Holly Madison always knew that she was introverted and didn't always connect with people, but now she has a much better understanding of what's going on with herself. The Girls Next Door alum shared that she was diagnosed with autism earlier this year.
The 43 year old opened up on the
Talking to Death podcast about her diagnosis and how it's helped reframe her understanding of herself. While she said she's been "suspicious of it for a while," the reality star said her mother's suspicions go all the way back to childhood.
According to her mother, a young Holly would "zone out a lot," while she admitted that she'd always struggled socially, "not recognizing social cues, not picking up on things the same way other people did."
One thing she didn't struggle with, though, was making excuses for her behaviors. She first blamed growing up in Alaska, then the "big social change" of moving to Oregon. She just decided she must be a more introverted person.
Now, though, she can understand why she processes and interacts the way she does after being diagnosed with "high executive functioning autism." Madison was quick to note, "It's not as extreme as for other people. So I'm not a spokesperson for everybody."
"They call it a spectrum for a reason," she added.
On the
Call Her Daddy podcast back in 2021, Madison had floated the idea that she was "not neurotypical," thinking perhaps she had Asperger's syndrome, a term no longer used and considered part of the larger autism spectrum disorder.
toofab.com
feeling when u come to terms with ur autism is simply unparalleled.
