When autism and addiction occur together, the way someone experiences treatment changes. Sensory environment, group dynamics, daily structure, and the pace of the programme may all need to work differently. That’s why we plan treatment for each individual patient’s needs.
Castle Craig is a residential treatment centre in Scotland that has been treating addiction for almost 40 years. When a patient is living with autism and navigating addiction, we adapt the assessment, the clinical environment, and the programme itself so that treatment works with the person rather than expecting them to fit a template.
Whether you’re looking into treatment for a family member, researching options for yourself, or making a referral as a professional, here’s what autism and addiction treatment at Castle Craig involves.
Find out if Castle Craig is right for you
“I feel like this experience has been life changing for me, this will help me continue with my sobriety. I couldn’t stop on my own, I am very grateful to Castle Craig.”
Autism and addiction – understanding your treatment options
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Are autism and addiction linked?
Yes, research suggests so, but the picture has two sides. Autistic adults were less likely than non-autistic peers to use substances overall. But those who did:
- Were nearly nine times more likely to report using recreational drugs to manage unwanted symptoms, including sensory overload and mental health challenges.
- Were four times more likely to report vulnerability linked to substance use, including dependence and using drugs to cope with past trauma.
Social situations and sensory differences can make those navigating autism feel stressed and anxious. Some may use alcohol or drugs to help make masking – suppressing autistic traits to appear neurotypical – feel easier, in order to fit in.
For many autistic adults, substance use began before they received an autism diagnosis. Without understanding why everyday life felt so difficult, alcohol or drugs became a way of coping with something they couldn’t name yet.
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Autism and alcohol – why the connection runs deeper than it looks
Alcohol is often the first substance involved because it numbs sensory input and makes social interaction feel less demanding. That’s often where the link between alcohol and autism begins. Alcohol can become part of the masking some autistic people do to fit in with others.
Among autistic people, the prevalence of alcohol use disorder in one study was reported to be 1.6% in general population samples, rising to 16.1% in clinical settings. Possible risk factors include age, co-occurring conditions, gender, and genetics.
When autism and alcoholism occur together, the dependence develops differently. The drinking is functional. It solves a problem that nothing else in the person’s environment is solving, and that’s why it becomes so difficult to stop.
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Autism and drug addiction – self-medication and what it really means
Clinicians should be aware of vulnerability linked to substance use among autistic patients. Autistic people may be less likely to report substance misuse, but are more likely to report using drugs to self-medicate.
Self-medication, for an autistic person, is usually an attempt to manage how the world feels. They may be using substances to reduce emotional intensity, to cope with anxiety, or to ease the effort of masking.
If a substance is being used to manage something that can’t yet be managed any other way, treatment needs to address the underlying issue too.
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How Castle Craig adapts treatment for autism and addiction
Treatment begins with a full biopsychosocial assessment that covers autism alongside addiction. The assessment looks at how both conditions affect your daily life, so the treatment plan reflects who you are and what you need.
A multidisciplinary team reviews your plan. For complex cases, the Consultant Psychiatrist is directly involved in care planning. The team identifies and treats psychiatric conditions that co-occur with autism, including anxiety, depression, and PTSD, within the same programme.
The therapy environment can be adapted too. We look at sensory triggers in the treatment setting and reduce them where possible. The daily timetable is structured and predictable, and that gives autistic patients the consistency and routine they often need.
Group therapy is part of the programme, and we know that can feel daunting. It can happen at your pace, with adjustments made to accommodate you.
Castle Craig is removed from external pressures, with a consistent community and clear boundaries. This separation can help autistic patients focus on rehab treatment, away from the distressing aspects of their normal environment.
What to expect from autism and addiction treatment at Castle Craig
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Assessment and admission: where treatment really begins
When you arrive at Castle Craig, the first step is a detailed assessment covering your personal history, substance use, mental health, and how autism affects your daily life. A psychiatrist reviews your case shortly after admission.
We account for autism from the very first day, and the plan adapts as treatment progresses. It begins with medically–led detox and, when you’re ready, moves into the therapy phase as early as possible.
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A structured environment that works with you, not against you
Castle Craig’s daily programme is structured around therapy, group sessions, meals, and time outdoors. The routine is the same each day, and everything runs to set times, so you always know what comes next. For autistic patients, that predictability can help make treatment manageable.
The residential community is another part of it. You live alongside other people in recovery, in a setting with clear expectations and boundaries, and that social environment is easier to manage than the unstructured world outside.
This structure and support don’t stop at discharge. Continuing care carries on beyond the residential programme and helps you settle back into daily life. Find out more about life at Castle Craig.
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Group therapy and autism: what you need to know
If you’re autistic and considering residential treatment, group therapy may be the part you’re most anxious about. That’s understandable, because group settings can be demanding for autistic people.
Group therapy is a central part of Castle Craig’s programme. Our clinical team is aware of each patient’s individual needs, and support is in place throughout.
If you’d prefer not to call, you can request a callback, or put your questions in an email.
If someone in your life has autism and addiction
- Understanding what they’re going through: Co-occurring autism and addiction can be difficult to make sense of from the outside. The signs of addiction can overlap with autistic traits, making it hard to tell what’s changed and what’s always been there. You may have noticed increased withdrawal, changes in routine, or a growing reliance on alcohol or drugs that feels different from before. If something has changed, you can act on that without needing an official diagnosis.
- How to start the conversation: The way you raise it can decide how the conversation goes. For an autistic person, an unexpected or emotionally charged conversation can be overwhelming. Pick a calm time, be direct rather than hinting, and give them time to take it in without the pressure of an immediate reply. Keep the first talk short, and let them come back to it in their own time.
- Family support at Castle Craig: Castle Craig’s family programme includes family therapy sessions and online workshops, which you can join from home, wherever you live. Recovery comes with setbacks, but a setback doesn’t mean failure. Families need to know that as much as patients do. Continuing care after discharge means support extends beyond treatment for the whole family. You can contact us to find out more about continuing care and about how to pay for rehab at Castle Craig.
Find out if Castle Craig is right for you
You can also get in touch by email or request a callback if that’s easier. We understand that different people communicate differently. The callback and email options are there so you can get in touch in whatever way works for you.
We’ve helped many people turn their lives around
Confidential Autism and Addiction Assessment
Compassionate, expertly delivered evidence-based practices and a patient-centred approach are at the heart of our treatment model. Request a call-back from one of our professionals on any day of the week.
Frequently asked questions about autism and addiction
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Can autistic people drink alcohol?
Many autistic people have lower alcohol tolerance and may experience more intense negative effects, including anxiety, sensory overload, and severe hangovers, even after small amounts.
Some autistic people find that alcohol makes them more anxious or overstimulated rather than relaxed. The cycle of drinking and withdrawal can also be more disruptive, as hangovers intensify sensory sensitivity and emotional dysregulation, which can lead to more drinking to relieve those effects.
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Is autism and opiate addiction treated differently at Castle Craig?
The treatment plan is individual, whatever the substance. If opiate addiction is present, medically managed detox deals with the physical withdrawal. The programme then accounts for both autism and the addiction throughout. The key difference is that we build the plan around how both conditions interact, not around the substance alone.
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How do I know if an autistic person has an addiction?
It can be hard to tell because some signs of addiction overlap with autistic traits. Withdrawal from social situations, changes in routine, or increased rigidity may look like autism rather than addiction.
What to look for specifically: a noticeable increase in substance use, using substances to cope with situations they previously managed differently, secrecy around use, and physical or emotional deterioration that doesn’t match their baseline.
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Does private health insurance cover autism and addiction treatment?
Many private health insurance policies cover dual diagnosis treatment, including autism and addiction. Cover depends on the policy. Castle Craig works with a range of major insurers, and our admissions team can check your cover and explain what’s included before you make any decisions.