• Replies 7 replies
  • Subscribers 6 subscribers
  • Views 872 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Bipolar or Autistic? Answers on a post card.............

picitup

Ok, so the title is quite tongue in cheek.  I do like to face challenges with a bit of humour Grin

I was diagnosed as bipolar a number of years ago and have taken meds for that condition for some years.  The symptoms as I saw them were a period of high activity followed by a long low where I couldn't really function and mostly lay on the sofa all day.  It's no surprise that this caused some relationship issues with my wife.

I've often chewed over whether I'm autistic and have read a lot over the years.  My background is all technical, being well into electronics and computer software.  i anted to be a computer programmer for many years and when I goth there, was as happy as Larry!  Long hours staring at the computer, often alone and sometimes through the night, it really was the bees knees and I achieved much I was very proud of.

The turning point in thinking for me was last time I had some mental health support.  I was going through a highly inactive stage and saw a number of professionals many of who were asking me if I thought I might be autistic.  Some of the support was occupational therapy from a lady, who also asked me and I questioned why she was asking.  She said she thought I had an over concern with facts.  She said there was nothing wrong with facts, but I had a high reliance on them.  I think that was true.

They gave me the AQ questionnaire to fill in and my support worker said I "was definitely on the spectrum" which peaks my interest, but of course, doesn't tell me anything.


They referred me for an NHS assessment, but the wait is 5 years lol, so am trying to sort out another test, possibly by the NHS RTC pathway.

So........ A mood disorder with unusual highs and lows or a bit of a creative with occasional autistic burnouts.  If you have any thoughts, I'd very much like to hear them, no need to worry about the post card Joy

Cheers

Steve

Parents

  • Hi, I think if the mental health professionals suggest it, I think they have reason. If you yourself suspect it - you have a reason. The waiting times are insane. I think, that they are so long intentionally- to make people disheartened and give up on trying to get the diagnosis.  There are possibilities like Right to Choose (probably in England if I remember correctly) or private, if the money is not an issue for you. There is also a question if you need the diagnosis or its not so important. Its very individual.  I'm self identified and also suspected by my therapist,  who understands me like no-one else before. We gonna speak about it soon - what would be the next steps. I'm a bit anxious about not being taken seriously by diagnosticians, but if it's not autism then I would accept it. But I think I would stay in this forum anyway because it means for me so much and I found some friends here.

    Autism often coexist with other disorders and we often get first the other disorder diagnosed,  in my case tourette. It turned out was a wrong diagnosis,  then there was depression. Only when the other disorder gets kind of managed it turns out, it was not the only one. For example anxiety and social anxiety often coexist with other disorders, that are present before like ASD and ADHD. Hopefully there is more knowledge about mental and neurological conditions and the support would come earlier and be more effective. 

Reply

  • Hi, I think if the mental health professionals suggest it, I think they have reason. If you yourself suspect it - you have a reason. The waiting times are insane. I think, that they are so long intentionally- to make people disheartened and give up on trying to get the diagnosis.  There are possibilities like Right to Choose (probably in England if I remember correctly) or private, if the money is not an issue for you. There is also a question if you need the diagnosis or its not so important. Its very individual.  I'm self identified and also suspected by my therapist,  who understands me like no-one else before. We gonna speak about it soon - what would be the next steps. I'm a bit anxious about not being taken seriously by diagnosticians, but if it's not autism then I would accept it. But I think I would stay in this forum anyway because it means for me so much and I found some friends here.

    Autism often coexist with other disorders and we often get first the other disorder diagnosed,  in my case tourette. It turned out was a wrong diagnosis,  then there was depression. Only when the other disorder gets kind of managed it turns out, it was not the only one. For example anxiety and social anxiety often coexist with other disorders, that are present before like ASD and ADHD. Hopefully there is more knowledge about mental and neurological conditions and the support would come earlier and be more effective. 

Children
No Data