I personally believe that the purpose of self-diagnosis is to find self-understanding, community, and resources. (This is one major reason I am in favor of self-diagnosis to begin with; descriptive labels can be very helpful for this process.) If you have different goals, you may have to modify this process to fit that. You can also do this out of order if it's more helpful for you that way.
Step 1: Narrow it down. This is when you go from having no idea to having some idea. You may have done this already, and already have an idea of what diagnosis you may have. If not, google some of the main symptoms you're concerned about and read a bit about what comes up. The results may suggest certain mental health conditions. Write down any disorder that seems plausible or that you don't know much about (even if stigmatized or scary ones come up!) to investigate further.
Step 2: Look at memes. (Yes, really.) Scroll the tags for the disorder(s) on your list and see how much of it is relatable to you, without assuming that relating means you have it. The purpose of this step is to become more accustomed to the idea of what this disorder actually looks like, get a feel for the community you will be entering (if you choose to), and maybe have some myths debunked for you. This part of the process will make you feel more comfortable and less intimidated by what's ahead, as well as help you get a feel for the basics so you're not starting from nothing in your research.
Step 3: Research! Read Wikipedia, read the DSM/ICD, read complaints people with the disorder have against the DSM/ICD, read books, read scientific articles, read criticisms of scientific articles. (Conveniently, this blog is dedicated to making this step a whole lot easier.) Read about causes, symptoms, timeline, treatment, stigma, theories. Understand the disorder(s) you're considering inside and out, front and back.
Step 4: Differential diagnosis. This is the step most people skip. This is when you take a step back once you have an idea of what it might be and ask yourself, "What are some alternate explanations? Is there anything else that might explain it better?" This may lead you to realize you were "one step away" (Examples: thinking you have ADHD when autism actually describes you better, thinking you have ASPD when NPD actually describes you better, etc), or that you actually have both. Don't just read the DSM "differential diagnosis" section; research similar disorders in depth as well, as much as you're able to. (There are resources for this on this blog as well.) Sometimes, you also need to consider physical health ailments. For example, if you have a sleep disorder, that can be the actual cause of your ADHD symptoms. Additionally, don't double count your symptoms.
Step 5: Consider professional diagnosis/treatment. Before you make an official decision on whether or not you want to seek out professional help (if it's an option for you), do your research. Don't listen to fearmongering on how many rights you'll lose if you get a diagnosis OR people saying that you have no recovery options except therapy. Look into what the process of getting a diagnosis would be, what availability there is in your area, what the medical and legal consequences would be (find actual credible sources), what professional treatment might look like for you, and what self-help options are out there. Then use all of this information to decide what's right FOR YOU.
Further reading:
- How to do research
- The Diagnostic Process
- DSM-5 handbook of differential diagnosis
- How is the DSM-5 flawed?
- My blog!
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