Help Autism question. Please read

[struggles_inc]

Please read this. I think you guys are the only people who can understand and not shame me for asking.

I think I might be autistic. I think I should check, but I'm scared.

It all started when I was a kid. I had trouble with stuff that never seemed to bother anyone else. Like, I always had — and still have — hyperfixation on shows and books. I would just get obsessed over one character and keep it going for literal ages. My friends would notice that and complain sometimes about me being boring and repetitive.

I have trouble talking to people. It comes from someone who owns a company that profits from communication, crazy right? I push myself to talk and people never know that I had paralysing anxiety before I meet them.

I have these little things and rituals that I perform every day or else I get very stressed. Like, I used to have an hourglass that I turned every day before going to bed. No reason, but I had to.

Such topics are not widely discussed and my country of origin. Any mental deviation is stigmatised and that is why I would always hide these things and never talk about them. I don't even know if I'm autistic, I would never check in my home country because my family would just cut me off.

I tried to talk to my boyfriend about it. He stormed out yelling that I "can't be sick or an idiot", and that I'm not some "mental bastard". That just crushed me.

I don't know if what I show are potential signs of autism, I'm too afraid and ashamed to talk about it. Maybe you can give me some advice, please.
P/S: to people that are on autism spectrum, I am really sorry if that post is offensive. I have literally no way of knowing and I feel stupid for asking. So I apologise in advance.

 

[LifeTransit_1]

Person on the spectrum here... I am almost DEFINELTY sure you have some sort of Autism or Disability. I have similar problems to what you are describing and I am diagnosed with Aspberger Syndrome which is a from of autism. So, if you think you have autism, go see a doctor or psychiatrist that can formally diagnose you.

 

[ijustwishtodie]

It's hard to say from this post alone. The part about you hyperfixating on things is definitely an autistic trait however, when you say that you struggle with talking to people, you haven't described it specifically enough to know whether it's autism or something else. After all, for all we know, it could just be social anxiety. How exactly do you struggle with socialising? Do you struggle with non verbal cues such as eye contact and body language? Also, the part regarding the rituals doesn't sound like an autistic specific thing either as it also sounds like something that somebody with OCD would do.

All in all, your post doesn't contain enough information to give you an answer for certain

 

[AllMyDreams]

Please read this. I think you guys are the only people who can understand and not shame me for asking.

I think I might be autistic. I think I should check, but I'm scared.

It all started when I was a kid. I had trouble with stuff that never seemed to bother anyone else. Like, I always had — and still have — hyperfixation on shows and books. I would just get obsessed over one character and keep it going for literal ages. My friends would notice that and complain sometimes about me being boring and repetitive.

I have trouble talking to people. It comes from someone who owns a company that profits from communication, crazy right? I push myself to talk and people never know that I had paralysing anxiety before I meet them.

I have these little things and rituals that I perform every day or else I get very stressed. Like, I used to have an hourglass that I turned every day before going to bed. No reason, but I had to.

Such topics are not widely discussed and my country of origin. Any mental deviation is stigmatised and that is why I would always hide these things and never talk about them. I don't even know if I'm autistic, I would never check in my home country because my family would just cut me off.

I tried to talk to my boyfriend about it. He stormed out yelling that I "can't be sick or an idiot", and that I'm not some "mental bastard". That just crushed me.

I don't know if what I show are potential signs of autism, I'm too afraid and ashamed to talk about it. Maybe you can give me some advice, please.
P/S: to people that are on autism spectrum, I am really sorry if that post is offensive. I have literally no way of knowing and I feel stupid for asking. So I apologise in advance.

I have autism and it sounds like it's possible you have it, especially with the hyperfixation/obsessions. Anxiety and rituals can be associated with autism as well, though also other disorders like OCD.

If you're a girl, autism in girls is often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, so it's perfectly normal to not know you have it until you're an adult.

 

[Throwawayacc3]

Please read this. I think you guys are the only people who can understand and not shame me for asking.

I think I might be autistic. I think I should check, but I'm scared.

It all started when I was a kid. I had trouble with stuff that never seemed to bother anyone else. Like, I always had — and still have — hyperfixation on shows and books. I would just get obsessed over one character and keep it going for literal ages. My friends would notice that and complain sometimes about me being boring and repetitive.

I have trouble talking to people. It comes from someone who owns a company that profits from communication, crazy right? I push myself to talk and people never know that I had paralysing anxiety before I meet them.

I have these little things and rituals that I perform every day or else I get very stressed. Like, I used to have an hourglass that I turned every day before going to bed. No reason, but I had to.

Such topics are not widely discussed and my country of origin. Any mental deviation is stigmatised and that is why I would always hide these things and never talk about them. I don't even know if I'm autistic, I would never check in my home country because my family would just cut me off.

I tried to talk to my boyfriend about it. He stormed out yelling that I "can't be sick or an idiot", and that I'm not some "mental bastard". That just crushed me.

I don't know if what I show are potential signs of autism, I'm too afraid and ashamed to talk about it. Maybe you can give me some advice, please.
P/S: to people that are on autism spectrum, I am really sorry if that post is offensive. I have literally no way of knowing and I feel stupid for asking. So I apologise in advance.

Are you from the UK, USA or Europe?

 

[Felodese]

If you haven't already done it, the self assessment tests that are used as part of an autism screening could give you a hint.

This page has most of the usual tests:

Autism tests | Embrace Autism

Do you think you might be autistic? Have a look at the various autism tests and other psychometric tests (empathy, alexithymia, stimming, camouflaging, etc.) we compiled for you!

embrace-autism.com

 

[todienomore]

Read this guys posts about autism, then do your own research, it can be addressed with nutrition etc

https://twitter.com/search?q=From%3Aphotobiogenesis%20autism&src=typed_query

 

[struggles_inc]

Is diagnosis confidential? I ask because in my home country (Russia) if you are diagnosed with a mental disorder, it reflects poorly on your career. I moved to Europe some time ago and wonder if diagnosis matters here…

 

[alltoomuch2]

It's hard to say from this post alone. The part about you hyperfixating on things is definitely an autistic trait however, when you say that you struggle with talking to people, you haven't described it specifically enough to know whether it's autism or something else. After all, for all we know, it could just be social anxiety. How exactly do you struggle with socialising? Do you struggle with non verbal cues such as eye contact and body language? Also, the part regarding the rituals doesn't sound like an autistic specific thing either as it also sounds like something that somebody with OCD would do.

All in all, your post doesn't contain enough information to give you an answer for certain

I've just been formally diagnosed as autistic and on the report, rituals were one of the markers suggestive of autism. (I have rituals too). You don't have to have OCD to have rituals

 

[Kit1]

Is diagnosis confidential? I ask because in my home country (Russia) if you are diagnosed with a mental disorder, it reflects poorly on your career. I moved to Europe some time ago and wonder if diagnosis matters here…

In the UK, having a diagnosis can have a positive impacted as you can be supported Nd there is understanding and acceptance (though tk could be better).

 

[halleyscomet]

Please read this. I think you guys are the only people who can understand and not shame me for asking.

I think I might be autistic. I think I should check, but I'm scared.

It all started when I was a kid. I had trouble with stuff that never seemed to bother anyone else. Like, I always had — and still have — hyperfixation on shows and books. I would just get obsessed over one character and keep it going for literal ages. My friends would notice that and complain sometimes about me being boring and repetitive.

I have trouble talking to people. It comes from someone who owns a company that profits from communication, crazy right? I push myself to talk and people never know that I had paralysing anxiety before I meet them.

I have these little things and rituals that I perform every day or else I get very stressed. Like, I used to have an hourglass that I turned every day before going to bed. No reason, but I had to.

Such topics are not widely discussed and my country of origin. Any mental deviation is stigmatised and that is why I would always hide these things and never talk about them. I don't even know if I'm autistic, I would never check in my home country because my family would just cut me off.

I tried to talk to my boyfriend about it. He stormed out yelling that I "can't be sick or an idiot", and that I'm not some "mental bastard". That just crushed me.

I don't know if what I show are potential signs of autism, I'm too afraid and ashamed to talk about it. Maybe you can give me some advice, please.
P/S: to people that are on autism spectrum, I am really sorry if that post is offensive. I have literally no way of knowing and I feel stupid for asking. So I apologise in advance.

I thought I was autistic about 5 years ago. I always noticed something was off with me, like everyone knew something that I didn't.

I asked my parents, but they ignored me they were neglectful always have been. I asked my friends, they said I was faking it for attention as I wasn't socially anxious.

I mean I get why, I was smart, I was caring, I was everything you'd want to be a little girl to be.

As time went on, this feeling wouldn't change. I went to my therapist who berated me for "wanting autism" and ended up kicking me out of therapy. I went to my psychiatrist and begged and begged for months to be put on the wait list.

It took until I seriously harmed myself to be put on the list.

A couple years went by and I was finally assessed last November, low and behold I'm autistic, it's on paper now.

Basically what I'm saying is, if you think you're autistic - you most likely are.

People will come up with any excuse not to believe it, for their own convenience.

Whether it's on paper or not, autism is autism. If you think you meet the criteria then you probably are autistic. No one wants to be autistic it fucking sucks lol.

 

[halleyscomet]

In the UK, having a diagnosis can have a positive impacted as you can be supported Nd there is understanding and acceptance (though tk could be better).

This isn't true. Unless you have severe symptoms or have many other disabilities - there's no support.

Yes it's useful to know and understand, but there isn't any support. You kinda have to rely on people around you to care, and that rarely happens.

In my experience people have treated me worse since a diagnosis, and no one in the nhs or social care or whatever gives a single fuck.

 

[alltoomuch2]

This isn't true. Unless you have severe symptoms or have many other disabilities - there's no support.

Yes it's useful to know and understand, but there isn't any support. You kinda have to rely on people around you to care, and that rarely happens.

In my experience people have treated me worse since a diagnosis, and no one in the nhs or social care or whatever gives a single fuck.

I've just had my full diagnostic report with all the reasons they have diagnosed autism , the things I find challenging, and my strengths. There are recommendations including work adjustments. I am now on the waiting list for 6 weeks of group therapy. The autism team are able to liaise with my mental health team, and if I need the crisis team I have access to crisis team members who specialise in autism. I think there is also help with employment issues. This is all on the NHS. I feel like I have excellent support.

 

[halleyscomet]

I've just had my full diagnostic report with all the reasons they have diagnosed autism , the things I find challenging, and my strengths. There are recommendations including work adjustments. I am now on the waiting list for 6 weeks of group therapy. The autism team are able to liaise with my mental health team, and if I need the crisis team I have access to crisis team members who specialise in autism. I think there is also help with employment issues. This is all on the NHS. I feel like I have excellent support.

Wow my dude, you are very lucky. How did you manage to get this support? I've received absolutely nothing and have been told autism support doesn't exist in the nhs by my psychiatrist.