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Could I have Autism as an adult or am I being paranoid?

bormikstel5

I know this might be an odd question to ask, and I know I really should see a dr to be certain (but at this point I feel I'm being stupid and paranoid and I shouldn't waste the Doctors time), but I've been wondering lately as to whether or not I might be on the spectrum?

I'll try not to ramble on, but I'm a 28 year old male, with a full time job and independant lifestyle, and the possibility of me being on the spectrum had never crossed my mind until a few years ago, when I was in the car with my mother, talking about me being a bright child, and she said "Yeah, the school wanted me to get you tested for Autism but I told them outright don't be daft, there's no way he's Autistic"

That was when so many pieces fell into place in my head, Why I had so much trouble making friends throughout school, why I would become so focussed on certain tasks, like reading, gaming or working, to the point where I'm oblivious to what's going on around me, why throughout my life I would prefer to isolate myself away, than being social, or just totally freeze up and draw a blank at any type of confrontation or argument, regardless how prepared I am, or struggle at starting or carrying conversations with people I hardly know, and why sometimes even responding to a facebook message seems like an increasingly daunting task.

Am I being paranoid? Are these normal everyday things people do and deal with? I mentioned this to A close friend of mine who works with special needs kids (with all manners of cases from aspergers to violent upbringings) and whose partner is mildly on the spectrum, and she said flat out that knowing me as well as she does, that I definitely do not have Autism, I trust what she says, but the more I read into it, the more I worry as I make more connections in my head that corroborate with the symptoms.

Am I being stupid or is this something I should look into further? Thanks in advance for all your respective times and inputs

Parents

  • You are not paranoid.

    Everyone is different, autistic or not, so no particular issue is specifically autistic.  However, I do relate to a lot of that you describe with regards to my autism.  That you experiencing so many of those different characteristics I would think it not unreasonable to suspect you are on the spectrum.

    Your close friend is not qualified to diagnose you as an adult just because she works with children and has a partner on the spectrum.  Everyone's autism is different so you cannot simply compare one person against another, and children and different to adults.  Maybe you should ask why she does not think you are autistic, and explain why you think you are.  That way maybe one of you will come to see it differently.

    You are not being stupid, but whether you should look into it depends on why you want to know or what you would want to get out of a diagnosis.  Some people just know they are autistic and are happy knowing that, whilst other people need to know for certain and want an official diagnosis.  I sought a diagnosis as an adult in order to access support.

    If you do want to know for certain then you need to speak to you G.P. to ask for a referral.  So it would be very helpful to understand your reasons so you can explain why this is important.  And then do not give asking for it.

    When I spoke to my G.P. I was referred to someone at the local community mental health centre.  They never really discussed autism, though, so after a few weeks I wrote a letter which I handed to the person explaining I had been referred there for a diagnosis and that was not happening.  They said I was not autistic but would refer me to the specialist service, where I was diagnosed.  

    So even people who should know better can be wrong (including your friend).  But you have to keep asking and not get side tracked, and you will also need to be prepared to wait.  Referrals are not quick

Reply

  • You are not paranoid.

    Everyone is different, autistic or not, so no particular issue is specifically autistic.  However, I do relate to a lot of that you describe with regards to my autism.  That you experiencing so many of those different characteristics I would think it not unreasonable to suspect you are on the spectrum.

    Your close friend is not qualified to diagnose you as an adult just because she works with children and has a partner on the spectrum.  Everyone's autism is different so you cannot simply compare one person against another, and children and different to adults.  Maybe you should ask why she does not think you are autistic, and explain why you think you are.  That way maybe one of you will come to see it differently.

    You are not being stupid, but whether you should look into it depends on why you want to know or what you would want to get out of a diagnosis.  Some people just know they are autistic and are happy knowing that, whilst other people need to know for certain and want an official diagnosis.  I sought a diagnosis as an adult in order to access support.

    If you do want to know for certain then you need to speak to you G.P. to ask for a referral.  So it would be very helpful to understand your reasons so you can explain why this is important.  And then do not give asking for it.

    When I spoke to my G.P. I was referred to someone at the local community mental health centre.  They never really discussed autism, though, so after a few weeks I wrote a letter which I handed to the person explaining I had been referred there for a diagnosis and that was not happening.  They said I was not autistic but would refer me to the specialist service, where I was diagnosed.  

    So even people who should know better can be wrong (including your friend).  But you have to keep asking and not get side tracked, and you will also need to be prepared to wait.  Referrals are not quick

Children
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