The Unexplored Link Between Autism and Substance AbuseÂ
Ellie Rebarbar
November 24, 2021
Ellie Rebarbar looks at the link between autism and addiction and how addiction resources fail autistic people.
addict
Why did I use drugs? The feeling of being an autistic addict
David Gray-Hammond
February 17, 2021
I completely replaced who I was. My entire life was about drugs and alcohol. It was literally all I spoke about. All I thought about. All of my hopes and dreams washed away and were replaced by what I thought was a “lifestyle choice.”
The dark side: Facing up to the things I have done as an autistic addict
David Gray-Hammond
November 27, 2020
David Gray-Hammond dispels the myth that autistic people are just adult children incapable of doing self-destructive, violent, or criminal behavior and asks society to consider their role in the circumstances that lead up to a vulnerable and traumatized adulthood.
Recovering Addicts Don’t Deserve Lifelong Stigma
David Gray-Hammond
September 22, 2020
People see addicts in recovery as “a different sort of addict” to those who have not found recovery. This is invalidating and untrue.
“The drugs never loved you.” My relationship with addiction as an autistic
David Gray-Hammond
August 6, 2020
Substance abuse addiction was like an abusive relationship for David Gray-Hammond, and escaping that relationship was a difficult necessity if he wanted to survive.
Book Review: Becoming Vulnerable by Joshua Corwin
David Gray-Hammond
July 10, 2020
David Gray-Hammond reviews Joshua Corwin’s poetry anthology, Becoming Vulnerable, a collection of poems documenting the experience of being an autistic addict and finding recovery.
Killing them softly: Addiction is the silent killer of the autistic and neurodivergent community
David Gray-Hammond
March 1, 2020
“We live in a world where both neurodivergent behaviours and addiction are seen as a moral failing. This makes opening up next-to-impossible without significant risk of negative repercussions.”
‘Fitting in’ and Other Issues with Being an Autistic Addict in Recovery
David Gray-Hammond
February 21, 2020
When you’re autistic, it’s easy to begin to lean on alcohol or drugs to help buffer the sensory and social anxiety of group outings. David Gray-Hammond on being autistic and a recovered addict.
Autistic addiction advocacy: A lonely endeavour
David Gray-Hammond
December 31, 2019
No one is talking about autism and addiction, so recovering addict and autistic self-advocate David Gray-Hammond is leading the charge and starting the conversation.
