Before I'd ever really heard of autism, I was convinced that the explanation for my abnormal traits and behaviours was that I was a "highly sensitive person" (a clinical term coined by Dr. Elaine Aron which impacts about 20% of a population, of many different species, not just humans.) I thought this because I fit so many of the traits listed for "diagnosis" in her book, "The Highly Sensitive Person" (it's not a diagnosable disability, more of a global personality difference). My traits include:
"I seem to be aware of subtleties in my environment"
"Other people's moods affect me"
"I find myself needing to withdraw during busy days, into... a darkened room... where I can have some privacy and relief from stimulation"
"I am particularly sensitive to the effects of caffeine"
"I am easily overwhelmed by things like bright lights, strong smells, coarse fabrics, or sirens close by"
"I have a rich, complex inner life"
"I am made uncomfortable by loud noises"
"I am deeply moved by the arts or music"
"I am conscientious"
"I startle easily"
"I get rattled when I have a lot to do in a short amount of time"
"I am annoyed when people try to get me to do too many things at once"
"I try hard to avoid making mistakes or forgetting things"
"I make it a point to avoid violent movies and TV shows"
"I become unpleasantly aroused when a lot is going on around me"
"Being very hungry creates a strong reaction in me"
"Changes in my life shake me up"
"I notice and enjoy delicate or fine scents, tastes, sounds, works of art"
"I make it a high priority to arrange my life to avoid upsetting or overwhelming situations"
"When I must compete or be observed while performing a task, I become so nervous or shaky that I do much worse than I would otherwise"
"When I was a child, parents or teachers seemed to see me as sensitive or shy"
The problem with this checklist, as you can see (on which I said "false" to only two of twenty-three items) is that it essentially describes all the non-social difficulties faced by a person with autism, so it's easy for me to see why I thought I was an "HSP" before learning about autism. In fact, the only time I ever doubted this HSP self-diagnosis was when I considered the fact that HSPs are supposed to be highly attuned to others' emotions, and to feel things for and about people on a much deeper level, and I didn't. I meet all the criteria to be labelled highly sensitive, but I don't think I am, I think it's just my autism.
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"Survival is insufficient" - Seven of Nine
Diagnosed with ASD level 1 on the 10th of April, 2014
Rediagnosed with ASD level 2 on the 4th of May, 2019
Thanks to Olympiadis for my fantastic avatar!