Why I think distinct anxiety should be added to the DSM
Autistic anxiety (aka Distinct Anxiety) which is the direct result of autistic needs not being met (and can't be explained by any other type of anxiety)... should not be the barely researched topic it currently is.
And the more I think about how my autism disables me, the more I feel like autistic anxiety needs to be a part of the diagnostic criteria.
Speaking from personal experience, 99% of the reason my autism disables me has to do with the debilitating anxiety I get when my autistic needs are not met.
Example, sensory anxiety. I am NOT overstating when I say it debilitates me. Literally.
As in, I can't function to any reasonable measure when I'm in the midst of an autistic anxiety attack.
Yet, when I called the Delta disability hotline a few weeks ago to book an upcoming flight, I was told they don't accommodate for anxiety, even though I explained that the reason I get flight anxiety is because of my autism.
As an aside, this was an extremely odd conversation because I've booked using the same hotline numerous times and they've always accommodated me when I mentioned my autistic anxiety.
I think this particular person heard the word anxiety and didn't register that I wasn't talking about "regular" anxiety and that I have it *because* I'm autistic.
Which is why flight disability accommodations are a thing in the first place for autistic people.
(They're not giving us flight accommodations because we have social disabilities 😒)
And I think this lack of awareness needs to be changed. Systemically. So accommodations for this type of anxiety are a requirement and not up for individual discretion.
Which is why I think autistic anxiety needs to be added to the diagnostic criteria.
Because it's not just a small aspect of autism for a small subset of us. It's a significant aspect of autism for a significant number of us.
I know not all autistic people experience autistic anxiety, but according to the one research study that *has* been conducted on it so far, a substantial percentage of us do.
It's referred to as "distinct anxiety" in the study.
The study for reference...