I’ve been questioning ADHD yet no one wants to diagnose it despite both my parents suspecting it because “I’m fine” and/or “probably just autistic”. So, I highly struggle with remembering things. Kids have suspected short-term memory loss/short-term forgetfulness since I was about in fifth grade. I get distracted really easily with my work, and when I talk, it’s just a stream of consciousness basically. I’ve always worked alone even when friends wanted to because when I do, I get really distracted with what they’re saying and can’t focus on my work.
I also tend to have work and writing all over the place rather than just writing it in one column or going in like a serial order.
When I drink coffee, which I heard happens with ADHDers, I can still sleep normally pretty much and get really sleepy, yet there are other times where I have tons of energy.
I also have something which can probably be explained by both, not only ideas bouncing around a mile a minute and very randomly/rapidly, but also my rejection sensitivity. I also had severe anger issues/meltdowns when I was younger and would throw chairs, struggle to empathize, and be extremely emotional, throwing myself onto the floor.
I am highly creative and will make up characters that seem real and make up parts of my life that seem real and I can’t stop. Like if someone was bullying me, I used to turn it into a creative exercise and would think to myself of telling others that they did much worse and were “evil” because that was my reality and my story that seemed real. I get highly attached to my big imagination.
The main thing though is struggling to retain stuff, getting bored easily with my work in class and not paying attention, and also forgetting constantly why I walked into a room or what I was going to say.
Does this sound like your typical autism experience or does this sound like potential AuDHD? I will check in with a psychiatrist, so I’m not diagnosing or anything.
This sounds like a little of column A, and a little of column B. I have both ADHD and Autism and lots of your experience sounds very familiar to me but some things are more or less prevalent. I was an emotional kid but I didn’t have meltdowns very often, and I also know that sometimes having both means the ADHD can mask some autism symptoms and autism symptoms can mask some ADHD symptoms. Particularly I think if the rages as an autism thing (my kid has autism as well and he has rages).
Do you daydream a lot? Are you hyperactive? Do you understand social cues? Do you find that people sometimes think you are rude for reasons you don’t understand? Are there expectations in social situations that you had to be told, rather than figuring out on your own?
I have autism, I probably have ADHD too.
Daydream? For sure.
Hyperactive? Probably not, I’m more inattentive
Social cues? Hmm, not exactly, working on it
Rude for reasons I don’t understand? Hmm… yeah.
Expectations I have to be told? Oh, for sure.
I think it may be a good idea (since you already have an autism diagnosis) to get a diagnosis for the symptoms/behaviors you have that don’t necessarily fit with autism. ADHD seems likely to me but I am not a medical professional at all and my two cents is not worth much here. My personal experience was different. I was diagnosed with ADHD as a kid and Austim as an adult (after my son was diagnosed). My behavioral traits and symptoms don’t line up 1-1 with yours, but it does seem like some of the things you mention aren’t explained by autism alone.
I also have the inattentive type ADHD, and I want to warn you that medication changes things a bit. Some of the stuff ADHD may be masking in your behavior (that is on the autism side of things) may become more prevalent if you happen to be diagnosed with ADHD and medicated. Some things cut both ways.
Something to consider, there is also a third category of “Combination” which is some of both. Also, hyperactive is not necessarily the classic “running around” and can be things like “interrupts people because the idea comes flying out” or “silent rooms sometimes make my brain fuzzy” (both of which describe me sometimes). It’s less about which one you “qualify for” as I thought for a long time and more about how many of them impact your life to the point that it is a problem for you and it has always changed over time for me at least!
Holy shit, that sounds a lot like me! Silent rooms make my brain fuzzy!!! I will definitely talk to a professional!