Stephanie Davis has high functioning autism

OHMYGOSSIP — Stephanie Davis has been diagnosed with high functioning autism (HFA).
The former ‘Hollyoaks’ actress turned to alcohol to cope with her crippling anxiety but her reliance on booze led to her going to rehab in 2019 after hitting rock bottom, and it was there when she was given her diagnosis.
She told OK! magazine: “Before I was diagnosed with high-functioning autism, drinking was the only thing I knew.
“I needed to drink a bottle of wine before a night out because of my severe anxiety in social settings. I also needed to know the layouts of places. So when I’d walk into somewhere new I’d go, ‘Right, the toilets are there, the bar is there.’
“In the end, my anxiety got so bad I couldn’t leave the house without a drink. If something went wrong, I’d drink. I saw that as my medicine, it was my best friend, but in the end it destroyed me to the point I wanted to take my own life.
“I was so low after that I was drinking myself to death.
“I got dragged to rehab by my parents and they said, ‘Please help her because she’s going to die’. My mental health was so bad, it wasn’t just addiction. That’s when a consultant psychiatrist recognised my traits and told me I had high-functioning autism, as well as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
“When I got the diagnosis, I didn’t really understand what it meant, but as soon as I did my research I was like, ‘Whoa, that is me.’ Everything jumped out and it made me feel more at ease because I felt, ‘It’s not just me.’ It made me accept myself for the first time and start to look forward. It was the biggest relief.”
The 29-year-old star admitted she is concerned because she has recognised traits in her five-year-old son Caben – who she has with ex-boyfriend Jeremy McConnell – that she showed herself when she was young.
She said: “When I was little, my mum and dad would think I was spoilt because I’d have strops if they said we were going to do something and then changed the plans. I’d have a meltdown and I struggled so much.
“With Caben, I see little traits with him that are the same. I do think ‘Oh no’ because when I was at school I didn’t get any help. I was just the naughty kid, or the one not concentrating.
“I never had that support and I do wonder if things would have got so bad for me if I’d have had that support when I was younger. That’s why I’m keeping such a close eye on Caben, so I can get him help if he needs it.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

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