Autism and Mental Health - Prof Francesca Happé (Rosalind Franklin Lecture at Birkbeck)

#autism #autismawareness #autismacceptance #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters #lecture

[jaysmakingprogress]

I live in the US and I’m eternally grateful for the research being carried out in the UK and Australia. It’s been 11 years since the DSM-5 allowed for dual diagnosis and I still had to wait until last year (age 42) for my autism/adhd/ptsd diagnosis because seemingly no one was trained to spot adult autism.

[Leo_Koesters]

Thank you for this valuable introduction!
Currently studying psychology and building a platform dedicated to Autism and ADHD.
There is too little teachings in academia about Autism and ADHD. Even one of my professors admitted this recently.
Let’s better the life of countless individuals on the Autism and ADHD spectrum by educating ourselves.

[a.b.n.]

Thank you, this is especially important for me, diagnosed in 2020 at going on 62, CPTSD diagnosed in 2012.

[kensears]

I am 66 years old, and I am a non-diagnosed autistic person. I came to this discovery in May of 2023 at 65 years old, after taking multiple online tests, including the AQ test, that all agreed with startling certainty that I was significantly high on the autistic spectrum (AQ test: 38/50). Since then tests for ADHD have also indicated high likelihood. I lived for nearly 30 years in eastern Ukraine and was on a Christmas visit in the States when Russia invaded. The people nearest and dearest to me were living within hearing range of the bombing. Within four months I went from over 190 lbs to 160. My days were spent from first light or even pre-dawn to late at night in a state of constant panic mode often bordering on terror as I constantly scrambled to do everything I could to help my loved ones there, at times having no idea where they were or if they were even safe. That felt like a walking death. For more than a year after these events I couldn't even talk about them without breaking down. The sense of horror can come back to me any moment if I start to linger on it all. (So I don't.) I don't know, but I think this is PTSD. All this happened, significantly, before I had any inkling of being on the autistic spectrum. Once I did discover this--and the revelation came to me with a tsunami of recognition, a total dam-break of lifelong experiences and conflicts that suddenly make overwhelming sense--the way this whole episode with the invasion acted on me, my senses, my nerves, the way it exacerbated and elevated to a kind of peak crisis state what I now realize was always my default struggle to navigate the neurotypical "matrix, " this all made sense in a way I'd never have been capable of grasping before I discovered my autism. Now I can "place" it, in a way I can "shepherd" myself through it now I'd never have been able to before.

[danielaspitz]

I have Cptsd from eaely childhood abuse. I always felt kind of being Autistic, since being with an Autistic man for five years. My symptoms were even much stronger than his, but he's just the stereotype of an Autistic man. So-I ended up thinking it was BPD which my family happily supported. Most members of my family are Narcissists, few are narcissistic. I ended up which such partners for all my life. At 42 I realised I am an HSP and I got diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. I've been depressed and suicidal for all.my life, it was my normal state..Since being in a healthy relationship and having ended all contact with toxic people, I've healed a lot from the trauma, but so many symptoms are still there. What's been part of me since I was a very little girl, is still there. Imo, I'm autistic. I'm afraid of seeing someone to get diagnosed because medical gaslighting and fear of doctors is a lifelong issue for me

[Jasonsadventures]

I constantly wonder if I should get diagnosed, I'm certainly strongly autistic but I'm quite busy with my autistic children so there's not really much time or money left for these extra things. I don't have depression but I also don't and have never associated with anyone outside my house and have a reasonable amount of constant anxiety. Usually (but not always) just below the level of body shaking :p so it's not noticeable. (I'm 50 so no one really ever noticed me being especially unusual other than failing school in early life and later becoming gifted in secondary school...odd I know but it was like a light switch when I was 12)

[tracyerskine]

Hi Francesca, I believe that there is a correlation between ASC, ADHD and my Fibromyalgia and Peripheral Neuropathy. Have you come across any research in these areas.

I am also a late diagnosed adult lady. If I had been diagnosed earlier, could I have prevented the Fibromyalgia and Peripheral Neuropathy???

[getmotivated]

Oh wow, I hadn't considered this before, but so many autistic elders who have dementia or alzheimers must be struggling so much more than necessary if the autism has not been identified. That's awful, hopefully more effort is made in identifying ASD in older people to address and prevent this. 9/10 being undiagnosed is horrifying. The ways in which ASD could compound harmful or distressing symptoms are so many, addressing this would improve lives significantly.

[ДмитрийВербицкий-уд]

Johnson Michael Martin Richard Brown Timothy