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Katty

Updated 11mo ago

Wondering if I'm Autistic: Overthinking or Realization?

Hi I have ADHD and lately (this has been a year of intense research) I’ve been wondering if I may be autistic. I find as I learn more about ADHD, ASD, and the whole neurodiverse community I’ve begun to found my self and I’m masking a bit less. I’ve also noticed I “look” (in quotes bc autism doesn’t have a look) more autistic. I have a tendency to just copy the behaviors of people around (mostly subconsciously) to fit in. Part of me wonders if I’m doing that with autism. Is it possible that I think I could be autistic bc I’m overthinking it to see connections to my life that aren’t there, and now I’m just accidentally copying autistic people? Or does that sound paranoid? Can’t tell.

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Bob60

2y

Hi! My suggestion before seeing a professional for a formal diagnosis, is to think about how getting this title will impact your daily life? Can getting labeled help you accept your weaknesses or only complicate things for you?
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castiel

2y

Many people with adhd also have autism. Also im diagnosed autistic and i noticed after my diagnosis that i unmasked a lot, to the point i thought i was faking. A lot of people when diagnosed or considering being autistic unmask to a certain extent. If you would like to pursue a diagnosis then i wish you luck!
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castiel

2y

Also since i cant reply to my own comment, copying others (on purpose or by accident) is also something many autistic people do.
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Katty

2y

I already have a neuropsych appointment scheduled for May. I’m just impatient and don’t want to keep having a mini identity crisis every 5 days, so a diagnosis would definitely help me. My neuropsych was originally just to get my ADHD rediagnosed so I would have access to the medication and accommodations I didn’t need as a child, but do now. As well as identify any forms of anxiety/depression I do have. I had my intake appointment a couple months ago. I already suspected I may be autistic, but I had decided the label didn’t seem to quite fit. I decided NOT to bring it up in my appointment and consciously avoided autistic buzz words. Regardless, within 30 min the intake interviewer asked me if I had considered I was on the spectrum and set me up to be evaluated with an autism in women specialist. In a way, that validated the connections I had seen between my self and autistic people, but it also reopened the question for me. With the intake appointment and the neuropsych appointment being more then 6 months apart, that’s a really long time to wait to see if you really do belong in this group. …idk if that makes any sense…..
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Katty

2y

@castiel thanks. It’s nice to hear that maybe I’m actually just being more authentic and not just copying autistic people.
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YanksTMP

2y

Im someone who is looking for the opposite. I was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 9 months but im now seeing that i may have ADHD. But the thing im discovering is that Autism and ADHD are closely related to each other and it seems a high percent of people have both. For me, im a person who has trouble focusing and staying on task. I constantly get distracted by things that are relaxing to me instead of doing school work. As for the self-diagnosis you described. I do the same thing. I call it adapting to the human enviornment you are in. I was born in NY where I had to change the way I talked, acted a certain way to sort of match the enviornment i was in. Copying is a way for me to fit in and be noticed or try not to ruin the mood. It has worked for me and the good part is that even though I have adapted multiple times, i have never stayed put being that "changed person". Im always myself at the end of the day. I feel this is how many autistics live their daily lives within various human enviornments.
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YanksTMP

2y

Sry meant to say NYC not NY

The content in this post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

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