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Hi - ASD + OCD + ADHD

Eternity

Hi I'm new here, recently diagnosed with ASD. Prior to this I was diagnosed with anxiety and OCD. I've only recently come to realise these are all linked and impact my daily life in ways that can be difficult to manage. The anxiety is difficult to cope with and the OCD is difficult to cope with too, I wash my hands excessively and that’s resulted in a lot of hand and skin problems which means I have to wear gloves pretty much all the time now because they are sore, easily infected and to be honestly blunt they just look awful.

I have this urge to keep everything straight, clean and in order, and spend a lot of time obsessing with that. Must drive my BF mad that I keep rearranging everything, he never moans though. Not that I’ve heard anyway.

It would be nice to slow down and just chill for a bit but my ASD ADHD brain can never ‘switch off’ and I feel like it must still be racing and processing all night long because I still feel exhausted when I wake up in the morning like I didn’t sleep at all. I talk to my BF and he’s supportive, more supportive than I deserve probably but I thought being part of an ASD community might help me to understand these things and be kinder to myself.

That sounds all negative so here are some positives about me. I’m chaotic but friendly. I like my own space but I like to be around others, I would go insane on my own! I enjoy music, reading, watching TV and movies and have always loved ice skating but I don't get to do it much.

  • I think it is far from unusual to have ocd and anxiety when you’re autistic. I was diagnosed with Generalised Anxiety Disorder way before I was diagnosed as autistic, and my youngest autistic son has ocd, and my eldest who is also autistic also has adhd, and has digestive issues which are also often associated with being autistic. So these things often come together. I think a diagnosis of autism is often the thing that makes all the pieces of the jigsaw fit together in many ways. The greater our understanding we have of why we think the way we do has to help I think.  It’s great that your boyfriend is so understanding and supportive - that makes a massive difference in my experience. 

  • Hi. I was diagnosed with OCD when I was about 12 years ago so I understand how awful it can be. 

    I have had hand washing compulsions  ( still do to an extent, although not as bad as they have been). My hands would be so sore and itchy, it really is hard to deal with. Have you found any relief with steroid creams? 

    I'm glad you have a supportive boyfriend.

    I also enjoy reading a lot. Do you have a favourite genre of books?

  • Hello Eternity, 

    Welcome to the forum. We hope you find it supportive and useful. 

    The NAS website has an advice and guidance section where you explore and read about topics which may help or interest you. I wonder whether you may find the following interesting. 

    Here is the link to the main page with the list of topics

    https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance

    I found this section on OCD which may be helpful. 

    https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/mental-health/ocd

    Best wishes, 

    Anna Mod

  • Hi and welcome to the forum. I like reading and playing video games, and I usually watch a couple of movies each week. I've started doing a weekly thread on here where I post my film of the week so people can watch and review it if they want. Not everyone enjoys the same films though, so by popular demand I've turned it from a Film Club thread to a Goggle Box thread, where people can write about anything they watch that week. It's just to try and foster a sense of community and give us other things to chat about.

  • Hiya, friend, welcome to the community. You don’t sound negative at all—just resilient. I’m in a similar boat, and wanted to let you know that you’re not alone, your struggles are real, and you’ve got a ton of folks out here to support you. I was misdiagnosed with a ton of stuff as a child that did not match up with my experience, but having the right words to describe the world made things a lot clearer. The path to happiness is no less convoluted, but it’s getting better, and I’m sure yours will too. It can be easy to wallow, but keep support close and keep reaching out, and you’ll get through.

    I've found that meditation and running helps on days where sensory stuff gets too much or my mind begins its doom spiral, and while that’s not feasible for everyone, there’s tons of resources out there. Chronic fatigue is another thing that isn’t talked about a ton, despite the pervasive insomnia throughout the ASD community.

    keep your chin up, you’re killing it.