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Neurodiverse Mumsnetters

Use this forum to discuss neurodiverse parenting.

Are my historic MH struggles effectively my ADHD with autistic traits?

6 replies

whatisforteamum · 12/10/2025 07:04

I was diagnosed early this year with ADHD and awaiting ASD assessment.
In the past I've had anxiety.panic attacks
agoraphobia and anorexia many yrs ago.
Given my recent diagnosis surely lots of these previous diagnosis are linked to neurological differences (not the anorexia).
Lots can be linked to sensory issues.
Has anyone had this themselves ?

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MaePedwarGolau · 12/10/2025 10:05

I'm not diagnosed, but pretty certain I have ADHD and also possibly ASD. I've been agoraphobic for 20 years. There's no doubt in my mind that these things are linked. I coped fairly well with undiagnosed ADHD, until I didn't... Now I'm stuck in a loop I can't get out of.

I'm sorry you've experienced similar. It's hellish

TreesAtSea · 12/10/2025 10:50

I'd agree that they're very likely linked.

I'm not diagnosed but I'm textbook ADHD and also have many autistic traits.
I'm now in my late 50s and have had a lifetime of mental health problems: anxiety, depression, eating disorders, OCD. It was only a few years ago, when I was really struggling with the menopause, that I started to put the pieces of the puzzle together and realised that I'm neurodivergent.

Since then I still suffer from anxiety, though nowhere near as seriously as before, and unfortunately my eating disorders have resurfaced at times, but I no longer feel depressed. I think that much of my previous depression stemmed from my continual attempts to force myself into a mould which just never fit, together with constant self-loathing when I couldn't achieve that. I very much saw myself as the problem at all times.

I'm nowhere near coping successfully yet, especially where my ADHD is concerned, but the understanding and insight into my own life and mind which I've gained in recent years has been invaluable.

There is a documented link between ADHD/ASD and eating disorders, so it's possible that your anorexia may have been caused or at least facilitated by neurodivergence.

whatisforteamum · 12/10/2025 16:19

Oh wow thank you both for the replies and sorry that you're going through similar.
I've had these issues since my early 20s so almost 40 yrs.!!
I've had ok patches too it was menopause that made life more difficult and I sought a diagnosis.
I feel a bit sad that I was put in a psychiatric unit at 22 when it could have been a neurodiversity thing.

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whatisforteamum · 12/10/2025 16:23

MaepedwarGolau how does your agoraphobia manifest itself?
For me I've had bouts where leaving the house was too overwhelming.
Or in general a fear of public transport, enclosed spaces going on holiday or days out .
I can go out with DH in the car locally on a good day.
Otherwise I just go to work.

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TreesAtSea · 12/10/2025 17:14

Ah, so you're a similar age to me.
I'm sorry to hear that you were in a psychiatric unit in your 20s. That must have been very difficult. I had a four-year long clinical depression at that age and didn't work during that time, but never sought help. Slowly got back to a kind of normality.

There's an academic article called "When my autism broke" by Moseley et al, which is what "alerted" me to the fact that I'm likely neurodivergent. It outlines how the strategies that autistic women adopt in earlier life, consciously or otherwise, often become untenable around menopause, hence the autism "breaks" and can no longer carry you through the days. Effectively you no longer have the energy required to continue masking. I'd already left my job a few years before realising the ND connection to the problems I was having, unfortunately, otherwise perhaps I could have carried on somehow.

It's interesting how you describe your agoraphobia. I've never thought of myself as having that, but a lot of what you mention sounds familiar. For around 15 years in my 20s/30s I never went anywhere further than a couple of towns 20 miles away. I could afford to but just "couldn't" do it, if that makes sense. I was okay going on buses but totally avoided trains and have never driven or had access to a car. It wasn't so much being on public transport that worried me, it was all the kerfuffle around it: queuing to buy tickets, worrying about missing connections etc. Possibly that's a case of having trouble with "autistic transitioning". Again very slowly that got better and now I'm okay going on trips to Europe on my own (don't have a partner), though I still worry about things going wrong. It's a vast improvement on the days when I was so anxious I felt as if I was facing a firing squad in the run-up to a holiday! However, I still often have trouble forcing myself to go out even when I want to, which is very much an ADHD thing: procrastination and so on. Once I'm out the door I'm fine.

Oops, sorry for the long ramble...

whatisforteamum · 12/10/2025 17:38

Don't apologise it's fascinating.
My psychiatric stay was one weekend and I got out quick.It was full of people who were wandering around and muttering things.Very overwhelming place.
I was losing weight quickly and managed to turn it around.
This happened again after childbirth.I didn't like the mother and baby groups so ended up quite isolated and thin and depressed.
Well done you for going to Europe.I didn't manage a holiday for 12 yrs as I used to recharge when DH took the dcs as it was too far away.

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