Autism v trauma

Hello.

I sorry life has not been as kind as it could have been for you.

The AQ-50 is the main screening test. I think the score for clinical significance is 30-32. You are higher than NT typical though. This is not the only measure, but may likely influence your GP.

Its not a competition, that's just for info. Presentations differ.

Trauma can cause a lot of similar effects.

Here are some differences, but it is not exact and these are just my opinion.

Autism is lifelong, the traits were there when young and before the trauma. Although they could have been masked or only become apparent as life stress increased. Note that many autistic people also have trauma.

Stress comes from overload with autism, rather than fear with trauma.

Time pressure being hard, difficulty starting tasks, monotropic focus, etc. are autistic things.

Problems with tasks are fear based with trauma. Remove the fear and be in a safe space and you are ok. Executive function can be ok. It is not caused by being pressured, overloaded or the environment.

Sensory differences show up in autism. Trauma can give heightened threat responses, such as hearing sensitivity raised, but things like touch and preference for certain fabrics may not be present.

Emotions are fast with trauma. They tend to be delayed with autism. You think then feel, you live more in your head. Rather than feel first the act.

Thinking about conversations and social interactions and scripting them is much more an autistic thing.

Autism tends to feel like you are different, running a different operating system, not quite aligned with others. Social interactions don't go quite right or are a bit awkward (you can learn but something new is hard or to be avoided). Trauma tends to feel like you are not safe.

Autism tends to have more confusion.

Autism can make you more prone to trauma.

Autistic burnout is a giveaway though. Autistic burnout does not go quickly, it requires alone time and you feel better by reducing demands. Trauma can feel better quickly if threats are removed, and company can help not hinder.

Autism is more a processing difference. But of course from the inside it is not easy to tell you are not viewing it quite the same.

Hope this helps.

Thank you Stuart.

You have compared and contrasted Autism and trauma.  But I chime with things from both.

I was born into a domestically violent and oppressive home. So I  have no before or after to look to.

I have stress from load, but fear too.  I don't think I have any sensory issues. 

I live in my head a lot, feeling separate from the world. But I have quick firing intense emotions and threat response from fear and trauma.  I have fierce perfectionism.  This is two-fold: a feeling that things should be a certain way and should never be deviated from, but also because of fear and anxiety that if it's perfect I'll be safe.

I script out loud when alone, or in my head when with others.   I rehearse conversations, replay conversation, justify, organise out loud. 

I feel like I'm running a different program to everyone else.  Don't feel some things come naturally.   I'm uncomfortable in the company of other women as I feel I just don't know how to be with them. It just doesn't compute.

I get emotionally and mentally exhausted easily.  Just going to work etc.  I have a lot of alone time to decompress. 

I have deep interests, intertwined with parasocial connections, that lead to me being in fantasies a lot, to the point of maladaptive day dreaming. 

Given my life, I fully accept there is trauma.  The question is, is there autism there too. And are they too intertwined to distinguish. 

Thank you for your input

Childhood emotional neglect causes a lot of issues, if you Google it.

It is not easy to tease things apart. It can become a balance of probabilities, based on lots of small pieces fitting together to create a picture.

I understand you would like to know for sure. I did as well.

But the real purpose is to apply the knowledge to make life easier. What course of action makes things better is determined by what the root cause is.

Trauma in autism can sometimes be made better just through understanding. It is the confusion which drives the overwhelm which drives the emotions. Rather than emotions (fear) driving the problems. NT treatment is more about managing emotions, effective autistic treatment is more in-depth and unemotional, in my opinion. Which is why a lot of therapy doesn't work well for autism, because it is treating the symptom. Understanding yourself and how to live with yourself is what helps.

The question is what you want to try to improve. What is causing you the most problems. You don't need to say, but it's something to think about. Just being diagnosed doesn't change this, but does give you permission to be kinder to yourself. In theory you can do this anyway, but some people can't without external validation (like me).

Yes, my childhood experiences caused me lots of problems. And, yes, it may be impossible to tease apart what mechanism is causing me problems  (trauma or something else like autism).

I have found understanding the mechanism helps. So understanding why trauma makes me act and react a certain way. But is autism another lens? If so understanding that mechanism may help too.

If my continued difficulties are because my wiring is different, that may help as shorthand to give to others, or as a manual, so they understand why I function a certain way. And to help me understand myself too.

It's just how will I or a clinician determine trauma from Autism. 

Yes, my childhood experiences caused me lots of problems. And, yes, it may be impossible to tease apart what mechanism is causing me problems  (trauma or something else like autism).

I have found understanding the mechanism helps. So understanding why trauma makes me act and react a certain way. But is autism another lens? If so understanding that mechanism may help too.

If my continued difficulties are because my wiring is different, that may help as shorthand to give to others, or as a manual, so they understand why I function a certain way. And to help me understand myself too.

It's just how will I or a clinician determine trauma from Autism.