Adults on their autism diagnosis journey often wonder if they are actually autistic or experiencing PTSD. "Does autism explain my traits, or is it all based in trauma?" Here's a general take on this question. I talk about why so many autistic people have post-traumatic stress disorder or complex PTSD, with a focus on the brain.

If you would like to submit a question to possibly be answered in a future episode, please email kristen@other-autism.com

To access the video format of this episode or to read additional notes on the research presented here, check out The Other Autism's YouTube channel.

If you like what I do and want to show your support, please head over to The Other Autism's Patreon page and consider donating as little as $1 a month.   

Have you ever wondered if autistic people attract narcissists more often and more easily than non-autistic people? Are autistic people more prone to experiencing interpersonal victimization and abuse? And if so, how is this associated with early life trauma, mental health concerns, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?

If you would like to submit a question to possibly be answered in a future episode, please email kristen@other-autism.com

To access the video format of this episode or to read additional notes on the research presented here, check out The Other Autism's YouTube channel.

If you like what I do and want to show your support, please head over to The Other Autism's Patreon page and consider donating as little as $1 a month.  

Mast cells and autism. Is there an overlap? In this episode, I talk about the percentage of autistic people who have some kind of allergy or allergic condition, the difference between allergy and food intolerance, and what could potentially underlie some of the food issues and intolerances seen so often in autism. I also go into some detail about mast cell activation syndrome (or MCAS), the symptoms experienced by those who have MCAS, and why MCAS is so hard to diagnose.

I talk about my experience — symptoms in childhood that were probably related to mast cells, how my symptoms got worse over time, and what finally led to a diagnosis. I briefly cover my main triggers — salicylates and histamines, what type of doctor finally helped me, and the timeline of my autism and hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome diagnoses (hEDS). The geneticist who diagnosed my hEDS said something very, very interesting about a potential new condition all its own! I talk about that, too!

If you would like to submit a question to possibly be answered in a future episode, please email kristen@other-autism.com

To access the video format of this episode or to read additional notes on the research presented here, check out The Other Autism's YouTube channel.

If you like what I do and want to show your support, please head over to The Other Autism's Patreon page and consider donating as little as $1 a month.