its been that way for twenty eight years,not being able to sleep till light when everyone else is getting up.
learning disability pyschologists of mine have always refused ANY kind of sleeping aid which was really pissed off by,because so many people walk into their GP surgery saying they had mild/moderate insomnia for a week and they get prescribed bloody benzos [diazepam usualy] or other drugs,yet those of us with autism who have had this problem all of our lives are ignored.
had gave up so much-cut down a lot on caffeine and sugar,only half a cheap redbull ripoff drink per day,at one point had gave up caffeine totaly for months and staff never noticed one change in sleep pattern or behavior.
had started eating food again after going years without it because was told it may help sleep...it didnt.
had changed night routine,introduced sensory things to help sleep,avoided napping in the day...none of this helped.
staff,doctors and pyschs of mine have never understood that am not affected by caffeine in the same way as normal people are;and never have been,it slows thinking down,ex autism specialists that used to be in the learning disability team were the only ones to understand caffeines affect on the central nervous system in people whose neurological systems are not typical.
when growing up had tried every single herbal/supplement type sleep aid sold in chemists and not one of them had an effect even when overdosed.
so was totaly pissed off when had found out off support staff recently the pysch had told them he doesnt want to prescribe even the mildest sleep aid but suggests trying something from the chemist.
he says because sleep has always been like this it is a routine and not a medical problem as such which can be cured with tablets and only making effort to change life will do anything.
living in residential care; have gone through more effort than anyone that know of to prove they need medical help with sleep and it takes the piss when people keep suggesting shit have already done many times over.
so last week had made the decision to go to the GP to override the BS off the pysch and see if the GP woud help in any way.
was with two staff as usual and gripping onto them like a crazy pregnant woman in contractions,because the different environment,unpredictibility and lack of understanding off medical people over the years have led to a phobia of doctors.
he was understanding,and understandably to; he didnt want to prescribe diazepam; didnt want it anyway as am prescribed it for PRN whenever have got any big changes or sensory issues from fireworks and it doesnt fucking work,plus having a medication phobic drug addiction therapist for a sister know all about how addictive benzos are.
over here have asked doctors for it for years but they said they didnt know what it was,at the weekend had researched circadin with dad,and it turned out in this country [UK] it hasnt long become licenced here,plus its only licenced either for people over fiftyfive or people with autism.
pretty fucking disgusting that autistic kids in this country have had access to it for years off label where we adults have been told to go rot for sleep help.
from the first day had started it taking it,it helped with sleep,am not getting many if any pain killers off staff throughout the night anymore-sometimes that was due to using them as a desperate way to get sleep.
and because its helping with sleep,it means am up during the day,doing things and it is helping to feel a lot better.
the pyschologist had said as long as am sleeping-whether its during the day from exhaustion or night time it doesnt matter,without giving a thought to the fact was never out of bedroom because of this,and being in bed all day was not doing anything or having any quality of life.
its ridiculous someone woud even think like he did when he is supposed to help mental issues in people with learning disability but doesnt think we have a right to a quality of life to.
am not napping alot either only if have had seizures or overloads,melatonin has really changed life for the better and it isnt even a sedative;it just stabilises melatonin levels like anti depressents in clinical depression/major depressive disorder.
woud say to anyone with autism,or a related condition,or someone over fifty five [apparently they start to lack melatonin at that age] -and insomnia to go to the GP and ask about melatonin,in people who lack it the supplement is a life changer.
