Hi all. This is my first time posting here, so please forgive me if I'm unfamiliar with things. I'm starting to think that I'm on the spectrum (although I'm not sure where I fall) due to things I've been reading and what others have said to me. Currently, I'm diagnosed with bipolar disorder NOS (for those who are familiar with this, my hypomania cycles have never been long enough to meet DSM criteria for a bipolar II diagnosis) and anxiety disorder NOS, and I'm being treated for those. As a child, my parents were alerted that I may be on the spectrum due to the fact that I was constantly flapping my hands, which I only recently found out was indicative of autism-spectrum conditions. Whenever I would get excited (this still occurs, to a lesser extent), I would involuntarily (and often unconsciously) flap my hands together. People always questioned me about it, and I never thought much of it. I simply explained that it was just something I did involuntarily when I got excited, and few people ever gave me a hard time about it (which I am thankful for). Socially, I have always been awkward. I hate being in large groups, and I often resort to drug use (alcohol and Adderall mostly) when I want to be more social. I've always excelled in school; I was in the top 5 of my high school. However, I've always had particular attention issues, such as reading books and paying attention to a speaker for a long time. As a kid in school, I frequently dazed off and made up games in my head consisting of fantasy scenarios to entertain myself (this often caused the hand flapping). I had several obsessions as a kid, including an online video game and a TV show that I knew EVERYTHING about and frequently incorporated into my "imaginary games". I'm not looking for a diagnosis; I know that an online forum is not the appropriate...forum (for lack of a better word) for that. I'm really just looking to see if anyone has similar experiences that can help me understand myself better. I know that ultimately, it would just be a label, but it would help me in understanding myself and making sense of some of my idiosyncrasies. Thank you to whomever responds.
As an addendum, I'd also like to note that, while not formally diagnosed, I'm being treated for ADHD with Strattera (a non-stimulant). My doctor prescribed Strattera rather than traditional psychostimulants due to the abuse issues I mentioned above.
As an addendum, I'd also like to note that, while not formally diagnosed, I'm being treated for ADHD with Strattera (a non-stimulant). My doctor prescribed Strattera rather than traditional psychostimulants due to the abuse issues I mentioned above.
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