Autism Trauma and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) - What's The Overlap?
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
- The symptoms of autism trauma and PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) can look very similar.
So what's the overlap? And how are they different? Can childhood trauma cause autism? (Hint: No, there's a very important distinction)
In this video we'll explore complex trauma and how the polyvagal theory and principles of trauma informed care can help improve autistic mental health.
RESOURCE LINKS:
Blue Knot Foundation Guides to Trauma Informed Care: www.blueknot.o...
ICD-11 Complex Trauma: icd.who.int/br...
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My name is Paul and I discovered I have Aspergers at age 30.
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I had a shrink ask me if I'd been through any traumatic experiences and I told him that I generally found LIFE to be a traumatic experience.
well put
I have to be honest and admit I let out a massive snorty laughter and thought 'Yeah.. This sounds like my whole life too, where life = traumatic existence!' I'd also said this many a time to a doctor, consultant or other bods from the medical zone trying to decipher us!
As for laughing and a bizarre sense of humour, if I didn't laugh at stuff (inappropriately at times) I don't think I'd be alive hear today typing this.
Want
The thing with this question, at least as a female if you answer yes, typically they will then diagnose Borderline Personality Disorder without taking in any other information and subsequent answers to questions will be colored by that answer. There needs to be way more knowledge and research into personality and way less stigma and knee jerk responses to women and trauma. Also, trauma doesn't mean you're an idiot and it also doesn't mean you are a hurtful, spiteful person. Someone with Mensa level IQ could come from a traumatic background... it doesn't mean they are flawed or broken... but for whatever reason we seem to think people who went through trauma to be less than, regardless of evidence otherwise.
@@danicastein7660 Funny thing you mention this here. Back in 2005 when I was 17 I was diagnosed correctly with Asperger’s syndrome (ASD wasn’t a thing back then). But then I had a different therapist give me the dreaded Borderline Personality Disorder diagnosis in 2008 because she said “Females can’t have Aspergers.” It then took me another few years to reclaim my correct diagnosis but even then it was back and forth. Now my medical shed has both. And it’s vague too. It says Autism Spectrum Disorder and Personality disorder (no specific one mentioned) mood disorder nos, generalized anxiety disorder and my personal favorite complex PTSD. I don’t think I have a personality disorder since I don’t think I have anything that goes with Borderline Personality aside from being a former self harm but it was head banging and not cutting and I have never felt suicidal and in fact I have thanatophobia.
I have tons of both - my father chose me as the scapegoat child - and signed me out for extra abuse - *because* I was autistic ... my hypersensitivity made tormenting me more "fun" for him ... However, in the years since his death, my C-PTSD symptoms have slowly receded - and a much more cheerful autistic personality has begun to emerge - though I still have anxiety about how I will fit in with the rest of the world ...
Same for me. I suspect my dad is a narcissist and has chosen my as a scapegoat due to my autism just because it doesn't fit his "ideal family" vision. I've heard from several family members that this was the reason he didn't and still doesn't like me. At least I know not to trust him anymore.
my sympathies, to you Mary.
@@Stephie2007 well, there is a 50% chance the traits came from his genetics, so he doesn’t have a leg to stand on.
I was blessed with my two most abusive adult children abandoning me last month.
They do not understand.
Wanting me, begging me to be Normal.
What a relief I can BE and grow unsupervised.
Autism really is a curse a life of so much abuse etc
You seem to have such a sweet personality and are so generous to make these videos and inform people . And you do it so well.
I believe that as an autistic individual himself he shares from a place of empathy, maturity and intelligence. You don't see yourself as being super generous when it's something you genuinely want to do.
@@cass8330 I agree. Seeing yourself as generous is an ego thing. It's for other people to see and think of you. Although I admit, when people call me generous or kind, I don't necessarily enjoy that. It almost implies that I've done something for that reason. But in this case, I genuinely mean it. It's very giving for him to do this. But when you see something as your duty, you definitely don't see it that way. I'm just letting him know that his actions are very much appreciated and valuable.
❤️
@@cass8330 He may not see himself in that way, but for those of us struggling, this really does makes a difference, and I at least (as does the original poster) do see him that way. It isn't an ego thing. It's the choice to share your journey with others, rather than just getting through it yourself.
❤️
@@a_diamond exactly 💓💓
When you said “endless chain of broken relationships”, that sums up my life so far, unfortunately. I am really trying to break out of some of the unhealthy patterns I have developed over time through trauma. When I was a young kid, I was distant from other people but was so happy. Interpersonal and family trauma has burnt out my trust and emotion regulation. I never really learned to set boundaries or manage conflict so I feel like I have to build from the ground up :(
We are on the same journey. Keep going we are going to make it
I'm so bad with relationships that i had to cut my family out completely from my life. It was tough to do at first, full of shame and guilt, but necessary.
Me 2
My son has suffered autism spectrum since childhood and has battled with it all his life. But recently taking Dr Oyalo herbs have helped him get rid of it completely, his speech is vital and his social skill is perfect. I'm so glad and happy now
@Pateck Aaron right, maybe he's just getting older and developing.
Nothing like a good cry on a Sunday morning because someone finally describes and understands your experiences. One way that I feel alien is that I need to cry to release my intense feelings, whether from PTSD or just being Autistic. People are upset by tears and are always either raising the fire alarm or doing anything, including being harsh, to get you to stop. Crying makes people uncomfortable and I need to cry to release energy and emotions, whether they are mine or ones I feel from empathizing to intensely with another being--so I constantly make people uncomfortable. I have two stims that society views as symptoms of anxiety and depression: I need to bounce one of my legs or I need to cry or shake my body. Most of my adult and adolescent life, even before I felt "generalized anxiety" and the paralyzing effects of my PTSD, I was told I was "anxious" and "nervous" because of my bouncing and also "dramatic" or a "crybaby" and "too sensitive." Because I was so easily upset, I quickly became a scapegoat for a variety of bullies in my life, including my older brother, my boyfriends, my friends, my teachers. I don't know how many times people told me how much "fun" it was to give me a "hard time" and tease me because I got so upset.
I have found pockets of relief when my "symptoms" can become superpowers, such as showing up for others who are in distress. I don't always get it right, but my ability to just hang out and let others feel negative feelings without trying to fix them has definitely helped others and made me feel like I was worth something.
I also don't know how to give short comments, or not overshare! Oops. I was curious if you use any sort of mindfulness practice for working some of the symptoms or characteristics you describe in this video. More specifically, I have found the most healing from reading the works of American Buddhist nun Pema Chodron, starting with _When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times_. I am currently reading _The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times_ for the fifth time in six years I think. I appreciate her teachings because you can listen or read a short chapter or teaching and "chew" on it in your soul and mind for months, it doesn't have to be something you sit down and read in a few weeks, or "check mark done" learn it and "I am fixed."
I am curious what other Autistic folks or folks with PTSD may find helpful or not about her work: I find that as the world grows ever stranger and more uncertain, learning to have compassion and unconditional kindness towards all my thoughts, feelings, and experiences, really has helped me to heal myself from the constant trauma of living in a world "not designed for me." I have to keep returning to the lessons I learn, but she offers that sort of "trauma-informed" teachings that you speak about in this video.
I will stop this short novel on your comments section now and hope it isn't the end of the world because you understand.
I love this. I love this. I love this so much.
I relate so much to your comment, its content, length and depth of sharing, which I personally value and see as your power of courage to be who you are in a world that devalues sincerity and vulnerability. I value those highly and find them so very rare, like hidden gems in a rough and caustic world. You shine. Don't let the bullies tell you anything less.
This is perhaps the most relatable comment we've ever come across! For real for real!
Ironically enough, you said everything so well (and my bed meds are kicking in hehe) so I don't actually feel the need to write a sequel to your wonderful little "novel"! People have regularly commented on my comments just to say I wrote a whole book.... Which tends to be true, but it always seemed like such an odd thing to go out of their way to just state that I wrote a long comment! I know people judge me for it. A lot.
And I just wanted to say that I really really enjoyed someone else on the interwebs saying so much relatable! It's funny, we have DID and EDS so we've been happy to find others like us online but kept feeling like we still hadn't found anyone else who loves to share like we do and writes long comments tehehes... We suspect now that we are autistic, it would make so much more sense of things, but yeah, it's just so refreshingly wonderful to stumble upon someone else online who writes seeking to share and otherwise relatable! It really makes us glad inside our soul to know we aren't the only human in existence who loves to share ;)
Thanks so much for sharing your comment! :)
Thank you @Jennifer Reisch this was totally relatable... yeah bullied for being too sensitive and easily distressed when younger, especially by one of my brothers. My naivety a source of amusement and my empathy and compassion for others meant I was quick to defend and advocate for them but not myself. I just could never comprehend how people could have bad intentions because I didn't and if I'd done nothing to them why would they be mean to me? I've been confused my whole life. I've had a massive awakening the last few years and have learnt to very painfully face the truth about human beings, about my childhood and repeated traumas and wounds I carry; about the people I attract who deliberately set about taking advantage of me and just don't care about the consequences. I've woken up and it's been a bitter pill to swallow and I wonder if I could ever process, integrate and release these traumas I've experienced, I'm seeing a Psych but I've seen plenty before and no help really. I'm concerned I may never really step outside my door again beyond appointments and shopping and making friends, meeting someone like-minded, even having a relationship with someone genuine all seems like fantasies now...
Thank you to Paul too, I appreciate your channel and I feel less alone reading the comments here🙏💜🌸
I feel about the comment about others finding my crying to be anxiety inducing. I finally had to tell someone close to me to please let go of any anxiety and/or feelings that they had to 'fix' me or the situation, and please let me cry as it can be so incredibly cathartic... all I wanted was them to be present with me. I apologized and asked them the best I could to just sit with me and listen, hug me, and just reassure me it's going to be OK. I know deep down that it will work out, but the emotions can be so incredibly overwhelming and intense it's so hard to see that light at the other end of the tunnel. I'm trying to find the right combination of things to make me not quite as sensitive/emotional, but the sensitivity has always been a part of me... I've learned to just feel it. Bottling it up, suppressing it... to me feels more severe long term than to acknowledge it and release it... and sometimes I just need someone there to validate me, as strange as it may sound to them. I need to feel heard and I need to feel seen. (I would of thought this was a given, but perhaps we are all conditioned on a very subconscious level to withhold it for fear of it damaging our reputation. I wish we all could feel free to be our authentic selves.)
I grew up in an abusive household, I was bullied in school, I developed narcissistic personality traits that I mostly healed through finding good friends where I learned how to take care of relationships, . during my upbringing I had recurring depressions and I began to think I might be bipolar. It wasn't until I had nervous breakdown a few years ago my difficulties became so many and my coping skills vanished completely that I began searching for serious help. After many years of misdiagnosis (bipolarism, borderline, mentalization based therapy that didn't help and loads of different medications that didn't help we finally arrived at autism and ADHD, but I have been questioning it's accuracy because of how some of my issues became visible because of the serious trauma I experienced, and it took a long time for me to see the internal problems I had before my breakdown. So I have often thought maybe I was sub threshold autistic during my upbringing, but because of my severe burnout I entered diagnosable autism territory. either way I finally have the hope I might be able to live a bearable life, and maybe even might be able to thrive. Life is still not easy, I'm still struggling with the most basic things and I seem fully normal and functioning to most people I know, even my closest friends, masking is a grey area where I'm not sure I'm even fully aware at what level I mask. i'm at home alone 95% of the time, I just had my mother over and I felt physically ill while she was here, but after a while of engaging in my interests in hyperfocus I was back to baseline.
Try spiritual work, our intellect can only take us so far. I'd recommend the work of a Trappist monk Fr. Thomas Keating.
Thank you for sharing, I can relate to a lot of what you said. But what kind of narcissistic traits are you talking about? I'm curious because they're usually very contrary to autistic traits. .
Damn. I have lived a very similar story. The different thing is i went with the bipolar diagnosis and take lithium since
@@mrboobiesrider9212 I am bipolar and take lithium also.
@@Catlily5 and how is it this far?
As a child I was quiet and disconnected, had a tendacy to wander off. Wandering off got me into a serious traumatic incident, afterwhich I completely went into a shell, did not speak and I remember feeling lost and having difficulting processing what was going on around me.
I have dealt with this the rest of my life slowly emerging out of it but as you can imagine I have struggled with all aspects of life.
I have learned to hide my disconnection with my surroudings but sense that people perceive that something is wrong.
I have been diagnosed with depression & anxiety, then bipolar, then BPD, then a year later complex PTSD. Last Saturday I met with a mental health person I hadn’t seen before and she suggested I get tested for autism, if I felt comfortable doing so. I’m a 37 year old woman and for the first time ever I feel like I finally have answers for why I’ve spent my life feeling the way I feel…it’s as shocking to me as being told told I’m adopted and that’s not to make light of people in that situation…that’s how shocked I feel.
Where my current source of therapy keeps falling short, you're here always to pick up the pieces! I feel very lucky for the parts in my journey to acceptance that you have been able to help me fill in, and made me help bridge this period of coming to terms with my conditions, especially where my therapists had nothing to offer me. Thank you immensely.
Best of luck / keep moving forward
We are the solution to our challenges
👁🧚🏻👁
I have to be honest and say I laughed at Ill Gill Bates, if it was a reference to Bill Gates. There's one thing *NOT WRONG WITH US* and it's our sense of humour that is unique, different, a little broken (mine) and probably been leant on to survive thru the times.
@@reggiep75 Amen to that quirky sense of humor helping a lot!!
@@reggiep75 ay bro lemme teach u da truth about autism
My son has suffered autism spectrum since childhood and has battled with it all his life. But recently taking Dr Oyalo herbs have helped him get rid of it completely, his speech is vital and his social skill is perfect. I'm so glad and happy now
Cant wait! If we can add the epigenetics, cluster-b and autoimmune paradigm/models, my work here is done. It’s all simultaneously true and mythological. We humans love making patterns. But I’m trying not to get trapped in a definition. Spiral growth, everyone!!! We are doing this!! Whoohoo!
That was a lot to digest. Is there some suggested reading that could save me (and maybe other commenters) scouring Google for accurate answers?
"When I read those words" I burst into heavy tears. Wishing so hard that the world was indeed full of people like this. It is so fXXking heavy!
My sister and I are identical twins and we are perfect personifications of this diagram. She's had life long trauma, not autistic. I've had trauma too, but I've healed (mostly) and cope fairly well as an autistic/aspie. Excellent presentation! Thank you.
The more I learn about PTSD the more I’m sure I’ve been through it.
I had a traumatic injury had flashbacks for years.
I’m talking suddenly gasping back into reality after spending 10 seconds just hearing my screams and _feeling_ the snow start to burn my skin from over exposure.
I’ve pretty much recovered from what I can tell but it feels good to have a label for it other than just “thinking about an injury too much.”
Thank you for your excellent synthesis of two complex topics and their interrelarionships. I appreciate how you have integrated polyvagal theory, and clearly defined your terms. As a clinician who has complex trauma on the spectrum, I find that the current offerings in the mental health community often further traumatize those on the spectrum because they deny or are unaware of the needs of autistic patients. My goal is to make constructive change, and that change begins by awareness of the issues involved. Showing us a glimpse of healthy thriving autistic people is a start. We can not only thrive, but go on to be valuable assets to our communities. I thank you for your insight, and for your courage to share your experience. It echoes my own.
@Pateck Aaron BS. There’s no illness or condition on earth that can be reversed with herbs. The only good use for herbs is seasoning food.
I have 29 years of CPTSD. My Asberger's tries my CPTSD. I have been working on both problems for a year. Thank you to you Paul. Keep up your great work. Helps alot
There is no way you spelled aspergers as assburgers
@@pus915 I'm sorry I don't know how to spell words correctly. I just have spell check. Looked right to me thank you for letting me know I will try editing 🙏🌞
@@FeliciaShare nah I'm just saying that because there was a whole South Park episode and they said assburgers instead of aspergers. Just thought it was funny
@@pus915 sorry don't watch TV
Thank you. This is so helpful. I'm in my 40s, diagnosed with CPTSD about 6 years ago. I have worked through a lot of the trauma triggers, but I'm starting to realize how much I still struggle and how much relief I have gotten from addressing sensory sensitivities lately (reducing occurrence of panic attacks or a need to remove myself from uncomfortable places)-- wearing earplugs, using lamps in my office, etc. And as I've begun to explore more about my childhood, I wonder if I might be autistic. But my major point of confusion has been around the differences between CPTSD and Autism.
Thank you, Paul. Before I started school, I was happy, but then, once I started school, my life became very different. I was bullied by so many kids and I became quite anxious and upset by so many things. I remember, in my first week at school, kids would come up to me and roar like lions. I have complex PTSD issues, as well as autism and I find that engaging in my autistic special interests helps me.
I have SPD (on the spectrum) and CPTSD. I was diagnosed with SPD as a child (was called Sensory Integration Dysfunction back then) and diagnosed with CPTSD a few years ago. I am very early on in my journey of what is a trauma response and what is a sensory overload issue. This video was really great to watch - made sense and helped me to see that I’m not the only one trying to find a way to navigate life with these issues. Thank you for this video!
I was going down a rabbit hole like my mind does, even worse at night, and your videos genuinely help me. Thank you.
Very helpful, Paul, from both standpoints separately as well as together. I also work with a lot of traumatized people, ASD or not. The trauma as well as the autism explanations are probably the most clear I've seen. This was much more clear than most trauma training. As someone also having ADHD, I had no trouble [well, I paused a couple of times] watching this long. The graphics helped, rather than overwhelmed me, which is usually a big issue. Your timing in speaking and in the visuals was also good, not at all overwhelming. I hope that some day you re-visit the ASD-ADHD comparison video after this same format!!! Thanks!
Thanks for all your doing. I've been self soothing with alcohol my whole life. I'm 52. I'm going to detox next week.
My son is diagnosed autistic, I feel I also am autism now having learnt so much.
Very scared I am for post detox life. At least I know where to get help now.
Thanks again brother.
This came a day after I spoke with my Doctor about trauma. This video was extremely informative and helpful. Thank you!
So well explained. I could really see the difference. Having had a horrible childhood, and with a lot of therapy, overcome ., but still deal with the autistic stuff. well done.
Thank you for this video. I have been worried about my son and his ability to "fit in" in society. After you did the breakdown of a healthy individual and how they interact with the world describes my son. But as a functional adult, I dont fit the build. I recently was diagnosed as ptsd/adhd after a lifetime of being told i was bipolar and the various levels of abuse. It took the pandemic happening and being around someone who respects my son and I to show that i wasnt damaged.
I am told I need to write a book by alot of people. That it would be something that can affect others in a great way.
I'm 46 years old now. And I'm totally broken. In the age of 35 I got my first psychiatric clinical stay. I have been diagnosed with autism and a bipolar spectrum disease. Now 10 years later nothing got better. I'm still suffering from my problems. End of last year I had a breakdown. Now I realized that I had a terribly childhood. I find a very hard to get help. Luckily I have a employee who helps me where possible. I have the possibility to get to a clinic. But now I realized: no special treatment for trauma. It's a general psychiatric hospital. They say, they don't beleave autism may be correct because of some numbers (probabilites, not my personal situation). The therapy won't contain any elements to minimize my social difficulties. It's so bad. I can choose for this therapy or wait a few years. But how long? I'm 46 years old. My life is not livable that way. No friends, not social contacts, no own family... Anything I reached has no worth for me.
When you read the 5 core principles I burst into tears.
Happy I found you. I need all this info. to understand my Asperger son.
A theory I have is that as autistic people, we are more likely to develop PTSD or cPTSD than non-autistic people. I'd be interested in what others here think?
Holy #### !!!!! I mean what the ####??? So much clarity has just exploded in my soul / brain / mind. Thank you friend (no expectation there, just kindly gratitude).
Drew
Warning: Long
TL;DR: This video was really helpful to me. Also this channel is very aesthetically pleasing, without being overwhelming.
I'm so glad you made this video. I've had some people (teachers, doctors, and even some of my neurodivergent peers) ask me if I have autism, or just assume that I do. So, naturally, I looked into it (that's actually how I found this channel). In spite of the fact that I had some of the symptoms, which all ended up falling under the overlapping portion of the Venn diagram, something about it never really clicked. The best way I can think to describe it is that I couldn't relate to the experience of having autism, even if I could relate to some things that can be correlated with autism (e.g. not understanding social norms). And of course, there were a lot of symptoms that I just didn't have.
I'd heard of C-PTSD, but didn't think it could apply to me for several reasons. For context, I spent my infancy in a Christian cult in the middle of Buttfuck-Nowhere, Missouri. I have very few memories from my time there, as my parents left when I was 4, and only one of the memories I do have is negative---most of them were just normal childhood stuff. My parents were far from abusive, and did their best to raise me and my siblings normally. Considering the fact that they spent 20+ years in an abusive cult, I'd say they did pretty good.
But the way I saw it was, if I was too young to even be making memories, then there's no way I could develop PTSD. I also straight up didn't want to believe I could be traumatized, because I saw those with trauma as weak and irrational (I have no clue where these beliefs came from), and because the discourse around trauma on social media seemed shallow and disingenuous, which discouraged me from pursuing the subject further.
However, I've started to re-evaluate that. Recently, I learned that trauma can occur during infancy; I also learned from my mom that the cult discouraged or even punished her for spending time attending to baby-me's needs rather than praying, going to 3-hour long sermons or generally serving the cult. As for my dad, she told me that all the men in the cult were required to work from dawn to dusk, except for Sundays, so I almost never spent time with him (still don't, now that I think about it). Apparently, parental neglect during infancy is enough to traumatize a child, which I can understand logically, but still feels odd for some reason.
But here I am, after watching your video (as well as Patrick Teahan's on the same subject), realizing that the PTSD part of both this video and his is a lot more relatable than I thought it'd be. I'd always seen these tendencies in myself, I just figured that it was because there was something wrong with me. I just assumed that I sucked at being human. And I couldn't say that it was because I had autism or ADHD or any other neurodivergency because I just didn't. So then, I said it had to be because of me: because I was inherently inferior to or less human than everyone else. But who knows? Maybe it's actually C-PTSD. Maybe it's nothing at all. Either way, I need to stop being so hard on myself. I've got enough assholes to deal with as it is.
I'm not sure how to end this comment, mainly because I'm not sure where to go from here. I guess I've got some research to do. If you made it this far, get a hobby. /j
Thank you so much! As I told you before, I am still suffering from my mom’s death but this article not only helped me, it helped my dad understand me better.
I'm incredibly frustrated. I fit the bill for ASD, ADHD and C-PTSD. I've been told that I have GAD, bipolar, potential BPD... but nobody has ever really narrowed it down. I've spent the past decade trying to figure myself out. I've largely healed from my trauma, but there are still difficulties with emotional regulation, stimming, self-confidence and other aspects. I just don't know, even after all this time, and I wish I could just work it out.
Diagnosis in Switzerland is still very backwards, and for me it was invalidating and shaming on top of that. I still hiss in frustration, whenever think back at this encounter, with "SO called" autism expert. Last year I was diagnosed with ONLY Aspergers Autism.
I know in other countries such as Canada, USA they do double diagnosis of Autism AND Ptsd, some even do a ACE Screening!! (Big Kaiser Permanente ACE STUDY By Felitti and Anda, almost 20 years ago!)
Because my report was such a disaster, riddled with mistakes and misrepresentations, I had asked for another meeting and I had prepared myself well, for this last meeting. I wanted my Trauma acknowledged in the corrected report, NOT swept under the rug)
So I did my presentation, stating all traumas
- developmental
- school
- relationship
- cult
but “autism expert” literally turned her body away, not wanting to acknowledge I had PTSD from all of that.
Refusing basically, to give me support where I needed it (so I could have access to necessary therapies)
She told me to my face, that she had asked me a few questions during the evaluation (regarding PTSD) but since I was no expert, I might not have even observed it (how can your PTSD be triggered by random questions, when only VERY SPECIFIC THINGS, THAT REMIND YOU OF YOUR TRAUMA, will TRIGGER A PTSD STRESS RESPONSE) and that she, with a supervisor comittee of other experts had discussed my case and decided, there was no PTSD (none of these supervisors had ever met me in person, they just heart “autism expert” perspective)
How is that objective???
Normally you have to fill out a SEPARATE questionnaire for PTSD TO EVALUATE your trauma.
I had none of that. Only Autism related questionnaires.
This is only a question of budget. They won't pay. You ask for money and the experts say no we have to keep the budget.
PTSD have very very conspicuous behaviors symptoms, flash backs and ruin your life.. it was my case . Your are literally hunted by your traumas like you were game. you shout, you run, or freeze, you dissociate . Intense emotions, dispair, this is overwhelming when you are triggered daily!
This Might just be one of my favorite videos on UA-cam
Oh my gosh I have been struggling with this question for 25 years.... Thank you so much for doing this
Loving the newer higher production value on this video as opposed to earlier videos of yours. Love the amount of research and detail. This definitely resonated with me having been officially diagnosed with both PTSD and ASD, and also the MDD and GAD that seem so incredibly common. I was also one of the late diagnosed females who was incorrectly diagnosed as well, so I wholeheartedly support the dialogue from the Autistic community to help better inform and break down the walls of stigma. (I really should start making a list of all the wonderful advocates within our community. You all give so much and it's so greatly appreciated. After official diagnosis it was not only listening to many individuals online express themselves, but advocates who were producing online material that helped me better understand my diagnosis and really start to come to terms with it... moreso than any professional therapy/counseling I've had thusfar. Thank you SO so much. Much love.)
Well this video was heart-wrenching to watch. I relate to just about every single trait on BOTH sides of the diagram. I got my autism diagnosis just a week ago almost exactly on my 30th birthday. It helped me realise how the awful experiences I've been through all my life weren't just my own weakness, but really were valid. I had a teacher in school who used to give me detention every single day. She punished me constantly just for being myself. No one ever took my word for anything especially if someone else told different versions of events, but I was always the one telling the truth. I've been treated like I'm a problem my whole life. I was held to a higher standard than other kids because of my intelligence, yet barely anyone had any sympathy for my emotions and were always harder on me for any mistakes - the combination resulting in my experience being at least four times as difficult as the other kids even BEFORE taking into account the fact I had a disability.
It's hopeful but also painful to find out that the world was wrong - that I've actually been the victim of constant ablism all this time.
I’ve glossed over titles of ptsd and autism because I didn’t think it would apply to me, but this was very informative and made a lot of little light bulbs turn on.
I can't begin to explain to you how paramount this channel has been to my understanding of myself. I have never cried so often over narrative or absorbing information.
Oh gods, there's a _word_ for that? (Just realizing all the times in my life I've dissociated throughout my life...)
Thanks for this insightful video. I was diagnosed over a decade ago with PTSD and major depression from multiple sources. From childhood abuse to being a passenger in multiple car wrecks to being abandoned by my first husband while pregnant with our third child, there has been much to work through. At the time diagnosed, it seemed logical and, yet, not quite complete. There were reasons beyond the abuse I could not understand people, for example. There was more than fear attached to my lack of pursuing a driver's license. There were triggers and sensory issues that could not be correlated to any of my trauma, yet there they were- and are. I always knew I related to all my spectrum kiddos' testing but I never gave myself permission to examine that fact for a long, long time. Once I began to allow myself to take the tests for myself in earnest, answers began to click in. Now is the struggle to cope and to feel validated in my daily walk as a self-diagnosed adult...
I read about two autistic individuals getting cancer, and their reaction was the same: (Meaning they would finally get their support needs met.)
i dont even have words for what i'm feeling right now. watching your videos is like looking into a mirror that reflects my true self, my inner being and how my brain works. i've experienced a lot of trauma from a very young age and have had various misdiagnosis all throughout my life. i often wonder if my recent diagnosis (ASD 1) is also wrong due to recent traumatic events i've experienced. But i do remember being "a healthy autistic" after healing from my childhood trauma, even though i didn't know i was autistic at that time. I just knew i was different and I was proud of it; i was able to communicate what i needed in a somewhat "normal" or acceptable way; i was engaged in my special interests and i felt passionate about them; and i was able to make friends who loved me for who i truly am. thank god they are still in my life despite me not being able to reciprocate for a long time, they just stood by me and helped me the best they could.
Oh my goodness! I'm sorry about the feelings coming out like that lol. i guess what i'm trying to say is thank you for making me feel validated and helping me answer a question that has been lingering in my brain since getting the diagnosis. much love to you!
DAMN. that's profound. i don't even know what to say, and i usually never lack for words
I have both Complex PTSD and Aspergers (I was diagnosed BEFORE it was merged into ASD and I prefer to use the Aspie label).
This is the most helpful video I have seen ever. I would love it if you could do a video on autism & DID. Sometimes I don’t know if my derealisation is caused by my DID or sensory overload
Wow, the animation has brought this all to the next level, thank you so much for all the awesome info you share!!! Best wishes from Switzerland
Where I live it is impossible for me to get proper answers...I carry my difficulties since I was able to perceive and observe...so...since I can remember. Grew up dealing with abuse through all the childhood, and more traumas and problems on top, that I vividly remember and still feel.... at almost 33 yo, at my existential bottom, finding hard to keep any type of stability in my life, struggling with people at work, keeping friends or relations...last three years of depression.....anxiety that doesn't allow me to eat...I have enough. I am trying, really trying, to go out of my bubble and ask for help to professionals, public care of course because I don't have enough money for going private...but I am not getting anything, anything, if not only drops to take three times a day for my anxiety and trying to keep my stomach open. If I mention that I want to know if I am autistic (thing that I am sure about) and want to analyze deeply my past to understand what is the deal with me, to give it a name and be official...doesn't work. Public service doesn't provide such paths for healing apparently. I find it strange, but have no energies to argue. I got literally laughed at by a doctor because according to him (having known me for just 2 minutes that day) I appear to be too normal to be autistic. "autistic people don't ask themselves if they are autistic". So that just confirms me the idea that nobody really will be able to listen and undestand what I have been through and what is happening now, and I will be always just the weird person that doens't know how to live "properly". I need to have some papers otherwise it seems that I am just a person that likes to pretend to have actual problems...and I know exactly what I have been going through all my existence, leaving me drained and dry, when I should be jumping bridges to fulfill my life. I know who I am, but I feel like screaming in the void, the sound just get lost...
Sorry, I needed to write this down, let something out.
Thank you. That's all. Just, thank you.
Thank you for this video. I find your videos most helpful as I see ASD not only in my husband but in most of our children. When I took the AQ test, I found that I too have some of the traits of ASD as well though not nearly as many as my husband. His nephew was diagnosed as having Asperger's and while hubby and children have not been diagnosed, the characteristics of ASD run rampant through my family. Your videos are helping me to understand better some of the behaviors that have baffled me and confused me for years. I am most appreciative to have found your chiannel.
I can’t love this video enough!💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖
I’m sharing it with everyone 💖💖💖💖
This is amazing!!!! This was the first helpful video for helping my Autistic child.
This video makes me emotional. Thank you, so much. I have autism and went through a lot, so seeing the differences and similarities helps me to understand. Also knowing that I can heal from trauma, is a huge relief.
This is your best one yet! Thanks so much.
I’m a vet that has experienced trauma while in service... but I’ve come to believe I also have high functioning autism... can being on the spectrum increase the affects of trauma?
GOOD QUESTION. - I SUSPECT IT CAN.
Thank you so much for this video. I recently lost a relationship with someone I love alot who has trauma and is autistic and I just did not understand the sudden break. This video brought me much needed insight on how to better care for my autistic life mates. Will definitely check out the Blue Knot foundation too.
I have grown up in a family that invalidated and downplayed my mental health since I was a child. I cried while watching this because all I've wanted was for them to understand me and it's absolutely impossible. If I talk about my feelings they throw it back, don't listen, don't take suggestions or advice. It has been mental hell.
I just found your channel, and I’m already adoring every episode and can’t get enough. Thanks for making such informative, and compassionate content. We all appreciate it.
Excellent video, many thanks, great topic so important, & I've been wondering about it for a while, too.
Love the level of detail & concise, steady, good-speed delivery & manageable time-length. Bravo!
This is the video of yours which I have shared most often.
Glad you got this one up AND that I found it. Thank you.
This video was absolutely amazing. It all makes sense to me in many ways. I'm on the spectrum and I really enjoyed when you brought up childhood schooling and then it all clicked for me.
First of all: Thank you so much for all the work you do educating about autism! Your channels are invaluable to me. Second: This, to me, is the most helpful of all the information being out there, I have ever seen. It's like seeing myself 100% clearly for the first time. Autism explained so much, but it was still a little fussy round the edges. I can see the autism AND the PTSD separately now and understand both it and me.
Thank you for the video . The information was very helpful for me
Wow Paul,,, Thanking ye ever so much for your awesome channel. ❤️
So blessed God guided me to you.. So much to learn from you. ❤️ 🙏
What an extraordinarily frank, warm, genuine & insightful video. It must take such courage to make these films but I am so glad you do. We are all with you.
This made me bawl in the best way, thank you for continuing to make these, they help me so much. It also means a lot that you often try to make content applicable to, or expressing the experiences of, children and individuals socialized/living as women or anyone figuring this out later in life, always so validating and encouraging. Anyways, thank you Paul! Your entire mission makes my heart leap with joy and hope that we can help others in this world heal, thank you for taking up one of the teaching parts, it is so tremendous. 🔥✨
Sent this to my mom! so helpful and validating
OMG. This helps explain my daughter and her experience SO much. And why I've been missed in a diagnosis. Thank you.
So much of this makes sense to, iv been left in a chronic pain situation from multiple surgeries and some were reconstructive surgeries I mentioned to the woman I was seeing for counciling that I felt I fell into the PTSD group from alot of things that had happened through my childhood and all the injury and following surgeries and the fact that I'm always in pain now and her reply was that she didn't think so at all and that I'd not been through anything traumatic but all the research I'd done pointed to depression anxiety and PTSD she said she thought I fell into the autistic spectrum with how I deal with things she discharged me and told me to go away and grow as a human being after I'd told her I'd had enough of everything iv been left on my own and she even wrote a letter to my GP saying that I couldn't be rereffered back to the mental health service I struggled from day one talking with her and now I'm left on my own with no support nothing I just want help understanding why my head works the way it does
Thank you for sharing this. I am autistic and have cPTSD and this is really helping me process everything
Excellent work and nice clear presentation, thank you 🙏
This video makes so much sense to me.
That's really a good video for me because I am currently questioning whether I just have trauma or both trauma and autism. I definitely have an atypical sensory profile in the form of misophonia, especially with loud music (though I have learned to cope with this one by keeping my distances and moving closer when I am comfortable), sudden noises like balloons popping or dogs barking which makes me scared of both of these things (balloons and dogs), and people walking in an otherwise silent room (e.g. one of my professors who walks in front of the room while we solve his algebra exercises, though I have noticed that I don't mind as much if work on another subject instead of doing the stuff he assigned). Not sure if it counts as "sensory", but I also tend to get obsessive about people mispronouncing some things, like probabilists saying "Chebychev" instead of "Chebyshev" (all the French ones do this) and sometimes misspelling also counts as mispronouncing, for example if you pronounce "Chekhov" like "Chekov" I won't mind because the "kh" sound doesn't exist in English or my native language (French), but if you write it without the h my brain will interpret this like a Russian speaker said "Чеков" instead of "Чехов" and it makes me uncomfortable. It's actually helpful in my choral because it makes me uncomfortable when the key is different from what we are supposed to sing, so I speak up about it and I try my best to keep the key at the right height, but at the same time I always wonder if I am not just annoying.
Passions/interests: I used to be really into dinosaurs as a child and Pokémon as a teenager and talk for long times to these things to people who weren't particularly interested. From what my parents told me years later, my knowledge about dinosaurs really impressed one of my dad's friends. Not sure if I still have interests in that sense though.
The "autistically social" part is the hardest one to tell. I tend to take jokes (not puns but irony/sarcasm) seriously, but I am smart enough to use context and I think I am better at picking up sarcasm than the average internet person (the fact that there is no bOdY lAnGuAgE on the internet makes it harder for the NTs to get sarcasm online, which helps, and I also don't have to react in real time so taking a logical approach is easier). And when something doesn't make sense to me I don't relent in pointing it out until I can make it make sense, even when this has got me in trouble. But that's a relatively specific situation so I don't think it speaks for my way of being social in general.
Wow… just… wow. It blew my mind because it explains SO much about what’s going on in my head. It gives me some thoughts of how to maybe untangle some of my trauma from my background perceptions of the world. Thank you for making this!
Thank you for this. Its a complex topic. I relate to both but it helps to know the differences.
Thank you. I'm working on this personally now after recently being diagnosed with (complex) PTSD and autism. I can clearly see where they differ and also how my autistic wiring has been both protective and made me more vulnerable to the effects of trauma.
Brilliant video thanx Paul. You are describing my life!!! Hoping to get a diagnosis next May.
Your channel has really come a long way over the years!
Very thorough and reassuring, very good quality video 🌟🎄
Your channel is amazing.
I'm following from Mexico
I adore your videos and you're a lovely human 🖤 Thank you for your videos that are SO educational and factual! Great learning tools for me and for me to send my family!! Keep doing amazing!!! 👌🏼
I guess thats why I was diagnosed with and treated for PTSD when I was early twenties... and when the 'trauma' was (mostly) dealt with... I still had [insert things].
Cue late diagnosed Autism
I had some of those traits before my trauma and they were insanely exacerbated/amplified after it, and now I guess I'm at baseline again?
This is the most helpful, informed overview I've seen. Thank you for taking time to research & present in a way we could all grasp!
"Life is like watching a TV show in which nobody tells you you're supposed to take part." about the best description I've come across so far.
This video is very well done. I have recently let my siblings know that my brain function is defined as Asperger’s. They immediately said, “Now it all makes sense.” We all went through trauma. But, I handled it very differently. And I often came off as “not being human”. My older sister and I work with therapists, which is helpful. We realize now how similar we actually because we meet in the middle of your diagram. Our family is going through a trauma right now due to a death in the family. Your presentation will be helpful. In addition to women, I would add that being Black, and I’d imagine an Indigenous or other Persons of Color with Autism only adds to the challenges in most areas of society. I know it is true for me.
Must be hard dealing with racism in addition to your autism.
The individual unique trauma that each autistic person goes through is what makes you unique in that way with whatever personality you developed from the traumas as a child the neuroplasticity of the brain grabs on to all the traumas that you had as a child and not so much as an adult.. you are your environment and I'm a firm believer of that.. that is what I believe is what develops our passions are obsessions and are restrictive behaviors.. I repeat everything that works for me and I restrict everything that has not worked for me..
Also there's a huge difference between people who have grown up and not knowing they were autistic until they were an adult like me.. I am 47 years old and I only found out I was on the spectrum just over a year ago and I experienced a lot of neglect because I was troubled and always got in trouble at school because that was the only place I was able to get attention since I never got it at home.. and that's not just coming from me.. that's coming from every social worker I had as a teenager has said that I get in trouble at school because I don't get attention at home and once I realized when I was around 8 years old I was a year older than everybody in my class and I was the tallest one and I never had any friends because I was socially awkward however I was very good at math and science and given that you mentioned in one of your other videos that we have a strong sense of justice I stuck up for the person I was closest to I was friends with just one person there and he got bullied by somebody who was bullying a lot of other people and I beat him up and the next day I had five new friends and that moment on I became a righteous person and I stood up for what was right and I even talked back to teachers and principals and got suspended many times for talking back to teachers telling them that they shouldn't talk to other kids that way when they were being extremely rude and arrogant to children of 8 and 9 years old like who does that.. and this was back in the '80s so that is basically what my childhood traumas were about
Thank you for your videos. Most informative. Presentation style makes it easier for many of us to assimilate the video content. 👍
I love the new production of these videos it looks really great! The only thing I would suggest is perhaps some more colour correction might be good, just for more bright contrasts and vibrant colours. But, I know nothing. Fantastic coverage of content anyway so it’s still brilliant
This was very helpful to me. I think I've got it sorted it out now.
What an absolutely beautifully produced video. You’re getting better and better with each one. Look forward to following your journey.
You are amazing. Thank you so much for explaining so clearly.
I'm not sure whether I'm autistic or have CPTSD, or both but... I watched a couple of your videos and I just have to say that I like you a lot :) I can relate to experiences of people like you so much. Good job on making those videos and doing the research!
Going to school every day was a horrible experience for me and so was going home at the end of the day.
Very well explained and presented… Thank you 🙏🏽😊
Absolutely brilliant Paul. Thank you so much for all you do.
As someone that doesn't have autism but did suffer social anxiety as a kid and didn't fit withing the mainstream system education.
I can say the most harmful thing that parents do is to use therapy as a way to teach the kid to behave normally instead of teaching him/her to develop tools to be happy in the world as he/she is.
The goal shouldn't be to have a normal kid but to have a happy kid.
Wow! This was inciteful and helpful. Thank you!
I have no friends and no family because of my autism and I'm homeless and struggling to exist and this made me smile
So sorry to hear that. Life can be tough. I survived a shockingly hard time during my younger years but it got better. Hope yours will.
@@toby9999 yeah, I'm 29 now
This was an amazing and very informative video. Thank you 😊.