Different diagnoses prior to asd diagnosis?

[Boggle]

Just curious, for anyone diagnosed with other things such as anxiety and depression, and then later diagnosed with autism... what made you realise that what was going on for you was different to/more than the diagnosis you were originally given?

E.g. through my life I’ve been given a bunch of labels (not sure which ones to believe) - anxiety, social anxiety, generalized anxiety, depression, depression with psychotic features, schizoaffective disorder (this is the one I doubt). Anyone else been on a similar journey and then been diagnosed as autistic? What were the key differences between the prior diagnoses and autism?

I hope that makes sense!! just interested in other experiences. Thanks

 

[Suzanne]

Hi and welcome Boggle

When I was a child, I saw therapists who just said I was hyper shy and would grow out of it. Did not even touch of anxiety, but then, I did not know anything, other than feeling different and trying to survive each day.

Even as an adult, never diagnosed with anything, until I started to see a psychiatrst, because I was fed up and mortified with not being able to function in a normal way and considered that if I was diagnosed with something it would help and also, by then, learned about aspergers.

I was finally diagnosed with ptsd, social anxiety/phobia. Generally anxiety and after a prompt from my husband, sent to the right place and received my diagnosis of being on the autism spectrum, but still with those other issues. My therapist has been trying to push for depression, but I actually do not suffer from that. I do get meloncholy and did experience a huge bout of depression at one stage, so he just said: at last, she admits she has depression, but because it was so bad, I allowed him to put me on anti depressants and ok, they did work, and even to the point of me being able to walk outside briefly, without feeling so self conscious, but due to the lockdown, I ran out of meds and got used to staying home and so, when I had an appointment to see my therapist, I freaked out and had to cancel and so, not taking any form of help for mental things.

I tried to seek out help before, but was told by one therapist, that I just wanted to a diagnosis of social anxiety, so that I could get away with not walking and her reasoning? I came in tidy and well groomed, but what she did not see, was how long I had to psych myself up to get out side! So, she prejudged me and was left stranded, so to speak.

Having a formal diagnosis of asd stage 2 going on to stage 3, has done a lot of good for me. My husband, who is a neurotypical, accepts my diagnosis, because it came from a professional and those in my faith, also work with me.

 

[Progster]

I was diagnosed with "social phobia" (DSM III) years ago, but was never informed of this diagnosis and never learned about it until I was diagnosed with depression and Asperger's in 2012. I also learned at the same time that I had been taken to a doctor with suspected autism as a young child, but as I didn't show symptoms of classic autism, the doctor just put my difficulties down to unusual and unstable circumstances in early childhood.

 

[OkRad]

If you are female, you may indeed have had a sea of diagnoses prior to ASD. And if you are an older woman, they might even have been ridiculous. Infantile Personality Disorder?! Eeesh. Not kidding. It does not even exist anymore.

This shows a poor 9 year old kid with the DX who was "treated" for 3 years. Obviously he had autism and was probably re-dxed later in life by a sane therapist (one would hope).

APA PsycNet

 

[ZebraAutismo]

Welcome Boggle. My diagnosis pre autism was ADHD. Which I’m not is accurate,

 

[Streetwise]

A psychologist said I wasn't mentally ill ,another panic disorder,another inferred hypochondria,depression mild very childish in communication,nervous,shy then not inferred hypochondria , but autism 5 years ago,an allergy to dogs and cats lived with dogs and cats since birth never had an allergic reaction ,labs for nhs testing in the 1970s must have been strange places

 

[Sarah S]

As it says in my profile and also my signature started with MBD , and then as time went on more diagnosis added.

And IN said first diagnose ALL my curent diagnosis are to be found under co morbid actually (Incl ASD etc... ) they were 100 comorbids under MBD .

 

[SDRSpark]

First it was Borderline, Narcissistic and Histrionic personality disorders (along with some extras - delusional thoughts and suicidal ideation). My next psychologist said that was ridiculous, there was no way. I didn't see him long enough for him to diagnose me, for unrelated reasons.

Neuropsychologist diagnosed me with GAD and OCD, and basically explained the ways in which I am neurodivergent but said "you have traits of autism but you're too high functioning for a diagnosis". (I have always begged to differ on that "too high functioning for a diagnosis" bit - it has always caused difficulties, some of them pretty extreme at times.)

I've come to the conclusion that, since I seem to be able to get a different diagnosis from every psychologist or psychiatrist I see, I can't understand why I should be expected to trust any of them. It kind of seems like psychiatry is just one big old guessing game and it's a lot of money, time, and energy to let them continue playing it. And going from one to another to another trying to get confirmation of what at this point is blazingly obvious (that I'm neurodiverget) just feels like diagnosis shopping.

As a child I was evaluated and it was decided that I was gifted, but they ignored all my struggles. Sometimes I think "gifted" is code for "autism" when they weren't diagnosing autism when it was found in conjunction with a high IQ.

 

[Judge]

I was diagnosed with OCD, social anxiety and chronic clinical depression. But at a point in time when the American Psychiatric Association was only beginning to professionally acknowledge the research of Dr. Hans Asperger.

To date I have not sought a formal diagnosis for autism. Being retired in my 60s, at this point of my life I see little reason for pursuing what I already believe- ASD Level One.

 

[Sarah S]

They kind of tossed the towel with me when i got my ASD diagnose. And concluded

" MANY un diagnosed diagnosis yet to find but due to the chances of finding them all is less then what is desired the effort to continue searching isent worth it "

And i agree i have more then enogh diagnosis alredy so i really dont need more added.

 

[Kit]

I got diagnosed with Auditory Processing disorder, Language Processing Disorder, dyspraxia, sensory processing issues, Cluttering, ADD the inattentive type, and I had anxiety issues in 6th grade and was put on meds for it but I started having seizures instead because of the pills mixing together. Every time I would have anxiety in school, I would have a seizure.

None of the doctors, including a social worker, ever thought I had autism despite that I had symptoms so I think this was the reason for all these other diagnoses I was given and they said I had autistic behavior or autistic characteristics. So I was getting treated for all these symptoms and then something else would happen and they would have another issue to address. I do feel like I was trying to be fixed but back then I didn't even know what was going on then. I was even placed in a self contained classroom for special ed kids when i was 6 and 7 and even went to a preschool for kids with delays.

Often times I think autism is just a set of symptoms and if you have enough of them, they make it autism than having you carry all these labels in your medical record. And of course they may give you an anxiety disorder diagnoses or a depression diagnoses for medication prescription or for therapy so they can bill your insurance for the sessions.

 

[dragonfire42]

I feel like the only female who isn’t severely autistic whose very first diagnosis was an ASD (though others have been accumulated, in addition) Just makes me feel even more “different,” because I didn’t have the “typical” female diagnosis journey (but then again, my autism also seems to present itself in a more typically “masculine” way, despite me being biologically female).

 

[Wolfsage]

I feel like the only female who isn’t severely autistic whose very first diagnosis was an ASD (though others have been accumulated, in addition) Just makes me feel even more “different,” because I didn’t have the “typical” female diagnosis journey (but then again, my autism also seems to present itself in a more typically “masculine” way, despite me being biologically female).

Not an accurate test for dragons.

 

[zozie]

First diagnosed with Major Depression and Schizoaffective disorders in 1994 at age 13, Cyclothymia at age 22, then this month diagnosed with OCPD, sensory issues, Unspecified Depressive Episode with Insufficient Symptoms, and PTSD. I'm in the same camp as @SDRSpark in that I feel a neuropsych is trying to shove me into a box that fits for them but not for me. Incidentally, I was also found to be "gifted" as a child.

But Spark makes a great point about the futility of "diagnosis shopping". Especially when it's also "blaringly obvious", at least to me. (Though I confess I still sort of hope that some doctor someday will see it. Perhaps that hope will fade with time.)

I have yet to get a sensory profile drawn up — I'm still waiting for the occupational therapist to call. Pretty excited about that one, actually, as it will help greatly in finding (any needed) employment accommodations through Voc Rehab.

 

[Finder]

Growing up, I was diagnosed with laziness and stupidity. But those were just from my teachers, so it was not "official. My peers diagnosed me with strangeness and uncoolness. Kids in my generation simply had no access to mental health professionals. I recognized I might have dyslexia or disgraphia in my twenties. I figured out I was autistic a couple of years ago, but was only diagnosed this year at the age of 56. My dyslexia is still undiagnosed.