Do I have autism and bipolar disorder?

[dancerxoxo123]

I once pondered whether or not I had ADHD. Seemed things either came very easy for me to learn or excruciatingly difficult. Of course I was never examined, let alone diagnosed for it.

What other comorbidities do you think I have other then autism?

 

[Judge]

What other comorbidities do you think I have other then autism?

IMO that's something that only you and your doctor can determine after analyzing a great deal of information you would have to provide about yourself, and all of your traits and behaviors. With the possibility being that a medical professional may able to spot something that is not necessarily associated with autism, but rather something else. It doesn't strike me as a simple process of analysis, taking lots of time and providing many personal details about yourself.

In my own case I used to think of ADHD because of the possibility of a learning disorder. However in learning more about ADHD, I realize it involved traits I simply do not have. Like being able to narrowly focus and concentrate my attention on something without being distracted. And that I can perform mundane, repetitive tasks over and over for hours if necessary. Nor do I have any traits relative to physical hyperactivity. I can keep relatively still if I have to.

Some things I can learn easily. Other things can be very difficult and take time. But I suspect people whether autistic or not could say something similar.

 

[dancerxoxo123]

IMO that's something that only you and your doctor can determine after analyzing a great deal of information you would have to provide about yourself, and all of your traits and behaviors. With the possibility being that a medical professional may able to spot something that is not necessarily associated with autism, but rather something else. It doesn't strike me as a simple process of analysis, taking lots of time and providing many personal details about yourself.

In my own case I used to think of ADHD because of the possibility of a learning disorder. However in learning more about ADHD, I realize it involved traits I simply do not have. Like being able to narrowly focus and concentrate my attention on something without being distracted. And that I can perform mundane, repetitive tasks over and over for hours if necessary. Nor do I have any traits relative to physical hyperactivity. I can keep relatively still if I have to.

Some things I can learn easily. Other things can be very difficult and take time. But I suspect people whether autistic or not could say something similar.

Yeah so I could have something else that’s mistaken for autism?

 

[Aspychata]

Again, you need to go to a second medical provider. We aren't medical professionals. If you feel you need a second opinion, then schedule with a different doctor. These are very complex dx's, and you should be evaluated by a specialist who is familiar with bipolar, ADHD, OCD, ASD. Some of these overlap in areas, so an experienced medical professional is critical at this junction.

 

[Judge]

Yeah so I could have something else that’s mistaken for autism?

It's possible, given so many circumstances and considerations can potentially cause a misdiagnosis. However as we aren't medical professionals, there's no way to definitively answer such a question. I can only cite rather broad responses based on more professional sources:

"Autism is often misdiagnosed due to overlapping symptoms with other conditions, and it is estimated that many individuals may receive incorrect or delayed diagnoses. Factors such as the presence of co-occurring disorders and biases in diagnostic practices contribute to this issue, making accurate identification challenging." -

"Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition estimated to affect about 1.5% of the population. Because ASD diagnoses have increased over the past few decades, many people wonder whether autism is overdiagnosed or misdiagnosed.

There’s a lack of statistical research on how common autism misdiagnosis is. However, ASD diagnoses can be challenging for a number of reasons, making it possible for clinicians to misdiagnose people."

Common Autism Misdiagnoses: Signs, Risk Factors, and Consequences

 

[monkeyclogs]

coming at this from an angle of 30years of confusing diagnoses. i'm going to suggest it doesn't actually matter what your condition is labelled it's more important that you get appropriate help. So rather than worry about what the diagnosis is ask for an explanation for and help with your symptoms and let them worry about how they categorise it.

 

[cooljethro]

As others have said, none of us here are medical professionals, so we can't really give any 'gold standard' advice.

That said - have you considered maybe that you might have a condition similar to bipolar disorder but which is not bipolar disorder? Examples such as cyclothymia or borderline personality disorder have a lot of overlap with bipolar disorder.

It wouldn't harm to mention cyclothymia to a psychiatrist - they are not infallible.

If you don't have bipolar disorder or anything similar - then great, I think that is a plus for you.

 

[dancerxoxo123]

As others have said, none of us here are medical professionals, so we can't really give any 'gold standard' advice.

That said - have you considered maybe that you might have a condition similar to bipolar disorder but which is not bipolar disorder? Examples such as cyclothymia or borderline personality disorder have a lot of overlap with bipolar disorder.

It wouldn't harm to mention cyclothymia to a psychiatrist - they are not infallible.

If you don't have bipolar disorder or anything similar - then great, I think that is a plus for you.

Yeah Mabye it could be that. Does this sound more like borderline personality disorder or cyclothymia then bipolar?

 

[cooljethro]

Based on your mention of the depression lasting 5 days instead of 2 weeks and also experiencing hypomania - I think it is possible that you may have a mild form of bipolar disorder - something like cyclothymia - and even if cyclothymia might not fit exactly, it sounds like it might be generally close to the mark?

This is just an opinion and should not be taken as medical advice.

 

[dancerxoxo123]

Based on your mention of the depression lasting 5 days instead of 2 weeks and also experiencing hypomania - I think it is possible that you may have a mild form of bipolar disorder - something like cyclothymia - and even if cyclothymia might not fit exactly, it sounds like it might be generally close to the mark?

This is just an opinion and should not be taken as medical advice.

Ohh ok that is interesting to know thank you!

 

[Aspychata]

Take a look at this article. You might gain some insight.
A note on addiction

Please note that people can become addicted to nearly anything, not just traditionally addictive substances. It can be possible for someone to become addicted to shopping, food, video games, gambling, social media, and sex, among other possibilities. A person could even become addicted to anxiety.

An addiction can be defined as a compulsive habit that you continue to do despite negative consequences, and that isn’t exclusive to addictive substances.

https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/p...igns-you-might-have-an-addictive-personality/

Not medical advice, l am not a medical professional. Please seek help from a doctor to help you figure out what is going on.

 

[dancerxoxo123]

Take a look at this article. You might gain some insight.
A note on addiction

Please note that people can become addicted to nearly anything, not just traditionally addictive substances. It can be possible for someone to become addicted to shopping, food, video games, gambling, social media, and sex, among other possibilities. A person could even become addicted to anxiety.

An addiction can be defined as a compulsive habit that you continue to do despite negative consequences, and that isn’t exclusive to addictive substances.
An addiction can be defined as a compulsive habit that you continue to do despite negative consequences, and that isn’t exclusive to addictive substances.

https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/p...igns-you-might-have-an-addictive-personality/

Not medical advice, l am not a medical professional. Please seek help from a doctor to help you figure out what is going on.

Ok thanks for your help

 

[Captain Caveman]

I have only read the first part.. Someone mentioned addiction.. That can also present itself in highs and lows so it is important to both be honest with any health professional and get help to overcome any addictions as this could also be the issue! Those of us on the spectrum can be particularly vunerable to addictions because we are more likely to use them as a mental "Crutch". Is why I have always refrained from drinking.. the rare times I do is a little wine with a meal at Christmas or a similar event. I remember as a child the only friend ai had at the time (A year younger) used to give me a Victory V throat sweet and I quickly felt the addiction to them, and had to force myself to stop! It scared me!

===================================================================

Many autistic people have in the past been miss-diagnosed with bipolar as autism for some can have highs and lows.

(I am no expert so I am only saying what I have read or heard from those who were wrongly diagnosed with bi-polar instead of autism).

The importance of a correct diagnosis is vital as if one is autistic but mis-diagnosed, ones life will end up being awful, as bipolar is a chemical imbalance in the brain while autism is electrical brain connections that do not connect as they should. So if health professionals are treating for bipolar and one does not have bipolar, they can make things worse. Having said that, if it is bipolar, they can make things much better for the patient.

So is there any difference between the two conditions in highs and lows?

From what I have heard, bipolar being a chemical imbalance goes from a high to a low in a typical 4 day cycle (Or more) as it takes time for the chemicals to change in the brain. Autism is not caused by the brain chemicals so those who have highs and lows can go into a high or low quickly and can go from a high to a low several times a day for some people!
Depression (Where one could get depressed and not pull out of it for a while) can also be mistaken because if one thinks about being on the spectrum, one can go through depression at times simply because one is living ones life isolated (Even if one is around others) as one may lack the mental ability to socially connect, so one can end up natrually depressed which is different from bipolar.

Bipolar typically has very deep highs and lows if not corrected. Autism does not. May get lows in depression and spikes of highs but won't be the same as bi-polar.

Now nothing is impossible. I have spoken to someone online who was diagnosed with both autism and bi-polar, though it is rare.

An accurate diagnosis is essential as one does not want to heap on extra troubles or the ones one has if one is wrongly diagnosed!

The good news with those who have bipolar is their condition can be corrected through medication, but it does take regular blood tests to keep monitoring the brain chemicals in order to stabilize things.

But it could be autism natural spikeyness and depression when one senses others reacting to ones highs or ones traits which then brings depression if one feels hopeless about ones situation...

Which ever it is, there is generally no harm to go and see an expert who knows about the differences between autism and bi-polar to work out what is going on and as long as that person knows what they are doing and is not jumping to conclusions, one will hopefully be on the right track.

(And a final word about autism. Though it is a spectrum, many of us have gone through all sorts of things so you are not alone. As the worst thing is when one feels alone and isolated. The massive big thing for me before I was diagnosed (Though on a waiting list to be assessed) was when on an open day and I was in a mess, I went down to meet the autism team, and the one psychiatrist I met was the first person I had come across who knew what I was going through for all those years. It was like a dam slowly breaking inside me, and from then on I was able to describe things that I was never able to open up and describe before).

 

[sport]

I was born along time ago age 80+.I was very slow to learn aways behind the class.I was tested late in life and found to have autism +dd and have been in diapers for over half my life.

 

[dancerxoxo123]

I have only read the first part.. Someone mentioned addiction.. That can also present itself in highs and lows so it is important to both be honest with any health professional and get help to overcome any addictions as this could also be the issue! Those of us on the spectrum can be particularly vunerable to addictions because we are more likely to use them as a mental "Crutch". Is why I have always refrained from drinking.. the rare times I do is a little wine with a meal at Christmas or a similar event. I remember as a child the only friend ai had at the time (A year younger) used to give me a Victory V throat sweet and I quickly felt the addiction to them, and had to force myself to stop! It scared me!

===================================================================

Many autistic people have in the past been miss-diagnosed with bipolar as autism for some can have highs and lows.

(I am no expert so I am only saying what I have read or heard from those who were wrongly diagnosed with bi-polar instead of autism).

The importance of a correct diagnosis is vital as if one is autistic but mis-diagnosed, ones life will end up being awful, as bipolar is a chemical imbalance in the brain while autism is electrical brain connections that do not connect as they should. So if health professionals are treating for bipolar and one does not have bipolar, they can make things worse. Having said that, if it is bipolar, they can make things much better for the patient.

So is there any difference between the two conditions in highs and lows?

From what I have heard, bipolar being a chemical imbalance goes from a high to a low in a typical 4 day cycle (Or more) as it takes time for the chemicals to change in the brain. Autism is not caused by the brain chemicals so those who have highs and lows can go into a high or low quickly and can go from a high to a low several times a day for some people!
Depression (Where one could get depressed and not pull out of it for a while) can also be mistaken because if one thinks about being on the spectrum, one can go through depression at times simply because one is living ones life isolated (Even if one is around others) as one may lack the mental ability to socially connect, so one can end up natrually depressed which is different from bipolar.

Bipolar typically has very deep highs and lows if not corrected. Autism does not. May get lows in depression and spikes of highs but won't be the same as bi-polar.

Now nothing is impossible. I have spoken to someone online who was diagnosed with both autism and bi-polar, though it is rare.

An accurate diagnosis is essential as one does not want to heap on extra troubles or the ones one has if one is wrongly diagnosed!

The good news with those who have bipolar is their condition can be corrected through medication, but it does take regular blood tests to keep monitoring the brain chemicals in order to stabilize things.

But it could be autism natural spikeyness and depression when one senses others reacting to ones highs or ones traits which then brings depression if one feels hopeless about ones situation...

Which ever it is, there is generally no harm to go and see an expert who knows about the differences between autism and bi-polar to work out what is going on and as long as that person knows what they are doing and is not jumping to conclusions, one will hopefully be on the right track.

(And a final word about autism. Though it is a spectrum, many of us have gone through all sorts of things so you are not alone. As the worst thing is when one feels alone and isolated. The massive big thing for me before I was diagnosed (Though on a waiting list to be assessed) was when on an open day and I was in a mess, I went down to meet the autism team, and the one psychiatrist I met was the first person I had come across who knew what I was going through for all those years. It was like a dam slowly breaking inside me, and from then on I was able to describe things that I was never able to open up and describe before).

Yeah you are right!! Thank you for your help!! You said something about addiction. I don’t think I’m addicted to anything. You thought I had an addiction? To what?

 

[sport]

Yeah you are right!! Thank you for your help!! You said something about addiction. I don’t think I’m addicted to anything. You thought I had an addiction? To what?

No not me.

 

[sport]

I was diagnosed with mild Intellectual disability with IQ of 76 and autism spectrum disorder. Could I be bipolar 2 as well? My phycyatrist refused to diagnose me with it because my depression doesnt last more then 2 weeks. My depression lasts 5 days then I think I am hypomanic again when I am hypomanic I have increase sex drive talk quickly and walk quickly and spend a lot of money. I have an impulsive control problem while most autistic people don’t have this problem. The results of my ADOS was this by a phycologist.
The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2) is a semi-structured assessment of communication, social behavior, and play; essential for diagnosing autism and related disorders.


It has four modules designed for children and adults, communication observations over cognitive and


emphasizing social behavior


academic skill assessment. Christina


administered Module 4: Adolescent/Adult Fluent Speech. Module (4) was selected for this evaluation because it is designed for use with adults. Ratings of behavior are organized into three groupings: Communication, Reciprocal Social Interaction, and Restricted and Repetitive Behavior.


Observations are scored on a 0-3 continuum, ranging from no evidence of deficit to significant atypicality. Scores are assigned to specific qualities of behavior in each category. Totals are calculated for Social Affect (SA) and Restricted and Repetitive Behavior (RRB). Cut-off scores for autism and autism spectrum are identified.


Language & Communication: Throughout this administration, Christina used some relatively complex speech but multiple grammatical errors were noted. She also spoke unusually jerky and she occasionally echoed the speech of others. Christina was not observed to insert inappropriate words or phrases during interactions. She occasionally shared her thoughts and feelings with the examiner. Additionally, Christina responded appropriately to the examiner's comments about their feelings but did not ask any follow up questions. She was able to describe an event that took place in her life to the examiner with appropriate detail and context. Christina did not participate in back-and-forth conversation with the examiner. Instead, she spoke mostly about her own thoughts with little regard to reciprocal interactions or exchange. During this administration Christina frequently used instrumental (such as head nodding) gestures.


However, she did not use descriptive gestures when prompted to do so and she rarely used conventional (such as clapping for 'well done) gestures. Descriptive gestures are those that represent an object or event, such as acting out rinsing a toothbrush. And the results of my adaptive behavior score was this
Communication: Communication involves how well Christina exchanges information with others. Her overall communication skills received a standard score of 57 and also fell within the Low range (PR=<1). According to Mrs. DiNorcia's rating, Christina demonstrates a relative strength in her communication abilities. Christina's rating indicates that she has some difficulty maintaining her attention for longer than 15-30 minutes, understanding sarcasm, telling about experiences in detail, telling the basic parts of a familiar story or plot, and remembering something several hours later.


Daily Living Skills: Daily Living Skills include how independent one can perform practical, everyday tasks within their environments. Mrs. DiNorcia's ratings yielded a score of 72, which was classified in the Moderately Low range (PR=3). This domain was also considered a relative strength for Christina. According to her mother Mrs. DiNorcia, Christina demonstrates ability to independently complete daily living skills such as hygiene related activities. She demonstrates below age-level domestic skills. She has difficulty performing household tasks independently.


Christina also does not demonstrate safety awareness or know how to appropriately access resources within their community.


Socialization: Social skills are behaviors needed to engage in interpersonal interactions, act with social responsibility, and leisure time. Christina's Socialization was rated with a standard score of 29 and considered Low (PR=<1). This score was considered a relative weakness compared to her other scores. Christina's score indicates that she sometimes struggles with emotional self-control.


Christina sometimes lacks age-appropriate interpersonal skills although she is very interested in establishing social relationships with others.


Maladaptive Behavior: The maladaptive behavior domains measures an individual's problem behaviors including internalizing behaviors and externalizing behaviors. Internalizing behaviors are negative behaviors that are focused inward such as emotional reactions to situations like fearfulness, social withdrawal, and concentration problems. Externalizing behaviors are negative behaviors focused towards others and the environment such as bullying, physical aggression, and disobeying rules. Christina's scores were clinically significant regarding Internalizing problems.


She demonstrated elevated scores regarding Externalizing problems. She received higher scores regarding Internalizing problems, indicating she demonstrates more difficulty with emotional reactions and social engagement, than she does with negative behaviors. The following critical items were reported: Christina... 1. Gets fixated on objects or parts of objects (Sometimes) 3.


Harms herself (Sometimes) 4. Uses strange or repetitive speech (Sometimes) 9. Engages in compulsive behavior (Often) 20. Engages in unwanted sexual behavior (Sometimes). Could this be accurate or inaccurate and you think I was misdiagnosed with bipolar 2? I got diagnosed with bipolar 2 by a psychiatrist on zoom but the psychiatrist I see In person says I’m not bipolar because I’m not depressed for over 2 weeks and my depression is triggered by something. Could she be right or wrong? What are your thoughts of my autism assessment and what does it mean of my functioning? And I also don’t have anger issues. Is it true you can be Bipolar 2 and not have anger issues? And also can my adaptive behavior score show I could be mild intellectual disability also? I want advice on this on people that are also on the spectrum that can relate.

When I took a iq test my score was about 72.

 

[Captain Caveman]

Yeah you are right!! Thank you for your help!! You said something about addiction. I don’t think I’m addicted to anything. You thought I had an addiction? To what?

I read a line from what Aspychata wrote and ammended to add that at the top of what I wrote to add addiction possibilities just to cover that aspect. Is just me being complete in possibilities that I can think of.