Closing a Chapter: On Misdiagnosis, Context, and Neurodivergence

Why the misdiagnosis happened (a big-picture explanation)

This is a follow up on my life story so far from my homepage.

What happened was a mismatch in interpretation, not a personal failing.

A high-verbal neurodivergent profile (autism + ADHD), combined with years of masking, mirroring and adapting under stress, can sometimes produce behaviours that resemble mood or personality disorders from the outside. When context, developmental history, and medication effects aren’t fully accounted for, surface intensity can be misread.

In my case, distress followed environment and pressure, not spontaneous cycles. Core values, sense of self, and ethical awareness remained consistent. Insight and self-reflection were always present. Those patterns don’t align with bipolar disorder or BPD. They align with Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD.

Medication response helped clarify things further: reducing the wrong treatments led to greater clarity and stability, not relapse. Increased autonomy and better fit reduced distress rather than amplifying it.

Once the correct neurodevelopmental framework (AuDHD) was applied, things became clearer and functioning stabilised and returned to baseline.

The earlier explanation didn’t fit the evidence.

Updating the framework resolved the issue.