I’m diagnosed with autism and schizophrenia, what’s strange is that I found out about them online the pdoc didn’t explain anything to me, here are differences and similarities in autism and schizophrenia
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Dont worry, i have over 20 psychiatric diagnosis and final word is: Schizophrenia. I also have multiple and difficult personality problems. I have been in professional help and i think nothing here matters nothing to me or means nothing to me. I feel good, i have emotions and i have survived almost from impossible things in my life time. I feel strong and i enjoy from my life, i just have struggled alot of. One woman thinked im also an autist. Stay strong and try to enjoy from your life to its fullest, your just your own kind of person, diagnosis really dont matter if you are not struggling with hallucinations or voices i think (and im not)
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Overall, putting person under a diagnosis is very stigmatizing and full of problems. Nothing of those diagnosis what i have got doesnt seems be permamently on me, not even the last and most difficult diagnosis “paranoid schizophrenia” Im strong person and pretty brave and im not suffering from paranoia. Some disrespect to doctors. Im just an sick man, you can call me sick man and thats probably true but im not anything what i have got diagnosed.
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I’m on the autism spectrum along with my schizophrenia too. The struggle can seem insurmountable a lot of the times.
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My best friend is autistic and schizophrenic. I’m going out with him today actually
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I’ll pick him up in my car. And take him to Starbucks for a matcha tea latte with oat milk. Then I don’t know what we’re going to do.this is rare as he doesn’t like to get out much. He plays alot of video games. He has a medieval christian mindset. Lol. We go through alot together mostly just in texting. But we’re both usually not doing good. It’s pretty crazy. He’s christian. And I’m a brand spanking new atheist.
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I feel like Im intuitive and sort of understand what its like to have autism. But Im highly empathetic, even though I have had the flat effect during episodes. I asked my new psychiatrist if she thought I have autism and she said because I was so able to adapt and communicate, it wasn’t likely that I had it. My brother disagrees, he thinks that its a common misconception that you have to be non-verbal or have selective mutism to be on the autism spectrum.
My thinking is that it would be nice if Autism were seen as neuro-divergent, not something to get rid of pre-birth because everyone despite their disabilities has value and deserves a healthy safe environment. I dont think if given the option to not have been born with my mental difference I would have chosen to.
I wish schizophrenia were seen with the same compassion as those with depression or autism. Even though statistically depression and SUD can be more likely the component in violent crimes, and often people with schizophrenia are the targets of violence and abuse, I guess the randonmess is what strikes fear into the public. So I realize they want to prevent these random acts of violence caused by drug addiction or psychosis. On that note, I kind of agree that its good to have someone to de-escalate things, but its still criminalizing psychosis and lumping it in with violence like in the law Mayor Eric Adams put into place.
Think of it like this, Schizophrenia is on a spectrum similar to Bipolar and has varying degrees of severity like autism and mostly can be improved by the level of help they have.
Schizophrenia doesnt target any race class or gender. It is still widely misunderstood. During my episodes I didnt have panic or anxiety, my paranoia didnt feel like fear. I was completely disconnected. The difficulty also about normalizing people despite this illness it is just so hard to conform. Still Im fighting to stay sane even though this disease also did a number on my faith and confidence.
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I have both dxes. Like a lot of people of my generation I was late in getting the dx of Asperger’s/ASD (62Years old). A situation prolonged by a previous mental health team that paid very little attention to my hints that there was more going on than just severe mental illness.It’s 99.999% certain I would not have got the ASD dx if I’d stayed living in Essex.
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Im not sure what the markers for ASD or Autism are. Several years back my therapist gave me a questionnaire that gave me the number 35 for ASD and said I would likely fall under high functioning autism but since it did not limit me in any way she did not want to diagnose me with ASD and also that Borderline Personality Disorder was a label used to stigmatize women and was trying to do DBT with me but said she wasn’t going to diagnose me with Borderline. My mother’s first episode in all my memories was right after a doctor diagnosed her with PPD and BPD and she became worse on anti-depressants. But now they believe its schizophrenia or schizoaffective. My current diagnosis is Schizoaffective because I am moody and more emotional than I used to be. When I was first diagnosed I had paranoia. Honest—I think anyone could have psychosis if given the worst circumstances—however not everyone can be high functioning and on the autism spectrum at the same time.
The only medication that ever worked for me was Abilify, it is also used for irritability in people with ASD I know, it is prescribed to help with major depression as well. Its really difficult to understand the science behind psychiatry when I have had so many different labels and I dont know how to apply any of it to me and the therapists asked me what I wanted from them, instead of had anything useful to offer or say.
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I have officially diagnosed ASD(Asperger’s) + schizophrenia/schizoaffective. Severe social anxiety- which is not separately dxed as seen as being part of the sz/sz-a. Very probable dyspraxia- mentioned by my current pdoc and at autism assessment - but not officially tested for .Probable dysgraphia. Total aphantasia. Have had mood episodes in the past.
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