Autism Imposter Syndrome Neurodivergent Doctor - The smartest have it, and how to stop it -reupload.

Why do the smartest people get imposter syndrome? What is "transient sensory sensitivity? Was there really room for Leo on Rose's floating door from the Titanic?
These and other topics are discussed as well as what to do about imposter syndrome.
Comments from the previous upload (the previous one uploaded weird so I deleted it and added this better version).

buttercxp draws
3 weeks ago
This video was fantastic. I was late diagnosed 2 years ago after a mental breakdown. I’ve felt imposter syndrome several times whilst coming to terms with my diagnosis. Your words really hit home with me. Much appreciated 💕

Judi Marr
3 weeks ago
Thank you for this. I’ll probably still keep taking all the tests every couple of weeks until my neuropsych testing in June just to make sure, but it’s good to know why I feel this way and I’m not alone.

Wynne Whitten-Holmes
3 weeks ago
Oh, this was such a balm to my autistic soul. Thank you. I'm saving it for later. ✨

buttercxp draws
3 weeks ago
Great job with the script and editing on this one. Made me laugh and made me cry. I’ll be watching this again next time I think I’m an imposter ✌️💕

rahxrahster
3 weeks ago
This is the one! I have an upcoming assessment and this video was so helpful. Thank you!

Loowe
2 weeks ago
Thank u so much. Can I ask u to talk about the PDA Type of autism? It really gives me more imposter Syndrome since my experience is in some way very different than other more high-regulating autistic people. Thank u for ur work so much!!! 🌸🌸🌸

skiz
2 weeks ago
The best defense against impostor syndrome is paying the electricity bill to keep your rare model train collection running on time throughout your house.

Disclaimer - This is the personal opinion of Anson Service, Psy.D., LMHC and is for informational purposes only. This is not therapy no therapeutic relationship between Dr. Service and any viewer is asserted or implied. If you have questions, please seek a qualified professional. Photos and videos are licensed to Dr. Service and any other photos are used for educational purposes.

[evelyn]

For every person pretending to be disabled for attention, there's ten disabled people pretending to be abled so they don't get treated like crap

[Twinrehz]

For me it's always felt like I don't know what I am, so all my actions are adopted from my surroundings, and I act like a chameleon, being whatever I think is expected of me.

[waynepalumbo]

I've had someone tell me that "people like me better the other way" which cut like a dagger. It felt like telling someone with a drinking problem that people like them better drunk.

[wickjezek]

My son has autism, my cousin has autism, I have the official diagnosis from a great neuropsychiatrist. I still have imposter syndrome sometimes.

[chadjones]

A confirmed diagnosis may be validating, but having a clinician deny your autism after a year of research, self-acceptance, and finally making sense of decades of being "oversensitive" and always falling just short of "normal" expectations is absolutely gutting. Apparently I was too personable and intelligent, made sufficient eye-contact, and "masking is a buzzword describing something everyone does naturally." I mean, sure, but tell that to the last 6 years of being unemployed full time because my last burnout left me with so much PTSD I was terrified of going back to work and having it happen all over again.
I'm still angry I had to wait a year and pay $1500 out of pocket just to be told I'm not autistic enough to join the club, "But hey, you should really take this life long depression and anxiety seriously, and consider these changes to your diet and exercise."
TL;DR Never let someone else tell you they know you better than you know yourself.

[ranchochihuahua]

Misophonia? Check. Trichotillomania? Check. Obsessive interest in education, sewing machines, accordions, dogs? Check. Few close friends compared to others? Check. Social awkwardness? Check. Poor executive function with certain things? Check. Rejection of religion? Check. I'm glad there's actually something that all of these things fit into. It explains so much about who I am.

[skyethewylder]

Did anyone else find themselves coming out of COVID quarantine having lost social skills and masking? Or over masking? COVID was a silver lining in that I loved the solo time, but three years later I cannot for the life of me, navigate a social situation. I've dumped all social activities including a niece's wedding. At 58 I refuse to be in a situation anymore that I am miserable in, have to mask, and take weeks to get over.

[damescholar]

Thank you for this post! In my childhood and youth I had massive communication problems that were interpreted as extreme shyness, clumsiness and nerdiness. I was chronically depressed and anxious and ridden with eating disorders, but that went unrecognized and untreated even when it was severe. In my late teens I had learned to mask, I was well liked in my school but I was regarded as a unicorn, very talented and intelligent - and very lonely. Meeting my husband I was first time taken as I was. He instinctively protected me when I panicked in crowds and understood as I had a massive headache and fatigue after social situations. That helped me to cope. Then many years later my son, then 25, got diagnosed with ASD and ADHD. I had never noticed because we were so similar. I had been masking for 60 years, becoming very successful but paying the price in chronic bouts of depression, anxiety and fatigue. Now I know. Yes, I have ASD and I do not need a formal diagnosis. I am not a teen seeking attention but somebody who has lived with it for decades.

[idreadFell]

For years I thought I may be autistic, but because I was a self diagnosis, I never outright said I was autistic. If I were to get diagnosed by a doctor who actually knows autism for what it is, it honestly wouldn’t change anything for me. I’m either an autistic person or a neurotypical ally to the cause for acceptance of autistic people and respect for their intellectual.

Whether I’m autistic or not, I want people to stop infantilizing autistic people and start treating them with the level of respect and expectation they do to neurotypicals.

[raigrant]

Talking about misdiagnosis, I was diagnosed bpd, quiet type, because allegedly back in the mid 1990's, females didn't "have autism"... Finally knowing my brain pattern, accepting the ptsd that is also part of my life experiences, and realising why I couldn't even fit in a therapeutic community for people with bpd, is such a serious relief! I do not doubt me any more.

[fatamsimth]

I spent my whole life posing as neurotypical. Now I'm just totally worn out.

[malectric]

Thanks for putting this video up. For 68 years I had no idea I might be on the spectrum - indeed until I looked up what Asperger's was I didn't even know what autistic was. I only found out when reading about Asperger's in David Byrne's (Talking Heads) bio and looked it up after reading that he thought he was an Aspie. I was shocked when I read the symptoms; I was reading everything about me in one bullet point after another.
I haven't bothered to seek out a formal diagnosis. I really don't care - too old to care. It isn't a badge of honour, it is simply an explanation. My passionate interest in electronics carried me through my adult life, no formal qualifications got me there. So people can think what they like about me - I finally know what I am. One person who was diagnosed had a go at me and told me to "stop pretending". Suddenly doubts arose. But no, she has no idea what kind of problems I had to endure at school, the missed chances at romance, the bullying and ostracism etc. etc.

[NotInMYName_AntiZionistJew]

I feel I mask pretty much all the time, which is why I much prefer my own company because that’s probably the only time, I can 100% be myself.

[OneUnderground]

I appreciate your humor. I self-diagnosed many months ago. However, I just felt I needed actual validation from a professional. After my assessment I started freaking out wondering if I was able to pull off my mask after a lifelong of camouflaging.
This video was very helpful thank you!

[wwhat]

I was diagnosed with social anxiety disorder when I was a teenager but I think if I’d been diagnosed with anything more, my family would have made life much much harder then they already made it…I had a bad accident at 8yrs old that caused a lot of head trauma and I had to listen to my parents talk about me like I wasn’t there referring to me as probably brain damaged from the accident…they’ve always disregarded me as stupid because I wouldn’t talk much after my accident…idk…it’s something about hearing people talk badly about u while ur right there and much smarter then they are in reality that does something to a child…

[jonrules]

Diagnosed at 3 years old. Growing up, i was told that i couldnt be like the other kids and ostracized as if i was a monster of sorts. When i started high school, everyone had already anticipated me getting a "special needs diploma" and treated me as such. I wanted to prove them wrong and pushed beyond their expectations and managed to get my diploma with flying colors. From then on, i told myself that if i wanted to be society that i had to push pass my autism and never let up. This led me to now, years later, broken and dealing with medical issues. Being masked for so long, i doubt my autism and just feel like a really old work truck that still on the road, spitting, spudering and breaking down every few miles but still going.

[yami]

I was diagnosed in my thirties. Saw two psychologists, one of them expert in autism. Then my regular psychiatrist, three other psychiatrists and a medical examiner who they all assessed me to see if I could apply for disability benefits (which I did and did get the benefits). All those experts agreed with the diagnosis and I still felt like an imposter 🤣

I don't anymore though ❤ and I feel more and more comfortable with talking about my diagnosis. I want to fully accept and love myself and that includes my autism😊

[IThinkMuch]

It took years for me to stumble across enough information to even wonder if I was autistic. It then took years of going back and forth trying to determine if I really had those traits or if I was just exaggerating normal feelings that everyone had. The more I learned about autism, the more I realized I AM autistic. And then I realized it applied to my kids, too. I was able to get my teenage daughter evaluated because she was still on medicaid. So she was diagnosed by a psychologist. Her father (my ex) STILL tells her, despite a diagnosis, that "there is nothing wrong" with her. I let her decide whether she wants me to step in or not. Sometimes she does. But, regardless, I do tell her that her dad is NOT a trained psychologist and doesn't understand that autism isn't "something wrong". I actually prefer our way of seeing the world vs. the neurotypical. And it almost makes it worth the hell of living over 40 years undiagnosed in a neurotypical world to be able to help my kids navigate a society that wasn't created for us. They are so much happier being exactly who they are than I ever was. Autistic kids need autistic adults in their lives who understand them.

[rubymoon]

I feel like it would help if there were more autistic YouTuber’s who were “just self diagnosed”. I so resonate with this list. Since having a baby my autism is so much more noticeable. I still haven’t told many people because I find it hard to “explain” my symptoms in the moment 😢

[wickjezek]

I love the term neurodivergent nation! We can learn a lot from other communities like the Deaf community. There is power in numbers and shared experience.