13 autism symptoms in adults (you're not just a "highly sensitive person/hsp")

[@Whoever68]

I’m now in my mid 50’s and I have always felt different. I never understood how I was different, just that I was different to others. I’m very sensitive and I remember as a child my older sister laughing at me and mocking me, particularly in front of my relatives. I remember how embarrassed and humiliated she made me feel. To this day if I see someone being mocked or teased I see the discomfort that person is feeling and I try to distract them in a nice way so that they don’t feel embarrassed or humiliated. My son has been diagnosed with ASD and ADHD. I understand that both are hereditary and I believe I too have both. I have not had contact with my siblings for almost eight years because I finally realised that I don’t deserve to be poorly treated by those that I have known all my life simply because they are related to me.

[@HoneyGemHappy]

🫶💐

[@CosmicChild1111]

Thank you, I also was bullied and made fun of by my sister in front of friends and family. I stepped away for over 10 years now but she has been trying to reconnect again. I don’t trust her.

[@pipwhitefeather5768]

This sounds just like me! I've had no contact with my siblings for over a decade now. They treated me terribly! It took me so long to realise. We deserve to be treated with respect and it serves us and our mental health to remove ourselves from painful relationships. I am also in my 50's and only last year did I find out it may be ASD and ADHD. It explains my whole life! Find the people that help you feel good and I will too. 🙏 x

[@AlissaSss23]

Agreed. Sending 🫂

[@AlissaSss23]

Good for you for staying no contact. Home is where we feel safe 🙏

[@JohnGeorge-pw2xo]

I'm a veteran, was actually addicted to cigarettes and alcohol. I suffered severe depression and mental disorder, got diagnosed with cptsd. Not until my wife recommended me to psilocybin mushrooms treatment. Psilocybin treatment saved my life honestly. 8 years totally clean. Much respect to mother nature the great magic shrooms.

[@Islasss-z8m]

I love hearing great life changing stories like this. I want to become a mycologist because honestly mushrooms are the best form of medicine (most especially the psychedelic ones) There are so many people today used magic mushrooms to ween off of SSRI medication- its amazing! Years back i wrote an entire essay about psychedelics. they saved you from death buddy, lets be honest here.

[@ErnestoHorner88]

Can you help me with the reliable source 🙏. I'm 56 and have suffered for years with addiction, anxiety and severe ptsd, I got my panic attacks under control myself years ago and they have come back with a vengeance, I'm constantly trying to take full breaths but can't get the full satisfying breath out, it's absolutely crippling me, i live in Germany. I don't know much about these mushrooms. Really need a reliable source!! Can't wait to get them

[@CARIBBEAN_365]

YES very sure of mycologist Predroavaro. This treatment worked for me. Helped me got rid of my life long depression and BPD.

[@DonnDenisse]

So happy for you, brother that you found mushrooms. I struggle with some of the same issues and mushrooms helped me immensely as well. God bless you keep fighting the good fight.

[@Wimruther-hk4zn]

How do I reach out to him? Is he on insta

[@jeddklampitt9749]

I am an introvert. I was a very quietly spoken child and teenager. I rarely talked to anyone because I lacked social skills and the ability to express myself openly. I was a passive naive young person. I preferred to be alone and do what I wanted in my spare time. I am not a misanthropic person because I have dealt with my inner demons and come to terms with who I am. The fact that I grew up in a toxic family who physically, emotionally, and verbally abused me made me hate everyone until I became an adult. I never knew what an introvert was until I read Dr Carl Jung's books about different personalities and archetypes. I also read Emotional Intelligence and other self-help books which improve myself. I dislike being classified into various labels, negative stereotyping and being pigeonholed into a category by certain therapists.

[@melissavalentine9771]

🎉🎉🎉

[@peterhodge570]

Well said

[@cartermusic2020]

Also high intelligence can impact the traits that are mentioned here.

[@lisaweatheral4458]

My parents thought when my pediatrician said I had minimal brain dysfunction in 1963 they thought he was telling them I was mildly retarded. (Words used back then) So that was how I was treated. Like there was no hope for me and no one wanted to waste their time with me. I also had seizures. I had many behaviors and sensory issues that is normally associated only with Autism but I was higher functioning and had language. I had really bad sensory issues. I had my downs. Everything you said about autism applies to me. But didn’t find out till my mid life. Cognitively my IQ rest they gave me in grade school showed I was in the superior intelligence level but my mom said I could not use my intelligence when I asked about it a year later. I was one confused and lonely child. Although I absolutely prefer being alone more times than not I still craved humanity interactions. Because of the seizures and the TBI I had at birth people didn’t let their kids play with me because they thought I was as mentally ill and retarded. People were so ignorant to seizures back then. I was born in 1960 and people didn’t understand a lot of things that they do now in the 21st-century. I’ve never been able to keep friends. I’ve had two close friends my whole entire life. I do everything alone with no problem. But I have phobias up the ying Yang. Oh I have written too much but I get so stimulated when another piece of the puzzle falls into place for me. Thank you for taking the time to make that video.

[@lisaweatheral4458]

Also, I wanted to add because I did not notice. I have the zebra disease and so did my dad. We were both quite stretchy and bendy ours was the common connective tissue type, but I was blessed not to have it too bad. Ehlers Danios survive things that they mean pop up and listen.

[@Bearerofwater18]

Thank you for sharing your story! I was born in 82 I can relay in a lot of ways that a lot of the way that people treated me was that I was just a little bit dumber than everybody else. Almost as if I had a plague I too had an IQ test At 3 years old and tested very high However I have a twin sister I did not know until recently, After two of my younger children were diagnosed ASD About female masking. I've always known I was sensitive and my mother always told me how sensitive I was I took it as it was a weakness, a flaw. Education is power. 💪

[@karenholmes6565]

I was labeled as retarded by my 3rd grade teacher. This was in the 1970s. I think my mom knew there was something different about me, it turned out I have a very high IQ, but I was so clumsy, I couldn't tell time, and my processing speed for learning my multiplication tables was the worst in my class. I was 2 yrs behind in reading. By the time I was in 6th grade I was reading at a collegiate level. Autistic brains are weird like that. We have what is called a "spikey profile". My cousin was diagnosed with autism in the early 70s. My brother had what they termed "hyperactive kinetic disorder" in the 1960s, that diagnosis is called ADHD today. I am sorry you went through being labeled as retarded. As someone who was labeled that I understand how it follows you around for the rest of your life. I went back to college around 30 yrs old and became a scholar with perfect grades partially to prove to myself I wasn't mentally retarded. It was like I was running away from it.

[@mileysong1117]

It's disgusting what I telling advanced people have to deal with...a planet of ignorant apes it seems..

[@babycakes8434]

It is better to have fewer good friends than many fake ones. You are not the only one with 2 friends. Did your seizures continued in adulthood?

[@mindfulmaximalism]

OMG, you mentioned the satin on the blanket! I'm 45 and still sleep with my baby blanket because of the feeling of the satin trim on it. It's so shredded and worn, but man, I have never found a satisfying replacement. Also, squeezing BIC lighters in my hand. I haven't smoked in 11 years, but that feeling of a BIC lighter in my hand helps me enter a highly creative trance state. I don't know anyone else like me in this way. I just took the Autism Spectrum Quotient test you recommended and scored a 38. I am new to following you, and now I think you are so cool for making this video. Thanks

[@Tricia-xo6fq]

Not the lighter but my child has a satin blanket and has been diagnosed with Autism.

[@mindfulmaximalism]

@@Tricia-xo6fq I'm curious which came first? Did you get the blanket after the diagnosis? I've seen highly autistic kids with spoons in their hands. I assume the BIC lighter serves the same purpose for me. Lighters are more condensed, and the BIC brand has nice contours for comfortable clenching. I know it's so weird, but clenching the lighters triggers my brain to create visuals for manifesting. Squeezing the satin on the blanket at night is just comforting for sleep. It's the cooling sensation in my hand that I crave. Again, I know it's so weird, but I learned to do this before I could even speak, and I stuck with it.

[@handebarlas6248]

@@mindfulmaximalism Well, they say "my baby blanket", so clearly it came first, not the diagnosis.

[@mindfulmaximalism]

@@handebarlas6248 Actually, she said her child had a satin blanket. Have you had your eyes checked recently?

[@pippadot679]

Thank you so much for this video. Very important content.

[@Maarjaanaa]

I survived 😅, I'm 70 and this is my best time. I'm strong and free, at last 🙂

[@Aimee03110]

Why is it your best time?

[@MRRS-ee1cd]

IT IS NOT A DISORDER, it’s a different way in which a brain is wired.

[@Portia620]

Agreed!!!!

[@Portia620]

We must label it sadly! Annoying! I think this is true of Highly sensitive people too

[@averykitsch]

1000%

[@kimsnyder5456]

You are absolutely correct.

[@marie-annecody83]

I found a definition that it always involves a slow developing frontal lobe?

[@tek3freak]

I am ADHD, but have many friends and family members on the Austic spectrum, who've also experienced trauma. This video makes sense.

[@ShoutItFromTheHousetops]

Yes. Sudden change is really hard for me because of the need and comfort gained from routine, repetition and need to focus/fixate on something I’m passionate about. Currently in that place and it’s been really hard.

[@nee-na6874]

I relate to being in a hard place right now and the change was not of my own doing but I am seriously affected by it. 🙏 Keep fighting the good fight..

[@Tara-oy5ni]

I read Elaine's books several years ago, and scored extremely high on HSP. I notice subtleties in body language, tone, what's said and unsaid. I also have fibromyalgia and CFS caused by a car wreck. I just want to express that these illnesses are possible with being a HSP and not just autistic. A lot of the medical community don't even recognize HSP. So, studies are sorely lacking.

[@lornocford6482]

Plus, illness is related to trauma and stress. HSPs are very likely to have trauma and stress.

[@NoName-pd7uf]

And it all can overlap or hide other traits. I am very sure I would be diagnosed as Autist, but when I think back when I worked in science, all was different. People understood my jokes, and supposedly weird thoughts were considered interesting, and smart, not weird. So how much of my so called social awkwardness is people just not grasping what I am saying, so I tend to be quiet even more, and how much is really autism.

[@taramay8174]

Have you been through extreme trauma ?

[@vingedheart]

@@NoName-pd7uf Highly intelligent is another thing that makes it hard being in society.

[@peterskove3476]

Needing recovery time and social struggles caught my attention. Eventually being alone became the sought after goal … It seems completely natural to keep people at a distance, and to have lost any desire for a partner. It is enormously stressful to interact with others for very long, yet I don’t really feel like I chose a solitary lifestyle, more like I do well with what others don’t tolerate well , conditions Funny , I once looked into being a Light House Keep, until I remembered they also have to use a fog horn.

[@elizabethf9096]

Lol

[@campbub]

43 years old.. and i hit the mark on almost all of these .. it’s been a long journey 😪 i didn’t talk till is was 5, not that i didn’t know how, i didn’t want to, everything was to intense .. im really good at seeing patterns in life, not good at maintaining friendships 🥺 that one hurt saying.. can’t wear on sleep on certain fabric ( i like 100 percent natural fabrics) in need a lot of alone time to make sense of things .. i fell into a drug addiction.. because everything was to intense ( im now almost 6 years sober 🙏🏻) i get over stimulated around to many people and stim ? i could go on.. but im sure others here know. btw im James 👋🏼 i wanna also remind you all out there how beautiful we are 🥹 we are creative, fun, caring, interesting.. we see life differently.. we see life in a vary special way.. and you are so special ❤ i also wanna say sorry if you have been hurt by others because they don’t understand. .. i truly believe we are like this for a purpose 🙏🏻 ❤️‍🩹

[@mariannelabanane2589]

I've always felt this way. I could talk, but I chose not to because everything was so intense. I didn't want to break this silence. How can you talk when soooo much is going on? I feel like I came to this earth to observe, not to participate. My life has been so difficult, almost a constant suffering. When there are people around, it's hard. I always try to go as far away as possible, as alone as possible. I always tried to find places to hide to eat (sometimes I even went to hide in the toilet ;) ) like a small animal that needs to protect itself while eating. Just being there takes a lot out of me. Eating at the same time... a major challenge. When I'm in nature, alone with the majesty of the trees, I feel infinitely good (and even more so if there are animals - I feel good with animals(I like talking to crows when I see them :D - I say to them if they squawks: ''don't be afraid, I am Marianne, I am a good girl''. Ha ha! I just make sure I'm alone in the vicinity ;) ;) ), they and I speak the same language ;) ).

[@nee-na6874]

​@@mariannelabanane2589 I was talking to an owl the other day and I showed my grandson and he was so amazed and that made my chest expand with 😊❤

[@mnelson9057]

Very helpful, thank you, as always. For me the route was finding HSP in 2011 but it didn’t explain everything. Then while searching for hyperempathy vs HSP I found similar women on the wrongplanet website, then found Intense World Theory, then read everything I could find. Autism is clear in me, my eggshell father (w/daily meltdowns), and other family. I am so glad to see the rise in awareness in other high-masking women. I hope your status as a psychologist helps other psychologists not be so ignorant about autism in AFABs. I’m 59, and so wish I had known about autistic me and my autistic father decades ago. Lots of grief. Having read Neurotribes and everything else I could find on autism and its history, I’m so disgusted by how badly both psychiatry and psychology have screwed this up. My psychiatrist (for TRD that’s hard to parse from autistic burnout& is likely both plus PTSD) said in 2012 that I “wasn’t odd enough”🙄 . I don’t talk about it much w/him or therapist, they just don’t want to know, want it to all be trauma. I’ve always told people close to me that I deserve an Oscar, so the recent “discovery” of masking has been so helpful in understanding myself. I also have hEDS and a bunch of the other comorbidities that also were late-diagnosed. Medicine has also really failed us. Thank you for your work and for sharing it with us. I look forward to your videos!

[@katherinehealy6534]

My granddaughter is definitely a highly sensitive person. She is still dealing with the trauma caused by her alcoholic, unstable mother, and she also deals with OCD. She’s 16 now and could probably tick off most of the boxes for autism, but she had no noticeable indicators as an infant and young child. I have quite a few indicators myself, and I recently read an article about the possibility of something like sub clinical autism, where the indicators are present, but not to the degree where a clinical diagnosis of autism could be given. I’m not fond of crowded, noisy places, but have discovered if I stay on the fringes, those situations are more tolerable. I don’t like small talk because I don’t like talking to people in general, unless it’s someone I know. I like to stick to certain routines, and feel a little unsettled if things are out of order, but at 73 years of age, 53 years of marriage, 4 kids and 3 grandkids, I’ve learned to adapt, even if it’s uncomfortable and irritable. Anyway, who knows… but great video and great info.

[@ladyhagaming]

ocd can be part of austisme

[@katherinehealy6534]

@@ladyhagamingyes, autism and OCD can go hand in hand, but my granddaughter’s traits didn’t begin in early childhood, only after she began experiencing the trauma caused by her mother, starting when she was about 10. Thanks for the input.

[@BladeX11883]

@@katherinehealy6534 my ocd seemed to be triggered when stress and trauma when I was a tween. I was an undiagnosed with autism as a child and no one thought I had autistic traits as a child, but now looking back, my adults at the time realized they were there the whole time and I learned to mask real quickly so many of the traits can be hidded. so I wouldn't rule out the possibility of having the diagnosis of both

[@michelledudro7429]

Have you looked into CPTSD (Complex PTSD)? Dr. Kim has a fairly recent video comparing it with autism. You might also find Heidi Priebe's channel helpful for info on CPTSD.

[@lornocford6482]

What makes you think that your granddaughter is a highly sensitive person? It can appear the same as trauma symptoms. SPS has a positive side too though.

[@louiseyoung1231]

Yes!!! Autoimmune: EDS, MCAS, POTS & neurodiversity go together.

[@philly8184]

Ehlers, AuDHD and PMDD 👋

[@louiseyoung1231]

@@philly8184 hugs. I get it

[@happytobehere1111]

Maybe you are right but I still believe they follow small-t / big-t traumas and I hope to prove it fully (in my case at least). After almost a decade of hell a Faster EFT coach seriously reduced my Mold / MCS symptoms in just 5x sessions. Good luck!

[@toogood_toobad]

I'm confused but i see the world with pure heart, caring & loving the nature , animals and peoples ✨ Also have deep understanding.. I love to give happiness into others ❤️🌠

[@soniacalcagno1121]

So please!!!! Never change 😊

[@toogood_toobad]

@@soniacalcagno1121 Never Ever ✅ I'm a true Indian 🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳 Love is in my blood ❤️

[@Superbabey]

I FINALLY got my official autism diagnosm after a second opinion with health care professionals. Had to "fight" for it SO hard, took me 1.5 year in total. And now, after fightening all the way, i feel nothing about it anymore.😢 i hope the feeling will return & i can get more peace with it

[@kayvids8772]

It’s feel weird that I completely relate to all of this but it feels like such a trend right now. It sucks when you can relate and have struggled your whole life but now it’s such a trend and everyone thinks they have ADHD, Autism or both. Makes me want to hide more.

[@allainaheve]

Everyone probably does. We are all suffering tremendously on this unhealthy planet.

[@kopiikun]

i've been following your videos since around pandemic days, so learning and understanding about autism alongside you for the past year and a half, it has been very reassuring and comforting. i had some suspicious, as i've always struggled deeply in many regards, but lacked the self confidence in advocating for myself, and feared others would think "you can't possibly be autistic" because of the way i mask. Seeing people who are like me being open to conversation and sharing their experiences, it feels reassuring. This video is very informative, and i think will help my family ease into the conversation of a possible autism diagnosis for myself. Thank you, Dr. Sage! 💙

[@earthdogpj1]

Love your content and stretch to think about the over-laps. You’ve mentioned your marriage quite a few times, and I’m sure your focus is directed towards your children’s lives and career development. I hope at some point you could explain how your understandings of relationships dynamics from childhood… marriage…. Has influenced your choices and decisions in new relationships since your divorce and have they been successful because of your evolving interpersonal awareness’s. How are you challenging your own dynamics? Just food for another video to share what your relationship journey has been like in this last 17 years. It’s always helpful for me to see through the lens of real life experiences. Thank you Kim

[@deborahswart1718]

Wow! An eye-opener for me. Particularly when it comes to HSP & ADHD overlap, but also CPTSD. Thank you.

[@jbiddle9235]

I've never felt so understood in a video before. Especially after mentioning migraine and possible ptsd issues.

[@ingevideospot]

There seems to be a misunderstanding in the autistic community about the meaning of the word "disorder". It is not a derogatery term, but it is a way of allowing therapists to assess whether or not the condition is causing (severe) social, emotional or even physical distress and impairment for normal functioning. If so the diagnosis will allow you access to therapy, training, as well as give you the right to have extra aids and facilities available for you during education or at work. For example, noise blocking headphones, extra time to make a test, a seperate room to sit quietly, or an educational assistant to help with structuring school work. Those who fight the so called stigma of the word disorder and wish to see autism as some different ( and possibly in somevterms superior) wiring of the brain, greatly underestimate the debilitating impairments of some autistic people and the hardships of their caretakers. Some may never be able to support themselves independently. If your own symptoms are milder, consider yourself blessed, but please do not downplay this disorder, for you may harm those that depend on a clear diagnosis.

[@NoName-pd7uf]

I can assure you that it IS a derogatory term. That is why real experts distinguish between clinically relevant, i.e. disease, and just a trait or personality structure. Please do not downplay the devastating effects such labels can have on careers, and lives in general.

[@malkaz9167]

@@NoName-pd7uf We really need to be careful how we describe personal characteristics. When I first started teaching special education, my students were called perceptually handicapped.

[@kimsnyder5456]

I am an empath which means I'm highly sensitive. However it is very clear that I'm not autistic. Having said that it is extremely interesting to me how much overlap I do have with autistic traits. What I think that most people don't get is that autism is just what we call a part of the spectrum of how the human brain works. It isn't actually separate. It seems to be separate because we have historically in this society only catered to what we were falsely taught to be what all humans were supposed to be like. The reality is that each of us are the very definition of what it means to be human for us. We are getting better at recognizing that we each have different needs and we are slowly changing the way we are setting up society to accommodate all of us... but we have a long way to go. Having said all this I may actually be labeled as autistic in the future simply because I do have too much empathy and have many similarities to my autistic counterparts. But I don't actually display the sensory problems more than most neuro-typical individuals. Peace.

[@laurelinlorefield318]

Have you looked at the research on very high IQ people? They tend to have those highly sensitive tendencies, among other things mentioned here. But not the autistic tendencies. They have many interests and go wide and deep with those interests. They don't have the need for routine and repetition and actually crave novelty. They prefer dealing with abstract concepts rather than the concrete. They have interpersonal difficulties for different reasons ... They take in stimuli and learn and think at a much higher speed and remember a lot more than normal IQ individuals, making communication and interaction more difficult. They do often mask to 'fit in, particularly women. They do need more time alone to recover from these interpersonal difficulties as well as to persue their interests. Because there are so few of them, they were rarely mirrored by anyone when growing up and find it hard to locate others like themselves. But I think the neural divergence causes some of the issues you mention here.

[@MadMio2U]

I’m in the UK and have lived with Autism all of my life and was just one of the many that was diagnosed later on in life. You are absolutely spot on with everything, and I mean everything you have said in this video. I have what they call high functioning ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder) and probably due to that fact, I have never been unemployed ever and I’m now over 60. It has all come at a detrimental price to my own heath and wellbeing though over the years, having to mask my condition every single day to a point that I’m literally exhausted from living in the ‘Neurotypical World’ that I have found myself to be living in. Which incidentally is a very ignorant place for any Autistic person to live, especially here in the UK where disability discrimination here is rife. The biggest challenge I have found is making yourself be understood correctly, without unintentionally insulting someone. You see, in my world, everything is black or white, wrong or right, good or bad with no grey area’s at all. Anyway, well done and thank you for sharing your video. Brilliant! 👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@annikajohansson9171]

I especially cant stand it when bill collectors ask "how are you today?".....i mean really?? Not only is small talk pointless, but i KNOW you dont care how im doing

[@watchinvidzwatchinvidz7691]

It's fake & not ok. I usually just ignore that question & ask on professional questions to bypass the fake weird questions.

[@Keyboardje]

To me as a European (Dutch) that is not just a "bill collector's" thing, but ALL AMERICANS. If a Dutch person (bill collector or not) asks you how you are doing, they ask because they are interested and WANT and expect to hear your real answer, because we CARE!

[@NoName-pd7uf]

​@@Keyboardje not just Americans, Swiss, Turks, other cultures, too. I am Swiss, and I had to outright train myself to ask how people are before saying anything else to a client. People are shocked if you are answering anything other than "fine, thx, hbu". My Finnish teacher told me even Finns ask that as small talk, and Finland is the country where being silent for an hour counts as a nice visit or party.

[@feliciar2773]

Small Talk maybe pointless to you but to somebody that is very socially awkward it makes a big difference whenever you are having to interact with somebody. Whenever my brain is literally exploding with anxiety I have to be saying something I feel like I'm going to explode. So small talk is not pointless to everybody and not everyone is thinking like you are saying. I do care if I ask because otherwise I feel like my brain is going to explode. I do care if I am asking. Otherwise I wouldn't waste my breath

[@ucanleaveyourhaton]

@@Keyboardje, yeah… I get that feeling also 😍

[@CaliWeHo]

I'd just like to say that you have such a nice, calming voice. I just went to the Autism site and the bright colors and too many choices completely overwhelmed me, and I had to click out of it. I'll try again at some point. The characters also move; it's like, "Look at me!" All I felt was panic.

[@milouschmidt]

I asked my Dr psychiatrist where I could take a test on the autostic spectrum. He looked at me and said I am not autistic as autistic people need to be constantly assisted. He is a good Dr though but I never brought up the issue. I feel like I need desperdly to find the way to get tested. I took three online tests the last with almost 200 questions and in all three I got the result saying I am highly possible in the spectrum. But I can’t manage to find a place to register for being tested. I live in a small town in the Alps and there is no much services for anything. I will keep looking for a place to be tested. This video has been great and very accurate at least in my case. I can relate 100% with the description of autistic people in the video. Thank you so much ❤

[@nmartin5551]

You should, if possible, seek out a different psychiatrist or psychologist about pursuing diagnostic testing. Your doc told you clearly his mind is closed.

[@martingd777]

This just helped me connect some dots in audhd. My audhd led to bod thanks to so much relational trauma and it is the most tangled puzzle my brain has ever had to unravel… THANK YOU! 🙏🏼 ❤

[@caseybirgitta-skoog5532]

I feel like the ADHD/Autism combo is like the two-wolves fighting meme.

[@RG60Ibanez]

The beauty of having a video on autism, with the music of Erik Satie, who was most likely himself neurodivergent, was not lost on me.

[@berrysnooze]

I've been diagnosed with anxiety, depression and PTSD/CPTSD. I'm still really struggling to ascertain if all of the social unease is due to these or whether I may also be autistic. I have to consciously make myself hold eye contact, i'm constantly processing in my mind what is an appropriate way to respond to someone i'm having a conversation with. I overshare a lot and am very sensitive to anything that I perceive as social rejection, but I also prefer time alone and don't like events where i'd be socially expected to interact with a lot of other people. At 37 years old i'm not sure what i'd gain from a diagnosis apart from a greater understanding/acceptance of myself as I don't believe any real support is offered for autistic people if they are deemed capable of work.

[@amysusanna214]

Can you do a similar breakdown on HSP vs ADHD?

[@gg_ingy]

I got my ADHD diagnose, and was also tested for autism, but was negative for that. I am for sure highly sensitive though, so always get a professional to check this out. My youngest son has autism, so trying to learn more so i can support him in the best way possible.

[@ruthreese6287]

Your video was so well done, so informative and so compassionate.

[@debbied9740]

My home is in patterns. Placed in twos and threes and fours. Not good at maintaining friends. Work had always given me balance. Now retired and widowed,notice I'm so alone. Being okay with it and acceptance. Glad I have alittle autism.

[@pointofnoreturn3103]

Hmmm. I took the Autism quotient test at the website you mentioned. I scored 26 out of 50, which was the cut off point. I might be on the Spectrum. 52%. However, on Dr. Aron's HSP test, I scored 75%. DEFINITELY, I have the HSP temperament! There is no doubt about it... I am an INFP-A. I tend to rely on my intuition (N). 99 times out of 100, my gut reaction is correct! I have learned to pay attention to my instincts! I think that everyone has intuition to a greater or lesser degree... I used to be an INFJ. Over time, I have developed more right brain spontaneity. I remember when I needed more routine. But, now, being able to "go with the flow" is a skill that I have learned. I LIKE to think on my feet! 😀 I wouldn't be against having the Autism diagnosis. But, it sounds like I am more of an HSP... Thank you so much for making this video! I have wanted to know for some time whether or not I have autism, myself! Me and my husband have 11 year old twins who are on the Spectrum. Hopefully, with the knowledge you have given me, I will be better able to help those Precious Little Ones make the most of every situation they encounter in the future! Thanks again! Take care. Susan

[@janicepritchard4871]

I have Ehlers-Danlos and have always been an HSP. I'm waiting for Autism assessment. I always score high on self assessments. Makes sense. Not going to change! 😊

[@AnnamarieShellard]

Wow❤This is a brilliant video. Ive been HSP since I can remember,everything you say here really resonates with me and no doubt many others ❤

[@lornocford6482]

SPS is definitely not autism. Too often when people discribe SPS they don't include extroverts who make up approximately 30% of HSPs or high sensation seakers or HSPs who've been brought up in a healthy environment. Even HSPs who have trauma have a higher ability for healing than non HSPs. Someone can be HSP and autistic. Being autistic doesn't mean that someone is 'highly sensitive' as in HSP/SPS.

[@theresa5114]

The point about "Context Independent" was very interesting to me. Though I doubt I have autism, it reminded me of some typical life-situations. For example, people think I draw a plank, am slowthinking. But I'm still thinking about and want to grab the thing I was told before and not yet into the next topic. Well, I can be slow as well. It looks like other people have their brain everywhere while I think that's too fast - too much "multitasking-thinking and -doing. As a result, now and then other people look at me standing frozen in place and wonder a bit what is going on. That is one of the moments I have to try to focus again, be in the flow again (thinking and doing stuff at the same time nicely). Do such situations go hand in hand with "Context Independent"? It gets better when I am very relaxed emotionally, because my thinking kinda gets more wide as well (more like these tentacles I wrote about). Are there people here that can relate to the things I wrote? 🙂

[@shapeofsoup]

Very thorough descriptions of these traits.

[@christinakuhn5739]

Wow, just took the AQ test on the website you mentioned. I've always scored high as an HSP, but I also scored 33 on the AQ test, too. This does make me wonder! I think there are things that make me stand out and feel different from my other HSP friends. Maybe this could be it? Social awkwardness hit the nail on the head for me.

[@TheForgotme]

I always thought for years I was HSP & ADHD. I am watching this the 2nd time and now it seems to reasonate more adhd.

[@wendyhughes2234]

Thank you for your very informative video, and it is good to find a doctor who is so understanding of this disorder. May Abba [God] bless you, your family, and your ministry. I wish psychologists were all so caring of their patients.

[@ericxb]

as a late diagnosis autistic person i really enjoyed this video and your energy 🌞, thank you

[@marydelaney9696]

Extremely pertinent info on the connection between autism and other disorders. I have had fibromyalgia for a couple of decades. I recently did the tests available on the embracing autism site. I was prompted to do the tests this week, as I read almost by accident about a perceived correlation between autism and fibromyalgia. I scored within range for both tests for autism. I am involved in the Fibromyalgia Association of Canada and we make lots of efforts and have a whole committee dedicated to research. Once I started investigating, it seems that this connection is not a new one. Having had fibromyalgia for a significant period of time, and being actively involved in fibromyalgia issues, I am simply blown away that this knowledge has only been recently bestowed on me. Our research committee is currently reviewing a study I submitted to them describing this connection.

[@Alfie198]

We are all different. Always will be. We are human beings. I wish we would forget labelling people and just accept the way we are.

[@bribripollock]

I’d love for you to talk about being in a relationship with someone who is autistic.

[@MrRicehard]

Small talk is a lie. It's the equivalent of saying. 'Tell me that everything is fine and dandy in your world so I can assure my ego that there are no problems in the world and my delusion is safe and secure.' I refuse to answer the question. 'How are you?' The asker doesn't care. They just want validation.

[@barbaramoran8690]

Wish i had more than one thumb to give you

[@theryn4376]

Sometimes the asker truly does care.

[@MrRicehard]

@@theryn4376 Yes. Occasionally it's a person that you know and they are asking a genuine question. But in the context of small talk. It is always a lie. I know because I have told the truth. People get visibly annoyed or dismissive. I have said nothing and people get butt hurt with a 'how dare you be so rude to me' face. I tell the lie that they want to hear and it makes them happy to have their ego affirmed. Small talk is a lie. I agree with David Mitchell. Abolish small talk and replace it with open, honest massive talk.

[@shareathought769]

I used to think like you, but over the years my thinking has changed about that. Most of the time the words "How are you?" are meant to be open-ended enough of a question to allow someone the space to share whatever they are comfortable to in the moment. It is a way to say to someone "I would like to know you more" without being too pushy. If someone is not in the mood to talk or share anything about themselves, they can always just say "ok". If someone wants to share more, they may say how they are feeling then tell why they are feeling that way.

[@RenataW-x8z]

I was told by English speaking person that it is rude to talk about our problems when someone asks us "how are you?". to that, I stated that asking the question makes absolutely no sense, and that is probably one of the reasons why there are so many depressed people.

[@carolbrand7060]

I found it interesting that your choice of music is by Eric Satie, whom I adore. I don't find many other people who adore Eric Satie the way I do. I find his music deeply soothing. Almost hauntingly so. I love music. But what I feel when listening to Satie is deeply and profoundly intense. It fills the core of my being. It is impossible for me to explain.

[@rja777]

For the record I have eaten food at meetings and gotten very ill.

[@Black4Fae]

What are your thoughts on autism and DID as comorbid conditions? I have both and am curious as to how to address autism in my system? This was very useful for me and my wife who is also autistic and has DID. We are working well finally after a few years and the autism pointers from yourself, and other creators has helped us build a structure we thrive in. Thank you so much, btw. This is very useful.

[@coacharielandersson]

Still exploring answers.. and clearly both my daughter and I ride the line between both hsp and autism.. I finally started acknowledging this when my daughter was melting down in a foreign airport with crowds and smells and I realized I had to say out loud that she was on the spectrum as it was the only thing I knew the gate attendants would understand (vs hsp) so I could create a calm space for her to settle into her place on the plane.. It was a strong experience.. and yet allowed me to truly give her what she needed.. and open to more possibilities that could support.. though she masks well..

[@irishkk88]

Can someone just list them?

[@j.b.4340]

17:26, many with sex chromosome abnormalities (SCA’s), like Klinefelter Syndrome, Jacobs Syndrome, etc, carry the comorbidity of autism. 13:26, in my life, the autism, and the ADHD, seem to balance each other. Having only one, or the other, would not be very nice. Good video. I feel better.

[@Portia620]

Yes HSP have similar with Allergies and medications too

[@AddlesH]

Super helpful video! I am hsp but I hit most of the autistic traits too

[@IdkTrust]

What is a bottoms up way ?

[@mollyh8410]

You process internally then bring it up to interact externally and socially

[@thegreencat9947]

Bottoms up ? Sounds like going to the bar when stressed.😎🤔🤣🍷🥃

[@TerraAnn44]

I am autistic and have ADHD. Never knew until just a couple yrrs ago so i definitely masked and found addictions of many. It wasnt until i started to heal that i found out.

[@TifaAnnTheEmpressJourney]

Thank you for this I have been wondering for awhile now if I am hsp or HIgh masking Autism as my children are autistic I in the past just thought it is hsp this video points to my suspicion is correct oh and I have ADHD traits to boot hope you do a video on the combination of ADHD and Autism

[@rockstarjazzcat]

Wait, did HSP become a DSM diagnosis???

[@aprilshands8001]

I think I may be high masking mild autism, I've always felt something was different about me ! I can identify with every single thing you've said ! I'm 53 and I wish I had known this sooner but I'm glad I finally understand why I'm so different I'm not weird just different and that's okay I wish we would all focus more on our individuality instead of trying to always fit in and when we don't we think we're crazy or odd thank you sweetie for sharing this your awesome❤

[@mercifulmermaidtarot2630]

I recently came across something called Broader Autism Phenotype (BAP) that describes family members of autistic people having some autistic traits and behaviours, but not enough to meet the criteria for an autism diagnosis? Have you heard of it before? As someone who has felt they might be autistic, I found it interesting.

[@lellachu1682]

Yes, I have autistic family members and the BAP description fits me well. I have some autistic traits, but not to the degree described by autistics. I test just below the threshold for autism on most of the online tests, except the Aspie Quiz which I score highly likely neurotypical for some reason.

[@mercifulmermaidtarot2630]

@@lellachu1682 I’ve always thought that since autism is a spectrum, that at some point it must flow into a “neurotypical spectrum.” This would mean that some people would be at the threshold of autistic. I’ve always thought this is where I am too.

[@VitruvianVision]

Yah, thats NOT autism, it's adapting to the environment. My grandfather was an Aspie, my gran a hard-core empath- and they wouldn't have mated if the war hadn't erased half of the men. Lol. I grew up around them, and to this day feel comfortable with Aspies. I also acknowledge that I am very different from them in some respects. Also, trauma and gut issues must not be underestimated in influencing brain development and cognitive abilities.

[@razredge07]

Humans have two main neurotypes - "generalist" (neurotypical) and "specialist" (neurodivergent). These have always been part of the human society. Standardizing work (Taylorism) is incompatible with neurodivergence, which brings negative attention to the "specialist" neurotypes.

[@borderedge6465]

Nice summary of comparisons, very useful

[@SofiaNaranjoJuarez]

I am really suspicious that I might have AuDHD, but I have a hard time recalling if the traits I have I was born with and experienced them throughout childhood and my teenage years or not. I wonder if this is because in adulthood suddenly social cues, norms and rules seem stricter,and because experiences have made me see my traits are something that is 'off' about me whereas as a kid they were normal to me so they don't even stand out that much to me in my memories, plus my routines breaking down into adulthood... I also feel unsure if emotional dysregulation came as a result of trauma or if it's actually because of autism. It is just so hard to tell what the normal is and how my experiences compare to it

[@sandrasmith1153]

I didn't realise until relatively recently that I never looked people in the eyes, always looked at their mouth when communicating. I couldn't tell you what colour their eyes are, but I know every nuance of their mouth. So I tried looking at people's eyes because that's what people do, right? Two, three seconds max is my limit before I start getting anxious/overwhelmed. Hate parties, social gatherings, small talk. Too many people in a small space is emotional overload because I'm hyper vigilant about how I'm going to react. HSP or ASD? Whichever, it's how my life is and I've learned how to adapt in the "normal" world. Thank you for this video and helping me feel I'm not so weird after all.😊

[@lornocford6482]

HSPs don't have a problem with making eye contact. In fact, it's quite important to us to do so.

[@lisaleighhogenson2717]

🤯 mind blown. You have opened my eyes. You described me perfectly.

[@pdk9903]

I identified as HSP for a long time, but it's only now after 40 that I've become more aware of my autistic traits. I think the HSP tests all stress empathy and sensitivity, and I've been irritated by that as I don't see empathy as my core value; rather it's truth. So I'm sensitive, I can defo be very empathetic, but I'm more interested in the truth of things, how things work, getting to the bottom of stuff. I always have a special interest because of this. So I see myself as somewhere in between the two "diagnoses".😅😅😅

[@melissavalentine9771]

I wish you spent more time / explain. Of the bottom up

[@jenniferhawkins9020]

Since my grandson was born(and the secondly in his baby sister) I have felt like I finally understood myself a little better! My youngest brother also has an autistic son. I can remember being excited about school, but being afraid of being noticed, being bullied and feeling different. My uncles telling me I didn't walk like a girl and always had my nose in a book. My mom telling me I used to drive her crazy with too many questions. Being hyper aware, hated unexpected or loud noises, very picky eaters in our line.

[@jenniferhawkins9020]

Yep, very shy, wanted to lose myself in Nature. Very much either being over-prepared or procrastinating. Love music, art, and patterns. I have a stim.

[@jenniferhawkins9020]

Fibro and Ankylosing spondylitis

[@Anna36936]

I scored 39 on the 50 question autism test on embrace autism. But I also suspect I have adhd. I've done so many of these tests, but always feel like it can't be "valid" because it's not a formal diagnosis. All the signs are there but somehow I'm still in denial that it's legitimately my life

[@w-lx4jq]

yeah people take me the wrong way most of the time. I can be passionate about something and they think I'm aggressive. Trauma 'like it happened yesterday'.

[@davidw.schuetz3546]

The first thing I noticed is that you have Arizona green tea wallpaper.

[@MelaniaT-r6m]

I only counted 6 HSP overlap Sensory issues Broken friendships Special interests Context independent Maybe on is counting and math?

[@herrbonk3635]

Just like "autistic" was some well defined trait... It's not though. It's just a abstract word that is used to *try* to categorise people's behaviours...

[@mtruitt01]

The book Please Understand Me helped me understand my temperament. Also, extroverts do not understand introverts. I'm introverted, my grandson is introverted, and his mother and grandmother and others are puzzled by his non-expression. But we travel together, talk, share videos and jokes on social media, listen to Joe Rogan interview Musk. We are both interested in the future, Musk, Cars, Planes and nerdy things. His favorite show is Curb Your Enthusiasm. He's 15. I finally have a buddy, and it's actually a family member. Took a long time as I'm 70.

[@AnaBacanazp]

I've been watching a bunch of videos from autistic content creators as I'm investigating whether it's possible I may be autistic myself. I've related with quite a lot of descriptions you (and others) provided, mostly a high masking and the 'female' autistic type (I'm afab, but I don't identify as female even if I may often present as such). Looking back, I do have social difficulties, from being confused and anxious with social interactions, to trying to mimic general behaviors to be accept, still being bullied and being called childish and a crybaby, or (more nicely) being called quirky and eccentric. I am so afraid of being rejected or judged or upsetting someone I pretty much filter 90% of what I thinking and strongly hide my feelings to the point I feel numb most often nowadays (as opposed to being described as extremely emotional when I was younger). I'm also the type of person to supress my feelings until they explode (sometimes publicly and seemingly suddenly and over little things, but it's rare now). I can hold conversations but I often avoid talking entirely among people I'm not close to or if it's a topic I'm not interested in or feel I have nothing worthwhile to add. Main thing that makes me hesitant to believe I may be autistic is the 'deeply dysregulated' part. Do I snap and cry uncontrollably if I'm enough upset and overwhelmed? Yeah, but like, VERY rarily. It used to be super common when I was a child, I'd just cry all the time, it was not something I could control, but when I started supressing my feelings, avoiding certain things and thoughts, it started to happen less. And it's mostly emotional, I don't think pure sensory overload caused that. If I am already upset, a loud room CAN feel suffocating and I have physically ran from this situation and started sobbing very recently. And another time when I travelled with my parents, brother and grandparents, at the end of the third day, lacking any moment of privacy and isolation, I broke down at night because I had to sleep in the living room, I cried, I lashed, I hid under the covers and felt so much despair, and it was enough that my parents let me sleep in a room and took the living room instead. I don't feel 'deep' dysregulation on a daily basis, but I do feel tired, constantly, and it could (not necessarily) get worse if I go outside or have to be social for too many hours (in family gatherings that take the whole day, after a few hours I just can't do it anymore and leave the room to be alone). I often have headaches and nausea, but it's something I can hold to at least get home and go to my room and take a nap or just sit there. Like, it's not just 'I don't like this' sort of thing, but it's not something that feels debilitating on a daily basis, I can often easily push through it the majority of the time, it's rare for me to avoid doing something because I'm unwell. I also don't think I have many sensory differences like others would often descrive. I hate tight clothes, but that's about it. I don't have a strong sense of smell, but I do have bad allergies and easily feel itchy or sneeze with many things, including strong scents like perfumes, cosmetics, candles etc. My hearing is honestly pretty average, only thing is I have a hard time focusing with noises around me. Light bothers me a little, but again, not much more than average. I have little issues with food, I love different foods in fact, I can count in one hand foods that I actively avoid because they make me gag, and sometimes I can still stomach them. I also have intense interests and stim very often, almost constantly. But seriously, I don't think any of these things are 'strong' enough?

[@kellymccall3491]

The lack of eye contact is hard

[@DF-dd5nf]

Thank you for your video. It is very interesting and educating. I learned important things. I am pleased that I found your video. I have subscribed to your channel.

[@GeekieGock]

Hi, great video and thank you for it! Just confused about your year of the term trauma bonding, because I understand this to be an abuse tactic (collecting info to use for pain later). I personally do not ever want to skip the small talk to get right to the trauma bonding, as it's defined. I will, however, be happy to skip the small talk, anytime, and get right to the special interest lol

[@Stangya888]

It’s not us who have a disorder, it’s the societal norms and standards that overwhelm our differently wired brain. Even “heavily” symptomatic autistic people improve when in adequate environments.

[@NeanderthalWoman-ou8ev]

I am a HSP who has PCOS. I don't think I'm autistic because I am very adaptable to changes in routine and actually enjoy them.

[@cindyriehm7411]

Bi love the wall paper.

[@bradhunt9518]

Its finding your flow.

[@peterryan6497]

Sensory over load after watching this

[@katja.brodt-de-sousa]

Thank you 🙏 that was very helpful

[@thomasjamison2050]

Well, this put a couple nails into the coffin of the possibility that I was just ultra sensitive. Not surprising knowing my history as I do.

[@neamarias.8036]

I was always called a diva when I was a teenager because I was just too shy to speak to people. As someone now 29 years old I was just told by a psychiatrist that I may be autistic. My mum before her passing always identified with HSP but was told she had BPD and bipolar and got treatment according to those diagnosis. After 30 years of treatment nothing worked for her and she committed suicide. I wonder if she was highly masking autistic person like me and never got the right treatment.

[@janetdiaz8916]

Have you ever heard of Secretin? They are finding that it helps improve digestive issues and cognitive function improves in the autistic individual. Doctors give an injection of it to test to see if the Pancreas is working correctly. What they found was that Autistic individuals generally have digestive issues, and often cannot digest fat well. That is why they test the pancreas. But the Secretin injection, itself, goes onto bring improvement over a period of weeks.

[@dawnkinateder9617]

I could not be more sick of this. Total insult to the thousands of parents of "autism" that I have known over the past 25 years. Their kids will never be independent. Many won't speak. If you're an adult and you can talk, live independently, don't need diapers or have seizures, are able to go to college and hold a job, you are NOT autistic. Leo Kanner first described autism. It was 1 in 10,000. Today's "autism" is NOTHING resembling Kanner's autism. And no, it's not better diagnosis. There were no undiagnosed kids with "autism " when I was growing up. Being HSP doesn't make you autistic. People were born with Kanner's autism. Developing normally and regressing severely after VAX is today's "autism". Kanner's term autism was coopted to hide vaccine injury. Today's autism stems from neurological damage and destroyed gut health. Heavy metals and live measles virus in the gut. Having autism in the DSM is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever seen in my life. Those I know who have recovered their children did so with biomedical intervention, not psychology.

[@ligiarodriguez9780]

The feeling is mutual . We are also sick of people like you

[@Coneman3]

I prefer the term neurodivergence, because it doesn’t necessarily imply the individual has a disability, or is less than the norm. It often means the opposite.

[@t_nels]

Is there a relationship between HSP and aphantasia/dyslexia? Is it like a sixth sense?

[@LeilaJane]

Yeah I’m definitely highly sensitive , I don’t think I’m autistic though because I’m almost too good at reading social cues to the point that if someone wants to manipulate in a subtle way, it’s a struggle for me to go against it, because I would have to really switch to a defensive mode internally 😅 I’m definitely good at not offending people socially and knowing what to say to maintain rapport.

[@ginaderek7963]

Trying to watch this and it's just littered with ads Good luck getting to get to the end of it with autism😢

[@ninawildr4207]

Everyone with autism needs to read GAPS by Natasha Campbell Mcbride

[@veroniquesanleandro7022]

So helpful, thank you so much !