For too long, Autistic people who use substances, for coping, connection, curiosity, or survival, have been pushed to the edges of both autism spaces and substance use services. Our experiences are flattened into stereotypes or pathologised. Support is hard to access, and when we do seek help, services rarely understand our sensory worlds, our communication needs, or the reasons we use substances in the first place.
That’s why I’m excited to share the Autistic Substance Use Network (ASUN), a new network built by and for autistic people with lived experience of substance use.
ASUN is about:
Community: connecting with people who are driven to advance knowledge and policy.
Knowledge: sharing and building research, resources, and lived-experience insight.
Safety: exploring harm reduction and recovery support policy that respects our neurology.
Advocacy: pushing for better, neurodivergent-competent substance use services.
This isn’t about judgment. It’s about honesty and survival, and about finding ways to thrive in a world that often denies our complexity. Whether you’re exploring harm reduction, doing research, or working in practice and want to understand Autistic experience better, there’s a place for you.
👉 Sign-Up For the Autistic Substance Use Network here:
If you’re interested but unsure, you’re welcome to sign up just to see what’s happening and decide how much you want to be involved. The network is early in its journey, your voice and insight will help shape it.
This is one of those things I wish had existed when I needed it most. Now we get to build it together.