Why does one person have so many disorders? Do they all have same discriptions?

[e79243]

I feel I have:

Extreme Social Anxiety
Depression
ADHD
Autism (high functioning)
Asperger's
Borderline Personality Disorder
Anti Social Disorder
Paranoid Personality Disorder

 

[On the Inside]

That is quite a list, but as you say, you feel you have them, have you been diagnosed? Not that that is absolutely neccessary, but social anxiety, anti-social, paranoid disorder, maybe even borderline personality disorder can all be similar to the traits of Aspergers and Autism. So you might have Autism, and it presents much like those disorders. They can also be co-morbid, meaning that they can be present along with ASD. Or, you might have those disorders and not have ASD.

I have been fortunate to have access to good professional help, and was able to sort out my issues, get accurate diagnoses, and then target my efforts and therapy on what will be of best use for keeping me healthy and reasonably effective in adult life. Compared to where I was 6 or 7 years ago, I'm doing so much better. But it was a long winding path and I wasted some time, money and effort on inaccurate assumptions by myself and a couple of therapists I was seeing.

Not sure how much help you have, or how long you have been struggling, but it seems that you are pretty aware of how this has affectedcyour life, are serious about getting answers and help for your issues, so you are already making progress. This forum is a good place to get support, hear the experiences of others with similar issues, and get some resources for help.
,

 

[Sofi]

I highly doubt a person can have all those official diagnoses separately. There will be one or two (like Asperger's and Social Anxiety which tend to go together) but also have issues which manifest like the other disorders, perhaps.
Also, you definitely can't have high-functioning Autism AND Asperger's syndrome. You either have one or the other....

 

[King_Oni]

Some have an overlap but still have distinct traits that make them one thing and not the other.

Before my Asperger's diagnosis a therapist thought I was more on the antisocial personality disorder spectrum, and while some of the things he focused on are similar, obsessive interests among other things were more significant for autism than say, antisocial pd.

Often it's the trick to find which "labels" one has and how they interact with eachother. Social anxiety can be part of someones autism.

I would however say, autism and Aspergers are pretty exclusive in that it's either this or that. Having both would be a bit odd here I suppose.

 

[Judge]

I once used to ponder whether or not I had Schizotypal Personality Disorder comorbid to self-diagnosed ASD and formally diagnosed clinical depression and OCD. Gave up the notion though. But it's easy to dwell on so many disorders that do exist.

As for social anxiety, I agree with King Oni. It's an aspect of my ASD and not likely something separate and comorbid to it.

 

[Southern Discomfort]

Well for starters if you were clinically diagnosed you wouldn't be put down as both having high functioning autism and Asperger's. And some argue it's the same thing but no one would list both of them down without using them interchangeably.

I don't think you would get a diagnosis of more than one personality disorder either. I'm a little sceptical of you having Anti-Social Personality Disorder (what used to be called psychopathy) because the corner stone of the condition is feeling no empathy for other human beings and whilst we can all lack empathy (affective empathy that is) at times, if you're not getting into trouble with the police, wanting to harm others, betraying people or having no consideration for other people's property you probably don't have ASPD. If you did have ASPD and weren't involving yourself with the above you'd be finding it a constant struggle not to when your emotions are in play.

Borderline Personality Disorder or as some more aptly called it, Emotional Unstable Personality Disorder is something that can get confused with autism quite a lot since both groups of people can find they experience emotions turned up to 11 and engage in self harming. I think you'd struggle to find a doctor who'd diagnose you both with autism and EUPD.

I understand though, I've spent time looking through lists of mental conditions trying to see what I relate to the most because I struggle every day. I and everyone around me wants me to get a job but I find travelling places on my own to be immensely difficult for a variety of reasons and I struggle to not see myself homeless in twenty years time because I just don't think I can cope with living on my own. I've wanted some explanation as to why I am the way I am, what's the problem with me and it's hard because sometimes I feel like I struggle with a condition not known to medical science. It's frustrating but mostly, it's exhausting.

 

[shinkansen]

I feel I have:

Extreme Social Anxiety
Depression
ADHD
Autism (high functioning)
Asperger's
Borderline Personality Disorder
Anti Social Disorder
Paranoid Personality Disorder

Would you like to be assessed and diagnosed with any or all of these conditions ? If diagnosed, what would be your next step ? In my opinion, a diagnosis should be a trigger for help, not just an explanation.

While being diagnosed with ADHD, the specialist also suggested I was on the autism spectrum. Among my responses, I remember saying to him that I still have to go to work and pay the bills. Still ended up being diagnosed on autism spectrum...

 

[e79243]

When I read everything I fit most with High Functioning Autism. Mostly because the way I process information when someone is talking to me and my lack of emotion to anything

 

[shinkansen]

When I read everything I fit most with High Functioning Autism. Mostly because the way I process information when someone is talking to me and my lack of emotion to anything

Would you like to talk to a professional about this ?

 

[e79243]

I wish I had the energy again to go to the doctors' all the time like I used to do and all the running around getting all the prescriptions and the cost of all of it. I did it from 25 to 45. I have taken 5 years off. Mostly it is so much running around to doctors and the cost (even with my insurance) that is too much for me. So then everyone tells me to go through our social programs and get it but it is so much work doing that too. I need more energy doing that too. It is a lot of work going through our system to get all you need. I wish I had the energy to make the calls, go to all the appointments and pharmacists, pay the money with the way insurance is now days- it is exhausting

 

[shinkansen]

I wish I had the energy again to go to the doctors' all the time like I used to do and all the running around getting all the prescriptions and the cost of all of it. I did it from 25 to 45. I have taken 5 years off. Mostly it is so much running around to doctors and the cost (even with my insurance) that is too much for me. So then everyone tells me to go through our social programs and get it but it is so much work doing that too. I need more energy doing that too. It is a lot of work going through our system to get all you need. I wish I had the energy to make the calls, go to all the appointments and pharmacists, pay the money with the way insurance is now days- it is exhausting

Do you have a regular GP whom you can talk to ? Start somewhere.

 

[e79243]

Quit going to him 5 years ago -just way too much

I had to drive to his office once a month for my meds because he called them narcotics and it is a law here. I had to pay quite a bit even with insurance. I was on Zoloft, Adderal and Trazodone to help me sleep. When I would go get check ups he would say "you are about to have a heart attack because of meds you are on" "your blood pressure is too high on these meds you have to take" so I got off all and now blood pressure has stabled