ADHDer, maybe autistic?

[parsley]

Hi, I just discovered this place a couple days ago, and apparently this is the best place to start. So, I figured out I have ADHD a few years ago, after reading an article about undiagnosed ADHD in women (lower rates of diagnosis stemming from the difference in symptoms between boys and girls, and girls therefore going unnoticed) and my mum agreed that the description seemed to fit me. I sought a diagnosis from my psychiatrist in Japan (I'm an English teacher here, was seeing him already for depression/anxiety) and was on a non-stimulant drug for a couple of years - recently came off it, as it is expensive and doesn't do much for me. Stimulant-type ADHD meds aren't available here...

Anyway, in the past wee while, I've begun to realise that my symptoms are not solely ADHD-related, or at least I don't think so. Meltdowns resulting from confusion and overwhelming sensory input, being unable to handle other people's strong negative emotions, having trouble with understanding what people mean when they don't state it literally... Things like that.

I hadn't considered it before due to the pre-conceived notions I had about autism - I think my sense of humour is pretty good, I have little/no trouble meeting people's eyes, I'm only a little socially awkward (and usually any awkwardness comes from my impulsivity blurting out weird stuff), etc. Basically the negative stereotypes don't fit me, so I never considered it before.

But my girlfriend brought it up, tentatively, after I'd had a few screaming meltdowns in as many weeks, and when I take online tests I come up as, like, a 36 on a scale where 35+ means "probably on the autism spectrum but this is not a medical test". The "I can't deal with stuff, I gotta rock on the floor and block out any input" episodes have been happening with more frequency in the past year or two, maybe due to rising stress levels, but looking back at my childhood, there have been little incidents that I remember that might be clues?

I remember several instances of me saying or doing something that I only realised afterwards were bad ideas socially. Tact, I often do not have it Anyway, so, point of the ramble is, does it sound like I have autism? What's the correct way to say "autism that isn't very obvious to other people", cos I've been told that you can't be "a little bit autistic", so I'd like to know how best to express that.

And hi. Nice to meet you all.

 

[xudo]

Welcome

cos I've been told that you can't be "a little bit autistic", so I'd like to know how best to express that. And hi. Nice to meet you all.

ASD is a spectrum, so you could be at the 'milder' end. I have Asperger's, and my husband has atypical autism. When he was diagnosed, it was explained that while he did have problems in some areas that they look for when assessing for ASD, he did not have them in all of the areas, hence his diagnosis of atypical.

 

[Gritches]

Everything you described sounds very much like autism. It seems to me the hallmark is how you describe meltdowns, as well as the fact that I know of no other look-alike phenomena in any other disorder.

I almost hesitate to comment because I'm not as familiar as others here with the topic of the differences between males and females on the spectrum, but I feel pretty confident in my opinion.

As far as what to call "autism that isn't very obvious to other people", that's somewhat complicated. The short answer is "whatever you want" but that's not very helpful. My autism is also unnoticeable to those who I don't want to notice, but I really don't have a useful singular word to describe it. I just only disclose on a need-to-know basis, and if I have to I say something like "I have moderate-to-severe autism, but I cope with it pretty well." Not quite the whole story, but it's pre-emptive against all those "durr you don't have autism" comments and it's concise enough to cater to short attention spans.

Also, welcome!

 

[NeoPhile]

Welcome to Aspies Central.
I'm not convinced that ADHD is under-diagnosed in women. I think it's over-diagnosed in boys. In any instance, you may or may not be autistic spectrum. I have ADHD and stimulant medication like Ritalin or Methylphenidate work well for me. I've been taking them since I was a kid.

 

[Aspie_rin]

Autism and ADHD share many similarities. I used to think I had ADD and got ''diagnosed'' for it (it was just a 15 minutes talk with my pediatrician, but apparently it counts as an official diagnoisis), but the more I've read about how ADD was for other people, the more I realised it was not really the same for me. And now I discovered aspergers and I really feel like I belong in that category, but that I don't have ADD. However ADHD medication can help with some aspects of autism and the ADD diagnosis helps me to get some accomodations.

If you feel like you need both diagnoses to explain all the atypical things you do, though, you might very well have both.

 

[Nitro]

 

[tree]

 

[parsley]

Thanks for the welcome, everybody! Some interesting insights.

If you feel like you need both diagnoses to explain all the atypical things you do, though, you might very well have both.

I do, really. The ADHD side is broad, encompassing the problems I have with memory, concentration, executive function, impulsivity, and fatigue. The other stuff I mentioned before doesn't fit under ADHD, so it must be something else. People have told me that ADHD and autism spectrum disorders are commonly found together, so... I'm also asexual, which is another thing that often crops up with autistic people, apparently! Three As, yay. Anybody else? Is there a thread for asexual people anywhere?

 

[Aspie_rin]

I did a quick search about asexuality on the forum, the topics comes up sometimes but I don't think there's a thread specifically about asexuality

 

[Southern Discomfort]

Honestly, this sounds quite muddy. This is where you need a doctor's opinion.

What I can say is that both conditions are lifelong and it's the childhood years that it's all about, not so much with the adult, present symptoms you experience.

Key things would be like how you got along with other children. Did you have problems knowing how to communicate and play with other children? Changes in routine can be different for people on the autistic spectrum. A delay in speech is also a big sign that it could be autism.

But again, ADHD can mimic these signs. For example, you might not have got on with other children because of your behaviour, they might have rejected you because of that. It's not also unheard for a comorbidity of Sensory Processing Disorder with ADHD which could include the likes of Auditory Processing Disorder.

Again, I think you need a doctor's opinion.

 

[EstimatedProphet]

Hi, I just discovered this place a couple days ago, and apparently this is the best place to start. So, I figured out I have ADHD a few years ago, after reading an article about undiagnosed ADHD in women (lower rates of diagnosis stemming from the difference in symptoms between boys and girls, and girls therefore going unnoticed) and my mum agreed that the description seemed to fit me. I sought a diagnosis from my psychiatrist in Japan (I'm an English teacher here, was seeing him already for depression/anxiety) and was on a non-stimulant drug for a couple of years - recently came off it, as it is expensive and doesn't do much for me. Stimulant-type ADHD meds aren't available here...

Anyway, in the past wee while, I've begun to realise that my symptoms are not solely ADHD-related, or at least I don't think so. Meltdowns resulting from confusion and overwhelming sensory input, being unable to handle other people's strong negative emotions, having trouble with understanding what people mean when they don't state it literally... Things like that.

I hadn't considered it before due to the pre-conceived notions I had about autism - I think my sense of humour is pretty good, I have little/no trouble meeting people's eyes, I'm only a little socially awkward (and usually any awkwardness comes from my impulsivity blurting out weird stuff), etc. Basically the negative stereotypes don't fit me, so I never considered it before.

But my girlfriend brought it up, tentatively, after I'd had a few screaming meltdowns in as many weeks, and when I take online tests I come up as, like, a 36 on a scale where 35+ means "probably on the autism spectrum but this is not a medical test". The "I can't deal with stuff, I gotta rock on the floor and block out any input" episodes have been happening with more frequency in the past year or two, maybe due to rising stress levels, but looking back at my childhood, there have been little incidents that I remember that might be clues?

I remember several instances of me saying or doing something that I only realised afterwards were bad ideas socially. Tact, I often do not have it Anyway, so, point of the ramble is, does it sound like I have autism? What's the correct way to say "autism that isn't very obvious to other people", cos I've been told that you can't be "a little bit autistic", so I'd like to know how best to express that.

And hi. Nice to meet you all.

Welcome parsley...one of my all-time favorite herbs.

When I discovered ADHD I thought I had finally found the "it" that explained why I was the way I am. The meds I took, stimulants, helped. Seemed I needed some form of low-grade stimulation all of the time in order to feel normal, so it was coffee in the morning, alcohol in the evening, and tobacco all day. The stimulant meds cut down my need for all 3 significantly. But the depression I just couldn't shake anymore. I battled depression off and on throughout life, usually associated with life's transitions, but always fought through it. But then I hit a new level of depression and simply didn't have enough gas in the tank to fight it. Then miraculously I discovered I had Aspergers, and slowly over many months I recovered from that depression and am getting used to the real me.

I'm like you in that nobody who knows me would guess I'm autistic, but I am, and not mildly. People think I'm normal because I've poured every ounce of energy I have into trying to fit in for as long as I can remember. But I always knew I wasn't normal. I have a very high IQ which doesn't mean anything other than I could be very shrewd and perceptive about my interactions, but it was exhausting and killing me slowly. The point of all that is that what I've heard said is true: if you think you might be autistic, you probably are. Take more tests online and visit a professional with extensive experience with high functioning autism. Good luck to you and stick around.