Thread by @Deezovariez

Feels like a lot of #ADHD & #autistic women get misdiagnosed w anxiety, or their anxiety is seen as the primary condition, rather than secondary to ADHD/A. Psychs told me my rocking, swaying, skin picking, fidgeting was all anxiety. Prolly bc they couldn't explain it w depression

I'm constantly forgetting things, losing or accidentally destroying things, not paying attention when important information is being explained, I struggle big time with transitions & staying on task. So basically I've been in trouble my whole life. Of course I'm fucking anxious.

I'm always forgetting important things or leaving them to the last possible second. Even watching a show I enjoy, my partner will make a comment about it & I suddenly realize I have no idea what's happening bc I was thinking "whatever happened to the good taco truck" or something

People tell me things & its like I'm supposed to know they mean something different, except I don't have any idea what they expect. I get confused at forms bc each question seems like it could mean several different things. Of course I'm anxious- the world is hostile to ND people

I need to "rev up" before (and during) any activity I have to concentrate on, which is basically anything I'm not hyperfocused on in that moment. I walk back & forth daydreaming for an hour or two before I start, & I keep taking breaks to walk. I was told pacing = anxiety

I told them (whatever low income psych I saw for a session or two before they got a better job) that I pace a lot, and pacing has the anxiety connotation. But I also stressed that I'm usually not anxious when I'm pacing. When I'm anxious I lock down. I walk to kick start my brain

My body constantly feels uncomfortable, but feels slightly better when I rock while sitting cross-legged. Deep breathing exercises don't "fix" that. For 10 yrs I rated my anxiety as very high, bc psychs kept telling me all these disparate non-anxiety symptoms were anxiety

It took me so long to separate sensory distress or shutdown from panic attacks. They are very different experiences, but both were rolled into "anxiety." I couldn't actually take steps to help myself better manage my (far more frequent) sensory distress bc didn't know it existed

I think it's also tough for people who don't fit neatly within the prescribed set of ADHD behaviors associated w their perceived gender. Like the majority of ADHDers, I have combined presentation, but present on the hyperactive side. My late-dxed cis male partner is inattentive

Unfortunately a lot of Drs slap "depression" on any complaint- mental or physical- that a woman has. Anxiety is used to cover any gaps between symptoms the patient describes & the final diagnosis. I kept not fitting depression or anxiety, so they got out the bipolar stamp too