Anyone out there have diabetes and autism?

[ljmercer]

Hi there,

I've been Type 1 Diabetic for the best part of 14 years, but I've recently been diagnosed with autism too (January 2020).

I just wondered if there was anyone at all in the same or similar situation to me to be able to talk to them. I'm feeling a bit lost

 

[Andydragon]

Yes but I’m type 2

 

[ljmercer]

Hi @Andydragon

I know type 1 and type 2 are different in terms of management of our diabetes but thank you for responding.

How do you cope with it all? Having two 24/7 conditions that you never get a break from...

 

[Andydragon]

Hi @Andydragon

hello @ljmercer

I know type 1 and type 2 are different in terms of management of our diabetes but thank you for responding.

How do you cope with it all? Having two 24/7 conditions that you never get a break from...

Well autism is a spectrum as you know so my condition is going to be different to yours. I was diagnosed diabetic a while before I was diagnosed autistic. But obviously always been autistic just not officially. I explain it as acting. I force a persona in able to function, but it is so tiring to be in positions such as talking to people that I go home and often just need to relax. Stress tends to make my condition worse. For me, I find repeating music over and over relaxed me, I guess it’s my personal stimming so I can do that

So, always knew I found certain things harder than others seemed to. Social interactions and understanding people are my main issues. So you would think in the lockdown not having the interactions is actually better and in some ways that’s true, being on Skype and email for work communications has helped a lot (no eye contact) but I have found being isolated harder than I thought I would. I think it’s the routine and the office noise that I am missing

I think that what I try to do is to not think of either of these things as things I can’t escape, rather as extra facets of me. Being on the outside has given me a different perspective on life. I see what it’s like to not quite fit in and use that in my day to day to be a better person. I manage my conditions, they don’t manage me. Not that that’s always easy

I find it hard to break rules and I do have areas I over focus on, I am trying at the moment to use this to my advantage, focus on my blood levels and getting fit. I just have to be careful not to over obsess. (Which given the news, can be hard when we are bombarded daily)

 

[SaskiaKC]

@ljmercer Hi I may be in a similar situation to you. I am going to ask about a diagnosis at my next doctor's appointment. I have been reading a lot of autism posts online and articles and I think I am on the spectrum. I have wondered about it for quite some time and some of the things I have been reading have been like reading about myself. I have T2 BTW.

 

[JohnEGreen]

I just tried one of those online quizzes for adult autism not a diagnostic tool just to to see if you are likely to be on the spectrum.

Seems I could quite well be.

https://psychcentral.com/cgi-bin/autismquiz.cgi

 

[SaskiaKC]

I have tried that one too, and a few others.