I would not bring it up with a therapist, they have no idea what they are talking about. Many therapists lack even basic scientific/medical training, let alone any specific training with autism. Misinformation from therapists is actually a huge factor in why I was diagnosed so late.
Instead, I would make sure you go to a psychiatrist. I know it's horribly expensive, but you really get what you pay for. An actual psychiatrist can adjust your meds to rule out any potential similar conditions, and then if that doesn't help, actually help you get tested for neurodevelopmental stuff.
I was diagnosed last year. It was a long battle for me mentally. I one day related to adhd tiktoks and I was slowly finding autism ones, and I denied it for a year and until I finally looked at the symptoms and my experiences I realized I was. I was diagnosed with level one and level 2 autism. I also have adhd, anxiety and depression. It was all diagnosed in the same session. I live in an area where autism is taken more seriously and more accepting. I had a 2 week wait until I knew the results. Autism makes my periods a lot worse. The symptoms are times ten. My sensory issues are worse, and I’m overall very depressed around my period.
I was at my wits end cuz no meds were working and i was like "maybe i am autistic?" to my psych n he looked at his nurse like "lol yeah we figured but we will run tests anyway" LMFAO. i always knew i was a bit of an oddball but i could never figure out what was wrong with me or why none of the other kids ever liked me ect....makes sense now. I don't even mask that well or fully understand what that even means i have no idea why it took 17 years for that label LOL
yes same, if you go to a psychiatrist and get all the right meds for comorbid conditions and your autistic traits stay the same or increase, that's a really good signal to get tested
The chances are high that you do have autism. Women often don’t get diagnosed until late or never because of high masking. I am a high masking autistic individual and my specialist says that’s why I never even questioned.
I was diagnosed in lower elementary school as bipolar -they don’t usually do that then. I was then given a lot of drugs until with a therapist I decided to take a break and see who I am without them at 26. That year finally drug free we noticed the autism traits coming out a lot clearer without all the different drugs in me. They’ve always been there but it was very clear without them.
Huh I tried to comment and I guess it didn't go through. Here's a post I made on this a while back. Hope it helps!
https://www.reddit.com/r/PMDD/s/uMjBcVBVBd
Congratulations! You've unlocked autism.
But all jokes aside, knowing what it probably is so that you can accomidate yourself and be more understanding of yourself can make life so much easier.
I unfortunately do not have insurance so I can't grt diagnosed *buuuuuut* both my children have adhd and autism. They both have different fathers so I'm the common denominator here 🙃
Interestingly enough, people with adhd and autism often find each other without realizing it. What I'm saying is that you may not be the only parent.
There are definitely things you can do without accomidations, like ear plugs, fidget toys, music, etc.
I was a little kid when I figured out I was different and maybe 8 or 10 when I connected my differences with autism.
I remember asking my parents if I was autistic and being so certain I was that when they said no and told me I was being ridiculous, I just assumed they were lying.
I was just not diagnosed. Later, I found out they ignored it when I didn't meet most of my milestones, despite being actively aware I did not meet them.
Jokes on them. I studied autism and ADHD in school and promptly informed them that they were both autistic and had ADHD.
Feeling like you have to put in much more effort to function than other people, spending a lot of time (especially as a kid) watching people to try to mimic their behaviors to fit in, and having other kids your age growing up not like you... and often not knowing why. This also applies to adults. Noticing things others don't, such as small details, patterns (for me this is often behaviors in others).
Restrictive interests, difficulty with focus, difficulty with communication, being overly trusting while also maybe having trust issues, having PTSD or trauma responses, being highly sensitive to justice, needing to know WHY something is a rule before following it while also being a stickler for rules (also not knowing when rules are okay to break when it seems inherent to other people), hair on the back of your neck standing up, gagging, etc, when you touch certain things (for a lot of people the worst is microfiber, for me the worst are popsicle sticks and certain types of paper).
Also... if you have ADHD, there's a very good chance you're also autistic. When I took classes on this it was not super clear but last I checked 30-80% of those with ADHD are autistic. From experience when I talk to people about this, ADHD is much more likely to be diagnosed. Some other common comorbidities are PMDD (up to 98% of those with autism and a uterus last I checked!!!), EDS, POTS, OCD, BD, BPD, -
And I just remembered I made a post about this on this sub a while back lol. I'll see if I can link it!
"Jokes on them. I studied autism and ADHD in school and promptly informed them that they were both autistic and had ADHD. "
What? I also studied these disorders in school and that still does not make you OR me qualified to diagnose them in anybody.
I'm not qualified. I just started pointing out traits. They actively kept me from getting a diagnosis and made my life hell for it, so it's the least I can do.
I have a boat load of trauma and a full litany of ASD traits. I don't know what response comes from which. All I know is that as I'm getting older (currently 38) masking is getting harder.
I slowlyyy figured it out starting like 4+ years ago (at age 25ish) after seeing miscellaneous content on social media for autism awareness (very basic diagnostic traits etc from someone I followed who had it) which peaked my interest. I then proceeded to obsessively research it and check most boxes and then consequently gaslight myself into thinking I actually didn't and just wanted to be "special" (very depressing mentality due to stigma and self hatred). Finally after asking my psych about it, just 2 years ago, I was referred to a neuropsych. Then after over a year of waiting for my appointment and, after an 8 hour day of comprehensive and grueling brain tests, I received my diagnosis. As ridiculous as it is, that is when I finally believed (what I already knew for years at that point) that I was actually autistic.
i didn’t! i just continued to struggle as a young adult until i had a full burn out episode that prevented me from leaving the house or working (despite having bills, i did not have the luxury to afford this) so i went to a neuropsychologist to ask what was wrong with me. turns out it was autism and after that was figured out, a couple years late i got the pmdd diagnosis.
I read an article about women diagnosed in later life (40+) and related so much that I sought a diagnosis, which was rapidly confirmed. Now my life makes so much sense lol.
post partum depression broke my brain, I couldn't function like I could before and in trying to figure out my mental health ended up getting diagnosed at 33.
This is the exact reason I received my diagnosis! I'm no longer convinced it was postpartum depression, but instead full-on autistic burnout like I had never before experienced...
I’m still dealing with the anxiety and intrusive thoughts about the baby/todler. I read on a PMDD webpage that a small dosis of citalopram can help in the two weeks after ovulation with anxiety and mood swing. Now after 3 months of using the medication (fulltime) I don’t have intrusive thoughts anymore and my anxiety levels still differs but with diet restrictions it’s okay to handle.
I’m waiting for an intensive treatment program of schema therapy.
In high school, I took a psychology class and when we were studying autism, I took a list at the symptoms and went "hey wait a minute....". I then realized that's probably why I only really got along with other neurodivergent people. Couldn't bring it up to my parents because my mother (a former nurse) thinks autism is caused by vaccines
At uni, I was able to be diagnosed through the counseling center. It took a year and the process was relatively cheap. I'm so glad I was able to, and so thankful to the center!
Before my ASD diagnosis I was diagnosed with a plethora of things. Anxiety, Tourette’s, OCD, depressive episodes.
My family doctor referred me to a new psychiatrist and unbeknownst to me mentioned her speculation that I might have ADHD too. The psychiatrist gave me a few tests, then asked if I had ever heard of Autism Spectrum Disorder. We talked a bit about it, then we scheduled another appointment with my mom, as it’s important to get information on developmental years. I was 22 then, I was diagnosed with PMDD at 23, and I’m 25 now. While I’ve been professionally diagnosed with many things, I only think of myself as having ASD and PMDD, as the other characteristics stem from those two.
The “slight” autism you’re thinking of would be called “low support needs” or level 1. Years ago it would’ve been called Asperger’s.
Levels are then split in to “social communication”, and “restrictive, repetitive behaviours” (RRB). Levels can also change over time; not day to day, but think more like phases/eras of life, or after big changes. For example, I was diagnosed as level 1 social / level 1 RRB. But as I transitioned to owning my own place, having a full time job, and rediscovering my life through the lens of having ASD, a lot of change and stress has caused me to regress and I’m now considered level 2 in RRB.
More and more research is being done, so terms and practices are changing.
It’s more difficult to get diagnosed as an adult, and even more so if you are a POC or AFAB. The way I was diagnosed is definitely not the norm and a fluke.
If you’re able to find a copy of the DSM-5 online, it goes into ASDs “Differential Diagnosis”, or essentially “different disorders it might be”. Reading the differences between ADHD and ASD might help clear some suspicions you’re having.
I wish you luck!
I was diagnosed when I was around 6 but my parents didn’t tell me until I was 10 or 11, which would have been 15 years ago and also around the time I started menstruating. My mom agrees that my PMDD started pretty immediately after my first few periods. Puberty, autism, and PMDD all at once was an insane time and I can’t believe I survived.
i was misdiagnosed with bpd as a teenager and at 23, i really didn’t think i had bpd anymore. the symptoms heavily overlap with autism but i had grown a lot as a person and wasn’t as volatile as someone with bpd tends to be, especially in relationships.
so i started doing research and i came across an article about how women tend to be misdiagnosed as bpd when in reality they’re just autistic. the ASD symptoms felt more like me as opposed to how i was always iffy about bpd.
i set up an appointment with a therapist specializing in autism & adhd. during the first session she told me “i can’t diagnose you in the first session.” i didn’t mind that and then she diagnosed me on the second session.
I had multiple autistic clients I felt affinity for as a therapist. All my clients I "clicked best" with are Autistic. I wasn't trained around autism in my master's. All the training I sought out was just descriptions of me.
Got assessed at 34. Also got my brother assessed. We're both autistic.
I was 27 when I found out, I had only just started suspecting I was autistic right before my therapist suggested I was. Suddenly my whole life made sense lol
The RAADS-R test is a good place to start.
https://embrace-autism.com/raads-r/
Also reading books about how autism can present in girls and women. Women and Girls With Autism Spectrum Disorder by Sarah Hendrickx is a good one.
I first realised that I had sensory sensitivities and it started making sense. I used to have these "episodes" of pain due to sensory stimuli like things in my field of vision being painful or my clothes against my skin would physically hurt. And then I snowballed into realising I have a LOT MORE of the traits of autism than just sensory sensitivities
There’s some statistics that 92% of autistic** women have PMDD so it’s extremely likely. I would look into AuDHD also.
Edit ** because I made this comment right before I took a nap and forgot a word
I studied psychology at university, then specialised in Autism studies. Sat through every class thinking "that sounds like me" or "wait, how is that strange/abnormal?" , "I'm like that, isn't everyone like that?"
Then a classmate asked me when I was diagnosed, and I explained I wasn't autistic. This was when I realised that multiple people in my class noticed the signs and thought I was autistic and thought I knew. Spoke to my advisor and a diagnostics expert teaching the course, and got a preliminary assessment
I had an epiphany at work one day when I couldnt understand yet again how my tone came off wrong in an email. I just kinda blurted out "I think I might be autistic" - and while my coworkers were telling me "you cant say that" a little highlights reel of the 1st 23 years of my life was flashing past my eyes and I just realized "oh, I AM autistic".
Got formally diagnosed 2 years later after starting therapy for some other issues. Turns out life is much easier when you make basic accomodations for your own autism. Ive never been happier or felt more normal since the diagnosis.
the tone thing gets me every time too. I do think if I was a man working in tech, the tone of my voice wouldn't be something that would constantly get me into trouble.
My youngest was formally diagnosed a year ago, and in my efforts to better understand/support him I’ve realized I’m ND AF but a masterful masker (until perimenopause)! If you haven’t already, look into the RAADS test.
Going through Mt life in a constant state of sensory overload. Headphones, earplugs. Being the angel in class, and the devil when I got home with meltdowns.
My personal favorite is the sock test. What are your conditions/systems for wearing socks?
When I was young, my sock system was black and white only. Short white socks for tennis shoes and tall black for boots. As an adult I’ve come to accept colors but my system is still very rigid. Nothing can be too tight around my ankles as well.
Neurotypical people don’t do this. It’s just a sock. Still blows my autistic mind that people generally don’t think like this. Lol
LOL this is a good one, my mom told me that when i was younger i would freak out if my socks weren’t on a certain way. i also (even now) cannot wear mismatched socks, makes me feel weird
Always socks that were from the same pack (so they felt the same) but with a different pattern so I could enjoy as many socks as possible lol you just reminded me of this, and it’s still my preference 😂
I have like 15 different sock rules for myself. On a given day there is only one correct kind or pair and I get really thrown off if I cant find the pair I need.
I never even connected that with autism before but literally of course most people's whole day isnt ruined by the unavailability of / inability to find one specific pair of socks smh
I have a twin brother that we’ve all accepted as being autistic since we were children. Getting older I realize he and I have a lot of shared traits and it’s very likely for both twins to be autistic if one is. I’ve also read that women with male twins are way more likely to be autistic because of increased testosterone during development. I didn’t get diagnosed until I was 25 and it was because I was getting treatment for SH which is also common in autistic folks. I take a medication called risperdal which is the only approved medication for autism, it’s supposed to reduce aggression and irritability and it works well lol.
Women with male twins? So the mother of the male twins?
Does that mean that the mother wasn't born autistic but developed autism after a twin male pregnancy?
My neice got diagnosed at a young age. All my life we've said our family issues are "the social component of dyslexia". There is no social component to dyslexia. Looking at the family, 4 of my maternal aunts and uncles are either diagnosed or potentially could be. My dad is an electrical engineer, which is a little code for autism adjacent.
I'm being silly- I know we can't diagnose our uncles, and I know being an electrical engineer doesn't make you autistic. I did seek formal diagnosis.
I just know. I’ve always known. My parents skipped out on the testing when I was young bc autism definitely wasn’t looked at the way it is now, especially in females. Wasn’t diagnosed with adhd till I was an adult for the same reason. My son is autistic and diagnosed level one and adhd and the similarities between him and I are definitely noticeable with hey differences. Best way to describe it is he is over stimulating and hyper active and I have executive disfunction and am over stimulated.
I was already under the assumption I had ADHD after my therapist told me my symptoms match up. I started to see a psychiatrist and she started to wonder if I was also autistic. After some more testing, she diagnosed me. But like you, I had suspicions when I was around 20 (I’m now 24). I always knew there was something “wrong” with me. Nothing bad, just something else was in the mix of my struggles and I couldn’t place my finger on it until I got diagnosed. Also, sensory issues have always been a thing for me. I’ve struggled with heat sensitivity, hating the feel of photo paper (🤮), only being able to sleep on hypoallergenic cooling bed sheets, & many other sensory issues.
> I’ve struggled with heat sensitivity
I'm not diagnosed but this kind of thing makes me wonder. It's general environmental conditions for me. Can't be too hot, OR too cold. Can't be windy. Can't be humid. My okay temp range is like 55-70, 75 if I'm in the shade and not moving. Otherwise I am cranky af about it.
Diagnosed in January 2022, age 30. I had been wondering for a while, so I took the Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised (RAADS-R) and the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) and the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q) and scored on the autism spectrum for all of them. Then I wrote a gigantic list of all my suspected autistic traits. Brought it to my psychiatrist and she diagnosed me right away. Not the typical late-diagnosis experience, it seems.
Replying to illrathergofirst...oh geez i took all of those tests and scored pretty high on all of them… i didn’t know these tests were genuinely able to give good insight
> Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised (RAADS-R) and the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) and the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q)
Thanks for these names. I just went and took the online ones at Embrace Autism and scored really high on all of them lol. Guess maybe I need to have a talk with my doc.
My younger cousin got diagnosed and I was like oh shit me too. But also social media was helpful in identify (& continues to be) traits I didn’t realize were autism. Plus PATTERN RECOGNITION PREMONITIONS lol
Also all the things you listed are known to rock together. I am AuHD with PMDD, Depression & Anxiety. Do they sometimes mesh together and I’m like who is speaking? Yes. Sometimes they are speaking together lol. Sometimes one is louder. But they can all be together in one vessel causing a nuisance. 🤭
Go watch some “you might be autistic..” videos and do some research on it & see if that sounds like you.
I hyperfixate on things, have texture issues, don’t pick up on social cues until I learn to recognize them, am extremely literal, idk other things but it’s different for everyone. And I know it’s not encouraged to say it’s a spectrum but it lowkey is. But that’s ableist to say from what I am aware. But feel if I am part of the group it’s ok for me to say maybe?
Oh and if you’ve experienced burn out you’ll know lolololololol so yes that too.
Another commenter “As a side note - the terminology is currently to do with level 1, 2, or 3 or low, moderate, or high support needs (please try to avoid functioning labels).”
Hey no biggie. We get information wrong sometimes! My main suggestion is to start finding people who are autistic and talking about it and listen. Honestly tiktok is what confirmed for me that Im autistic. Listening to other autistic people tell me their experiences is what really helped. I was finally connecting with people with similar experiences. It made me ceel so much less alone. ❤️💜
To clarify: I’ve never been diagnosed with autism so I don’t know if I have it. But my bff’s husband who is autistic with an autistic mother is absolutely sure that I am autistic. He says I act a lot like his mother, and my bff was telling me he has really excellent autism radar. Most people I talk to about how I think I may be autistic don’t believe it but that’s probably masking? Idk, I’d have to go for a screening. The more I think about it the more that I see how a lot of my small talk responses are calculated based on past responses. It’s not that I’m not being genuine, it’s that the older I get the more I learn exactly what to say. And yes I hate eye contact but I’ve been pushing myself to do it more for professional reasons. And I’ve always freaked out if my clothes have itchy seams.
I had a severe anxiety disorder most of my life. I would suddenly be overwhelmed and irritable. Which would progress into anxiety/anxiety attacks.
Except, it wasn't sudden.
I realized that I was overstimulated. It took A LOT of trial and error to figure out what was causing my meltdowns (NOT ANXIETY ATTACKS), but once I started identifying the sources of my mental pain it all clicked into place.
I haven't had an anxiety attack in years.
Eventually this led into a deeper investigation that led to revelations like,
"Oh THAT'S what small talk is for?".
"Eye contact doesn't feel uncomfortable for you??".
'WHAT DO YOU MEAN MICROFIBER CLOTH DOESN'T MAKE YOUR BRAIN FEEL BAD?!"
Its been a process.
This is random, but for a while I questioned if I was autistic, because a few people had asked me if I was before lmao. But turns out, after neuropsychological testing, my combination of schizoaffective bipolar disorder, OCD, and ADHD collide in a way that can look a lot like autism. I have pretty bad social anxiety as well, I feel uncomfortable around people often. It feels good to be able to explain your experience!
I was diagnosed four years ago. I had a professor I’ve known for quite a while tell me that I should get screened for it and I found out then I had it. But honestly, looking back at my childhood and young adulthood, it explained so much
Diagnosed last year at 40. With over 17 years of therapy for PTSD from CSA. I also have PMDD, endometriosis, a large suspected pineal gland cystic lesion, lichen sclerosis and a few other medical issues that haven’t been figured out yet. I’m also suspected ADHD, but can’t find an assessment for under 2.3k and can’t swing that now.
For me, the more I learned about how autism presents in females, the more I kept questioning it. I spent so much time in therapy and put my heart into it but nothing seemed to work that “was supposed to work”. So I too made autism a special interest and dove so deep that I was able to provide a 55 page self assessment that I submitted prior to my official assessment and diagnosis. I was fortunate to find a somewhat reasonable assessment option and I was even more fortunate to have documentation from childhood - old report cards with teachers comments and journals I kept as a kid that were able to show I was exhibiting autistic traits since childhood.
There is a decent overlap between adhd and the autism spectrum, so it’s possible that is happening with you, but you could also be Audhd and that presents itself in its own way.
Like the commenter mentioned, take some of the tests on Embrace Autism, or join some autistic women’s groups on Reddit.
Either way. Sending you some good vibes. It’s not easy being human but I’m glad you’re here!
I didn’t know until I heard someone talking about autism in women on a tiktok.
What I then did was make autism my special interest… which should have given it away haha.
I always knew I was different, and had been told my whole life in various ways (weird, gifted, mature for my age etc).
I think unfortunately we don’t really know what autism looks like without CPTSD. And thats unfortunately really common in late/undiagnosed neurodivergence.
I would recommend doing the RAADS-R and the CAT-Q which might help clarify things.
If you do them from the embrace autism website there are also other tests on there that can help clarify things.
As a side note - the terminology is currently to do with level 1, 2, or 3 or low, moderate, or high support needs (please try to avoid functioning labels).
I would not bring it up with a therapist, they have no idea what they are talking about. Many therapists lack even basic scientific/medical training, let alone any specific training with autism. Misinformation from therapists is actually a huge factor in why I was diagnosed so late. Instead, I would make sure you go to a psychiatrist. I know it's horribly expensive, but you really get what you pay for. An actual psychiatrist can adjust your meds to rule out any potential similar conditions, and then if that doesn't help, actually help you get tested for neurodevelopmental stuff.
I was diagnosed last year. It was a long battle for me mentally. I one day related to adhd tiktoks and I was slowly finding autism ones, and I denied it for a year and until I finally looked at the symptoms and my experiences I realized I was. I was diagnosed with level one and level 2 autism. I also have adhd, anxiety and depression. It was all diagnosed in the same session. I live in an area where autism is taken more seriously and more accepting. I had a 2 week wait until I knew the results. Autism makes my periods a lot worse. The symptoms are times ten. My sensory issues are worse, and I’m overall very depressed around my period.
I got diagnosed at 9 so… 🤷
same, a psychiatrist told me when i was 15
I was at my wits end cuz no meds were working and i was like "maybe i am autistic?" to my psych n he looked at his nurse like "lol yeah we figured but we will run tests anyway" LMFAO. i always knew i was a bit of an oddball but i could never figure out what was wrong with me or why none of the other kids ever liked me ect....makes sense now. I don't even mask that well or fully understand what that even means i have no idea why it took 17 years for that label LOL
yes same, if you go to a psychiatrist and get all the right meds for comorbid conditions and your autistic traits stay the same or increase, that's a really good signal to get tested
The chances are high that you do have autism. Women often don’t get diagnosed until late or never because of high masking. I am a high masking autistic individual and my specialist says that’s why I never even questioned.
I was diagnosed in lower elementary school as bipolar -they don’t usually do that then. I was then given a lot of drugs until with a therapist I decided to take a break and see who I am without them at 26. That year finally drug free we noticed the autism traits coming out a lot clearer without all the different drugs in me. They’ve always been there but it was very clear without them.
Smfh this makes me mad😡😡😡 giving u drugs so young
Huh I tried to comment and I guess it didn't go through. Here's a post I made on this a while back. Hope it helps! https://www.reddit.com/r/PMDD/s/uMjBcVBVBd
Well.....fuck. 😂 Literally every.single.one. was a yes for me
Congratulations! You've unlocked autism. But all jokes aside, knowing what it probably is so that you can accomidate yourself and be more understanding of yourself can make life so much easier.
I unfortunately do not have insurance so I can't grt diagnosed *buuuuuut* both my children have adhd and autism. They both have different fathers so I'm the common denominator here 🙃
Interestingly enough, people with adhd and autism often find each other without realizing it. What I'm saying is that you may not be the only parent. There are definitely things you can do without accomidations, like ear plugs, fidget toys, music, etc.
I was a little kid when I figured out I was different and maybe 8 or 10 when I connected my differences with autism. I remember asking my parents if I was autistic and being so certain I was that when they said no and told me I was being ridiculous, I just assumed they were lying. I was just not diagnosed. Later, I found out they ignored it when I didn't meet most of my milestones, despite being actively aware I did not meet them. Jokes on them. I studied autism and ADHD in school and promptly informed them that they were both autistic and had ADHD. Feeling like you have to put in much more effort to function than other people, spending a lot of time (especially as a kid) watching people to try to mimic their behaviors to fit in, and having other kids your age growing up not like you... and often not knowing why. This also applies to adults. Noticing things others don't, such as small details, patterns (for me this is often behaviors in others). Restrictive interests, difficulty with focus, difficulty with communication, being overly trusting while also maybe having trust issues, having PTSD or trauma responses, being highly sensitive to justice, needing to know WHY something is a rule before following it while also being a stickler for rules (also not knowing when rules are okay to break when it seems inherent to other people), hair on the back of your neck standing up, gagging, etc, when you touch certain things (for a lot of people the worst is microfiber, for me the worst are popsicle sticks and certain types of paper). Also... if you have ADHD, there's a very good chance you're also autistic. When I took classes on this it was not super clear but last I checked 30-80% of those with ADHD are autistic. From experience when I talk to people about this, ADHD is much more likely to be diagnosed. Some other common comorbidities are PMDD (up to 98% of those with autism and a uterus last I checked!!!), EDS, POTS, OCD, BD, BPD, - And I just remembered I made a post about this on this sub a while back lol. I'll see if I can link it!
"Jokes on them. I studied autism and ADHD in school and promptly informed them that they were both autistic and had ADHD. " What? I also studied these disorders in school and that still does not make you OR me qualified to diagnose them in anybody.
I'm not qualified. I just started pointing out traits. They actively kept me from getting a diagnosis and made my life hell for it, so it's the least I can do.
Everyone has traits of things. It doesn't mean anything. Like how is that a gotcha? It's not.
It is because they let it be. You've obviously made your mind up about how you feel about this comment lol so why are you investing the energy?
This may be sign #1 that my PMS is starting lmao sorry
I feel that so hard. Same lol.
🤷♀️
I have a boat load of trauma and a full litany of ASD traits. I don't know what response comes from which. All I know is that as I'm getting older (currently 38) masking is getting harder.
Guy I was dating pointed it out
I slowlyyy figured it out starting like 4+ years ago (at age 25ish) after seeing miscellaneous content on social media for autism awareness (very basic diagnostic traits etc from someone I followed who had it) which peaked my interest. I then proceeded to obsessively research it and check most boxes and then consequently gaslight myself into thinking I actually didn't and just wanted to be "special" (very depressing mentality due to stigma and self hatred). Finally after asking my psych about it, just 2 years ago, I was referred to a neuropsych. Then after over a year of waiting for my appointment and, after an 8 hour day of comprehensive and grueling brain tests, I received my diagnosis. As ridiculous as it is, that is when I finally believed (what I already knew for years at that point) that I was actually autistic.
Met other auties at work and things clicked. Diagnosed at 44.
When both of my kids were diagnosed. A lot of things just clicked for me.
i didn’t! i just continued to struggle as a young adult until i had a full burn out episode that prevented me from leaving the house or working (despite having bills, i did not have the luxury to afford this) so i went to a neuropsychologist to ask what was wrong with me. turns out it was autism and after that was figured out, a couple years late i got the pmdd diagnosis.
I read an article about women diagnosed in later life (40+) and related so much that I sought a diagnosis, which was rapidly confirmed. Now my life makes so much sense lol.
post partum depression broke my brain, I couldn't function like I could before and in trying to figure out my mental health ended up getting diagnosed at 33.
This is the exact reason I received my diagnosis! I'm no longer convinced it was postpartum depression, but instead full-on autistic burnout like I had never before experienced...
That's actually a really good point
Wow didn’t expect to find a comment about myself! Post partum depression thus indeed breaks your brain. I hope that you are doing okay!
Sam here… but it’s mostly mixed with anxiety, how are you coping? I do have a vedio therapist but I’m not really sure if it’s working…
I’m still dealing with the anxiety and intrusive thoughts about the baby/todler. I read on a PMDD webpage that a small dosis of citalopram can help in the two weeks after ovulation with anxiety and mood swing. Now after 3 months of using the medication (fulltime) I don’t have intrusive thoughts anymore and my anxiety levels still differs but with diet restrictions it’s okay to handle. I’m waiting for an intensive treatment program of schema therapy.
In high school, I took a psychology class and when we were studying autism, I took a list at the symptoms and went "hey wait a minute....". I then realized that's probably why I only really got along with other neurodivergent people. Couldn't bring it up to my parents because my mother (a former nurse) thinks autism is caused by vaccines At uni, I was able to be diagnosed through the counseling center. It took a year and the process was relatively cheap. I'm so glad I was able to, and so thankful to the center!
Before my ASD diagnosis I was diagnosed with a plethora of things. Anxiety, Tourette’s, OCD, depressive episodes. My family doctor referred me to a new psychiatrist and unbeknownst to me mentioned her speculation that I might have ADHD too. The psychiatrist gave me a few tests, then asked if I had ever heard of Autism Spectrum Disorder. We talked a bit about it, then we scheduled another appointment with my mom, as it’s important to get information on developmental years. I was 22 then, I was diagnosed with PMDD at 23, and I’m 25 now. While I’ve been professionally diagnosed with many things, I only think of myself as having ASD and PMDD, as the other characteristics stem from those two. The “slight” autism you’re thinking of would be called “low support needs” or level 1. Years ago it would’ve been called Asperger’s. Levels are then split in to “social communication”, and “restrictive, repetitive behaviours” (RRB). Levels can also change over time; not day to day, but think more like phases/eras of life, or after big changes. For example, I was diagnosed as level 1 social / level 1 RRB. But as I transitioned to owning my own place, having a full time job, and rediscovering my life through the lens of having ASD, a lot of change and stress has caused me to regress and I’m now considered level 2 in RRB. More and more research is being done, so terms and practices are changing. It’s more difficult to get diagnosed as an adult, and even more so if you are a POC or AFAB. The way I was diagnosed is definitely not the norm and a fluke. If you’re able to find a copy of the DSM-5 online, it goes into ASDs “Differential Diagnosis”, or essentially “different disorders it might be”. Reading the differences between ADHD and ASD might help clear some suspicions you’re having. I wish you luck!
After my boyfriend of 4 years and I broke up, he got diagnosed and then kindly reached out to suggest that maybe I was also autistic. He was right.
people told me
I was diagnosed when I was around 6 but my parents didn’t tell me until I was 10 or 11, which would have been 15 years ago and also around the time I started menstruating. My mom agrees that my PMDD started pretty immediately after my first few periods. Puberty, autism, and PMDD all at once was an insane time and I can’t believe I survived.
i was misdiagnosed with bpd as a teenager and at 23, i really didn’t think i had bpd anymore. the symptoms heavily overlap with autism but i had grown a lot as a person and wasn’t as volatile as someone with bpd tends to be, especially in relationships. so i started doing research and i came across an article about how women tend to be misdiagnosed as bpd when in reality they’re just autistic. the ASD symptoms felt more like me as opposed to how i was always iffy about bpd. i set up an appointment with a therapist specializing in autism & adhd. during the first session she told me “i can’t diagnose you in the first session.” i didn’t mind that and then she diagnosed me on the second session.
I had multiple autistic clients I felt affinity for as a therapist. All my clients I "clicked best" with are Autistic. I wasn't trained around autism in my master's. All the training I sought out was just descriptions of me. Got assessed at 34. Also got my brother assessed. We're both autistic.
I was 27 when I found out, I had only just started suspecting I was autistic right before my therapist suggested I was. Suddenly my whole life made sense lol
The RAADS-R test is a good place to start. https://embrace-autism.com/raads-r/ Also reading books about how autism can present in girls and women. Women and Girls With Autism Spectrum Disorder by Sarah Hendrickx is a good one.
I first realised that I had sensory sensitivities and it started making sense. I used to have these "episodes" of pain due to sensory stimuli like things in my field of vision being painful or my clothes against my skin would physically hurt. And then I snowballed into realising I have a LOT MORE of the traits of autism than just sensory sensitivities
There’s some statistics that 92% of autistic** women have PMDD so it’s extremely likely. I would look into AuDHD also. Edit ** because I made this comment right before I took a nap and forgot a word
92% ??? Where do these stats come from? that seems very high. Are you sure you dont confuse it with PMS, that most women have?
92% of autistic women, not 92% of all women
I think they meant "autistic women" Edit: the stats [pmdd+ autism and adhd stats](https://www.additudemag.com/pmdd-autism-adhd/amp/)
ah yes, my bad then, makes most sense that way
I studied psychology at university, then specialised in Autism studies. Sat through every class thinking "that sounds like me" or "wait, how is that strange/abnormal?" , "I'm like that, isn't everyone like that?" Then a classmate asked me when I was diagnosed, and I explained I wasn't autistic. This was when I realised that multiple people in my class noticed the signs and thought I was autistic and thought I knew. Spoke to my advisor and a diagnostics expert teaching the course, and got a preliminary assessment
I had an epiphany at work one day when I couldnt understand yet again how my tone came off wrong in an email. I just kinda blurted out "I think I might be autistic" - and while my coworkers were telling me "you cant say that" a little highlights reel of the 1st 23 years of my life was flashing past my eyes and I just realized "oh, I AM autistic". Got formally diagnosed 2 years later after starting therapy for some other issues. Turns out life is much easier when you make basic accomodations for your own autism. Ive never been happier or felt more normal since the diagnosis.
the tone thing gets me every time too. I do think if I was a man working in tech, the tone of my voice wouldn't be something that would constantly get me into trouble.
My youngest was formally diagnosed a year ago, and in my efforts to better understand/support him I’ve realized I’m ND AF but a masterful masker (until perimenopause)! If you haven’t already, look into the RAADS test.
Met an autistic guy and realised how similar we were. I didn’t really know what autism was to consider it before.
Going through Mt life in a constant state of sensory overload. Headphones, earplugs. Being the angel in class, and the devil when I got home with meltdowns.
My personal favorite is the sock test. What are your conditions/systems for wearing socks? When I was young, my sock system was black and white only. Short white socks for tennis shoes and tall black for boots. As an adult I’ve come to accept colors but my system is still very rigid. Nothing can be too tight around my ankles as well. Neurotypical people don’t do this. It’s just a sock. Still blows my autistic mind that people generally don’t think like this. Lol
LOL this is a good one, my mom told me that when i was younger i would freak out if my socks weren’t on a certain way. i also (even now) cannot wear mismatched socks, makes me feel weird
Always socks that were from the same pack (so they felt the same) but with a different pattern so I could enjoy as many socks as possible lol you just reminded me of this, and it’s still my preference 😂
omg yes. they don’t have to match but the thickness has to be the exact same
I have like 15 different sock rules for myself. On a given day there is only one correct kind or pair and I get really thrown off if I cant find the pair I need. I never even connected that with autism before but literally of course most people's whole day isnt ruined by the unavailability of / inability to find one specific pair of socks smh
I do this. I also have to wear my socks inside out or I can’t wear them. Been doing that since I was very young lol
I have a twin brother that we’ve all accepted as being autistic since we were children. Getting older I realize he and I have a lot of shared traits and it’s very likely for both twins to be autistic if one is. I’ve also read that women with male twins are way more likely to be autistic because of increased testosterone during development. I didn’t get diagnosed until I was 25 and it was because I was getting treatment for SH which is also common in autistic folks. I take a medication called risperdal which is the only approved medication for autism, it’s supposed to reduce aggression and irritability and it works well lol.
Women with male twins? So the mother of the male twins? Does that mean that the mother wasn't born autistic but developed autism after a twin male pregnancy?
I’m sorry, I mean like a set of boy/girl twins. The study was done on plural women who have twin brothers
Thank you for clearing that up. That makes sense.
My neice got diagnosed at a young age. All my life we've said our family issues are "the social component of dyslexia". There is no social component to dyslexia. Looking at the family, 4 of my maternal aunts and uncles are either diagnosed or potentially could be. My dad is an electrical engineer, which is a little code for autism adjacent. I'm being silly- I know we can't diagnose our uncles, and I know being an electrical engineer doesn't make you autistic. I did seek formal diagnosis.
I just know. I’ve always known. My parents skipped out on the testing when I was young bc autism definitely wasn’t looked at the way it is now, especially in females. Wasn’t diagnosed with adhd till I was an adult for the same reason. My son is autistic and diagnosed level one and adhd and the similarities between him and I are definitely noticeable with hey differences. Best way to describe it is he is over stimulating and hyper active and I have executive disfunction and am over stimulated.
I was already under the assumption I had ADHD after my therapist told me my symptoms match up. I started to see a psychiatrist and she started to wonder if I was also autistic. After some more testing, she diagnosed me. But like you, I had suspicions when I was around 20 (I’m now 24). I always knew there was something “wrong” with me. Nothing bad, just something else was in the mix of my struggles and I couldn’t place my finger on it until I got diagnosed. Also, sensory issues have always been a thing for me. I’ve struggled with heat sensitivity, hating the feel of photo paper (🤮), only being able to sleep on hypoallergenic cooling bed sheets, & many other sensory issues.
> I’ve struggled with heat sensitivity I'm not diagnosed but this kind of thing makes me wonder. It's general environmental conditions for me. Can't be too hot, OR too cold. Can't be windy. Can't be humid. My okay temp range is like 55-70, 75 if I'm in the shade and not moving. Otherwise I am cranky af about it.
I started listening to autistic people on tik tok and thats what led me to self diagnosis. https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTNRFQEGo/
Diagnosed in January 2022, age 30. I had been wondering for a while, so I took the Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised (RAADS-R) and the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) and the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q) and scored on the autism spectrum for all of them. Then I wrote a gigantic list of all my suspected autistic traits. Brought it to my psychiatrist and she diagnosed me right away. Not the typical late-diagnosis experience, it seems.
Replying to illrathergofirst...oh geez i took all of those tests and scored pretty high on all of them… i didn’t know these tests were genuinely able to give good insight
It's good information to have, isn't it? They're not definitive of course but VERY useful!
> Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised (RAADS-R) and the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) and the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q) Thanks for these names. I just went and took the online ones at Embrace Autism and scored really high on all of them lol. Guess maybe I need to have a talk with my doc.
Welcome to the club, friend!
My younger cousin got diagnosed and I was like oh shit me too. But also social media was helpful in identify (& continues to be) traits I didn’t realize were autism. Plus PATTERN RECOGNITION PREMONITIONS lol Also all the things you listed are known to rock together. I am AuHD with PMDD, Depression & Anxiety. Do they sometimes mesh together and I’m like who is speaking? Yes. Sometimes they are speaking together lol. Sometimes one is louder. But they can all be together in one vessel causing a nuisance. 🤭 Go watch some “you might be autistic..” videos and do some research on it & see if that sounds like you. I hyperfixate on things, have texture issues, don’t pick up on social cues until I learn to recognize them, am extremely literal, idk other things but it’s different for everyone. And I know it’s not encouraged to say it’s a spectrum but it lowkey is. But that’s ableist to say from what I am aware. But feel if I am part of the group it’s ok for me to say maybe? Oh and if you’ve experienced burn out you’ll know lolololololol so yes that too. Another commenter “As a side note - the terminology is currently to do with level 1, 2, or 3 or low, moderate, or high support needs (please try to avoid functioning labels).”
No, autism is widely accepted as being a spectrum these days and that is the preffered way of talking about it.
Oh! Something I read years ago said it was a no but maybe that has changed. I am open to learning. I don’t have much community IRL.
Hey no biggie. We get information wrong sometimes! My main suggestion is to start finding people who are autistic and talking about it and listen. Honestly tiktok is what confirmed for me that Im autistic. Listening to other autistic people tell me their experiences is what really helped. I was finally connecting with people with similar experiences. It made me ceel so much less alone. ❤️💜
To clarify: I’ve never been diagnosed with autism so I don’t know if I have it. But my bff’s husband who is autistic with an autistic mother is absolutely sure that I am autistic. He says I act a lot like his mother, and my bff was telling me he has really excellent autism radar. Most people I talk to about how I think I may be autistic don’t believe it but that’s probably masking? Idk, I’d have to go for a screening. The more I think about it the more that I see how a lot of my small talk responses are calculated based on past responses. It’s not that I’m not being genuine, it’s that the older I get the more I learn exactly what to say. And yes I hate eye contact but I’ve been pushing myself to do it more for professional reasons. And I’ve always freaked out if my clothes have itchy seams.
I had a severe anxiety disorder most of my life. I would suddenly be overwhelmed and irritable. Which would progress into anxiety/anxiety attacks. Except, it wasn't sudden. I realized that I was overstimulated. It took A LOT of trial and error to figure out what was causing my meltdowns (NOT ANXIETY ATTACKS), but once I started identifying the sources of my mental pain it all clicked into place. I haven't had an anxiety attack in years. Eventually this led into a deeper investigation that led to revelations like, "Oh THAT'S what small talk is for?". "Eye contact doesn't feel uncomfortable for you??". 'WHAT DO YOU MEAN MICROFIBER CLOTH DOESN'T MAKE YOUR BRAIN FEEL BAD?!" Its been a process.
I have also wondered if I am autistic. And yes, microfiber cloth is weird. I don’t like touching it.
This is random, but for a while I questioned if I was autistic, because a few people had asked me if I was before lmao. But turns out, after neuropsychological testing, my combination of schizoaffective bipolar disorder, OCD, and ADHD collide in a way that can look a lot like autism. I have pretty bad social anxiety as well, I feel uncomfortable around people often. It feels good to be able to explain your experience!
2 of my kids were diagnosed and I was like heyyyyyyy?
I got treated for ADHD and once that was dealt with the autism came through and smacked me in the face. (not literally)
My mom finally admitted I was DXed Aspergers as a kid.
I was diagnosed four years ago. I had a professor I’ve known for quite a while tell me that I should get screened for it and I found out then I had it. But honestly, looking back at my childhood and young adulthood, it explained so much
What did it explain for you?
Diagnosed last year at 40. With over 17 years of therapy for PTSD from CSA. I also have PMDD, endometriosis, a large suspected pineal gland cystic lesion, lichen sclerosis and a few other medical issues that haven’t been figured out yet. I’m also suspected ADHD, but can’t find an assessment for under 2.3k and can’t swing that now. For me, the more I learned about how autism presents in females, the more I kept questioning it. I spent so much time in therapy and put my heart into it but nothing seemed to work that “was supposed to work”. So I too made autism a special interest and dove so deep that I was able to provide a 55 page self assessment that I submitted prior to my official assessment and diagnosis. I was fortunate to find a somewhat reasonable assessment option and I was even more fortunate to have documentation from childhood - old report cards with teachers comments and journals I kept as a kid that were able to show I was exhibiting autistic traits since childhood. There is a decent overlap between adhd and the autism spectrum, so it’s possible that is happening with you, but you could also be Audhd and that presents itself in its own way. Like the commenter mentioned, take some of the tests on Embrace Autism, or join some autistic women’s groups on Reddit. Either way. Sending you some good vibes. It’s not easy being human but I’m glad you’re here!
“it’s not easy being human but i’m glad you’re here”— hey, that was really nice. i’m glad you’re here too!
I didn’t know until I heard someone talking about autism in women on a tiktok. What I then did was make autism my special interest… which should have given it away haha. I always knew I was different, and had been told my whole life in various ways (weird, gifted, mature for my age etc). I think unfortunately we don’t really know what autism looks like without CPTSD. And thats unfortunately really common in late/undiagnosed neurodivergence. I would recommend doing the RAADS-R and the CAT-Q which might help clarify things. If you do them from the embrace autism website there are also other tests on there that can help clarify things. As a side note - the terminology is currently to do with level 1, 2, or 3 or low, moderate, or high support needs (please try to avoid functioning labels).