My assessment deemed I am not autistic, feel it was wrong

I had an assessment for autism around 2.5 years ago and the outcome was that I am not autistic. However, I feel like I relate so much to the information on line in particular around difficulties interacting, scripting conversations, and just feeling 'different' to everyone else. However, I feel like in my assessment I masked (although I still don't really understand what masking is aside from trying to fit in with people around me... but I am not sure exactly what I do / say to do this) and overemphasised social anxiety feelings/symptoms and didnt advocate for myself. 

I am not sure what to do now as I am really struggling with anxiety but feel like this is due to not being able to be my authentic self - and I do not understand who that is. Is it possible to try and get another diagnosis? (I expect not) - or would it be worth trying to get some therapy/counselling on the basis of autism? or should I trust that the (non)-diagnosis was correct? I have in the past few months been diagnosed with ADHD (aged 32, female) and do think I have this, but I do not feel that it is *everything*...

Any advice would be much appreciated

Thanks

Parents
  • ADHD and Autism have a lot of similarities. I'm beginning to believe ADHD individuals are a bit of a bridge between worlds. They tend to not have as many social misunderstandings which makes a massive difference. We can have similar sensory issues and health issues. From what I've read, ADHD have the ability to use full-brain reasoning and ALSO strong connexions in the part of the brain responsible for language and semiotics.

    Image: If we have one Ring which is NeuroTypical and one Ring which is Autistic, where they overlap is how I see ADHD. In this scenario, I'm not talking about individuals with added needs. Just the basic NeuroType.

    All humans mask. We all mimic to some degree. There's a lot of misinformation out there about this. In the early part of last century, Jung talked about the collective unconscious as a Persona, which the Neurotic (NT) has internalised. This Persona is an internal collective group-think and merged being, which is why the drive for Authenticity and Uniqueness among NeuroTypicals is so severe. Because, deep down they don't feel individual. Autistics on the other hand say they feel too individual, too isolated, confused about social exchanges, and if we understand they don't have this socially coded 'group self', then it makes sense they spend childhood trying to fit in rather than being unique. But this Persona, which is socially "encoded" would then account for why NTs are able to appear to have telepathy or get a read on one another. Many Autistics don't even know this is happening until someone explains it to them.

    However, there is a process of maturing into adulthood which embraces the individual self. I'd suggest that Autistics mature different than ADHD than NeuroTypical. Part of this maturing is learning to dress up our Raw Selves. It's impolite in civilised society to run about naked. Similarly, our internal selves also require a 'coving up' just as our organs require skin. For NTs this dressing up of the Raw Authentic Self, is a subconscious movement happing from childhood called Sublimation. It's a way of suppressing uncivilised thought or desire and producing something which is externally acceptable behaviour. Morally correct. However, Trauma will mess up any process of individuation for someone regardless of their NeuroType. Autistics on the other end are not rewarded for masking. They often misunderstand the point or miss the social cues and just feel exhausted and still rejected. 

    Masking for the NT is mostly subconscious and often they're rewarded for it through approval. Now, not all NTs are clever with their masking.  I have an introverted friend who always sees the power dynamic and makes conscious efforts to not play along. She's exhausted by it, but not Autistic. It was interesting for her to learn that I'm illiterate to these social nuances, though I can sense the essence of a tangled up amount of intentions of another, usually something deeper than the surface exchanges happening and without a rule book to play along.

    For anyone really, I'd recommend learned ethics and aesthetics. Being intentioanlly polite is not bad. Putting in the effort to show someone you care about thinking of them is a genuine act of kindness and certain matters of politeness, which is part of "putting on a mask" help the world just run a little more smoothly. There's nothing wrong with thanking a bus driver or trying to remember to say please.  Learned healthy principles of kindness and being, will in turn, internalises a standard of expectation from others and helps us to create healthy boundaries without thinking too much about it. This is a more conscious way of investing in others and doing my part to be intentional and morally thoughtful and a part of a whole group. We all want to feel accepted and included and have to do some amount of work in order to be part of a desired collective.

Reply
  • ADHD and Autism have a lot of similarities. I'm beginning to believe ADHD individuals are a bit of a bridge between worlds. They tend to not have as many social misunderstandings which makes a massive difference. We can have similar sensory issues and health issues. From what I've read, ADHD have the ability to use full-brain reasoning and ALSO strong connexions in the part of the brain responsible for language and semiotics.

    Image: If we have one Ring which is NeuroTypical and one Ring which is Autistic, where they overlap is how I see ADHD. In this scenario, I'm not talking about individuals with added needs. Just the basic NeuroType.

    All humans mask. We all mimic to some degree. There's a lot of misinformation out there about this. In the early part of last century, Jung talked about the collective unconscious as a Persona, which the Neurotic (NT) has internalised. This Persona is an internal collective group-think and merged being, which is why the drive for Authenticity and Uniqueness among NeuroTypicals is so severe. Because, deep down they don't feel individual. Autistics on the other hand say they feel too individual, too isolated, confused about social exchanges, and if we understand they don't have this socially coded 'group self', then it makes sense they spend childhood trying to fit in rather than being unique. But this Persona, which is socially "encoded" would then account for why NTs are able to appear to have telepathy or get a read on one another. Many Autistics don't even know this is happening until someone explains it to them.

    However, there is a process of maturing into adulthood which embraces the individual self. I'd suggest that Autistics mature different than ADHD than NeuroTypical. Part of this maturing is learning to dress up our Raw Selves. It's impolite in civilised society to run about naked. Similarly, our internal selves also require a 'coving up' just as our organs require skin. For NTs this dressing up of the Raw Authentic Self, is a subconscious movement happing from childhood called Sublimation. It's a way of suppressing uncivilised thought or desire and producing something which is externally acceptable behaviour. Morally correct. However, Trauma will mess up any process of individuation for someone regardless of their NeuroType. Autistics on the other end are not rewarded for masking. They often misunderstand the point or miss the social cues and just feel exhausted and still rejected. 

    Masking for the NT is mostly subconscious and often they're rewarded for it through approval. Now, not all NTs are clever with their masking.  I have an introverted friend who always sees the power dynamic and makes conscious efforts to not play along. She's exhausted by it, but not Autistic. It was interesting for her to learn that I'm illiterate to these social nuances, though I can sense the essence of a tangled up amount of intentions of another, usually something deeper than the surface exchanges happening and without a rule book to play along.

    For anyone really, I'd recommend learned ethics and aesthetics. Being intentioanlly polite is not bad. Putting in the effort to show someone you care about thinking of them is a genuine act of kindness and certain matters of politeness, which is part of "putting on a mask" help the world just run a little more smoothly. There's nothing wrong with thanking a bus driver or trying to remember to say please.  Learned healthy principles of kindness and being, will in turn, internalises a standard of expectation from others and helps us to create healthy boundaries without thinking too much about it. This is a more conscious way of investing in others and doing my part to be intentional and morally thoughtful and a part of a whole group. We all want to feel accepted and included and have to do some amount of work in order to be part of a desired collective.

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