Is my anxiety caused by autism?

I used to have both the generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder diagnoses. Now I only have a GAD one. But after this most recent anxiety meltdown, I’m wondering if my anxiety nowadays comes almost exclusively from my autism. Sometimes I get very anxious thoughts and freak out and maybe have an anxiety attack, but those are very specific, situation-based things, like making a big mistake with a register one of the first times I closed as a supervisor. Honestly, it seems like all of my GAD triggers are based in autistic reactions, not anxiety. Hmm.

Your answer

EliteLexy

1y ago

That is a good question. Do you have access to a doctor for a second opinion? It may be worth exploring. If you want to. I thought I had GAD and social anxiety until I tested for Autism at 40. My psychologist ruled out everything else but PTSD. I was shocked, but as you know, so many things overlap!😳

serendi

1y ago

Thank you for sharing! That was helpful. I’m going to talk to my therapist about it next session, and I will mention it to my psychiatrist during my next appointment with her. I don’t doubt that I at least have the *symptoms* of GAD—sometimes, anyway—but I’m not sure about meeting actual diagnostic criteria for it. Like others have said, there’s sooo much overlap. I feel you on that PTSD. 😥 So many things have been ruled out over the years, but one of the few that has stayed is the cPTSD diagnosis.

LiLMAMA8269

1y ago

I know for myself a lot of my anxiety seems from being autistic and having to "mask" my disorder for fear that people will not believe my behovior is mere what it is. Me just being me. AUTISTIC. I am OK with who I am. It's the way I was made. But the anxiety of my behavior not being "attractive" or "not beautiful" like my mother would call it causes so much anxiety that I sometimes don't even feel like myself.

LiLMAMA8269

1y ago

Thank you for sharing.

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