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SunInAugust

684d

Im super fed up with the stigma against asd. I was trying to find any research on caffeine and asd, like how adhd peeps tend to respond to caffeine differently than neurotypical peeps. Almost everything I immediately saw was does it cause autism, because the focus isn't acceptance, but prevention.

Top reply
    • itsnotlupus

      681d

      My favorite is "you don't look autistic" I'm always like "excuse me, then what does it look like?" And they always go silent 😅

    • Katty

      680d

      @OP They’re wrong. That was the old ideology that symptoms mixed like that. (Pre 2013 when they couldn’t diagnose both). They would just lump ADHD traits into autism and autism traits into ADHD to explain the people they would see. Now the lines are really blurry between ADHD and ASD, but the best way to distinguish is saying each are routed in certain core traits. ADHD is rooted in inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. While ASD is rooted in a inherent lack of understanding of social situations and instances on sameness. Therefore apparent presentation of the traits in the other condition without comorbidity must be derived from the roots of the soul diagnosed condition. With the exception of sensory issues and fixed interests which while may look different in both groups is now largely considered to be a part of both conditions. Ex1. ADHD social difficulties coming from impulsively blurting things out or not paying attention but understanding that they shouldn’t have done it. Ex2. Autism having trouble focusing but ONLY when things are changed last minute or there is upsetting sensory stimuli Ex3. An autistic person appearing hyperactive because they don’t understand the appropriate volume or actions for the situation, not from an increased internal feeling of energy. Executive dysfunction and emotional dysregulation are solidly ADHD traits. It’s really upsetting how so many doctors are so hesitant to diagnose comorbidity without very clear high levels of impairment and as such will continue to fail to diagnose comorbid people. The lines are still super blurry, but if I were you I would get another opinion. If you have any questions plz DM me. I have been hyper fixated on psychiatric disorders particularly the distinction between ADHD and ASD for 14 months and know a lot lol.

      • SunInAugust

        680d

        @Katty the place i went is a firm believer in everything you just said! I just failed the tova test for detected adhd. Or pass, I suppose

    • itsnotlupus

      681d

      My favorite is "you don't look autistic" I'm always like "excuse me, then what does it look like?" And they always go silent 😅

    • Katty

      682d

      The stigma is so bad :( If caffeine does make you tired and you are hyperactive and/or have executive functioning issues you prob just have ADHD. 50-80% of autistics do and while some places will sight hyperactivity or attention issues as autism symptoms they’re not. That is really just reminiscent of them trying to describe behaviors when ADHD and ASD could not be diagnosed comodibidly.

      • SunInAugust

        681d

        @Katty I've been really confused about this. So, I was tested for both and was told I only have ASD. The reasons given were i have a really high IQ and all the adhd symptoms were from the autisim: executive dysfunction, emotional disregulation, rejection sensitivity. And that I was just really bored and understimulsted all the time. On paper I have inattentive type adhd. BUT, they also gave me the TOVA electronic test for adhd that removes all biases of gener, age, culture, poorly worded questions. My attention for the test was well within neurotypic and the test catches i think 80% of adhd so they said the symptoms I have of adhd are just from the similarities between adhd and asd not because I have both. I wasnt even borderline. But I'm not sure what to do with that information? Do I see someone about maybe getting tested again, a second opinion? The official eval ended up saying something like "other specified attention-deficit hyperactive disorder, with insufficient symptoms" Any advice?

    • Katty

      682d

      @venomwing AHHHHH!!! Mixing caffeine and stimulants!! I’m glad you haven’t had any bad experiences but caffeine makes stimulants less effective and it can also make the people on both feel really out of it/almost drugged. In general not the best move. Stay safe. :)

    • Venomwing

      684d

      I agree that, unfortunately, ASD is seen as an affliction rather than a variation on human existence. I did manage to find an article detailing how the body's ability to absorb and utilize adenosine can affect the intensity of ASD related symptoms, along with its other comorbid conditions. The article mentions chronic consumption of caffeine can actually regulate and increase the reception of adenosine in the brain, thereby reducing symptoms. I was told something similar by my psychiatrist in regards to me unknowingly self-medicating with high caffeine consumption for my ADHD. Here's a link to the article if you're interested: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3529135/ Though, be forewarned, it is a medical abstract article about a study so it does have some pretty upper-tier language if that's not something you're already familiar with.

      • SunInAugust

        684d

        @Venomwing so does caffeine make autistic people tired like it does adhd people?

        • Venomwing

          684d

          @SunInAugust I can't say from personal experience honestly. I have both ADHD and ASD and the effect caffeine has on me depends on whether I've been consistent with my Adderall. Sometimes caffeine makes me more alert, sometimes I crash and get really tired a few hours after I drink it, and other times it has no effect on me at all.

        • Tyler_of_Asgard

          684d

          @SunInAugust from my experience caffeine doesn't make me sleepy but it also doesn't wake me up. Oddly it helps counteract the shakes i have from anxiety

☝ This content is generated by our users and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making any medical decision

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