Self-Care: I Was Misdiagnosed with Bipolar Disorder

Transcript

Self-Care: I Was Misdiagnosed with Bipolar Disorder

August 4th, 2024

Episode Preview

Today’s Autistic Moment conducted a survey asking 27 Autistic individuals if they were misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder.  More than ½ of the respondents answered yes. Why is something this important not being discussed? Why aren’t we hearing the stories of Autistic Adults who were misdiagnosed? Michelle Markman is an Autistic Adult who was misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder. Michelle was prescribed psychotropic drugs with traumatic results. Michelle will share her story of recovery with some advice for your self-care.  Join my guest Michelle Markman and I for this long overdue conversation on this episode of Today’s Autistic Moment.

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Segment 1

Welcome everyone to Today’s Autistic Moment: A Podcast for Autistic Adults by an Autistic Adult. My name is Philip King-Lowe. I am the owner, producer, and host; and I am an Autistic Adult. Thank you so very much for listening.

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Stay with us after this first commercial break as Michelle Markman and I will talk about Self-Care: I Was Misdiagnosed with Bipolar Disorder.

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Segment 2

Philip King-Lowe 

Michelle Markman, welcome back to Today's Autistic Moment. It's been a while since we've talked, and so it's great to have you back.

Michelle Markman 

It has. Thank you so much for having me on again. Pleasure to be here.

Philip King-Lowe 

You’re welcome. Thank you.

I have heard or read the posts and the voices of many Autistic Adults who have been misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder. And I have heard the stories of them being prescribed psychotropic drugs that wind up being very destructive. I've heard of Autistics being misdiagnosed and going on the drugs, and some who sadly have taken their lives because of, and I've also heard stories about people who have gone through recovery and how complicated that was. And what I wanted is you, because you have personal experience with this, this thing happening, and I think it's great to have somebody who is Autistic, who has been misdiagnosed, to share your information, your story, and to give some help to any Autistic individual or the caregiver of an Autistic individual who has been misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder. Now, I have been doing a survey on my page on LinkedIn to get a to get an answer to a question, “Were you misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder before discovering that you are Autistics.” 27 people thus far have answered the poll, and while 59% have said no, we have a statistic, at least for the moment, of 41% of those who participated saying yes, they were. That's a pretty awful statistic, It’s almost half.  Almost half of exactly. So, we know this is happening a lot. So, let's talk about this. Let's talk about this. And you know, and as always, I like to begin by saying, Where can we begin to explore this topic, so that Autistics can do their own self-care because they were misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder?

Michelle Markman 

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I think this is such an important topic, and especially when we talk about late realized late diagnosed Autistics or female Autistics who tend to get their diagnosis later in life. For many of us, we've been through a series of other diagnosis before we get to this point. So, I think it's important to really do your own research, and because you're your best advocate. You really know yourself better than anyone else does. So, making sure that you're getting, you know, a second opinion, if you feel like maybe, you've gotten a misdiagnosis, or a third opinion, if you feel like the second opinion still wasn't a proper diagnosis for you.

Philip King-Lowe 

Tell us a little bit about your own story. What happened, you know, when you were misdiagnosed, and what happened when you discovered that that's what had happened?

Michelle Markman 

Yeah, absolutely, so I got an original diagnosis of depression and anxiety when I was in my teens, and then it was later in my 20s when I got a diagnosis of bipolar two. And I got that from a male psychiatrist who was an older gentleman. And you know, I, I have to say that I really think very few psychiatrists, at least, were at that time, and even at this time, trained on how Autism appears in women and in females. Yes. You know, the DSM, the Diagnostic Statistical Manual, or statisticians, whatever it is exactly. I'm sorry, the DSM, which is the diagnostic manual for psychological disorders, is written to diagnose males. So, all the criteria is written for males. So, you know, I can't necessarily blame whoever diagnosed me with bipolar over Autism for not really knowing that this condition, or this neurotype, as I like to call it, affects women as well. So, my diagnosis happens the bipolar two diagnosis happened when I was in my 20s. I was put on some pretty heavy-duty psychotropic medications. You know, I had a horrible adjustment period. I almost crashed my car driving to college because this medication is so strong that I was just falling asleep on the freeway, not just but I was falling asleep on the freeway. So, I mean, these are, these are really heavy-duty meds, and eventually I did get accustomed to the meds, and I didn't really have a problem being on them. I did have a significant weight gain, which was a little bit of a problem for a partner that I had at the time. But that was that first diagnosis I went for probably seven years, maybe five to seven years before I actually got an Autism diagnosis. And then it was another actually, it was this year that I was reassessed by a psychiatrist. I went to Amen Clinic and had a brain scan and was reassessed by a psychiatrist and got confirmation that I am not I do not have bipolar disorder. I have Autism, depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Philip King-Lowe 

When you heard that, what did that do to you? That you heard you're Autistic, but you're not bipolar. What does that? What does that do to you?

Michelle Markman

You know, it was confirmation. I went to a depression Bipolar Support Alliance meetings for a long time. It's called DBSA. I don't know if you're familiar with it, or maybe your listeners are. And there was the meeting. The men who ran the meetings. There's a good friend of mine. He told me, in confidence, I don't think you have bipolar. You just don't strike me as someone with this condition, you just don't seem to meet all the criteria. And he himself had bipolar one. And so it kind of planted that seed in my mind that maybe the diagnosis wasn't accurate, but I feel for the years that I lived believing that I had bipolar, it really changed the way that I showed up in the world, and the way that I interacted with others, and the way that I behaved, because I accepted the label, and in a way, I sort of lived by that label, which is sort of the dark side of labels.

Philip King-Lowe 

Yeah, well, we were sent this email with a pretty big image. Actually, he calls it his, forgive me, but if they call this Misdiagnosed Monday series, kind of an interesting one. And one of the issues that has commonly been said is that Autism and bipolar can look very similar and yet they are extremely different. For the longest time, and probably we're still in that age when bipolar is considered a mental disorder, and even by the DSM-V, we have neurological developmental "disorders” and we have mental disorders. There is a separation in the DSM between neurological developmental disorders and bipolar disorders, as we they say. In recent years, we have seen the Neurodiversity movement beginning to think of bipolar as another Neurodivergence. That's an interesting you know. The thing is, is that Autism and bipolar are similar, but they are extremely different. You know, things like distractibility, impulsivity, grandiosity, grandiosity, flight of ideas, activity, increase, sleep, deficit, talkativeness, yes, are similar to what many Autistics do. The difference being that and maybe you can help me clarify this, that we have our special interests that we talk about a lot, our impulsivity can be a matter of sensory processing overload, or, you know, under stimulated. It can be we get a lot of ideas, but we tend to be more focused on our ideas and a lot of Autistics, we have sleeping issues. But and sometimes a sensory overload can sound like mania. You know, especially somebody gets angry, can sound like that, but indeed, is not the same kind of thing. So, if you're able, can we? Can you describe in better detail, maybe, than I about what is the real difference?

Michelle Markman 

Yeah, I mean, I think there's, like you were saying there's a lot of overlap. So that's where the confusion sort of arises. The differences really are that, you know, Autism is present since birth. This is a Neurotype, whether you want to call it a neurodevelopment disorder or a neurotype, it's present since birth. Whereas bipolar can develop and typically doesn't appear until the late teens or early adulthood. So, that's one difference. Autism, as you were saying, is classified as a neurodevelopmental condition, whereas bipolar is considered as a mental health condition. In bipolar, the mood changes are supposedly said to be biological and cyclical and are more likely to involve psychosis, whereas in Autism, the mood changes are going to be triggered by experiences, whether they're internal, sensory, external sensory, or experiences that you're having with your peers or the environment. With bipolar, you're going to see the reduced sleep during cycles of mania or hypomania without being tired, and in Autism, you may still see reduced sleep, and sometimes there will be that the person won't be, like, really tired, but I think there's still that underlying fatigue and underlying tiredness behind it. It's just like, you can't sleep for some reason, because you're ruminating about something, or because your mind is too busy, or you have something that you're stressing out about. And it's not that you're just not sleeping because of hypomania or mania. It's because your mind is really activated about some kind of an issue that you're dealing with. And then with bipolar, you're going to have inattention, restlessness, distractibility during manic or hypomanic episodes. And in Autism, you can also have distractibility, restlessness, agitation, but you're going to have always an Autistic person will have special interests that they're going to be hyper focused on, unless, you know, there's some other condition that that is interrupting, like they have a deep depressive episode that's causing them to not have interest in that special interest. But they're pretty much always going to have some sort of a special interest present and, you know, Autistic people are going to be more likely to self soothe through repetitive behaviors such as stimming and through having routines. And bipolar people, though they benefit more from having routine that can stabilize their mood. It's not necessarily going to be a way of self-soothing, or of, you know, feeling more grounded as it is for an Autistic person to have a routine.

Philip King-Lowe 

And I have witnessed someone that I believe is bipolar, that when he went into his mania, he did become verbally violent, he also became his verbiage became abusive, and he also had no sense of how that was impacting other people. And quite frankly, he didn't care at that point. You know, as far as he was concerned, he was fighting for his rights, and nobody was going to stop him, you know. And the thing is, is his mood swings would be zero to five within seconds, you know, if he had a bad day, the people that he lived with walked on eggshells, praying that they didn't step on that eggshell and, you know, he’d fly off the handle, um, you know. And then if it happened accidentally, it really made a bad scenario. Now Autistics, yes, we can have our moments when we have had so much sensory input that we can no longer think or act rationally. And yes, we may have some outbursts, and some may become somewhat violent, not intentionally. And in a situation like ours, what we need is something to distract us, enough to basically soothe us. Um, let me reiterate what needs to be said. Autistics are not inherently violent. In fact, Autistics will experience more violence than they will perpetuate. Sometimes there are Autistics who will react in a certain way because they have tried, time and time again to explain themselves to someone who just wasn't listening. And so sometimes Autistics can implode or whatever. Maybe there's a better word for it, and so yes, that can happen. But through fidgeting and stimming, being alone or I know that you like to put yourself on it, on the edge of danger. And I know there are some Autistics who need that suit. They need that input just enough to soothe or give themselves the right kind of stimulation so that they can come back to a place where they can, you know, think and act more rationally. You know, one of the things that makes me so bloody angry is whenever there is a mass shooting somewhere, the news media or someone has to say this person had ASD or Autism or something like that, and it perpetuates the misinformation that Autistic individuals are potentially violent, and that is so not true. You know, do you agree?

Michelle Markman

Yeah. I mean, I have to speak to this, because I would say another one of the differences that you're going to see between bipolar and Autism is someone who has bipolar, they're more likely to have the grandiosity and potentially to have psychotic episodes or psychosis come up, where they may sort of completely dissociate from themselves and believe that they're someone else. So, during that time, they may not have any recollection of what they've said or done. You know, my group leader used to say that he had, at one time, thought that he was Jesus and was walking around the neighborhood in a sheet, proselytizing and yelling and just had no idea that that had happened because he wasn't present within himself at that time, and with Autistics, when we have outbursts, when we have meltdowns, when we have shutdowns, we are in fight or flight, so our autonomic nervous system is activated. So yes, we may go into fight, but we are in that hindbrain, that primitive hindbrain. So, we're very much in a survival place when this happens. And it's not something that's happening consciously. It's not like you're saying, it's not like we're intentionally trying to hurt someone else. It's not like we're intentionally trying to be violent. We are fighting for our survival at the time that these things happen, and I think it's so important to share this information with others, with the public, so that they understand that if they see someone having a meltdown, that person is not trying to hurt anyone. That person is fighting for their very survival. And as you were saying, it's so important to have the ability to seek alone time or to be able to sensory seek if you need it. Like me, I do like adventure and kind of putting myself on the edge of danger that helps me regulate. I like bubbly drinks. I like loud music and that sensory seeking. And then again, I also like certain things that are sensory avoiding, like being alone or having a quiet or lying flat in bed and cuddling with a pillow. So, I just think it's important to make that distinction between something that's, you know, fight or flight, that's fighting for your survival, and something that's a little bit different, that's more of a mental health condition or episode that's happening, and nothing to say anything against a person that has bipolar. I just want to make the distinction.

Philip King-Lowe

Yeah.

Following this next Commercial Break, Michelle will talk about the importance of self-education regarding therapists, medications, and self-advocacy.

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Segment 3

Today’s Autistic Moment is committed to bringing Autistic Adults like Michelle Markman on to talk about the important experiences that so many Autistics are having.  Through such conversations Today’s Autistic Moment seeks to change the conversations so that our voices are heard without them being silenced, spoken over, minimalized or invalidated.  The podcast relies on the generosity of our sponsors and supporters for funding. If you'd like to contribute, please visit todaysautisticmoment.com and click on "Support Today's Autistic Moment." You can make a one-time donation through Ko-fi, you can make that one-time donation from $10 to $20 or more. Donors contributing $25 or more will receive a complimentary logo lapel pin. Alternatively, you can become a monthly supporter through Patreon and receive a free logo 16oz drinking cup. The hyperlinks are included in the transcript so they can be accessed easily. Your support helps keep Today's Autistic Moment accessible and true to its mission of exploring, engaging, and empowering our Intersectional Autistic Adult communities. You can also support the podcast by sharing it, the show or each episode on your social media networks.

Now join Michelle Markman and I as we continue our conversation.

Philip King-Lowe 

Let us move into the second question is, how do we get our Autistic and intersectional communities engaged in the conversation when somebody is misdiagnosed with bipolar?

Michelle Markman 

Intersectional community?

Philip King-Lowe 

Yes, it means people of other races, other Neurodivergence, people who are who have bipolar disorder, actually have it. I mean the intersectional communities often experience a lot of disparities in health care, mental health care, the ability to pay for mental health care, to seek out somebody who will correctly diagnose them. Okay, you know, and we know that a lot of our LGBT folks, they're, they're, they're troubled. I should say being Autistic is one thing, but we're fighting speaking up for our rights, speaking up for our right to exist, you know. Our right to be who we are, and both women, others nonbinary, and a lot of trans folks right now, we are experiencing the attack on our bodily autonomy. And that is impacting a lot of our anger. You know, and especially with all the misinformation that's being promoted, it's being promoted in our politics. It's being promoted in our in social circles, it's being promoted and, in many cases, accepted. So, when I speak about intersectional communities, the misdiagnosis will impact each individual and many of these intersectional communities differently. And again, we know it's because, like I said, mental health services are not accessible. They can't reach them. They can't pay for them, and so like, things go undiagnosed or unidentified. So, where do we get them engaged? And I'll start with get engaged by becoming informed of the difference, including talking to Autistic individuals who have been misdiagnosed, and hear their story, but I'm gonna let you take off from there and give me your thoughts.

Michelle Markman 

Yeah, thank you absolutely. I think a big part of it is self-education, whether you have the resources to access, you know clinicians or providers. There's a wealth of information now available on the internet so you can find answers to almost any question. I think it's important, as you were saying, to seek out answers from people have walked in your path or been in your shoes, or really been through what you're going through right now. We put so much credit towards people who have been in school a long time and have a lot of letters behind their names because they have these big graduate degrees, but there's really something to be said for lived experience, and I don't think we give enough credence to Autistics and to other Neurodivergent individuals who have lived experience, who are really starting to speak out now and say, “Look these therapies, and these treatments and the way that things were done before was damaging to me, wasn't helpful, and this is how we can do things differently.” And I think it's really important that we start to listen, because there is so much to lived experience getting from the last generation to grow and improve with the next generation. So really educate yourself. You know, check your sources and make sure that you're getting information that's going to resonate with you. Because the wonderful thing about the internet is that there's so much information on it that you can find basically anything. But also, the challenging thing is you can find basically anything, so just make sure that the information that you're finding is resonating with you. It has the spin on it that you're looking for, and it's from a source that really connects with you and that you feel like, wow, this person is relatable, because then you're going to be able to get a better understanding from that information and from that source.

Philip King-Lowe 

Yeah, one of the posts or comments that was under a post of mine last Fall, I think because I was talking with someone, and they said that they were diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and I think most likely they're really Autistic, because their therapist, once again, that's what they told them. When I posted that as a comment, as just something to air my concern, one of the posters remarked that their spouse was misdiagnosed and was prescribed those psychotropic drugs and that he had to take his spouse to institutions because they were on the verge of a suicidal attempt. They had suicidal ideation, and that it takes took so much time for them to get themselves in a place where they felt, you know, a little bit more secure. In some cases, there are Autistics that never get there because of how the drugs have affected them, you know, you know. So, I've heard from caregivers about how devastating that misdiagnosed and those drugs can be, you know. And part of getting them engaged is to again, become informative, and then to be able to speak to these things. But again, our biggest challenge is that we have clinical "professionals" who are doing these misdiagnoses and prescribing these, these drugs, and often just getting them to listen is more than half the battle. Go ahead.

Michelle Markman

Yeah, yeah, absolutely, um, and I think it's important to mention that these are serious drugs, and I think a lot of the time they're really prescribed, sort of with the wave of a hand, like, just try this out. It'll be fine, and it can be a very strong, potentially anti-psychotic or mood stabilizer with a lot of side effects. So, if you are prescribed something, if you are a caregiver for someone who's prescribed something, please, do your research, do your due diligence. Look at the side effects, look at the complications, look at the drug interactions, and decide if this is something that you're willing to go on yourself, or that you're willing to put a loved one on, and if it's not, talk to the provider and see if there are alternatives. I also worked in medical for six years, and in that time, I worked in mental health for a portion, and there is saliva testing that you can do, where you can actually send in a sample of your saliva. There's multiple different companies that do saliva testing, and that is to assess which drugs are most likely to benefit you based on your genetic profile. And what will happen is they'll send you back a list of drugs that are not recommended for you, a list of drugs that are recommended for you, and a list of drugs that may or may not help, but this can really be an extra kind of jump on the stepping stones towards healing. If you are seeking psychotropic medication and you have the ability to do the testing, I really would recommend it, because you can avoid having to go through months and months of trial and error. And like you're saying, this woman having this horrible experience of being prescribed a medication that was not right for her. And the saliva testing isn't perfect, but it is a tool that we have available. So, I do think that it's worth it. And also, I have to speak to really alternative medicine side. I'm a firm believer that there is a physiological underlying sort of root cause for all symptoms that are happening. And as a person who's been through burnout multiple times and is currently fighting her way back from burnout. I've had really wonderful experience working with functional medicine doctors, changing my diet, changing my lifestyle and my exercise, and taking supplements. And a lot of I think a lot of people think that supplements are just herbs. So, what are they going to do? But honestly, supplements can be just as strong as some of these prescription medications. So, there are alternative options that I really suggest that you do your research, and you look into what is right for you and for your family.

Philip King-Lowe 

Yeah, I think that's so important, and that is part of being engaged. I wish we had better recommendations for those people who are in the space where they are experiencing disparities. And my one piece of advice would have to be, you know, finding communities that have similar experiences as you doing some self-advocacy work, doing some group advocacy work, you know, doing some things to get themselves better informed. And there's a lot of really difficult things to do because, you know, a lot of bipolar folks are disabled. A good hand full of Autistics are disabled. You know, and there is some yes, being Autistic and bipolar, they can coexist. They certainly can. But the important thing is that you work with someone who knows the actual difference. Who can see what Autism actually is like. While I really tried to steer us away from the pathological approach to Autism, it can still help sometimes. When you you're confronted by somebody who has enough medical knowledge and recognizes Neurodiversity for the good it does and just try to, you know, get the help you need. I wish these resources were more available. They're not necessarily, but for both caregivers and individuals, I agree you need to do your homework. You need to do your searching and reading, and you know you're gonna find some information out there that is controversial has a difference in what You think. And that's why you have to have a community around you, with people who know the differences, who can help you figure that out. Um, you know, and it is very, it is very difficult. I, I, we can't deny that, but it is essential that you be your own best advocate, because if you're not, nobody else will. Absolutely. Yeah, now comes the question about empowerment, and it's important to be engaged so that we can become empowered to change what's happening, to start us of changing, as in making people aware, but also doing some things together that can, in fact, change this misdiagnosis, and do your own self-care, because this is most about doing your own self-care. Um, you know those whom I've spoken with who are really great at talking about self-care, the important thing is that you look after yourself, and it's important that you have the people around you who are supportive of what you need. And I cannot imagine what it's like to be somebody on some of those psychotropic drugs, you're trying to take care of yourself, but nobody, nobody's listening, because they're still stuck in the, you know, the dark ages of what these things meet. So, um, let's come up with some empower them. Um, you know, some of that will be the same as engaging. But let's, let's see where this takes us. Go ahead Michelle.

Michelle Markman 

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I think in addition to self-advocacy and education, learning about whatever condition you or your family member is dealing with can be really helpful. Doing your due diligence and researching any clinicians that you may be meeting with, and really getting to know their background and their experience. And this goes for psychiatrists, therapists, medical doctors, it's important that you screen your care team, and you make sure that you're selecting people that are going to listen to you, respect you hear what you have to say, and if you feel like you are dealing with a clinician, whether it's a medical doctor or a psychiatrist or a therapist or anyone else that is not listening to you or is discounting you, isn't giving you the respect that you deserve, I really encourage you to get a second opinion, even if you are on Medi Cal or you're dealing with you know, state funded programs. When you advocate for yourself, it's very rare that you won't be able to get an alternative opinion or to see a different clinician. And again, if you're not being treated in a way that is humane and respectful and in a way that you feel you're being listened to, you're really wasting your time with that person, and it's important that you advocate for yourself or your for your loved one, and you're taking the time to make sure that you're getting to get the care from someone that is there and can see you and hear you and acknowledge you as a human, and not just as a number that they're trying to check off their list.

Philip King-Lowe 

Yeah

After this final commercial break, Michelle will talk about some of her life coaching experience with Autistics who were misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder.  followed by Today’s Autistic Community Bulletin Board.

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Coming up on August 18th Self-Care: Sexual Abuse Prevention with my guest AJ Locashio. 

AJ, what is sexual abuse?  Sexual abuse is any kind of sexual action that is harmful to us that we do not consent to, that we do not want,

and it could also be something that we're unable to consent to. Anybody who is in a historically or systemically marginalized group, we are oftentimes seen as less than human. And as soon as somebody sees you as less than human, they believe that they have the right to do with you as they would like.

Due to the sensitive nature of this topic, and the many things we will discuss, some content may not be appropriate for certain audiences, discretion is advised. 

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Segment 4

Philip King-Lowe

So, in your own recovery work, have you been able to create or work with some other individuals, whether they be in Facebook groups or some kind of group, community group, you had this experience of being misdiagnosed, and you can you found people to talk with others about that experience, so that you can kind of you can support one another and help one another. Have you been able to find anything like that for yourself?

Michelle Markman 

I found a lot of really wonderful resources on LinkedIn. I'm very active on LinkedIn, and I've really found it to be a wonderful platform for networking with other Neurodivergent individuals. Yes. And just over the course of meeting many other Autistic or AuDHD, which is ADH, Autistics, neurodivergent individuals, I've just come across a number, especially females, who were misdiagnosed with bipolar first and then got their Autism diagnosis. And as you were saying before it can you can have both conditions. There is comorbidity. But that was that's really how I found a lot of support for it. I've also found support in Facebook groups, and I think that's, that's really where I've found most of it, and then I've just done a lot of a lot of soul searching and personal work with therapists and coaches, and, you know, just really worked on myself and getting to know who I am and really doing a deep dive into what's important to me and what matters and what lights me up, and you know, what really doesn't work for me? And that's also, you know, one of my clients, because I think it's so important that we create Neurodiversity affirming lives that we're living.

Philip King-Lowe 

As we prepare to wrap this up, you do a lot of life coaching work. I'd like you to share with us a little bit about what doing that life coaching work with Autistics that had been misdiagnosed, you know, and how that's been very effective from you’re from the work you do. Can you talk about that at all?

Michelle Markman 

Yeah, it's really, really wonderful. And I have worked with a number of women who were misdiagnosed with other conditions before they got their Autism diagnosis. And I think the main theme that I hear is this confusion, because they would create an identity around a diagnosis that wasn't an accurate diagnosis, and then once they get that Autism diagnosis, it's like this light bulb clicks on and they realize, oh, this explains so many of my experiences and so many of my sensory needs, and how I'm overwhelmed by sounds and lights and all these things that they had just never learned about before. And so, it's really wonderful to work with them, to unpack so many of their experiences that just weren't really understandable or explainable to them until they learned about the Autism diagnosis, and then to go through their lives and revisit experiences, reframe them through the lens of Neurodiversity, and recreate this sense of identity and sense of self and create a Neurodiversity affirming lifestyle for them. Yeah, because exactly we spend our whole lives, especially late diagnosed Autistics, creating a neurotypical life that is like banging your head against a wall, and when you can create a Neurodiversity affirming life that meets your sensory needs, that is welcoming and comforting, doesn't overwhelm you with social obligations you know just really fits for you. It's a totally different experience than it is to kind of try to white knuckle neurotypical life. It's really love to see. I really like to impact clients, yes, transform and learn to live in a new way.

Philip King-Lowe 

Yeah, absolutely, yep. Ever since I've started just, you know, accepting and learning to live with it, and, you know, just accepting what my what my personal needs are. It's like a whole new a whole new life has begun. You know, and a lot of the things that I was told that was so negative in my mind, it doesn't even exist anymore. You know, you can totally block that out. You know, a lot of our social challenges comes not from being Autistic. It comes from people who still think through the medical model and/or just think people who are different from themselves have no place in the world around us. And you know, while conversations like this one, we're very, very helpful, and I'm so glad that we did this. You know, nothing, nothing changes the atmosphere like accepting being Autistic and then actually learning to enjoy being Autistic. Nothing really does nothing even say it's for your information, for your but it's also the empowerment comes from when you take on who you are as an Autistic person, and you make yourself happy that way. You know, without bowing down to the neurotypical, you know, way of thinking or behaving and everything, it really can be very rewarding, and that's why I own and host Today's Autistic Moment, because I'm convinced that we can do that. It just takes time. Yeah. Thank you so much, Michelle for being on Today's Autistic Moment. Um, this has been a great conversation, and I hope for those of you who have been misdiagnosed, or you know of an Autistic that's been misdiagnosed, that you have heard from someone else's experience that it is possible to recover, and we sympathize, and we understand those who are in the real long road of recovery from such a misdiagnosis, and you know the caregivers who are distressed. But we're here to offer you this information because we believe you can do something different than what you're doing. So, I'm so glad we had this conversation today.

Michelle Markman 

Yes, thank you so much for having me on Philip. It's always a pleasure.

Philip King-Lowe

Thank you.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

Today’s Autistic Community Bulletin Board

All of these events and many others with their links can be found at todaysautisticmoment.com/bulletinboard.

Understanding Autism virtual classes are offered by The Autism Society of Minnesota. These classes are perfect for Autistic individuals, caregivers, those who want to understand the basics of Autism and support Autistic people. Classes will be on August 12th at 6pm. September 9th at 2pm. November 11th at 10am. December 9th at 6pm. Classes are free of charge, but you must register to attend.

You are invited to participate with The Autism Society of Minnesota’s Jigsaw Puzzle Competition on September 28th at the Mall of America. Competition and registration information can be found at ausm.org.

Go to ausm.org to get more information about these and other Summer Social and Recreational Programs, educational events, counseling services and support groups at The Autism Society of Minnesota.

MNeurodivergent is a social club rooted in a vision of bringing Neurodivergent Minnesotans together to build meaningful connections.  Its core principle is to foster an environment where all are treated with dignity and respect regardless of ability or preferences. Go to the bulletin board at todaysautisticmoment.com and click on the Meet Up link to become a member and attend their events.

Today’s Autistic Moment is here because of the generosity of supporters and sponsors.  Please join the supporters by clicking on Support Today’s Autistic Moment on todaysautisticmoment.com.

If you work for a company and/or organization that supports Autistic Adults and the movement for Neurodiversity, I would love to have you sponsor ads on the show.

If you would like to sponsor an ad and/or have questions about Today’s Autistic Moment, please send an email to todaysautisticmoment@gmail.com.

Thank you for listening to Today’s Autistic Moment: A Podcast for Autistic Adults by An Autistic Adult.

May you have an Autistically Amazing day.

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