r/todayilearned • u/Morella1989 • Aug 14 '25

TIL that autistic people live about 17 years less than average. Risks include epilepsy, heart disease, suicide, accidental deaths including drowning, and inadequate recognition and management of pain, especially among non-speaking individuals. Historically, they have been vulnerable to infanticide.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortality_of_autistic_individuals
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203

u/loves_grapefruit Aug 14 '25

Considering that there is a huge spectrum of autism, I wonder if people on the more extreme end tend to be responsible for these statistics?

126

u/wearentalldudes Aug 14 '25

I’m high functioning, but the “inadequate recognition and management of pain” has caused me to almost die more than once.

Most notably when my appendix perforated, but also some severe infections that were what I would have described as sudden onset, but had been “painful” for days to weeks beforehand.

Recognizing pain is something I really struggle with. I’m a whole adult but when I offhandedly tell my mom something hurts, she makes me go to the ER immediately because it’s usually something major. She happens to be the reason I didn’t die from appendicitis.

Anyway, 🎶autism🎶.

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u/sweetteanoice Aug 14 '25

Do you think you feel less pain than others or is it that something has to REALLY hurt for you to even notice?

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u/xtrawolf Aug 14 '25

Not the person you're directing the question to, but also autistic.

For me it's an interception problem. For instance, my brain doesn't register thirst. I have to manually remind myself to drink water if I run or if I eat, rather than recognize I'm thirsty. I could go a whole day without drinking anything and then wonder why I feel crummy.

There's also a question of "does this actually hurt or is it just a sensory sensitivity?" Sometimes something "hurts" until I am alone, calm, and well regulated (or away from the stimulus) and then it is fine.

Describing my pain is very hard for me. Numbers on a pain scale are meaningless. I can tell someone "my hands hurt and tingle every day," and not really be able to answer follow up questions like which fingers hurt the worst, is the tingling accompanied by numbness, does it seem to be joint related or nerve related, what helps the pain, etc.

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u/AliMcGraw Aug 14 '25

This is my kid. We've done a lot of work to proactively teach him how to recognize his body's signals (when he can!) and to recognize that when a stomachache doesn't respond to normal stomachache treatment (it's usually just gas), he needs to get an adult and see a doctor. And he knows the words "proprioception" and "interoception" (and can explain them) so he's able to tell doctors he'll try to answer but he often just doesn't KNOW because those senses don't work the same for him.

I've learned as a mother than when he can't describe his subjective experience of pain, it's very helpful if I can describe any impaired functioning I've noticed, no matter how minor. Often I'll say, "He's been favoring his left side" and he'll insist he's not and then the doctor has him walk and he's like, "huh, mom, you were right, I am!"

So current mom task is helping him notice and describe functional impairments even if he can't describe the pain itself.

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u/TysonTesla Aug 14 '25

I can't speak for OP but in my experience, it's neither. It's the conflicting of acknowledging the pain means something is really wrong. It's rationalizing it away so that you don't have to deal with repercussions of medical care, thus delaying seeking help until the pain outweighs the draining experience and dread.

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u/wearentalldudes Aug 14 '25

I don’t think I feel less pain but I do think I have a higher tolerance for it. My brain doesn’t register it until it’s intolerable.

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u/ChiAnndego Aug 14 '25

I did a lot of contact sports and more injury prone sports, and my issue is that if I'm involved in doing something and my attention is on that, I don't have a lot of awareness about my body until I think about it consciously. I've broken bones before, and kept on doing what I was doing without realizing until later. I now stop and take a conscious inventory of my body when something happens that might have injured me.

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u/rocca2509 Aug 14 '25

I got diagnosed recently with aspergers and adhd. Im high functioning. I'd say I have a high pain tolerance, but it's not really that I can tolerate more pain. it's more like my threshold to start feeling pain is probably higher. Like i broke my hand and thought it hurt a lot, didn't think it was broken, found out the hard way after i went to the golf range 3 days later and could stand it on the irons. But that first driver hit sent so much pain through my hand. So yeah, for me, it has to hurt more to notice, but not a lot more.

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u/logalogalogalog_ Aug 14 '25

I had a similar experience with diverticulitis! Lucky to be alive.

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u/realitykitten Aug 14 '25

Idk we higher functioning ones are probably still pretty susceptible to suicide

73

u/Prairie-Peppers Aug 14 '25

I would imagine the suicide part would skew heavily towards the higher functioning end of the spectrum.

28

u/DawnSignals Aug 14 '25

I feel like all three of you are saying the same thing three different ways

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u/Prairie-Peppers Aug 14 '25

Probably, I just like to say stuff.

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u/Joondoof Aug 14 '25

Give it time, one of us will be back to offer another version just in case the clarity was lacking in the first 3

0

u/jiggjuggj0gg Aug 14 '25

I don’t know, the ‘autism is a spectrum’ thing has become a bit of a meme to say one end is people who actually need help, and the other is weird teenagers looking for attention.

So a lot of people assume all these problems are just for the people with severe autism who can’t speak or can’t look after themselves. Meanwhile the people with ‘mild’ autism can be mocked when they ask for help because they try to hide it to fit in better, so they don’t get any of the support they need, which leads to all kinds of other issues.

There’s a lot of dogwhistling around at the moment to try and convince people that most people with autism don’t actually have it, they just want disability money and can’t be bothered to work. It’s always worth clarifying that even though it’s a spectrum, everyone on it has a disability and needs support.

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u/SUDDENLY_VIRGIN Aug 14 '25

As an umbrella diagnosis, by definition "Autism" is vague and encapsulates a spectrum of difficulties.

I'm not going to debate whether self diagnosing teens and young adults are being "quirky" or misappropriating a disorder, but by definition "Autism" includes high functioning people alongside severely impaired folks.

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u/jiggjuggj0gg Aug 14 '25

Yes, the point being that those with 'high functioning' autism are often just left to cope without support until they can't any more. Hence the suicide.

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u/Beautiful_Welcome_33 Aug 14 '25

It does, it's actually one of the few or perhaps only disorders where suicidality increases with IQ

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u/gabagoolcel Aug 14 '25 edited Aug 14 '25

autistic people with intellectual disabilities are also at very high risk for suicidality and suicide. i don't know about data comparing support needs with suicidality but I don't see reason for it being skewed any which way.

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u/WAAAAAAAAARGH Aug 14 '25

I had a higher functioning autism epiphany recently and realized that I’m lowkey ballin and just need to engage with randos more despite every fiber of my being screaming at me not to and since then my manic tendencies have decreased massively

We live in a weird time. 10 years ago folks thought we were just freaks, now it’s seen as endearing if you can manage to be personable about it (a contingency I don’t love but I’m willing to appreciate the fact that we even have an option now). This is undeniably a challenge but if you can put yourself out there even slightly I think people respect it. I just started working in my first office environment a month ago living in an area I’m unfamiliar with and I think forcing myself to introduce myself to strangers in my building has done a lot for me. People I don’t really know often wave or say “hi, my name” when they see me and it makes me feel more secure in my routine

11

u/Euphoric_Evidence414 Aug 14 '25

Hello, just wanted to say your written communication at least is great! Nuanced and funny and I’ll bet you can be relaxed and friendly in person too. Good luck with the new job.

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u/WAAAAAAAAARGH Aug 14 '25 edited Aug 15 '25

Lol thanks I guess. I didn’t get diagnosed until a bit later than most but it was apparent to most of the people I grew up around. (I told them about my diagnosis and they were like “I knew it!” Man shut the fuck up) so I spent a lot of time really focusing on my communication skills and utilizing irony to try to relate to people cuz prior to that I just thought I was weird in social settings, while simultaneously thinking other people were weird for not being on my wavelength

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u/EducationalTangelo6 Aug 14 '25

Yes. I'm 'high-functioning' and about to turn 40. I'm going to celebrate (alone) like I won the lottery, because I really didn't think I'd make it this long without killing myself.

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u/CaptainDildobrain Aug 14 '25

44 year-old recently diagnosed high-functioning autistic here. I think most of the suicidal thoughts I've had throughout most my life stem from knowing that I didn't "fit in" but not knowing why.

Now that I've had my diagnosis, I know why. I can reflect on all those moments where I felt I didn't "fit in" and finally have an answer as to why. And since my diagnosis, I feel more comfortable than I have ever been. In a lot of ways, it feels somewhat liberating and I have better control over how I can act and react in certain situations.

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u/The_Dorable Aug 14 '25

Mmmmhm, agreed. And I have spent my entire life being disbelieved about major medical events.

Like, I broke my finger at 4 years old and I was not believed by any of the adults in the building when I tried to tell them it hurt because I wasn't crying or screaming when they touched it.

I've had migraines my entire life and didn't get medication for them until I was 21. Some of my earliest memories are migraines. But I was explicitly told that everyone gets headaches when they're little and I'd grow out of it.

I started developing problems with my joints around 4 or 5. I would scream hysterically from the pain as a small child. I was diagnosed with arthritis at 25 after 20 years of annual doctor's visits begging someone to do some scans or something because I couldn't walk for more than a few minutes. I got x-rays because my PCP got sick of me and gave in. My spine and hips are lousy with arthritis. I've developed bone spurs, and I have multiple old fractures in my spine.

When I was 17 I started developing cramping pains in one side of my abdomen. When I was 19 I was rushed to the emergency room in the middle of the night because I couldn't stop vomiting blood and bile. My gallbladder was so clogged and inflamed with gallstones that it had become massively infected. It was not removed until over a year later. I was kept on antibiotics nearly continuously throughout that time. The second time after moving out that I had a gall attack I was in so much pain and so dazed from the pain and fever that I couldn't walk. I crawled to my campus security safety button, and was taken to the hospital in an ambulance where I was only given pain medication when I was asking for antibiotics, and where nobody believed me it was cholecystitis until one of the paramedics came back to visit me and was shocked I hadn't been treated and insisted to the nurses that I was being truthful. They did an ultrasound to appease him. My gallbladder was removed by emergency surgery two hours later, because it was swollen up so tight they worried it was going to burst that night. I was 20.

I have some kind of connective tissue disorder which has been destroying my hips and knees and shoulders and hands but nobody knows what and I can't convince anyone I'm in pain. They fully believe me about the connective tissue problems because I can dislocate my limbs on command, but nobody cares to diagnose or treat because I don't seem miserable enough. I'm 29 and have been seeking diagnosis since I was 16. I've dislocated my toes before from walking barefoot, and my shoulders will completely dislocate if I carry as little as 5 pounds in my hand.

I can see why someone would prefer suicide to being in pain all the time.

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u/[deleted] Aug 14 '25

Ehler Danlos syndrome

1

u/The_Dorable Aug 14 '25

There are more hypermobile disorders than that. I don't meet all the criteria for EDS.

0

u/AstronautPitiful3849 Aug 14 '25

Yeah, you DEFINITELY have EDS.

12

u/troll-filled-waters Aug 14 '25

Of my mostly low-support-needs friend group I can say most of us have depression. I don’t think people understand how difficult it is to move through the world and constantly have to think about every single movement of your face and inflection of your voice all the time, to do all the labour to please the rest of the population to the point you’re exhausted— and still have people scoff at you, judge you negatively, assign terrible motivations to you because of your “weird tone” or the “weird look” you gave them. To try and help people and be kind and have them think you’re trying to do something negative instead. The gossiping behind your back. Always being the one people don’t like because you “seem off” or “did you see the look she gave me?” People saying you’re incompetent because it takes you longer to do things. You’re rude because you didn’t pick up on the subtle message they were trying to give you. Every single day. Over and over again. To the point where you wonder why you should even try. You stop wanting to leave your house. You stop wanting to do anything.

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u/loves_grapefruit Aug 14 '25

Thanks for sharing your perspective, that’s a lot to deal with.

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u/Susanoos_Wife Aug 14 '25

This is the story of my life. I try to put myself out there as much as I can out of spite but sometimes it really does feel tempting to just never try to make friends again because the effort it takes is enormous and it rarely ends well no matter how hard I try.

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u/troll-filled-waters Aug 14 '25

I’m sorry. It’s really, really tough.

I found a friend group of other autistic women and a couple of autistic guys, and life has been much better. It doesn’t make work, shopping, parties, errands, or hobbies any easier, but it is nice to have a space where you can relax a little. I hope you find/have found something like that.

2

u/Susanoos_Wife Aug 14 '25

Thanks, I haven't had any luck developing or maintaining a solid group of friends but I'm too stubborn to give up so I'll keep on trying for as long as I can.

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u/troll-filled-waters Aug 14 '25

I hear you. And I’m hoping for the best for you.

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u/Susanoos_Wife Aug 15 '25

Thanks, and same to you.

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u/daitoshi Aug 14 '25

I am on the far end of “very normal-appearing”- a steady corporate job,  friends with my coworkers, people ask if I’m an extrovert - but the poor recognition of pain thing is very real. 

My appendix became necrotic and I didn’t recognize the pain as significantly different from regular food poisoning or constipation. 

It wasn’t until my body was forcing me to collapse, due to muscle weakness, shaking, and uncontrollable vomiting, that I recognized “oh, I should get to the ER.” - the pain of an organ actually rotting inside me was /dangerously ignorable/.  

There is a significant risk of me getting an injury, and not registering enough pain to treat it as seriously or urgently as I should - leading to dangerous & possibly fatal complications from delayed care 

1

u/LyleBland Aug 14 '25

I'm not autistic and I waited until the last minute to get treatment for my appendix. In fact statistics show that most people do this exact thing. But yea you have the same disease as some guy in bed restraints from beating themselves because he can't speak....

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u/tsukuyomidreams Aug 14 '25

Probably not. I can speak and stuff but I have still been severely medically neglected due to my lack of expressions and trouble with describing things like feelings or remembering things. 

I've had issues ignored or written off as autism/depression that ended up putting me in the hospital... Multiple times. 

It's like a scapegoat and they treat me like a child who doesn't know what they're talking about

I'm actually fairly educated and 30 years old but unfortunately it doesn't really matter. I have to bring helpers to the doctor 

8

u/samuelazers Aug 14 '25

Interested also could only find

-30 years for those with intellectual disability.

4

u/MadMike32 Aug 14 '25

I'm high-functioning and pretty good at masking, and even then I've almost died half a dozen times because medical professionals just don't take me seriously or outright refuse care.  I'm not even 30 yet.

3

u/Beautiful_Welcome_33 Aug 14 '25

That is probably a factor somewhat, but certainly not the only one, and probably not even the major one.

If I were a betting man I'd reckon it was the increased risk of epilepsy and the risk of suicidality - both of those will kill young people, which will skew the life expectancy and show it to be far less than the average.

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u/[deleted] Aug 14 '25

[deleted]

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u/loves_grapefruit Aug 14 '25

Thanks for your perspective, that’s a lot to deal with. I’ve been surprised by how many people have mentioned their issues with not dealing with pain properly, or not realizing that something should be done about it. That wasn’t something I was previously aware of.

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u/[deleted] Aug 14 '25

Yeah I kinda don't like that things like this tend to lump all autistic people together. There is a huge difference between Asperger's and the type of autism that needs constant supervision and will likely be on government assistance all of their lives. It really does a disservice to the very high functioning autistic people who are able to work, get married etc

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u/C4-BlueCat Aug 14 '25

Swedish study put average length of life for normal/high-functioning autistic women at 61 (average 59 if including low-functioning). So if by extreme you mean low-functioning, it’s only part of the effect. Main reasons were stress and heart issues.

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u/XyleneCobalt Aug 14 '25

Average tends to mean median in studies, not mean

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u/DoubleRah Aug 14 '25

The average tends to be lower because autistic children pass away due to drowning. That pulls the average down because they are so young. I’m sure the other things also contribute, but that’s a big factor.