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A couple of years ago, I realized that I am almost certainly firmly on the autism spectrum. At my age, a clinical diagnosis really wouldn’t make a difference in my life.
This post makes me think it might not even make a difference to me. I have fewer concerns about what to call myself, and more interest in being okay with the person I am. I am me, and no label (or set of labels) can represent me as accurately as just “me.”
I’ve landed here as well. Whatever ADHD, bipolar, or autism I have is very mild. It still sucks cuz I definitely have trouble relating to people in various ways and often feel alienated more and overstimulated sooner than other people are.
But it’s worked out. I have a family and a successful career. Just wish I wasn’t depressed all the time, but ya know how it is can’t win em all.
Bipolar disorder is kind of severe by definition (mild cases are still impactful), but there’s a milder version called cyclothymia or cyclothymic disorder. Depending on the person, it can be managed without medication, and a common comorbidity is ADHD.
A recent paper reads:
Cyclothymia seems to be often associated with coexisting ADHD symptoms, although this comorbidity is understudied.
The paper is called “Clinical characterization of coexisting ADHD symptoms in a sample of adults with cyclothymia: A preliminary observational study”.
It says:
In our clinical sample, nearly half of cyclothymic adults present with ADHD symptoms.
That’s a lot. I hope more papers come out soon.
