do it differently and needed different supports than the neurotypical kids -- and the ASD kids almost never got them in years gone by. People seem to forget, when thinking about ASD, that NT kids have loads of supports too that people carefully tailor to their needs!

Girls around age 9 with ASD often begin to have a lot more trouble as the social environment for NT kids is changing greatly, and may use a brain area for socializing that the ASD girls don't use; ASD kids can actually learn these skills later, in many cases, but learn them differently, use a more cognitive approach, use more energy when they do socialize so get exhausted, etc. Girls and women with ASD have a very high rate of depression and anxiety. (Males too but the patterns are slightly different, and only beginning to be studied.)

I have lots of stories of older relatives who had behaviors similar to ones I now understand as ASD traits, going way back, so genetic issues are what I look at for us, and it makes sense for other groups of people from what I've read. Re. vaccination: correlation in time is not causation. I don't buy that connection personally, and I really hope most people keep getting vaccinated as I don't particularly want polio etc.

If you read Temple Grandin, too, you'd see discussion of benefits to human groups from having a small number of members who can think very differently from the norm. (This doesn't apply to all types of autism, but the causes in differences are not well understood.) The genes have been around for a long, long time, and Grandin and others point out what technologies society would now lack with certain ASD individuals. Maybe the genes are hit-and-miss though, have to be in the right combination?

 

[Tinyflame]

I don't know much about autism or aspergers @greenleaf , have learned more about ADHD however & definitely agree (though sometimes chemotherapy can actually result in it) it is neurobiological/ developmental, not caused by vaccinations. Wholly agree much could alter a mindset or outlook other than that at 9.

I do know ADHD increases the risk of developing PTSD. Think Barkley said that.

Interesting theory, & my gut would say some truth in that, even if it not be autism proper (or rather autism &/or other neurobiological conditions).

I find it difficult to entangle the 2, because I can remember snippets of childhood, but not really pre-ptsd, although I do remember FB's, depression, nightsweats etc, starting after that (only).

 

[Knak]

I don't know much about autism or aspergers @greenleaf , have learned more about ADHD...

I did develop ADD at that time and my mother had symptoms, although I wasn't diagnosed until 40 years old.

At age 9 I couldn't concentrate to read textbooks or study for a test but probably learned by osmosis, as I was informed I had the highest IQ of the girls in class. I got progressively poorer grades and peers no longer sought my help with schoolwork. My verbal skills plummeted. My appearance deteriorated so I was targeted to be made fun of and believed it was my own fault.

Things at home became violent due to a drastic change in my father's health. He was a doctor and rarely home and began to take drugs and disappear for days. I was always neglected and physically and emotionally bullied by my sister, which was allowed to continue by an observing mother who punished me for complaining, so I withdrew. I remember I began self harm by age 5. I was told and believed I couldn't think or interpret behavior correctly. I couldn't concentrate to listen to teachers anymore so spent years looking out the window or skipping class in college also due to fear of people.

I went from being a popular pretty girl to the lowliest slob, paranoid and unable to interact with others in that one year. Because I lacked verbal skills, when I had a complete breakdown at age 22 with major depression that never left completely, I literally couldn't talk. I stayed immature and ignorant until I received medication for ADD as an adult and got away from family.

I still have agoraphobia and have to force myself to be around people. It takes tremendous energy to appear normal, conversant, happy, i.e., acceptable and I still fear victimization because I never learned to defend myself or learned boundaries for protection.

I thought the lack of identifying or desire to interact with people and inability to read body language was autism, but I don't understand the spectrum concept of autism or the distinction between types. I have a flat affect.

As far as not buying the argument of vaccination danger there is a great deal of information available on a website of one investigative journalist who was suppressed by CBS where she worked 21 years, now maligned by various organizations with conflicting interests, so she has gone it alone.

A section of her website is allocated to suppressed medical studies, news stories, and expert testimony regarding vaccines relating to autism and other neurological problems like brain damage and other medical fraud if anyone is open to copious valid resources.

Her name is Sharyl Attkisson and the website can be googled. She wrote a book exposing details of being controlled, ignored/discounted, with phones monitored and computers manipulated by the U.S. government and is the midst of a lengthy lawsuit with them. She also hosts a news interview show on Sunday with limited TV access but video clips are available on her other website.

I hope this is helpful and not inflammatory.

 

[Tinyflame]

Oh no @Knak not inflammtory. And like my mom would say "what they don't know fills volumes".

You will know then that ADD has been identifed with genetic markers.. not usully 'developed' but born with it (barring chemo, head injury, etc.). Highly heritable (more than even breast cancer. And in my family we have/ had both.)

I'm sorry for what you went through. But from a science (& genetics) background I remain open, but not personally inclined to associate immunizations. (And fwiw, I missed most of mine since less parental supervision/ involvement.)