What's the Most Absurd Thing You Learned This Week?

[DollyKim]

Welcome to the late diagnosis club, we have sound dampening ear muffs. A term you're going to hear a lot is "masking" which is a mostly female thing to survive in social situations, and it's not you, it's everyone who would rather believe girls don't have autism than do their job.

[Tam I am]

I learned recently that I may have been autistic all along... My psychiatrist asked me a bunch of questions last appointment, and when I said yes to everything, she said I might be autistic. So I started down that rabbit hole of the internet, and a lot of reasons that I've felt different all my life might have a logical explanation after all...

Been there, except the psychiatrist I was seeing still only knew old info and never did give me a diagnosis. The psychologist figured I am, though. And yeah... suddenly stuff makes sense, and I have better ideas on how to work with it.

[Kirahfaye]

Psychologists diagnose most neuro-divergent issues anymore. My daughter's neurologist referred her to one for a diagnosis. It's been a while, but I remember detailed testing over 4 visits which we had to commit to - including a couple that were rather lengthy.

[DollyKim]

I was told to my face I can't have anything on the autism spectrum because I can hold a conversation. ~insert biographical stuff and how women can express autism differently here~ That was post brain injury which altered my personality so much the teachers I had before and after noticed the reboot. Not to mention my degree is in fine arts and I was the fourth generation in my family to be an extra in Hollywood so blend in with the humans was my job.

[Kirahfaye]

Females absolutely display autism (and other neuro-divergent conditions) differently than males. And as with any aspect of medicine, the medical community as a whole isn't accepting or addressing the differences.

[Kattriella]

The problem is that when they were studying most conditions and aide effects from medications, they were studying them predomiu in MEN, so doctors literally have less knowledge about women's anatomy and medical issues than they do men's. Now we get to suffer and get dismissed because doctors will take one look at us and be like, "I diagnose you with 'being a woman'. Your treatment is 'just deal with it.'"

[Tam I am]

Around here the psychologist referred me to the psychiatrist, who diagnosed me with Complex Post Traumatic Stress, and then asked why I wanted a different diagnosis when that one had already gotten me the income for the handicapped.

[DollyKim]

Because I want the CPTS along with whatever it is that keeps me from...at least someone else believes me that something really really bad happened to me and no one had my back then so the least you can do it have it now.

On the therapy side of things a post about family get togethers having a moratorium rule about bringing up stuff that's older than 3 years, to keep relatives in check, also works on unpleasant thoughts and memories. It's a quick way to deal with intrusive thoughts and feelings before they can overwhelm you.