Robbie Williams reveals autism diagnosis - nine signs you may have condition
Robbie Williams has been diagnosed with what he has described as 'a little bit of autism', as the former boyband star opened up about the 'weird' things he does.
According to King's College London, there's anywhere from hundreds of thousands to over a million people living in the UK right now who are autistic but undiagnosed, with 89 per cent of those over 40 years old remaining so.
Per Bluesprig Autism, autism is now being diagnosed more frequently, thanks to a wider criterion, more understanding of the condition, and more opportunities for screening.
So, with that, we've recently seen quite the jump in people being able to be diagnosed and supported at an earlier age - but also a lot of people who were never picked up as kids.
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One of those people was the Angels hitmaker, who shares that he has struggled with co-occurring conditions like anxiety and ADHD throughout his life.
Calling his diagnosis his 'get-out-of-jail-free card' to explain his 'weird' habits, Williams explained during the launch of his clothing brand Hopeium at Flannels, per the New Zealand Herald: “I have ADHD, and I just found out I have a bit of autism as well, which I actually f****** love because it explains so much.
“It is my get-out-of-jail-free card now, and all the weird s*** that I do, I just say, ‘Sorry, I’m autistic.’
“With the ADHD, you can completely and utterly concentrate on something 1000%, but with absolutely everything else, you just cannot do it. Ask my kids.”
When it comes to autism, the NHS has provided a helpful page which summarises some of the ways it might present itself in an adult - both in men and women.
For example, here are the nine signs of autism that many may experience in later life:
- find it hard to talk to other people
- spend more time alone than with others
- find it hard to understand people’s facial expressions, gestures or tone of voice
- take things literally and find it hard to understand traditional sayings
- have set ways of doing things
- get distressed when routines change
- do repetitive movements
- be very focussed on specialist interests
- be very sensitive, or not sensitive at all, to light, sounds, smells, tastes or textures
Beyond that, the service also notes that things like struggling in school, college and keeping a job may not come easily.
Building friendships and having relationships might also be something of an issue, as well as struggling with mental health problems.
In women, things can look a little different due to socialisation, and environments, and internal processing.
The NHS explains it could shop up in these ways:
- copy how other people behave
- appear to cope well with social situations
- be very quiet in situations you find difficult and hide your feelings
- show fewer signs of repetitive behaviours than autistic men
- have a mental health condition such as anxiety, depression or an eating disorder
The NHS suggests contacting your GP if you believe you are autistic but note that those waiting times can be pretty long! So be prepared to wait for the referral and assessments to come through.
Topics: Robbie Williams, Music, Celebrity
Britt Jones