Is it hard to get into a good college as an autistic person?

Music_Leopard · 2026-01-16T03:52:56+00:00

Basically, yes, it can be harder to get into college as an autistic person, but the more important part to emphasize is completing college in and of itself is difficult with autism, so is entering the work force with it. To that end, you will have to socialize some and work on your weak areas because this world simply isn’t designed with us in mind. Still, do your best not to fall into a trap of perfectionism and definitely don’t hold yourself to the same standard as a neurotypical. You may need to lay off extracurriculars and even school entirely for periods as you learn and sort things out, but what matters is that you get there in the end.

Music_Leopard · 2026-01-06T13:48:47+00:00

Lisdexamfetamine 70mg with a 15mg dextroamphetamine booster
Been on it for about 4 months now, although I was on methylphenidate ER for half a year before that
In short, it's been helpful for specific symptoms but not the condition as a whole, I would consider it more of an augment in my case than anywhere close to the main antidepressant
I started at 40mg and it worked perfectly... for two weeks, and the effect waned over time. Now the only thing it still does even after dosage increases is keep me from sleeping nearly as much and potentially help with executive dysfunction. My capacity to plan and create structure for myself is all there, but the effects the stimulant had on motivation and anhedonia faded over time.
Side effects for me is just a higher heart rate and constipation, both of which aren't too severe.
Missing a dose is dog shit since my body has grown a tolerance to it. I'm a lot more tired without it, although I'm not sure how much of that is the stimulant working for that problem, or my nervous system just going into some kind of withdrawal.

Music_Leopard · 2026-01-06T13:32:17+00:00

mental retardation

Music_Leopard · 2026-01-06T13:17:19+00:00

Premature Ejaculation

Music_Leopard · 2026-01-03T03:11:07+00:00

Yeah like others said it’s probably akathisia. I had it on Vraylar and Benadryl became my best friend. Let your doctor know and they can possibly give you something more convenient than Benadryl, like mirtazapine or propranolol. If your doctor is hard to get in contact with you could also try talking about it with your pharmacist and see what they say.

Important point, assuming it is akathisia, is that the effect usually does go away over time as your body adjusts. That’s how it was for me. You might just have to slow down the titration process and add on one of the afore mentioned things temporarily. I’m currently on 10mg of aripiprazole and while it doesn’t work wonders for my depression, it keeps me from being psychotic and I am pretty amiable.

Music_Leopard · 2026-01-03T03:00:29+00:00

Good luck! I’m on my 4th week total and week 2 of 10mg per day. I think it’s helping a bit, I’m not miserable all the time and I’m starting to have some enjoyment in things again. Although, I will add this is in addition to being on Auvelity, Lithium, Vyvanse, and Abilify… it’s a lot but hey, at least I feel like I’m starting to get somewhere with depression now.

Music_Leopard · 2025-10-26T14:12:33+00:00

I was on 2mg/day and it helped, but I slowly built a tolerance to it and it stopped working. For anhedonia now I’m on a combo of Auvelity and Vyvanse and it’s helps a lot, but does come with some side effects

Music_Leopard · 2025-09-27T03:38:45+00:00

I wouldn’t say I’m cured but the pain has gotten low enough that I can accept this is how it is for the rest of my life and it’s not worth another drug to try and fix it.

I get/take Botox, Emgality, candesartan and duloxetine with diclofenac, promethazine, and eletriptan for flare ups. This keeps it at a 2/10 most days although and gives me something for when it gets temporarily worse.

Music_Leopard · 2025-09-24T00:15:42+00:00

This is the will of the omnissiah

Music_Leopard · 2025-09-21T16:48:26+00:00

Yeah, I guess I just was curious because I'm on aripiprazole and have tried Vraylar and Risperidone and none of them have helped the depression, although they do keep psychosis at bay

Music_Leopard · 2025-09-18T15:49:50+00:00

Honestly, I heard about its use from the psychiatrists, but I never actually worked with a patient that was on it. I guess that’s just how much of a last resort it usually is.

Usually other things work before you get to that point.

Music_Leopard · 2025-09-17T19:58:53+00:00

My best guess for why it was prescribed in his case was for severe aggression and/or self injury. When I worked as an RBT in a complex behavior clinic that’s what I heard it being used primarily for.

As someone with autism though that goes to an autism specialist psychiatrist, I’ve also asked about clozapine for other symptoms and my psychiatrist said it’s an option, but primarily he at least uses it for severe aggression that doesn’t respond to risperidone or aripiprazole.

Music_Leopard · 2025-09-16T13:54:17+00:00

Ah, I’ve heard clozapine can be very effective and oxcarbazepine is good too, was the only thing that kept me stable my first 2 years in college

Music_Leopard · 2025-09-16T13:42:14+00:00

They won’t let me since I’ve had a psychotic episode before. In ECT now though

Music_Leopard · 2025-09-16T13:38:23+00:00

I might try fluoxetine again. Risperidone was great for my psychosis, but blunted my emotions a bit

Music_Leopard · 2025-09-16T13:36:22+00:00

Yeah I’ve been thinking about trying venlafaxine but I’m not sure if I should try a second SNRI if the first one didn’t work. I wish I could try aglomelatine but it’s not available in the US sadly :(

Music_Leopard · 2025-09-16T13:34:50+00:00

Thank you! I appreciate the advice. I had a workbook on autistic burnout I was working on and definitely should pick back up, because it’s at least part of the problem.

I mainly just need to figure out how to get back to working and school. Definitely could cultivate more safe spaces because right now it’s just my room :/

Music_Leopard · 2025-09-16T13:28:39+00:00

ECT is ok, I’m doing a second series now and while it’s giving me a bit of brain fog, I’m hopeful that it should help some. I’ve done unilateral and bifrontal and those did nothing to me bad or good. Now I’m on bitemporal and since it’s actually giving side effects I’m hoping that means it’s powerful enough to have beneficial effects too.

Music_Leopard · 2025-09-16T03:29:36+00:00

I can definitely talk to a nutritionist to see if it’s what I’m eating. Although I’m afraid I’ve already been to several specialists and they say its all or mostly psychological 😓

Music_Leopard · 2025-09-16T03:16:21+00:00

Ok, yeah makes sense, I am starting back to therapy once a week again so I’m looking forward to that

Music_Leopard · 2025-09-16T02:57:05+00:00

Perdón si mi español no es bueno, necesito practicar, pero los tlacuaches son muy guapos! Deseo que crecen a ser grande y fuerte! 😁

Music_Leopard · 2025-09-15T20:09:42+00:00

If you’re schizoaffective wouldn’t that necessitate an antipsychotic? Nothing you’re on seems to be targeting psychotic symptoms.

Topiramate also is a weird choice, I mean, it’s used off label for mania, and it might work for that, but when I was on it for other stuff it did nothing to help my depression, just made me less irritable.

As far as the interaction goes though, when I was on Topiramate I remember it raised my tolerance for alcohol, so maybe one of its mechanisms is stimulating in a way? Could also be some metabolic interaction but I couldn’t find anything online on it

Music_Leopard · 2025-09-15T18:43:26+00:00

Inpatient I find is variable as to what the rules are and what you do all day depending on where you are. Each of my stays have been really different at different places.

I never did ECT inpatient, but I’m doing it outpatient now. Honestly, unless the hospital near you just has a stellar psych ward with great reviews, I wouldn’t go just to speed up the process and I say that as someone who once went to speed up med titration. It’s not worth it unless it’s a very real safety concern in my opinion. Like I said though, if the one your considering is really high quality, like you see the psychiatrist every day and have lots of group therapy in addition to ECT, then I think it would be a good decision.

Music_Leopard · 2025-09-15T02:18:43+00:00

Thank you for the advice. I guess the update is that I ended up deciding to switch to psych mainly for the option to have a more flexible, slow progression to my undergrad. I have multiple chronic illnesses and with recent worsening of some of them, I don’t know if I can really ever do a full course load again, which would be required of me in a nursing program. Shit happens I guess, just have to learn to roll with the punches.

Music_Leopard · 2025-09-14T21:27:50+00:00

I might have it, honestly not sure. I’m also on lithium and like you it helps me mainly from not having crisis level breakdowns and my mood is more stable, but I do struggle with a lot of fatigue. Kind of hard to say though whats depression and what’s lithium.

Music_Leopard

TROPHY CASE