Man diagnosed with autism at 42 explains how he was misdiagnosed by doctors for years

A man has reflected on how being diagnosed with autism aged 42 has affected his life.

Tyler Barnett had been labelled as many things as a child, including 'gifted', as well as being diagnosed with a variety of different mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder.

Tyler, from Calabasas in California, told PEOPLE that he had been 'feeling like an imposter' in his own life.

But decades of struggling to understand what was going on changed when the public relations specialist was diagnosed with level 1 autism and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) on April 13, 2026.

Tyler explained that prior to his diagnosis he had felt like he was living his life as though he was on the outside and looking in, and feeling as though there was a gap between him and other people.

He had struggled with his mental health for years (Getty Stock)

Speaking to PEOPLE in an interview, he told them about a memory from his childhood.

“I was watching a group of kids link arms and jump up and down and laugh," he said, "they were doing something from a movie I hadn’t seen or something.

"I was on the outside just watching. I didn’t really understand why they were doing that or why it was fun, but I felt like I didn’t get it or didn’t know how to fit in."

That feeling persisted when he grew up, revealing that adults had also advised him to try and blend in with others, and 'make other people comfortable around me'.

Tyler explained that he felt as though he had to start 'pretending' as a result of this.

But despite seeking therapy, Tyler never really felt as though he was able to get to the bottom of what was wrong.

He said: “I saw a lot of therapists, and the thing about therapy is you can't therapize yourself out of autism."

Tyler said therapy had helped, but not gotten to the bottom of the problem (Getty Stock)

Tyler described how although he found therapy 'helpful', in reality it had 'pulled me further from the truth', and that he had been able to 'get by' using pattern recognition.

Nonetheless, the feelings persisted.

"Internally, I was in so much pain, exhausted, confused, scared and hiding it all," he said.

He was also prescribed medications for his mental health, but because his brain works differently the drugs only resulted in producing ore side-effects, and made him feel worse.

After receiving his diagnosis, he took to social media, where he has a TikTok page under the username @millenialdad, and shared in an emotional video he said: “Today I found out that I'm autistic and I have ADHD…I always have, and nothing's wrong with me.

“I've been mislabeled and mismedicated, and misdiagnosed. I have tried to figure this out myself and I'm so relieved.”

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 to reach a 24-hour crisis center or you can webchat at 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.

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