Autism is often misdiagnosed with BPD - here's why!

Autistic women are often misdiagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), so why is this the case? Whitney is a PLPC, who will be answering this question in today's video! 💚
.
#AutismAwareness #AutismAcceptance #Neurodiversity #BPD #Misdiagnosis #MentalHealthAwareness #LPC #Therapist #Counseling #Neurodivergent #AutisticWomen #SpectrumWomen #WomenInPsychology #TraumaInformed #SelfAwareness #Empowerment #PatientAdvocacy #MentalHealthAdvocate #Intersectionality #DiversityInMentalHealth

[SynthApprentice]

On top of this, there are strong gendered assumptions about both BPD and ASD. A common misconception about ASD is that it affects men almost exclusively, which makes it easy for women to get a false negative diagnosis of ASD. Similarly, BPD is often (incorrectly) seen as something that affects women almost exclusively, which makes it easy for a woman to get a false positive diagnosis of BPD. (And also makes it easy for men to get a false negative diagnosis of BPD.)

[Magdalene]

What they should do to clarify is look at other things like if the person has sensory processing or coordination issues. Asd has physical components.

[merbst]

as an autistic man formerly married to a BPD woman, I know much about this topic

[psychosomaticstatic]

It's a little confusing to me bc I personally was diagnosed with BPD _after_ I was diagnosed with ASD. But I also didn't really like the therapist that diagnosed me. But, like, I do have childhood trauma and genetic disposition that wouldn't make BPD unlikely.

I'm just not sure if I actually have both or if my old therapist was just being kind of stupid.

[GeminiPlatypus]

BPD high rate of false diagnosis where Autism and trauma exist is attributed to pure misogyny, mistrust and invalidation of women's pain. Feel free to disagree. Lumping traumatised, genuinely distressed people in with the same category of narcissists and sociopaths is tantamount to psychological abuse, essentially telling victims that their trauma (e.g. childhood abuse) was their fault. Clinicians who ignore trauma and sensory processing issues should be sued for psychological damage.

[Pulsepoint]

I was just diagnosed last year (age 39). IEP and records stemming as far back as Head Start preschool program in 1987. I didn't speak til then; I had extremely poor hand to eye coordination; all the early signs.

I would be first assessed in the second grade for learning disabilities. Sure enough: NVLD. (Affected mostly math skills academically-speaking but also affected music, gym class, art class) and noted shy behavior upon observation by school shrink on the recess grounds outside.

I was then tested triennially, every three years. From second grade until 11th grade (my final psychoeducational evaluation and review before "aging out") that my strengths were all verbal, including a sense of humor and excellent behavior and self-advocacy skills. However...in my final review, it stated my weaknesses were difficulty to transition, 🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩, mathematical concepts, receptive language processing, and low self-esteem. We covered my feeling of being on the outside looking in, and while this was noted in the final report before aging out, she was barking up the wrong tree in suggesting a mood disorder. The school therapist never looked deeper or considered the mere thought of autism.
Clearly, a longstanding and pervasive pattern that my learning issues and such were not remitting, but due to being gifted with language skills and had learned masking through fear, I was able to obtain assistance with my math but nothing else.

The school counselors always felt I was wasting their time just to get out of class due to depression. The entire time, they weren't hearing me and missed what was right in front of them.

[christinehallfeldt]

I am finding all these diagnosis confusing. I would simply try different techniques and see which one sticks. I have been diagnosed with bpd but i also am an infp personality type so i am naturally a neurodivergent mind. I have issues with procrastination, memory and becoming overwhelmed. I get sensory overload and can take things personally. Have always been sensitive. But most of that can be put down to my personality type infp. This being said if i am confronted with anger with the tone or someone shouting of being threatening then is when i can become overwhelmed with emotion and have through stress or fear overreacted in situations. Also low energy has always been a problem for me. So far i have implemented doing tasks and being productive in between doing things i like and of interest and getting rest. This all seems to be helping. And also recording things and keeping a schedule of sorts as well as journalling 😊

[Netanya-qb]

Yeah went in to see if I had autism and they said BPD. Reading about it more and people's experiences I'm like 90% sure it was a misdiagnosis. I feel really frustrated.