Drinking, Drug Use, and Addiction in the Autism Community

by Ann Palmer, Elizabeth Kunreuther

What is the connection between autism and addiction? Why are individuals with autism more likely to develop a substance use disorder than the general population? Until recently, substance use disorder (SUD) was considered rare among those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This book brings together current research and personal accounts from individuals with autism and their supports. It explores why addiction is more common among individuals with ASD and investigates how addiction and autism affect one another. The authors also provide strategies for supporting people with both ASD and SUD.

192 pages, Paperback

Published October 19, 2017

Reviews

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really brilliant and so important. I have an ED alongside being Autistic and I was interested to see whether it could be relevant to someone with that diagnosis, I felt it was extremely relevant. A hugely important book. SUD is hugely stigmatised and so unfairly so. ASD is massively misunderstood. Together, addiction and ASD present unique challenges and yet so little has been written about the combination. I hope that there will be so much more about it. As someone who has been in and out of the mental health services for nearly the past decade and a half, I have seen the combination so often and yet it is so rarely acknowledged which seems unfathomable to me. I hope this will change.

[Lisa Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insightful book about a topic that may be under the radar for some ASD parents.