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Self Diagnosis; Why the Controversy?

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I have to say that I don't trust self diagnosis. You're not necessarily autistic just because you say you are. Only a trained professional can distinguish between an ASD and other disorders. Self diagnosis is not scientific.

You do of course realise that a person is what they are regardless of what the "experts" may say, that these "experts" can be (and often are) wrong, and that when it comes to the impartial examination of evidence, the maintenance of detachment, and the ability to refrain from allowing how one feels about the end result of such investigation to shape the course of that investigation, that us "Aspies" are second-to-none, the best in the world.

If all of the "symptoms" are there, if what is occurring to oneself fits the criteria, and if it explains virtually EVERYTHING about one's life, then who are you to say that we are all wrong to do this? In my particular case, an "official" diagnosis wouldn't achieve a single thing, it wouldn't tell me anything new, anything I don't already know about myself. Self-examination is something that I have practiced since... well, long before you were even born, judging by your photo. I know myself better than anyone else does, or even possibly could, so yes, I am self-diagnosed.
 
I have to say that I don't trust self diagnosis. You're not necessarily autistic just because you say you are. Only a trained professional can distinguish between an ASD and other disorders. Self diagnosis is not scientific.

I beg to differ, trained professionals make errors quite a lot, especially in regard to females on the spectrum. If you already have a couple of science degrees is that enough? Or do you have to be a specialist?

Is understanding and comprehending autism and being intelligent enough to comprehend it all and put it all together something only 'professionals' can do? Because everyone else is too stupid? Don't think so, and don't put too much faith in specialists. As it is most people with high functioning autism know more about the disorder than many professionals.
 
Admittedly, I've self-diagnosed myself with high-functioning Asperger's. But this was only after spending a year or so doing research on it, and I'm not the type of person to assume I have a condition over a few mild symptoms (i.e. I feel hot and I have a bit of a stomach ache, so I must have the flu!). But on the other hand, I wouldn't want someone who is NT and shy sometimes going around and telling their friends and family they have Asperger's. So I can understand why someone would expect others to get an official diagnosis, and why I still want to get one.
 
I think part of the problem is misunderstanding about what people mean by self diagnosis by an Aspie.

I think people hear self diagnosis and think that some one has a bad head ache and Googles "bad head ache".

The first result is a migraine site which an the person (idiot) then "diagnoses" themselves as a migraine sufferer.

I tell people I have Aspergers and they annoyinglyy think I've done the above.

In reality I would have done three tests, annd done 10 - 20 hours of research, and then I would have communicated my thought to some one else who knows me well to get external feedback. I'd then find communities of these people and interrogate them to find if their expereince matched mine.

Then, after about 2-3 weeks I would consider the diagnosis complete.

So for me, I would have spent 10 - 20 times longer than an expert, and I'd be coming at it from a purely logical and detatched reference point, and have the benefit of 360 degree feedback and objective experience.

I've spent 30 years in one form of analytical learning or work or another, and I find I am generally faster and much more accurate than most NTs at any analytical work.
 
I am very much against self-diagnosis for medical conditions (including mental health conditions, I do not think self-diagnosing with serious conditions like depression and PTSD is a good thing, if you suspect you have such issues you should see your doctor). I know a few people who insist on googling their medical issues and self-diagnosing before going to their GP (or not going to see their GP at all, just self-diagnosing and then assuming they are right and either self-treating, doing nothing at all, or going on the internet and spreading misinformation) and it causes nothing but problems. However, I think that self-diagnosing with something like aspergers/autism is fine. It's not a medical condition, it can't be cured, it's just a part of who we are, and I don't think that fundamental parts of your own personality need to be diagnosed unless you want to access services.

I self diagnosed before getting an official diagnosis and I can't even begin to describe the relief I felt to have an explanation for why I had felt different and struggled with so many things throughout my life, and the comfort finding a community I could relate to gave me.

I think that self-diagnosis can be an extremely positive thing, and don't really see how it causes problems for the autistic community. I mean, the sort of people who think less of autistic people just because some people self diagnose are surely the sort of people who would cling to any excuse to dismiss us, and not the of of people who's opinions we should give a **** about, and it's not like self-diagnosed people can claim any services so no one can claim that they're abusing the system.

The only problem I can see with self-diagnosis is if people then adopt other traits of autism (whether consciously or subconsciously) and make it into a bigger issue than it is.
 
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Ummm if you suspect you have an illness you go to a doctor.You Don't self diagnose cancer so why with something as complicated as ASD.
My wife thought I might be Autistic and I went to see a doctor.I got assessed and found I was but it just as easily could have been a miriade of other things.
If you self diagnose you cannot call your autistic as you are not qualified to make that assessment and its actually insulting to those who have this 'disorder'.
 
With something like Aspergers I think no one is more qualified to diagnose you than you. Think about it. You know yourself way better than a doctor would. I never knew much about autism until a Friend posted a Temple Grandin video. When she described her childhood I knew without a doubt she was just like me. Then when I found this forum I realized that there are thousands of others just like me. Up until then I had no clue why I was so different.

I would say for most health problems you may need a doctor's diagnosis, but for something like autism where it's not as simple as a blood test, a self diagnosis can be very accurate.
 
I don't believe there is a controversy, but I do not believe in self diagnosis. At least not in being able to actually call yourself an aspie. Before I got an official diagnosis, I was 80% sure I had aspergers, (I didn't call myself an aspie) but us people with aspergers are often pretty sure about ourselves and our knowledge even when we are wrong. The issue I have with self diagnosis is right there, not only does a person who may have one or more issues with things who has felt like an outsider gravitate toward an answer.... we are also assuming we know as much or more than the 'expert.' When in reality we don't.

As some have said, I relate it to a physical doctor; if you have trouble breathing and a lingering cough, you can go to webmd and self diagnose yourself with allergies. But you may actually have asthma or the beginnings of a severe lung condition, such as cancer. There are too many different diagnoses with similar symptoms. And you need someone who has studied all of them extensively to determine which one you have.

There are many autism related syndromes; Angelman Syndrome, Asperger’s Syndrome, Fragile X Syndrome, Lanau-Kleffner Syndrome, Prader-Willi Syndrome, Rett Syndrome, Tardive Dyskinesia, and Williams Syndrome. As well as many other syndromes unrelated to autism that can have similar symptoms and traits as aspergers.

How many self diagnosed aspies have not only studied aspergers syndrome but also studied all the other autism related syndromes and every other unrelated syndrome or issue in order to not only find the answer but also rule out all the others?

I have seen many posts on various sites where people describe themselves and the issues they have, and while i empathize with them and understand their need to find the answer they have been looking for. But often what the people describe is more like someone with OCD and social anxiety, or ADHD and social anxiety. Other people come along and say, hey that sounds like me... I have aspergers too. I stopped going to all these forums for information because the water is too muddied.

To get a true diagnosis, they have to not only think you have aspergers but also rule out all the other possible diagnoses. On top of that a person can have two or three of the aspergian syptoms and still not get a diagnosis. You have to have six of the symptoms to be official. Because with six you have crossed the thresh hold of being beyond the average population.

Ultimately the reason I believe in an official diagnosis is because of treatment, I don't believe aspergers is curable as some do. I believe it it has physiological origins and there are differences in the brain that are just there. I believe that to address an issue, or to work on yourself, you need to know exactly what you are dealing with. You don't want to treat lung cancer with allergy medicine. And you don't work on social anxiety the same way you work on an aspie's anti-social behavior. They are different even if they seem the same. Someone with social anxiety might need to socialize more, where an aspie needs to socialize less to unstress.

So to summerize; I think self-diagnosis leads to misinformation, which leads to more self-diagnosis, which leads to a lot of people not actually getting the help they need.
 
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I don't have a problem with self diagnosis, it might be a problem if the person needs help overcoming their challenges and can't find a mental health professional who understands or believes them. Self diagnosis mostly sets someone on a path of better coping skills, better understanding of one's self etc.
From what I've heard from a few others who self diagnose then got a confirmed diagnosis, they were fed up with doctors who didn't know what they were talking about, fed up with the misdiagnosis's and the medicines being pushed on them for conditions they didn't have. People like that know that doctor's don't know everything. The person that wrote the tumblr post seems to have the opinion that doctor's are omniscient and omnipotent, which just isn't true.
 
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Tbh I hate those, who slap self-diagnosis on themselves like stickers and run around spreading (the obvious) misinformation. Especially in 'Muricaland where identity politics is trending right now. The more out of the ordinary ("opressed") you are, the more popular you are in SJW and far-liberal circles.

Those who are genuinely concerned that they have some sort of a disorder rarely tell it to anyone they meet, only when they really have to. At least in my experience. And I always say that I'm 90% sure that I'm an Aspie because I know that as much as I want to trust my own judgement and cold objectiveness self-diagnosis is not an official one.
 
I am self-diagnosed, but I don't tell many people about it, and the most I will say is that I have strong suspicions that I am on the spectrum. Most of the people I have told don't believe me.

I understand the blogger's point of view. AS has become one of the trendy disorders, and people can be quick to diagnose themselves or someone else with it. It used to be ADHD, and still is to some degree. "Oh, my kid can't sit still in class, must have ADHD." Or, "That guy's weird, I think he must have AS or something." On the medical side, these days everyone is gluten intolerant, lactose intolerant, and allergic to nuts. The blogger mentions a common problem with medical students who spend hours reading symptoms of all kinds of illnesses and convince themselves that they have some kind of terminal or disabling disease. It is hard to stay detached and have an unbiased perspective on yourself. The blogger points out that many disorders have a lot of symptoms in common with other diseases, and that some of those symptoms can appear in perfectly healthy people. So someone has a headache and looks up on the Internet what could cause a headache and starts to think they have something serious. For things like AS, it takes a lot of time and a lot of knowledge to rule out other possibilities before a diagnosis can be reached.

That said, I think there is a lot of quackery in the mental health professions. Nearly all of the therapists I have seen over the years have diagnosed me as being depressed and anxious. (Seems that stimming looks like anxiety to a lot of them.) Most of them have pushed me to take antidepressants. I have tried a half dozen of them, with horrible results. They have side effects that just make me miserable. I don't believe I am depressed. I greatly enjoy skiing, bicycling, walking my dog, laughing at funny sitcoms on TV, and eating good healthy food that I prepare myself.

I believe that high-functioning autism makes more sense than any diagnosis the mental health professionals have come up with. It would explain lifelong patterns of feeling (and being seen as) "different," difficulty making and keeping friends, a spotty employment history, disastrous dating, and a tendency to become isolated from other people. But I can't rule out the possibility that my parents just didn't socialize me properly at a young age, I spent too much time watching TV by myself, and I didn't get very good career advice. I did well in school, even though I didn't fit in very well, so everyone assumed I would turn out OK. At 62 years old, I don't know if I could get a medical diagnosis of autism, and I don't know if there would be enough benefit to justify the time and expense to get one.

Whether self-diagnosed or with a medical diagnosis, I agree with the blogger that it is best used to provide a perspective and framework for understanding, rather than an excuse for failure or bad behavior.
 
Not sure if I'd go so far to say this reflects any distinct "controversy".

A bias perhaps, for some who tend to rely exclusively on the findings of a professional medical community who at times don't seem to be on the same page over this complex neurological designation.

I just can't worked up over such issues given the possibility of error on the part of those medical professionals. And then there are outsiders like politicians and insurers who seek to influence the diagnostic process to reduce medical costs and claims. A whole lot to skew the process whether it involves a formal diagnosis or not.

So if it gives one peace of mind, have at it. If not, that's ok too.

Though in my own case, ultimately it's what I think. Not anyone else, whether formally diagnosed or not. Whatever one chooses to label whatever condition one actually has, it is they who ultimately has to find ways to live with it. I have no intention of using such a diagnosis to attain entitlements or any attention at all. In real life I live a rather isolated existence, and at best interact with others on a superficial basis only whether people pick up on my traits and behaviors or not. It's never been any kind of "badge of honor" to me personally. Just a conclusion attained over several years of research and interaction with others who share many of my own traits and behaviors.

Though my comorbid conditions of chronic clinical depression, OCD and social anxiety were formally diagnosed before Aspergers Syndrome was a mainstream concern within the American psychiatric/neurological medical community. For me alone, I liken understanding my condition not unlike any GLBT who eventually concludes they are not heterosexual in whole or in part. Though admittedly I'm apt to suspect this is a much more complex self-realization in comparison.

For myself, I simply enjoy the satisfaction of being able to answer some of the most deep and sometimes dark questions of who and what I am so late in life. And why my life has evolved in a very specific way.

I'm good with this. Whether others are under similar circumstances or not is their decision and not mine. Though had I stumbled onto it all more than 30 years earlier I might have drawn a different conclusion. And equally perhaps if the global medical community was in "scientific lockstep" on a single, concise diagnostic process that too might have altered my feelings on such issues.
 
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Seeing how it's nearly impossible for a 50 plus adult male to get a diagnosis because they have spent their entire lives learning how to adapt to an NT world, sometimes self diagnosis is the only option.
 
I also want to add that Tumblr is not really the best site to go to for the most tolerant of opinions. There are some great people there, but there are also some incredibly stubborn people that believe their thoughts, knowledge, beliefs, etc. are correct and nothing can change that.

Overall from what I've seen, the majority of Tumblr accounts (or at least the ones I follow) do treat self diagnosis as valid.
 
I can't afford to seek a professional diagnosis. It's hundreds of dollars and requires involving family in the process, since, as an adult, they go off childhood anecdotes and observations.
Do you always need a "professional" to tell you you have anxiety, depression, an eating disorder, or alcoholism? Probably not, because presumably, with enough self-reflection, some things are just self-evident.
 
I think I'm semi-self-diagnosed... I'm totally for self-diagnosis and I appreciate how people can be so sure of themselves. For me, I have a hard time wondering whether I'm making it all up (my husband says I'm not haha). But ASD does explain a lot of things that are kind of "weird" about my life. When I was 18 and I went off to university away from home, it was super traumatizing-- hard time making friends, hated being away from my parents, hated the lack of structure (I did well at sleepaway camps as a teenager, but there were curfews and bedtimes and no one was allowed to drink or party), hated the noise in the dorms to the point that it worsened my anxiety. Nothing "bad" actually happened to me though. I definitely have OCD tendencies, too, (and I have relatives with OCD, but I haven't been diagnosed), so I always assumed ALL of my obsessiveness came from that. And I used a lot of OCD therapy books on my own to deal with it and kind of change my thinking.

Anyways, but when I did some serious research on ASD, it explained my reactions to university and all of my rigidness that OCD didn't really cover. It just fit better.

So, I like that, but I don't feel like I can describe myself as having ASD to just anyone. I don't feel completely sure, but I also don't know whether I would actually seek a diagnosis (I've heard that adults with ASD diagnoses can have a hard time adopting children, and that's something I definitely want to do in the future). I might just be stuck with secret self-diagnosis for now!
 
To be honest I think it is a good idea for someone who self diagnosed themselves with some form of Autism to get an official diagnosis, its a way to actually see if you have it. But then I guess sometimes self diagnosing is your only option.
 
More a case of 'If the cap fits' wear it.

Ie if it help you I your life to define yourself I such a way then good.

What my doctor asked me years ago about a different issue 'does it help?'

Then do that then.

Flexibility is key in finding ways to treat ourselves well.

Everything can go wrong in life, diagnosed or not,incorrectly or not.

Does it help?

Keep your hat on.
 
If you self diagnose you cannot call your autistic as you are not qualified to make that assessment and its actually insulting to those who have this 'disorder'.

Sorry, but that's BS


----self censored ----

BTW, I have no problem with people not believing in self diagnosis, that's your opinion - your choice.

I believe in inclusion not exclusion. So what if some self diagnosed (or incorrectly doctors diagnosed) Aspie may better fit the category of ADHD, or schizophrenia? As long as it helps them, thats really ok.
 
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I can't afford to seek a professional diagnosis. It's hundreds of dollars and requires involving family in the process, since, as an adult, they go off childhood anecdotes and observations.
Do you always need a "professional" to tell you you have anxiety, depression, an eating disorder, or alcoholism? Probably not, because presumably, with enough self-reflection, some things are just self-evident.

That's another reason I don't see any need for an official diagnosis. It's not like they can give me a pill and cure me so why spend $200 on an office visit then spend another $1000 or so to see a specialist? I know who I am.

I went to the doctor two weeks ago for anxiety and rapid heartbeat. He gave me anxiety meds. You know what the problem was? I'm now allergic to MSG. I should have self diagnosed in the first place and saved my $200. All doctors want to do is get that kickback from the drug companies. I quit eating MSG and I'm cured. No more anxiety.
 
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