#LateNotLess – Autistic Adults Are Frequently Misdiagnosed

Many negative presumptions have been made about Megan in their life. There weren’t many resources available to them as an undiagnosed youth, but they always knew there was something different about them. As an adult, they were diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, a stigmatized mental health condition that can look similar to some autistic traits on the surface while having very different underlying causes.

Now that they realize they are autistic, they are heavily questioning this diagnosis and would love to get an autism assessment. However, long waiting lists and high price tags have put that out of reach for now.

Learn more about Megan at the link in our bio and share your own #latenotless story in the comments.

[nee-na]

This is a very good video...
1. I got misdiagnosed with Schizophrenia at 19. Then major clinical depression, panic anxiety disorder at 40. Then PTSD and other labels in my 50s.
2. I'm 67 and I finally got ASD clarification last year, and it has changed my thoughts and feelings about my life for the better, even though some of it is also a sort of grief process as well. I'm going to continue to reflect, refresh, reframe, my life as a neurodivergent senior lady. I'm actually very grateful to know about myself and I don't have any desire to be like "other people". I know I am good and now I'm sorting out everything so that I can seek out the people and places that are best for me.Thank you from East Texas Piney Woods.Keep up the good work ❤

[theQuietWire]

I was also diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder in 2016. It was more harmful than helpful because I knew it was Autism, but ODSP wouldn't pay for an autism assessment, only a psychiatric assessment, so the doctor told me this was his best guess, which I now understand is how medical diagnostic processes generally work - it's the best guess of that individual doctor and they are constrained by their own training and what tests are financially available. This is unfortunate because I definitely masked in extreme ways and moulded my life and personality to match what they were telling me I was - this I now know is autistic behaviour, not that I have Borderline Personality Disorder. I read about how some doctors hold stigmas against women diagnosed with BPD and this helped to feed into my false villain complex and helped to fuel my self hate and confusion about why I was the way I was. It slowed me down in my journey to identifying and healing what I now know is childhood trauma that lives in my body. Psychiatric diagnoses shouldn't be dealt with so randomly or haphazardly, especially when medications are also prescribed as the treatment to these ascribed disorders. I lost 10 years of my life and feeling like myself by being misdiagnosed and medicated for what they thought my autism was. I wish anyone could be held accountable for the damages done in my life. I'm still picking up the pieces and healing the medicinal damage done to my brain. Thank you for highlighting people with similar stories as me. It helps :)

[amblingscout]

I've been misdiagnosed with schizophrenia and BPD. My BPD misdiagnosis makes it impossible for new doctors to take me seriously, they believe I'm throwing a tantrum when I'm struggling with sensory overwhelm and punish me. I'm scared to ask for help because I get abused in the psych ward, they don't understand the difference.

[karensky]

At age 6, my parents sent me to a psychiatrist. I think it was for depression. At 12 they sent me to another one. I think because it was hard for me to make friends. I'm 61 now. Never got diagnosed with anything officially, but every online test I take, says I'm on the spectrum. Its a relief. I know how and why I'm different, but it doesn't change anything. I have a career I love, supportive family and good friends, and I don't need an official label put on me. The more I learn about my condition, the more I can adjust to dealing with the few traits that get in my way.

[TheWhitePhoenix]

I really feel this video, I'm in my forties and its only really been a few years since I finally figured this out about myself. My support needs are fairly low, but there have still been plenty of challenges, struggles. The worst part is knowing I endured a life time of suffering with not being able to explain why I'm different or why I'm struggling with certain things or being misunderstood or gaslit. Still not formally diagnosed, there's no easy paths to getting diagnosed without forking out money I don't really have spare. It stinks but this is the world we live in. Lots of people I'm friends with are in the same boat, more or less know they're also autistic but at that age bracket where they missed a diagnosis growing up.

[homo-sapiens-dubium]

Congrats on realizing who you are! I think most autistic adults don't yet know that they're autistic and just different, not broken or weird. I'm so glad people have started recognizing and naming that neurological condition. I realized it 6 months ago & my life has only really started then - knowing who I really am!

[Jeep]

We need more people like you, that help people along the process. Unfortunately some are concerned that diagnosing a child early may affect that child poorly.🤔

I was diagnosed ASD recently at the age of 47. (The waiting period for an assessment as an adult is difficult.)

My healthcare provider, had a caseworker that did a fantastic job of listening to me, & most importantly, continued to work with me through the waiting period & assessment process.

I think the stigma & misunderstandings are the problem though, not awareness.

We're masking through life with ASD, & even we have to get to a certain point of knowledge, before that stigma breaks, and we start to understand.

Imagine if you could not feel the pain of putting silverware away? Would that move the point of knowledge, that needs to be reached, before the stigma breaks?

[Krista-]

Thank you for sharing. I was diagnosed with BPD except I didnt actually know that! I was not told I was not given education. And it i was, they didnt do a a very good job at ensuring I knew what they were saying. I was going through who knows how long in life with that on my medical records. Its so harmful to be chronically misunderstood and to sense that was happening and not being able to do anything about it because I DIDNT KNOW! Im so mad that those that are supposed to care for me, didnt consider this before. They would way rather add on some other stigmatized mental illness that i dont agree with than actually believe me and take me seriously. shame on you medical system. Its traumatic to still have my needs denied and not accommodated - I have to figure it out myself. solidarity to all others in a similar situation.