Published on 12, July, 2020
Hello everyone, my name is Nikki and I am 22 years old. I have recently (in the last year and a half) delved into the world of therapy and mental health. I have seen a therapist in the past and am seeing another one currently. I feel as though I am on the spectrum and have only just brought this up with my therapist. I go in and see her later today to discuss it. Previously, I have been told I have severe social anxiety as well as clinical depression. Later on, I was told that I have bipolar disorder as well. I myself have felt that I identify more strongly with borderline personality disorder, but have yet to bring that up as well. And just recently, I found several places online saying that autism in women is commonly mistaken for BPD. My older sister is on the spectrum as well but has also been diagnosed as bipolar. I feel like in her case as well, there was some amount of misdiagnosis. There seem to be many possibilities and it's leaving me feeling very confused. I would like to explore myself within this community to help figure this out. I look forward to talking with you all.
Hi Nikki,
You might want to have a look at our adult diagnosis page, which you can find here - http://www.autism.org.uk/about/diagnosis/adults.aspx
This has information on the benefits of getting a diagnosis, how the process works, and what to expect at each stage.
Most diagnostic assessments are done with a referral from a GP, so you might want to make an appointment with your GP to discuss it, (although some will accept bookings privately without a referral).
If you would like to talk things over with someone from NAS directly, our helpline is on 0808 800 4104, from 10am to 4pm Mon-Thurs and 9am-3pm Fridays.
Best wishes,
Ross - mod