I have noticed some symptoms of ADHD and autism spectrum disorder

Hello,

We can't diagnose you via this website, but I can answer you in more general terms based on what you have written here and are asking about.

Both ADHD and autism spectrum disorder are thought to be disorders you have from birth or early childhood. Therefore, it is not something you suddenly notice and get.

If you are sure that the anxiety was correctly diagnosed at the time, it seems likely to me that this is correct. Severe anxiety might affect you in ways that can resemble ADHD and autism spectrum disorder.

Just like you say some are diagnosed wrongly with anxiety when they are really struggling with ADHD or are on the autism spectrum, it is also possible to be misdiagnoses with ADHD or autism spectrum disorder when you're really struggling with anxiety.

The things people struggle with when they are on the autism spectrum or have ADHD can be also be things every human struggle with from time to time.

Like sometimes being socially awkward or hung up on a hobby, or struggling with concentration and memory.

For ADHD the problem is generally managing higher brain functions, and those can be affected by any number of things. Concentration and planning are some of the more complicated things we humans do, and so if we are stressed, afraid or overwhelmed we will struggle with these things, even if we don't have ADHD for example.

There's also a huge amount of variation in the ways we humans act and are, without that being a sign we have a diagnosis like ADHD or autism spectrum disorder.

You can look at websites and write down symptoms you and your boyfriend notice, but it is important to know that this wont diagnose you or make it clear whether you have a diagnosis or not.

Finding out if you have any of these diagnosis is a longer and more complicated process, where the proper health professionals will test you and look more closely at what you and the people around you report about you.

If you are meeting with a psychologist to look at how you are doing and what you are experiencing, it is smart to bring all these thought up, and to talk about what you and others have noticed about yourself.

That way you can find out what is going on with you in the best way, with the proper health care professionals.

I'm adding some articles and links down below, they are in Norwegian, but hopefully some of them will be helpful anyway.

Kind regards, psychologist

ung.no