Woman diagnosed with autism at the age of 46 speaks out as we investigate why so many women are slipping through the net
It’s as we launch our Lost Girls investigation highlighting the barriers faced by women and girls in getting a diagnoses
A woman who spent decades living with autism without realising it is sharing her traumatic story to try and improve diagnosis in women.
It’s after we revealed this morning men and boys are three times more likely to be diagnosed with it.
However, undiagnosed autistic girls and women are often being treated for other mental health conditions instead.
Experts have told us it’s down to doctors not being aware of how the signs and symptoms appear differently in women and girls.
'Sarah' - which isn't her real name - is speaking to us as part of our investigation into why so many men and boys are being diagnosed with autism compared to women and girls.
The teaching assistant from Nottinghamshire was told at the age of 46 that she had autism after decades of battling with daily life.
At school and university, 'Sarah' said she struggled to fit in which took a massive toll on her mental health: “I had quite a breakdown between GCSE and A-Level and was out of action for about three/four years.
"Prior to university I’d been in hospital with anorexia, which is another thing that is becoming apparent that is common in people with autism spectrum disorder.
“This has nearly claimed my life on a few occasions”
“I lost half my body weight in a year and ended up in hospital.
“I ended up multiple times in psychiatric units and I did take quite a significant overdose at one point and spent time on life support, so this has nearly claimed my life on a few occasions.
“If I’d understood as a teenager why I didn’t fit in with people, why I didn’t get on with people, why I didn’t understand so much of teenage life…I wouldn’t have developed quite a self-hatred.
“I self-harmed a lot and I guess that’s where the borderline personality disorder diagnoses came in, as I had such a level of self-hatred because I didn’t understand why I was different.
“I’ve now allowed myself to stop believing I’m the faulty person I thought I was.”
‘Sarah’ said if her doctor hadn’t listened to her when she raised the question of autism herself, she doesn’t know where she’d be: “If I’d gone to my GP and if he’d turned around and said ‘no, you can’t be (autistic)’…then I’d still be struggling. I wouldn’t have the knowledge that I have now to try and piece my past together and try and forgive myself for what I felt were so many mistakes in the past, so much of a mess I’d made of my life.”
“I’ve now allowed myself to stop believing I’m the faulty person I thought I was.
“Some women will find - and I had this said to me - that 'you can’t be autistic, you’re married with children, autistic women don’t get married and have children', which is far from the truth if you take a little stroll onto Twitter and find out how many very educated articulate people with autism are out there.”
You can listen to our full investigation here: https://soundcloud.com/user-860297411/lost-girls
You can also find more support here.
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