[Hydrophobic1212]

When I was very young, the psychiatrists my parents saw with me thought I was autistic. I'd throw HUGE tantrums out of nowhere and over very, very small things, I'd suck on my wrists until they were bleeding, I always had to be moving, I believe I was a little slow with development in certain things, and there was so much more that went into it, that they thought this was what it was. Then they told us that I was simply bipolar with OCD. For a long time, I just accepted this, because I never knew anything different. That is, until I started working with children and adults who are on the very, very high end of autism and I noticed that I do A LOT of things that they do, only, of course, much less severe. For example, I have repetitive movements. When I talk, I rock back and forth, and I tend to move my hands a lot. I shake my hands a lot and also clench and unclench my fingers. I can't handle being around people, not even my family. I don't like getting hugs or kisses or any kind of physical contact from anyone, it makes me incredibly uncomfortable and I get really fidgety and shift. I have a hard time understanding when someone's being sarcastic or being serious... There's a huge list more of this, but those are two that really stand out.

I know they have specific testing for this, and I don't know if I ever went through them, but hopefully those of you who have experience with this could tell me? If I were, I think I'd be the lower, lower end, but I've always felt like my diagnosis was wrong. It just didn't seem to fit me very well. I could be totally wrong (and I probably am, since I usually always am), but I thought I'd ask.

[rosska]

It would be worth speaking to a pdoc about your concerns. Our understanding of autism spectrum disorders has come a long way in a short time, it is possible that the doctor who changed your diagnosis didn't have a very good understanding of ASDs.

[Hydrophobic1212]

That would be very true. I told my mom my list last night and she said it was very, very insightful, much more so than she thought it would be. So I'm going to try talking to him about it.

[FaithlessCat]

There is quite a bit of overlap in many mental health diagnosis and that's why they use the DSM. For example I have Bipolar and Purely Obsessional OCD and Both my Husband and son have Aspergers syndrome and I see a lot of overlap in some of my coping mechanisms and theirs.

what I will say about Autism is that it is viewed as coming under what is called a 'triad' or 'umbrella' of impairments.

• Social communication
• Social interaction
• Social imagination

Also for diagnostic criteria they look at how many specific age appropriate milestones are reaches by the age of 3. Most children on the middle to severe end of the spectrum have developmental delays in the area of speech, where as children who were diagnosed with Aspergers syndrome had no delay in speech before that age.

I say 'were' because they have now changed Autism, Aspergers and a few others to all come under one category of 'Autism Spectrum Disorder'.

lastly, with areas of the spectrum on the lower end it can go un diagnosed until very late in life so it may well be worth your while bringing this up with your Dr.

You may want to consider also that there is no Cure or treatment for ASD so if you are on any type of medication that you feel is helping you it may well be that you have Bipolar/OCD in conjunction with ASD.

I would be very confused about a diagnosis of OCD in conjuction with ASD as both manifest very similarly by way of obsessional behaviour and so I would think a diagnosis of OCD on top of ASD would be totally superflous ( sorry just thinking out loud there )

The very best of luck to you

[rosska]

The DSM is only the standard for diagnosis in America. Europe tends to only use it as a backup, but mostly makes use of the WHO International Classification of Diseases (ICD). So Aspergers still exists as a diagnosis outside of the U.S. I'm not completely sure about R.O.I. but I know that the UK does favour the ICD documentation. Though that's not to say the DSM doesn't affect us, it just doesn't act as the sole influence on diagnostic criteria.

People on the spectrum do also appear to have a higher susceptibility to other mental health disorders. I have a list as long as my arm, OCD, and DID being two of the more prominent ones. I was diagnosed with both of them at the same time as I was diagnosed with Aspergers.

My OCD is mostly intrusive thoughts and body symmetry issues. The intrusive thoughts are horrible to deal with but nobody sees them so in some ways they are easier to handle. Having to continuously tap/rub/nudge things with one side of my body because the other side touched something is more obvious and tends to draw attention.

I do hope you manage to speak to your PDoc about your concerns though and that you reach a better understanding and acceptance of what you're dealing with. Nobody likes to not know what's going on inside their mind.

[Hydrophobic1212]

I work with those that are autistic (lower end and high end) so I'm quite familiar with the different behaviors and characteristics that can be displayed and I was diagnosed as Autistic when I was younger as my parents knew a few days after I was born that something was different. Then we switched to another pdoc and he changed the diagnosis out of nowhere, from what it sounds like. There are many things that I have that do no fit in with my diagnosis, so I will be planning on talking to my pdoc soon. (: He's supposed to call me today, hopefully.

Yes, I had some odd things pop up in my later years, but also, there were A LOT of things in my childhood that I know of and my family knows of, that makes us all confused as to why it's what it was diagnosed as. So I wrote a list and I will be discussing with my pdoc. (:

I was labeled as OCD and... I'm not OCD. I'm a psych major and I've done papers and research specifically into OCD and Bipolar and... It just doesn't fit very well. I've always felt like it was wrong, so hopefully I'll get some answers soon! I know that it can't be treated, but it would be nice to know why the medications I've taken all my life make it worse rather than better.

I have to rub and touch things too! I'm glad that's not just me. I feel really, really weird if I don't touch the other side. And I have to continuously shake my hand at times, and I rock... There's a whole list of 80+ things that I do/experience, that i'll be sharing with my pdoc.

Thank you all, though. (: I appreciate your help!