AuDHD is a term for people with symptoms and behaviors relating to both Autism and ADHD.
I have so many of these paradoxes in my life, I am pretty sure this is my diagnosis.
The more I research Autism, the more I discover how comorbidities can make diagnosis so much more challenging.
In my own life I was convinced I wasn’t “like everyone else”, I never understood social obsessions with tradition (autism trait), I never understood why my peers where so fixated on superfluous things like boys and being cool (another autism trait), and I also could never decide what I wanted to study when I left school (an ADHD trait).
The confusion and guilt I felt all my life about not being able to be “adult” or to make proper, thought through decision, has been so heavy that I sought counseling and therapy for many years. Feeling as though I faced trauma, my emotions being so hurt, and my heart not able to understand why people found I tended to overshare (Autism trait) and a bit unpredictable (ADHD trait). I would have irrational reactions to some things, and not to others, loved doing things on the spur of the moment, but then afterwards would need to spend two days recovering from my social overwhelm. I never quite fit it, but could get along with anyone. I hated traditions that couldn’t be explained, and found authority figures ridiculous. I was happy to be on my own, in my own company and then have small spurts of social interaction.
Then I discovered that AuDHD is an actual diagnosis. A confusing mix of Autism traits and ADHD traits all rolled into one confused human being. It’s no wonder my children are such polar opposites, they seem to have received one of each separately. We have a very diverse home and the neurospice runs thick amongst us.
If you search online you’ll find so many articles about AuDHD and how the two diagnoses overlap, TikTok has an entire neurodiverse community that share their experiences with ADHD, Autism, AuDHD and the like and it helps bring so much understanding to me, and helps to lessen that feeling of guilt for not being “like everyone else” or being able to believe that I am a responsible adult, with my own flavour.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that the more I go down the rabbit, the more understanding I build for other people who have struggles with neurodiversity. That is why I am so passionate about sharing what I learn along the way, so others can understand themselves, their family members, their children and others a little better, so we can learn to treat everyone with human dignity and value.
𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝗻𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 “𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝘂𝗗𝗛𝗗 : 𝗖𝗼𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗗𝗛𝗗 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗺”
AuDHD is on the rise and is becoming more well-known, in part, by the way that the internet is able to spread information to the mass public by helping people learn more about themselves and giving them the guidance they need to start exploring who they are and how they function. The term “AuDHD”, as mentioned, is not officially a diagnosis but it has been informally adopted by the neurodivergent community. This is a way of identifying and celebrating the unique experiences of the neurodivergent (Autistic-ADHDers) experience.
One of the primary reasons why AuDHD is on the rise is the fact that professionals could not diagnose both autism and ADHD in one individual until 2013. Both diagnoses could not be co-occurring from the standpoint of receiving official diagnoses. If someone was to receive a diagnosis of ADHD or autism, they could not also receive the other diagnosis until the medical community changed the criteria for mental health diagnosis in 2013 by updating the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the formal manual used by therapists and psychologists who diagnose mental disorders.
#AutismAcceptance #AutismSupport #LifeWithAutism #AutismMom #ADHD #AuDHD #confusedbrain
