Autism is one of the fastest-growing diagnoses worldwide, probably due to the changing environment. But, unfortunately, many people live their lives unaware that they have it or without an official diagnosis.
Not being diagnosed with autism can impact mental health because you don’t have the tools and support you need to feel your best.
So, what can happen if you live with undiagnosed autism? Here’s a rundown.
Increased Social Anxiety And Feelings Of Overwhelm
The biggest risk is social anxiety and feeling generally overwhelmed by friendship situations. Being autistic is highly challenging, and can lead to a sense of being overloaded. Furthermore, it is also often hard to follow social cues, leading to confusion in a lot of social situations and settings.
Autistic people need a framework to help them deal with these interactions. If they don’t have it, it can lead to all sorts of issues when trying to interact with other people, making anxiety worse.
It is critical to differentiate between BPD vs autism. Borderline personality disorder is not the same diagnosis, even if the sensations and feelings people with these two conditions experience might overlap.
Depression From Feeling Misunderstood
Another consequence is an abiding sensation of feeling depressed because of misunderstanding. Many people with autism feel like they don’t “fit in” with their peers, due to the inherent distance they feel. While autistic people can get along fine with each other, the sense of being isolated in a crowd can contribute to depression.
Many autistic individuals also have repeated professional failures because they misunderstand their colleagues. This, again, can lead to lower self-esteem and the sensation that things aren’t moving forward in life.
Chronic Stress From Masking Behaviors
Another issue is the chronic stress felt by many autistic individuals because of the need to maintain masking behaviors. These can be challenging to uphold and make it harder to sustain interaction.
For example, many autistic people often feel pressure to mirror neurotypical behaviors that don’t come naturally to them. Keeping up these appearances is often an exhausting activity by itself, which often leads to feelings of depression.
Worse still, other people don’t always see these masking attempts as a coping mechanism, making social situations even more challenging. Many autistic people experience prolonged stress and fatigue because of these problems.
Misdiagnosis
If you have autism, you may also experience repeated rounds of misdiagnosis. Clinicians may think you have other problems, besides autism, even if the latter is the main issue. For example, they may tell you that you have ADHD or social anxiety disorder, or that you are bipolar because you keep swinging between feeling happy and depressed.
The problem with misdiagnosis is that it delays the support you need and leaves you feeling confused. Even if you’ve been told what’s wrong, it doesn’t quite seem to fit your situation.
Ultimately, misdiagnosed autism can lead to identity struggles and low self-worth. It can also lead to sensory overload, especially in social situations, which is why going to someone who really understands the condition is essential.
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