Double Act: Navigating a Dual Diagnosis

Jun 8, 2025

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I was diagnosed with Autism at the end of April, so I now have a dual diagnosis of Autism and combined ADHD. I personally like to use the acronym AuDHD, but some don’t, and it’s not an official term used within diagnostics yet.

Having AuDHD is like watching a teenager and an old woman argue over the TV channel they want to have on, almost constantly. One has to win for a while, but not for too long until they have to let the other choose. Sometimes, they manage to find something they both enjoy and all is amicable. And, unfortunately, sometimes they’re flicking between the two and can’t settle on something together, so it’s just a load of flickering pictures and the noise of snippets of dialogue from various conversations. In my case, they’re arguing over the ‘control panel’ in my brain… (if you’ve not seen Inside Out to know what I’m referencing, do it!)

Part of me is introverted, loves my own company and space, likes my familiar surroundings and routines. Then we have the other part who likes to come in with a wrecking ball (hey, Miley Cyrus)… see? And cause utter chaos and sometimes destruction. There is a lot of inner conflict, and what I thought before was cognitive dissonance (behaving in a way that doesn’t align with your beliefs, so having to change your beliefs to justify the behaviour). Now, I know it’s just that I didn’t understand why I was making the decisions I was and why, at the time, they’d feel so genuine, but then I’d question them. Now it makes sense.

Over the Easter weekend, I spent some time with some lovely friends, Becca and Chloe, who also happen to be identical twins. I’ve always been fascinated by identical twins in that it’s never just a ‘copy and paste’. Their genetics are shared, but they’re not the same person, and they may have a lot of similar interests, traits, and opinions, but they can also be quite different! I always enjoy watching the bond between Becca and Chloe. They’re so close and each other’s best friends, but they definitely don’t always 100% agree with each other, and the way that plays out in conversation very much sounds like a conversation in my head! I can’t remember the specific context, but let’s just say Chloe offered her view on something, and Becca was the voice of reason, painting the full picture. I actually found myself laughing at how much watching them reminded me of my inner thoughts, and in a nice way, showed me that it can be both interesting and fun to sometimes have mixed feelings and opinions about things, and it’s okay to!

Then, I recalled Jacqueline Wilson’s book ‘Double Act’ about the identical twins Ruby and Garnet. Ruby was louder, more extroverted, and could be cheeky and impulsive. Garnet was quieter, more introverted, and the more sensible and thoughtful of the two. But they worked so well together and balanced each other out, and I think that provides a great illustration of how autism and ADHD are two different conditions, but they can also coexist quite nicely and work well for you at times, especially when managed.