Autism is a condition that is becoming a more commonly known subject for research. It is a developmental disorder that can be seen in every one in 59 children. The disorder is also known as ASD or autism spectrum disorder. The speculations of the connection between alcoholism and autism have been there for a while now.
Studies have shown that people with this condition are more susceptible to alcohol as a coping mechanism to deal with the sensory issues and intense anxiety that they struggle with. However, this is still a subject of researches and needs more evidence to ascertain these claims. Also, people with alcoholism issues cannot necessarily always be classified as autistic.
Fortunately, there is enough awareness about ASD in the UK, with around 7000,000 reported autism cases all over the country. There are many centers for alcohol addiction treatment in the UK to help people battle the fight.
What is Autism?
To understand the link between substance abuse and autism and reduce the rate of people falling prey to both conditions together, we need to understand the autism spectrum disorder. The term ASD explains itself that there is no one symptom or type of this disorder. Different people with autism can demonstrate their condition differently that can impact their life at many levels.
Many of us must have seen some depiction of autism in several movies, books, TV shows, etc. But there is much more to know about this disorder to eliminate all the confusion regarding people with autism. As it is a developmental disorder, children with the condition may find difficulties learning things in their early childhood, communicating with others verbally or non-verbally, or might be incapable of taking care of themselves independently. However, the severity of the symptoms differs for different people depending on how severely they are affected.
The Predominance of Autism and Substance Abuse
There is no direct connection between these two conditions. However, the most predominant and common symptoms of autism may lead a person to the path of becoming an alcoholic. Studies have shown that people with ASD are twice as likely to get affected by substance abuse. However, doctors and psychologists suggest that more research is needed to conclude this topic.
The health professionals at the Rehab Healthcare institutions suggest three main components to get diagnosed in people that play a significant role. These symptoms include communication and social impairment, repetitive behaviors, and limited interests. Now let us understand how these symptoms can lead someone to alcoholism.
Communication and social impairment mean they cannot learn or understand social behaviors to communicate with people. And this gives way to social anxiety in them, which sometimes leads to loneliness or frustration. Then after a certain point when they start failing to understand how to deal with this anxiety, they resort to alcohol as a coping method because alcohol has antidepressant properties. And finally, as they tend towards repetitive behavior and limited and focused interests, once they become dependent on alcohol, their condition becomes more severe as they don’t know how to turn back from there.
Alcohol Addiction Treatment in the UK with Focus on People with ASD
Therapy and counseling are found to be the best way to control the addiction. It does not necessarily mean that people with autism and alcohol addiction will always remain the same. There are many Rehab Healthcare facilities all over the United States who work on developing the social and behavioral skills of autistic people. RehabHC is a rehabilitation center who are doing excellent work in the field for years now.
Different rehab programs are available at different centers that are largely slightly different for each patient, depending on the nature of their symptoms and severity of the condition. Some popular treatment procedures include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), pharmacotherapy, counseling, alcohol detox, etc. There is no cure for ASD, but the condition of alcohol abuse can be managed with the help of these treatment procedures.
These treatments can help the patients find new mechanisms for managing and coping with their anxiety and other symptoms without depending on alcohol. Sometimes, speech and language therapy and occupational therapy come to be very helpful for people with an acute condition.
Conclusion
Both autism spectrum disorder and alcoholism are mental conditions. None of these can be cured completely but can be managed through proper measures. Therapists, counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, and other mental health therapy practitioners are all working towards healing people with severe or mild mental health issues and help them begin a better life. At RehabHC, you can find different programs, compassionate care, and an individualized treatment approach. So, if you are someone or know someone dealing with such issues, always remember that help is always available.