12 minute read
Lived experience
Autism, anxiety and suicidal thoughts
By Alex Peak, London volunteer
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Openly talking about suicide has come to the forefront of the national conversation recently and we’re talking about it more than ever before. As PAPYRUS volunteers, we are promoting awareness and want to help prevent young people from taking their lives as much as we can. However, not much has been said about the connections between suicide, anxiety and learning disabilities, specifically autism. Mental health conditions and learning disabilities are often linked, and as such need to be treated in tandem. Tackling mental health issues in autistic people can be done in several different ways, including promoting neurodiversity in the workplace and helping to reduce the impact of isolation.
Anxiety from a young age
It’s hard enough living with autism at home but the anxieties and worries are exacerbated further at school where assumptions can be made quickly by other students and teachers. It’s important to identify symptoms of anxiety and suicide early in children’s educational lives; those with autism often aren’t able to understand most social situations which invariably leads to them feeling excluded or singled out. It can be very hard to tell whether someone is joking or bullying them which contributes to social isolation and feelings of exclusion. Unfortunately, these factors and feeling often spiral into thoughts of suicide – this is certainly something I experienced.
While adapting educational services for everyone with autism, as well as other learning difficulties, is a legal requirement, we need to look at autism and suicide together since there are clear links between the two.
Those on the autistic spectrum are nine times more likely to die from suicide than a neurotypical individual, and this can be chemically traced to how our brains work; generally, if our bodies are not producing enough serotonin, a lot of negativity, repeated phrases and anxiety dominate our thoughts. Autistic people – and in fact anyone who has learning disabilities – need far greater accessibility to trained psychiatrists with that understanding, because at the moment it’s far more difficult than it should be to get that help required for those on the neurodiverse scale. Because of the major hurdles to get that support, we are losing far too many on the spectrum, regardless of age, to suicide
79% of adults on the spectrum haven’t been able to seek the right treatment for their mental health issues, whether that’s because of a lack of access to treatment, or being unable to find a specialist who understands the connections between autism, depression and suicide. Autistic children are 28 times more likely to have suicidal thoughts or attempt suicide – these are frightening statistics.
According to a recent study in Denmark, the suicide rate amongst autistic individuals is three times higher than in those who are neurotypical. The research also found that the risks do not decrease with age and 90% of those on the autistic spectrum who attempted suicide or took their own lives had an accompanying psychiatric condition. What’s more, the article states that women on the spectrum are four times more at risk of suicide than males because their autism is diagnosed and treated later in life due to their symptoms being presented in a different manner to men. The links between treatment or diagnosis of autism and avoiding depression couldn’t be clearer.
Adaptations in the workplace
Adapting to adult life can be very challenging for autisic individuals; trying to find a purpose with a job or carrying out everyday tasks like paying bills, booking restaurants or preparing for an interview can be incredibly stressful. The base-line of anxieties that neurodiverse people have is generally higher due to the excess stimulation and differences in neurological processing. With the greater awareness we now have, it’s so important for organisations to set out clear commitments to hire neurodiverse individuals and adapt their application and interview processes to work around any anxieties or special requirements.
When interviewing, it’s important to understand autisitic people don’t respond well to ambiguous questions so making them clear and concise will make the potential employee feel much more relaxed. All these mentioned changes will go a long way to making the applicant feel valued and comfortable not just in the interview and trial stages but also when progressing through the company system, making sure they receive the right support and reassurance along the way. Little tweaks like carrying out the interview in a well-lit room with big windows and minimal background noise make a big difference to the atmosphere in the interview. Having only one or two people rather than a panel can also ease the pressure for the candidate.
There are some companies actively making an effort to recruit and advertise roles for neurodiverse individuals – Universal Music, Financial Times and Ford being such examples, but more firms can benefit hugely from explicitly promoting roles for those with autism on their websites. Making those tweaks will avoid anxiety building, therefore avoiding any spirals into isolation and depression.
Empathy and patience are two of the most powerful weapons we have to help autistic individuals tackle isolation, depression and anxiety. The way in which all these mentioned traits need to be treated are the same as each other. When an autistic person knows that the environment around them is supportive and encouraging, the benefits are boundless and enables an autistic person to enjoy life so much more, knowing they are accepted and loved as they are.
Structure is well-known to be a common trait in autistic people, so creating a structured schedule and daily or weekly routine is a great idea as it gives a real purpose and a reason to get up in the morning. Finding new interests and hobbies, organising a workout schedule or finding an organisation to volunteer for are all great additions to this routine, and will give structure to the week. Stress, mood swings and anxiety are all reduced hugely and, as a result, connections with family and friends are stronger and deeper.
A holistic approach
Throughout an autistic person’s life, from youth through school and into the workplace, anxieties are almost certain to crop up, as they navigate what is often a foreign and confusing world. The road out of depression and their survival will be significantly easier if autism and suicide are approached together. Actively promoting neurodiversity in the workplace ensures everyone on the autism spectrum feel valued and wanted for who they are straight away, promoting their wellbeing and having a positive knock-on effect to reduce the risk of depression, or worse, suicide. Taking a holistic approach to autism, depression and anxiety, and treating all three together in school, the workplace and in everyday life, will help bring down the shockingly high suicide rate amongst the autistic community.
If you’re aged 35 or under, and experiencing thoughts of suicide, call HOPELINEUK on 0800 068 4141, text 07860 039967 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org – open 9am to midnight, every day of the year. We are also here for anybody concerned for a young person who might be experiencing thoughts of suicide.
By Shaun Longstaff, Northern Ireland volunteer
Ten years ago I lost my only brother to suicide. On the face of it he was an extremely successful businessman with a partner, two young children and another on the way. Alcohol was a part of his life but nothing that we thought was a massive problem. He died by suicide on a trip to London where he was watching his beloved rugby team the All Blacks play England.
It seems like yesterday but this week 20 years ago he was phoning me from New York where he was working to tell me that a plane had just flown into Twin Towers. I’ll never forget the phone call. In fact exactly where I was standing… exactly like I’ll never forget the phone call I received from his partner to tell me that Craig was no longer with us, 10 years after that.
It has taken me a long time to deal with the sadness. Pretty much nine years before I could even speak about it without crying. In the last year I began my journey with PAPYRUS. I wanted to try and make a difference and ideally prevent other people from making a decision like he did. I truly believe that if my brother had known the immense sadness that fell upon my family then he would not have made the decision he did.
He was in a very high-pressure business; an environment that expected results. Many of us face life pressures in different ways. Many of us need help. That’s not a weakness. In my environment – a professional sporting background – the stakes are high and only recently have we begun to embrace the strength behind admitting that you are vulnerable.
I’m still in my early stages with PAPYRUS but I want to be able to speak to people about the hope that PAPYRUS brings. I believe that there is still a problem with people talking about suicide. That there is a massive level of shame and a huge issue with stigma I’m being taught how to present the PAPYRUS story and about the structures/ help and the information that PAPYRUS can provide as an organisation. I’ve been welcomed and made to feel as though my story is worth telling and also that I would be helpful to the organisation.
Hopefully I’ll be a useful addition to our small team in Northern Ireland as we seek to spread the word of hope.
Thank you for reading.
If you’re aged 35 or under, and experiencing thoughts of suicide, call HOPELINEUK on 0800 068 4141, text 07860 039967 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org – open 9am to midnight, every day of the year. We are also here for
By Alice Kidd, London volunteer
In July, I was given the opportunity as a PAPYRUS volunteer to attend ASIST training in Brixton. I have wanted to complete this training for years, so I jumped at the chance.
ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) is a World Health Organisation recognised two-day course that trains participants to recognise when someone may be having suicidal thoughts, and to work through a suicide first aid model to help keep a person at risk safe and encourage them to access support.
Day one
Nervousness was the overwhelming emotion as I approached the building on the morning of the first day. The mystery of what was about to come, coupled with the notion of spending two entire days talking about suicide was a little nerve-wracking and scary but also quite invigorating too. Around 15 people sat in the room flicking through the booklet while we anxiously waited for the session to start. Our trainers were PAPYRUS staff, and it was immediately obvious how experienced and confident they were at delivering ASIST, which helped calm my nerves and put me more at ease.
After an introduction to the course and how the next two days would be structured (along with plenty of warning that these days would be incredibly demanding and we should expect to feel exhausted at the end), we were split into smaller groups to have an honest look at our attitudes, beliefs and experiences. This for me was one of the most challenging yet rewarding elements of the whole course. Comparing your attitudes on a deeply stigmatised topic with a group of strangers encourages you to challenge misconceptions you might not even realise you had and enables you to open your mind to new perspectives. Sharing our personal stories and experiences with the group was something I had anticipated might be asked of us before the course, yet I don’t think it’s possible to fully prepare yourself for such a task until you’re right there in the moment. Before joining PAPYRUS it had been many years since I’d described my experience out loud and I had never shared it with strangers. Having shared my story a few times now to different groups of people, I have personally found this process to be extremely cathartic and valuable – a real life story forces the world to recognise that suicide is very real and the more we talk about it, the less stigmatised it becomes.
After the group discussions, we moved onto the intervention model which teaches you how to deliver an intervention on somebody who is showing signs of feeling suicidal (or has made it clear that this is their plan). This model is scientifically proven to reduce suicidal feelings in people at risk and is supported by a ‘safe-for-now’ objective, which helps you deliver the person to immediate, short-term safety. It is tricky to get the hang of at first, but after seeing it in action it is really effective and also flexible to any situation you may be in.
I headed home at the end of day one completely shattered (missed my stop on the overground) but inspired and looking forward to the day ahead.
Everyone was more comfortable with each other by day two and as we chatted in the morning it was clear that we had all found the previous day mentally and physically draining. One participant told me that they had slept for 12 hours!
We proceeded through learning the rest of the model and were then informed we would be spending the day participating in role play to practice the model. Whilst the idea of role play generally fills me with dread, I knew that this would be vital for solidifying the method and understanding how it would work in practice. So, I put my nerves aside and got stuck in with the intervention practices.
We started off with some whole group practices and then in the afternoon were put into pairs and took it in turns to deliver interventions. Surprisingly, I actually found the one-on-one role playing much easier because you could take your time with it and take it in whichever direction you feel makes most sense – you just have to ignore the 15 people watching you deliver it!
The best thing about ASIST is that you aren’t just walked through the motions. Across the two days you are challenged and encouraged to adapt your ways of thinking, whilst also being supported and given confidence to participate, which ultimately gives you the confidence you need to deliver the life-saving model should you ever need to. It’s not just the model you learn too – I’ve learned skills I can apply to everyday life, such as how to be more observant and to spot signs that those around me might need support, and I’ve improved my reflective listening skills (a lot of the time, listening is much more powerful than offering advice).
The main feeling I had walking out of the building at the end of day two (apart from complete mental exhaustion and a strong desire for pie and mash) was that, just like everybody should complete first aid training, everybody should complete ASIST.
PAPYRUS believes that at least two people in every organisation should be ASIST trained. If you are a PAPYRUS volunteer, you can complete ASIST free of charge. More information can be found on the PAPYRUS website, or by getting in touch with your Volunteer Coordinator.