Do I have autism? Seeking opinions and advice

I was never diagnosed but it was always obvious that I had it

sometimes this can be a sign- if you find yourself relating to the experiences of other autistic people, that could definitely mean something. also, many people with autism frequently are misdiagnosed or go undiagnosed. i would reccomend seeking sources outside of tiktok of course. https://autisticsunmasked.org/am-i-autistic/ this helped a lot as a starting point for me. if it fits you, you probably need to have a discussion with a psychologist or psychiatrist if possible.

u should def do some research online & look at the criteria n stuff, my autistic bf was the first person to suggest i have it n after months of research i self diagnosed. i’m currently dealing with terrible autistic burnout n have struggled my whole life not knowing why. i also developed a personality disorder bc of the trauma autism comes with. i didn’t know what was “wrong” before i self diagnosed as autistic n bpd. im very high risk but knowing what’s “wrong” w me has saved my life. self diagnosis saves lives so ignore any discourse about it. i wish u luck on ur journey <3

thank you, honestly you've given me so much validation and reassurance

Also if you have autism there's statistically a high chance you also have ADHD, and vice versa

Also, knowledgable autistic people are the best people to identify autism in others. And the notion of "you don't have autism cuz u don't act like how autistic children do" is very harmful because duh an autistic child/toddler is gonna present much differently than an autistic teen/adult

Do a lot of research outside of TikTok like diagnostic criteria, the dsm ect. An autism diagnosis can be a lengthy and expensive process so I would make sure to do a lot of research beforehand to be sure of yourself. Also evaluate if a diagnosis would improve your quality of life. A diagnosis would help if you need medical accommodations or academic accommodations. It may hinder your ability to emigrate, or adopt children so just make sure you know what you're getting into

Honestly, when you're high weird things can happen, I become a completely different person (normally I'm pretty anxious and controlling, when I'm high I literally don't care whats going on and act completely different). Also, it's just my opinion, but people on tiktok who do the whole "you have so and so neurodivercentsy if you do this" 9 out of 10 times they say something that is completely normal. Autism is a spectrum though, and it is possible you have it, it is a lot more common than people think it is. But 'thinking' you have it, is not a diagnosis. If you can I would seek a professional to diagnose you, if it means anything to you, if not don't spend your money!