MickRidem:
Not Autistic, but trauma-based spectrum here. I was tested and have half of the spectrum behaviors, mostly routine and sensory based.
Munchies:
What is trauma-based spectrum? How is that different from PTSD? I'm curious as someone with autism and PTSD.
I have PTSD, and OCD, and it was the brain-changing trauma that altered how I function, so they are tied together. My therapist (of over 10 years) is trying to help me sort out a lot of things, and "heal or deal" with different symptoms. For example, my horrible PTSD memory damage can't be fixed, so we're working on dealing with it. But then other factors came up that didn't match up 100%.
My sensory sensitivities tested high, sometimes to the point where I feel like things are attacking me. But my social behavior didn't change like reading social cues and being an extrovert, although I can get immediately overwhelmed, and I do stim for comfort.
My stricter need for routine and patterns can get to a dysfunctional point. OCD for me, is based more on my compulsions to, for example, follow a pattern in the shower or to clean the house until I'm in tears - but this is *self-driven*. But if I'm asked to go into work early, I come close to having a panic attack because I can't deal with an external force changing my routine, and things like that fell on the spectrum.
My best understanding is that my PTSD and OCD are self driven, and the spectrum behaviours are external factors I can't deal with the way I used to. They're all tied together, but my PTSD and OCD have vastly improved over the years, and the other behaviours have not.
Not sure if this is a clear description, maybe it helps a little?
