Skip to main content
Forums Home
Illustration of people sitting and standing

New here?

Chat with other people who 'Get it'

with health professionals in the background to make sure everything is safe and supportive.

Register

Have an account?
Login

cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Something’s not right

Cocoloco
Contributor

Autism and mental health. Ptsd.

Hi. I am an autistic woman with severe mh issues. I had a past dx of bpd(don't have bpd, don't fear abandonment etc)  by a psych I met once. It was due to misdiagnosis. Past dx of bipolar but it seems to be linked to epilepsy as the highs are shorter lived and correlate with seizures. It looked pretty manic and does but is an aura. I had one the other day as I skipped meds as I didn't have money. It's scary. I have adhd too. 

I don't condone the treatment of anyone with mh in the way they do no matter the dx. I have severe ptsd. Can't get help. 

no one seems to care as I seem too complex. Have a worker that thinks I am okay. Crying all the time barely eating. Becoming acutely unwell. I want to not be here as I feel like  a burden for needing the help I do. 

I feel ashamed and useless. People get annoyed with me. I don't feel like I fit anywhere. I don't understand things. I feel stupid. 

they want to review ndis for me. I have physical issues too. I feel really bad. Can you do art therapy with ndis? I was looking for a way to recover from ptsd and learn to relax. 

I think animals are good for me too. Am I being selfish or asking for too much? I have some funding but minimal. I don't feel happy and am frightened of people especially mental health support. I don't have a lot of funding and I am let down by mental health services again and again. 

 

i was badly abused and manipulated. It's happened a few time's. I feel really broken. In the past they thought that me imitating people was no identity. I know me. i just know people don't really accept me sometimes. I am told I am weird. I tried to fit in so I would stop getting bullied. 

my life is such a mess! Any ideas or inspiration?😂 no one seems to know. 

 

9 REPLIES 9

Re: Autism and mental health. Ptsd.

@Cocoloco
Nice to meet you and thanks for sharing. Welcome to the sane forum.

If you are still interested I can point you towards some threads that may help. I think your experiences will resonate a lot with many here

Re: Autism and mental health. Ptsd.

Hi @Cocoloco , 

 

You are definitely not a burden to anyone on the forums! We really appreciate you sharing your story and are so sorry to hear how challenging it must have been for you. I don't think it is selfish for you to ask what you think will benefit you at all 🌺 

Do you have someone helping you with coordinating your NDIS funding? Maybe you can let them know about what you want and see if there's anything they can do to help  Smiley Happy 

Re: Autism and mental health. Ptsd.

Hi Cocoloco,

 

I really feel for you with your misdiagnoses. I have had similiar misdiagnoses. I also have a diagnosis of Autism/Aspergers which I agree with. But so many people don't understand what Autism is like for adults, especially women. I wasn't diagnosed until age 32 when I was struggling with work related stress. But in hindsight I had had it my whole life and had managed to hide my difficulties. I thought a diagnosis would help me, but I have had many negative reactions, and many people telling me that I don't have it.

 

Every job was a struggle for me, and I was frequently bullied in workplaces. This led to almost constant suicidal ideation. But by then my Autism diagnosis had been ignored & a social worker labelled me with BPD. I disagreed with it, but the psychologist I was referred to refused to discuss the diagnosis. It seemed so easily accepted, even though I only had a few of the symptoms. I did have abandonment issues - as I had been through so many therapists & jobs that I was sick of the effort it took to develop relationships, which then ended after a short time. I once or twice attempted very very minor self harm, and decided it wasn't for me, but was labelled as a self harmer. My GP at the time didn't agree with the BPD diagnosis, but as he didn't know anything about adult Autism, he accepted what the psychiatrist said. The psychiatrist only saw me occasionally, usually when I was hospitalised with suicidal ideation. I felt really strongly that the BPD diagnosis was inappropriate and so sought a second opinion from a different psychiatrist. She confirmed that Autism is my major issue, especially in workplaces. She say that although Ihave some traits of BPD, I don't have it. My new GP refuses to believe this psychiatrist, and still writes on referrals that I was diagnosed with BPD. It is very hard to escape a misdiagnosis.

 

BPD is a horrible diagnosis & has a lot of stigma attached to it, especially among mental health professionals. Some people think that you are doing things deliberately to get a reaction from them I had a nurse in charge of a mental health unit shout at me "You know your diagnosis, you know what you are doing, get a grip!". It was the first time I had ever been in a mental health unit & I was overwhelmed and wanted to talk with someone. Instead the nurse called security and had me taken to the secure unit.

 

I so agree with your statement:


@Cocoloco wrote:

I don't condone the treatment of anyone with mh in the way they do no matter the dx.


So often people treat others horribly because of assumptions or judgements they have made about people. People ignore or downplay the real challenges that living with a mental health issue can bring. One of my favourite quotes is "You never know what someone is going through. A few nice words can help a person a lot more than you think"

 

So many of the things that you have said, I feel too. You are not alone in feeling that you are "too complex", "a burden", "don't fit anywhere", "being selfish" when asking for help, "let down by mental health services" and feeling like "people don't really accept me". It doesn't mean that these things are true about us, it just means that people don't understand and accept us for who we really are. Some people can only see our problems and think they will try to fix us, and give up if they consider it too hard. But some rare people actually accept us as we are, seeing the positives we have to offer, rather than the negatives. They offer support but don't require us to change to fit into their idea of normal. It sounds like you have a worker who might be like this & that is great. I hope this forum can also help you feel that you have value, and are worthwhile.

 

Autism can be seen as disabilty - a list of things that we difficulties with. But I prefer to think of it as a different-ability, a different way of seeing the world. Every individual, including those with Autism have strengths, things they are good at, interests, and things they enjoy. Focus on those. You need to explore your strengths, find things you enjoy and are good at and make these the focus. I don't know about NDIS. People have suggested I should apply, but it is currently in the too hard basket. But even if you aren't able to get NDIS funding for the things you suggested, your suggestions of art therapy & animals are achievable in other ways. Let people know that you are wanting to do these things and ask others to help you to get it happening. When I was in hospital, I did some art therapy - they had a collection of various art materials, often donated leftovers - from fabric scraps, colouring books, greeting cards, paints, colours, glue, and lots of other bits and pieces. Everyone just used whatever interested them at the time to put together however they liked. Perhaps you could ask friends, support services and others to help you gather some supplies to enable you to create some art. There are some online forums where you can share photos of what you have created, where you could get feedback from others & see what other people have created. Maybe down the track you can get into an art therapy group or an art class.

 

If you are not yet able to have a companion animal, maybe you could have a cuddle of the pets of a friend or family member; look after animals of people when they go on holidays, or help out at an animal shelter to talk with, pat, or excercise the animals. I love my little dog, and was lucky enough to get her for free from my local animal rescue group, and they contributed to her desexing and vaccination. Our local animal rescue group helps many people in our community with cost associated with keeping an animal, including vet bills, and winter coats. Let people know that you are interested in getting an animal or helping with one, and ask if they can think of anything that could help you achieve this goal.

 

I know it is hard being different & not fitting in. But if you can, accept that you are different, and that is ok. You might have some challenges, and that can be difficult, but you also have some strengths. You have survived. You are kind and respectful of other people's challenges. You are good at writing about how you feel. ... and many more things.

 

Good luck with the NDIS.

Re: Autism and mental health. Ptsd.

@CrazyChick   Thank you so much! I am sorry what you have been through. There isn't a lot known about adult autism. Bpd is terribly stigmatised. I was told that too. I didn't know I was ever diagnosed. It has now been revoked but I don't like the attitudes people have around it. 

I met no criteria when I questioned them. It was so weird. There was no rationale. It was all autism. I would think it would have been schizotypal over borderline due to the weirdness and speech and mum having schizophrenia. Then there was the seizure auras they misdiagnosed. Almost crashed the car with my baby twins in it. I was a woman that was direct and had trouble with people so sloppy diagnostics came into it! They should ask why. I'd say I didn't know and I am site they thought I was hiding something! 

I bought paint pens today and have a beautiful fur baby. I want him trained to bring him to visit people who need doggy cuddles. It's so healing. 

I kniw about workplace bullying too. It gets to you very bad. They definitely need more understanding about the things autistic people go through. I think there is constant crisis as it's Neurodevelopmental. It was there from the start. I was asked how long have you had these issues:face_with_rolling_eyes: it can't resolve until the world bends a bit. 

I will try paint pens. You have been through so much. It would hurt and your reactions are just human. That nurse reminds me of one I had once. They need not be in the job. 

 

Re: Autism and mental health. Ptsd.

@Flying_Hams @Links to threads would be helpful. Still very lost

Re: Autism and mental health. Ptsd.

@Flying_Hams @Links to threads would be helpful. Still very lost Thankyou 

Re: Autism and mental health. Ptsd.

Hey @Cocoloco
@Peonies may be able to help you with some links as I'm actually unsure how to link threads without tagging people.

I can tag you in my thread if you like?

Re: Autism and mental health. Ptsd.

PS Nice to see you again @Cocoloco

Re: Autism and mental health. Ptsd.

Cocoloco,

 

Thank you for your reply. It means so much.

 

Unfortunately I think misdiagnosis is quite common in mental health, for many reasons - including the frequent tendancy to not believe patients; and it being acceptable for psychiatrists to use often inaccurate notes and hearsay to make diagnosis or decisions. I can't believe the number of times I have been asked about things that have been written in my mental health notes that are not true. According to my notes I have a child; have bitten a nurse; and been outside my boss's house threatening them - none of these are true. There are probably more, but I have not been allowed to see my medical notes as the hospital says it could be too upsetting.

 

So glad you have a fur baby to cuddle. It can be difficult to get a fur-baby into medical facilities, but I agree it would be a worthwhile thing to aim for. A psychologist I used to have, brought her dog with her to see clients in other towns where they met in community settings, but not our town as we has appointments at the hospital.

 

I agree that it would be good if other people are more accepting of differences. But others often have the expectation that we need to change not them. I try my best to fit in, be social, and make up for what others see as flaws in my personality, but it rarely works. Workplace bullying & being pushed out of employment because I don't fit in is the norm in my experience. It is so upsetting for it to keep happening that I am not sure if I want to work. I loved the work itself, but not the challenges of working with colleagues and bosses.

 

Hope you enjoy the paint pens. You might like to look at the thread "craft corner". Just type it into the search box and it should come up.

Illustration of people sitting and standing

New here?

Chat with other people who 'Get it'

with health professionals in the background to make sure everything is safe and supportive.

Register

Have an account?
Login

For urgent assistance