Very confused if this is bipolar with ASD

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I posted this (below) in the general autism tab a few days ago, and similar messages in the past, but no one ever seems to respond. I'm guessing that no one really relates to what I am saying, which got me thinking that maybe it is not common for an ASD to do this.

About10 years ago, well before I was diagnosed with autism, I wondered if I had bipolar disorder. My unstable moods have always been the hardest thing in my life to deal with, and are a permanent issue since I was a teenager.

There has always been a level of confusion with my issues. When I was diagnosed with autism it made sense, but it doesnt really explain everything. My mood and abilities are so unstable. I go into these dark places sometimes for weeks, or back and forth even within a day having what I would call suicide attacks. Any feedback appreciated.

Do your mood or ability shifts have causes or do they appear out of nowhere?

Generally out of nowhere. I usually put it down to an accumulation of overwhelm over a period of time, but it doesn't really make sense because most of the time I can't identify anything at all that was overwhelming me.

For example, 3 weeks ago I very suddenly feel into a depression/shutdown that lasted two weeks. Then for one week I was fantastic and productive and felt like I could take on anything (not euphoric though). Then after one week of that I was back feeling like crap again. In that one week that I felt good I can't see any reason why it would lead to being overwhelmed again so suddenly.

And this is how it always is- I don't really have any time where I would say I feel an "even" mood or ability to function.

For me, sometimes just overdoing everyday life can cause periods of shutdown ... a build up of small stresses without small recoveries after each one can mess up my functioning pretty badly.

My level of functioning fluctuates too -- but the functioning-fluctuations for me aren't in sync with mood so much as with mental bandwidth, sensory issues, and environment.

If you can't identify any cause for the shifts, then in my completely unprofessional opinion, your concerns about having mood issues of some kind are justified. If you aren't totally sure that the shifts have no cause, do you think it would help to keep a diary of your activities to see if you could find any linkages? If you are sure (or sure enough, or if the diary idea is unhelpful) do you have a counsellor or doctor you trust who you could talk to about your concerns?

alexi, if I were you, I would go to an autism or bipolar specialist to find out. Because a normal psychiatrist will be easily overstrained by this combination.