Hello it's me. So I got diagnosed with autism as a kid, around 15 years old, but my parents didn't seem to like the diagnosis so I never got any treatment or anything. So I go about my adult life with the background assumption I have autism.

Flash forward to today, my employer changes healthcare plans and suddenly I have psychiatric care coverage for the first time ever as an adult. I've been dealing with some stuff so I book a few appointments with the assumption I have autism. We'll long story short, over a few sessions the doctors have me screened and determine it's very unlikely I'm autistic in a medical sesne, which was kinda shocking to me.

But they tell me stuff like autism diagnoses have become better since I was a kid, so that calms me down. They tell me it's far more likely I exhibit what's called schizoid personality disorder (SPD) , which often seems like autism on the surface. I guess it explains a lot.

Anyone have experience with this?

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[–] 2 points 4 days ago

This all sounds like me, except for the worried parents sending you to a therapist, and all I got diagnosed with is Depression/Anxiety and then ADHD.

I'm not interested in a potential autism diagnosis but my partner with one is convinced I have it. They were also diagnosed with Bipolar and then Borderline Personality Disorder, before someone realized it was actually just Autism.

I'm extremely skeptical of personality disorder diagnoses now, after having seen how often people with autism get initially diagnosed with a personality disorder, and the crazy gender disparity in diagnosis. Women have historically been waaaay underdiagnosed with autism.

A diagnosis is only as useful as the treatment is helpful, so take it with a grain of salt.

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