One year before my Autism diagnosis (and prior self-identification), I thought I had OCPD (Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder), so I went to see a private psychiatrist. Because of the high levels of stigma surrounding Personality Disorders, most people do not seek them out. They are given. The fact that I was doing so illustrated just how much I needed my truth, whatever that truth turned out to be.
I was clinically assessed over a number of weeks. The conclusion… a reaffirmation of a previous Generalised Anxiety Disorder diagnosis given by my GP, and an additional diagnosis of Social Anxiety disorder.
Had the psychiatrist been even the slightest bit Autism aware, particularly of non-stereotypical Autism in women, and not just mental illness aware, he could have found my truth there and then. And yet I consider myself one of the lucky ones! Thankfully, I found myself in the end.
Relying on a system lacking in neurodivergence awareness to find Autistic people is likely to leave many lost forever, especially the non-stereotypical Autistic people. These people are often searching for ‘why’, suffering with illnesses, Autistic burnout, and feeling like they are broken and don’t belong.
This is the reason why I will not stop raising awareness of non-stereotypical Autism.
Image Credit – Dr Megan Neff