Has anyone else noticed that at least a sizable amount of self-diagnosed individuals have some form of addiction? An addiction combined with untreated mental health issues, that speaking speculatively could causes at least some of their reported issues.

[u/No-Supermarket5288]

[u/Few_Resource_6783]

Most of them have a screen addiction. They’re chronically online and their social skills suffered as a result of that. Instead of acknowledging and fixing the issue (because a screen addiction is curable, unlike autism) they just self diagnose and make their obnoxious behavior everyone elses problem.

[u/Firm-Stranger-9283 → u/Few_Resource_6783]

I keep seeing that, especially after covid. the social skills are suffering but in reality they have no other traits of autism yet still say they're autistic - also tends to be the same type of people who make fun of me for special interests etc

[u/No-Supermarket5288 → u/Firm-Stranger-9283]

That is one thing that confuses me about it as their own behavior makes it likely that they didn't have at least social issues when they were younger. As they seem woefully unprepared to deal with any social issues which at least for me I had already learned techniques that helped but didn't make up for my fundamental deficits.

[u/Few_Resource_6783 → u/No-Supermarket5288]

It’s because they didn’t. Pre-covid these people will reflect on their lives and you’ll find they had an extensive social life, hobbies no one would deem “weird” or make fun of them for, no sensory issues, carried themselves confidently in social interactions. Even looked down on autistic people like me.

But now that they’ve regressed socially, they self diagnose, act like they’re the face of autism, and experts on the topic of it. I’m 30, turning 31 this summer, i still feel like there’s a lot i don’t understand about being autistic and i was diagnosed at the age of 2 years old..

[u/No-Supermarket5288 → u/Few_Resource_6783]

Don't forget the inconsistency in their stories. Not to mention they fundementally don't experience any of the disabling effect beyond social issues

[u/Few_Resource_6783 → u/No-Supermarket5288]

They also claim ADHD because they spend most of the day doom scrolling and have developed the attention span of a goldfish. I don’t have ADHD so i can’t speak on it from first hand experience, but those that i knew who had it (IEP classroom), it’s a lot more than just not focusing on something longer than 10 seconds.

[u/Murky-South9706]

Yes. I don't understand why they don't just go see a psychologist or psychiatrist.

[u/No-Supermarket5288 → u/Murky-South9706]

Speaking speculatively based on the ones I've met they come from economically well-off families that lacked an emotionally supportive environment and stigmatised mental health issues. As a result they likely subconsciously internalized that. They externally present as no longer stigmatizing mental health on a surface level but ignore and disregard their own mental health issues whereas disorders neurological and physical disorder aren't stigmatized so they seek to blame any issues on one of those.

[u/Murky-South9706 → u/No-Supermarket5288]

Could be. And they're well off but "can't afford" a real diagnosis, which is weird lol

[u/No-Supermarket5288 → u/Murky-South9706]

If they are in the US I've found that's a common rationalization done by Americans who don't really want to be treated but rather to blame issues on. That's at least my opinion

[u/Formal-Experience163 → u/Murky-South9706]

Because Devon Price provides self-diagnosis guides. He does not recommend that people see a specialist to evaluate possible psychiatric or neurological issues. To him, bipolar disorder is a misdiagnosis of autism in women.

In the book Unmasking Autism, the phenomenon of drug addiction is presented as something unprecedented in autism. He does not take into account the sociocultural factors of alcoholism, for example.

[u/sadclowntown]

I had an addiction and then I was diagnosed with autism. Sometimes it's a coping mechanism for the stress of being an undiagnosed autistic. Sadly a lot of "high functioning" autistic people end up with alcohol/drug addictions.

[u/Fearless_pineaplle → u/sadclowntown]

there was alotta the those issues at special school

[u/sadclowntown → u/Fearless_pineaplle]

What do you mean by special school? When I was in highschool, they tried to send me to the "special school" which was the school where they sent all the misbehaving kids or any kid with learning issues.

[u/Fearless_pineaplle → u/sadclowntown]

special needs xchool school . mostly lean llearning disabled and autisitic autistic kids

[u/No-Supermarket5288 → u/sadclowntown]

That is another possibility but at least with the ones I've met their self reported autistic tendencies disappeared once they started engaging in addiction treatment. As someone else brought up the most prevalent addiction I've seen is directly related to internet usage.

[u/No_Device_2291]

Welllllll…Looking for a reason/excuse. While I could see it going both ways- to fit in or be in social situations, drugs and alcohol sure help! I can also see someone who just has those addiction issues and seeking a “reason” for their addiction. Unfortunately sometimes their addiction causes them to make up those reasons. I’ve known people who suddenly had diseases or afflictions, which “caused them” to take drugs. They didn’t have those things before but yah

[u/Neptunelava]

Yes drug use can cause

Slurred speech Slow processing Regressing in socialization skills Emotional dysregulation Forgetfulness A need to mask (as sober) Genuinely regress your academic abilities Can impact your ability to learn new information Shortens your attention span Can cause or trigger dissocition Obcession Hard drug use can impact moter skills and function

But there are studies done that undiagnosed autistic (especially comorbid ADHD and autism) children usually in black and brown communities (where it's most often not diagnosed) are more suspectable to substance abuse than the average person.

[u/Curious_Dog2528]

For high functioning autistic adults this is definitely a problem as well

[u/Cavia1998]

The biggest faker I know in person has a cocaine addiction, alcohol addiction, nicotine addiction, and does countless other drugs too and has intense dopamine seeking. She was diagnosed with adhd as a child but believes she has autism not adhd.