When I was younger and seeing a general youth psychological help, they (psychologist and psychiatrist) recommended I get diagnosis for autism. Then I had an earlier psychological report, a few years back, saying provisional diagnoses or conditions could possibly meet autism, schizotypal personality (disorder) and/or avoidant personality (disorder). The report recommended for a psychiatrist and clinical psychologist experienced in more complex client presentations to take the results, to take the time to know me and look further.
I saw a psychiatrist after that (only one meeting though, on video call because of pandemic) and he diagnosed me with autism. That was few years now (almost 2 years).
But now it doesn’t seem right. Some of the things don’t make sense. I have a lot more trouble keeping control of some thoughts that I noticed more in the past few months.
Before that, I already used to avoid everyone else at school. I didn’t finish high school and skipped university. I tried studying for a diploma once but didn’t finish either.
Some of the schizotypal info reminds me of my aunty on my mum’s side. Many of my relatives of that generation don’t know english well at all, but my aunty did have brain tumour years back, though she survived. The other relatives say she dresses funny (slippers and socks outside), she struggles a lot with gambling, and more.
I went to my GP again yesterday but she said a full psychiatrist diagnosis will be expensive. So for now she just referred me to psychologist who specialises in autism. But I’m thinking about seeking the diagnosis option again.
That’s helpful to know – I’m 24 this year and the unusual thoughts are much harder to stay on top of, especially in recent months and weeks. (In previous years, I could try to talk myself out of some of them after a day or two, but those thoughts now persist for days at least, or even weeks)
Maybe I’m still a bit young. It was in my earlier 20s that I saw those mental health professionals.
Thank you, I appreciate the welcome a lot. (And I’m sorry if the post I made in Unusual Beliefs wasn’t appropriate – thanks for removing it because I think it was better too — I was worried what people might reply.)
When you say unusual thought do you then mean that the thoughts are compulsive where you visual your self acting out or are the thought more the deluded
Kinds.
That you didn’t get your exams smells a little bit like my own experience with Schizophrenia. My family forced me to take educations and what a Hell on earth that was. I was drunk most of the time and didn’t fit in anywhere.
I also struggled to find a proper diagnosis and they weren’t sure if it was bpd avpd schizotypal autism ptsd…. Had so many labels thrown at me . Now drs tend to stick with the autism, sza labels. It’s possible to have autism comorbid with other things, in fact personality disorders seem to be higher in autistic people who grew up undiagnosed or supported. And I believe autism and sz tend to run in the same families
Thanks for replying. I think maybe both, I don’t really know.
There’s definitely thoughts which I visualise myself acting out something that I know I shouldn’t, especially in certain cases when I’m filled with rage. And I can’t get rid of the thoughts for a few days at least, especially after I’m in a similar place/situation. Sometimes I have acted on it verbally in writing (not physically) and people have been upset and hurt.
The other ones are beliefs like I’ve taken signs from world events for what I should do in my own life, or a sense that you will be punished if you continue on a certain path. The one I’m struggling with right now is keeping my job, because I keep having a terrible sense of foreboding if I continue to stay. And I can’t talk myself out of it anymore, really struggling. (I can’t concentrate on work that used to be ok for me to do, and I keep coming up with reasons and seeing signs including world events and other activities to justify leaving.)
And now that I think about it, it might have happened previously with school. And I also left home for 1.5 years before coming back (my family were also not accepting of other symptoms).
I was not misdiagnosed per se but was diagnosed with sz late, I had symptoms before my diagnosis. My gp said my sz symptoms are from stress and not a mental illness so didn’t refer me to a pdoc. So I suffered for a long time before getting a diagnosis. First diagnosis was unspecified psychosis. Then 5yrs later changed to sz after I stopped meds for 2yrs and got psychotic again.
