#self-diagnosis

[twinkle-twink]

A few more userboxes, disability edition! Few things to note:

I am disabled myself

I have an official diagnosis, however, I believe everyone's experience is different, and I know from experience how hard it is to get a diagnosis, so I'm pro self-diagnosis

I've used both disability and person first language when I could because I believe it's up to the individual to pick which one applies best

I only included what I feel are common disabilities to see online, I'm probably going to add more some day (feel free to ask)

Ableism or mean comments will not be tolerated so if you don't like it, think it's "fake", "cringe" or that it's "just a trend, everyone is disabled nowadays", keep your opinions to yourself, this is a safe place. Thank you kindly 🫶

[openmindpsych]

even if there hypothetically was a bunch of people falsely self-diagnosing with ADHD, you have to consider the societal structures behind why that would happen.

think about the people who would want to label themselves as ADHD. it's not a bunch of perfectly happy and functional people wishing that they were less happy and functional. it's people who already struggle with attention, productivity, emotional regulation, etc. and want that to be treated as valid and worth accommodating in an ableist society that punishes all unproductive behavior.

it's people who are already labeled as lazy, stupid, dramatic, sensitive, and so on. people who already struggle. people who need acceptance instead of blame and aren't getting it. people who need help and accommodations and social support that isn't offered to them otherwise.

those are the things that you can often only get with a diagnostic label, including self-diagnosis. we should be asking why that is, why people aren't getting help otherwise, why the label is so important. not why people would ever "want to have ADHD".

[funpolls]

Do you have any self-diagnosed conditions?

Yes, mental

Yes, physical

Yes, both

No, but I have my suspicions

No, all my conditions are professionally diagnosed

No, I don't have any medical conditions

It's more complicated than any of these

I don't know/ I don't care

See Results

Voting ended onAug 3, 2024

[weirdstrangeandawful]

Anyone who has self-diagnosed as having executive dysfunction needs to be able to know what the executive functions are.

This is not a post against self diagnosis and this is certainly not a post against what your doctor has told you.

I don't need you to memorise what the executive functions are; I need you to know and have known what they are and what it means for them to be dysfunctional.

I am no overmedicalising here: when you are self-diagnosing, you are diagnosing yourself in medical terms. You are saying 'yes, I understand this to the level that is required for a formal diagnosis and the only thing inhibiting me is access to a medical diagnosis'. If you don't have that level of certaintly, that is 100% okay and so many of us have been there or are there with you and it's terrifying. We get it. But you need more information for your own safety because there are many scary things that can happen if you get this wrong.

If you need something to fight for, fight for the access to the services that are required.

If anyone needs a bare-minimum reference, here is a diagram of the executive functions and how they interact:

Oh and... this isn't an ADHD or autism post by the way. This is a neurodivergence post. If this blows up, I don't want to see anyone attacked for having the 'wrong' type of neurodivergence here because I also have the wrong type.

[healingwgabs]

I've always been pro self-diagnosis... unless you're a hypochondriac, in which case DO NOT self-diagnose, u DO NOT have that thing!!!

[veinflowers]

How to properly self-diagnose (in my opinion, specifically neurodiversity)

Before Notes: The example I will be using most is Autism for most of this because I know many suspected Autistic people or self-diagnosed Autistic people, and Autism self-diagnosing is most familiar to me. Also, mostly talking about Neurodiversity since visible disabilities and mental health disorders usually are less undiagnosed than Neurodiverse conditions. And "conditions" are in no way meant to offend anybody. It's just the only term I can use that is considered neutral to most people I've talked to.

Disclaimer: Keep in mind that I am clinically diagnosed. However, I acknowledge that clinical diagnoses can be limited, inaccessible, and expensive so I am providing this guide as a temporary solution. Please try to get an actual diagnosis before assuming anything fully. If you are self-diagnosed, specify this. You aren't "officially" that condition you suspect you are yet. You are not a professional but you do know yourself and how your own brain works the best. This also prevents misunderstanding but if someone accuses you of faking for being self-diagnosed, they don't know what self-diagnosis really is.

Steps (w/ long descriptions):

1. Recognize that having a few symptoms, doesn't necessarily mean you have that condition. For example, stimming is a symptom of Autism. However, allistic (non-Autistic) people stim and stimming is a thing that every person does. And also, recognize that relating to the people with those conditions doesn't necessarily mean you have that condition either. People have similar experiences all the time. That just makes us (physically) the same species. 2. Only study and research your suspected conditions from websites, books, and other sources that are informational or considered valid. For a website, you can tell it's informational if when reading the text, it doesn't provoke any extreme emotions like anger. This is standard when researching anything for any purpose. If it it ends with .gov or .edu, it's likely to be more reliable. Sometimes, .org is okay if it is a medical company like kp.org. 3. Find a community related to that condition. For example (Autism self-diagnosing example), the actually Autistic community on Reddit or Tumblr. Or most preferably, find Autistic people in real life. Ask questions, gather their feedback, and take that feedback into consideration. Remember that if someone (who has that condition) says they don't think you have your suspected condition that it shouldn't be taken in offense. You may just not present enough symptoms to qualify as that condition. 4. Once you've gathered enough evidence, if you can or when you are old enough to do it on your own, ask your doctor about it and try to get a medical diagnosis. I understand that getting a proper evaluation to be diagnosed can be difficult, depending on where you live so this may take years to get even on the waitlist of being evaluated but I still highly recommend it, especially if you genuinely want to know. It's all about your patience and while you're waiting, remember that you are valid. And you have every right to want to get to know yourself better.

Why self-diagnosis is helpful:

It can help with loneliness or feeling isolated from the people around you.

It can help you find strategies to deal with struggles you have, maybe due to you maybe having that suspected condition.

It can help you become more aware about who you are.

It can clear up confusion.

It can help you know that whatever you are experiencing is normal, no matter what condition you have and even if you don't have any conditions.

After note/disclaimer (since if someone browses our posts, they might assume something like this): This is also not anything that has to do with plurality since most (non-disordered) plural systems that diagnosed DID or OSDD systems fake-claim are not self-diagnosing themselves as DID or OSDD. It's just commonly believed that DID and OSDD are the only forms of valid plurality. There is a reason why non-disordered systems call themselves "non-disordered". They aren't claiming to be DID or OSDD. And plurality is more diverse than it is commonly thought of. So is every human (physically) brain and person(s).

-Zero/Sal

Terminology note: Writing "(physically)" after "human" because I don't want to exclude any fellow alterhumans reading this.

Edit: I found this Diagnosis Checklist Masterpost that is helpful but should probably still be taken with a grain of salt even though it is heavily referenced from the DSM-5. I also do not recommend referencing this if you have hypochondria or have constant anxiety about disorder symptoms.

[audhd-space]

hi so i think i may or may not have autism and ADHD but i'm really scared to get diagnosed because my family isn't supportive of the neurodivergent community and i'm pretty sure my parents would flip if i asked them to get diagnosed since they're alr toxic af and put down my ass every day but my life's become a living hell because i'm 95% sure that all of my "bad habits" and "tics" are just adhd and autism things and they've really manifested over the last few months and i have no clue what to do because it's a lose lose situation either way and please PLEASE tell me you have advice or at least tips on how to deal with this

Hey there. I am so sorry to hear what happened to you.

Please prioritise your safety first. You can get to formal diagnosis later when you are more financially stable and in better place.

I would like to let you know that self-diagnosis is valid. Your ADHD and Autism are valid even if you have no means to get official diagnosis, because there are a lot of barriers to getting one.

I’m not sure whether you are still in school or have already started working, but for now if you’re stuck at home—here is a few resources I think would be helpful:

1. Self-Diagnosis-Friendly Resources and Communities

2. Embrace Autism

3. Am I Autistic? A Guide to Diagnosis for Adults

Am I Autistic? A Guide to Diagnosis for Adults - Autism Awareness

With the availability of  information about autism spectrum disorders (ASD) on the internet and other media sources, some adults may start t

[penguicorns-are-cool]

BTW people

if you feel like you shouldn't use a label to describe yourself because "it'll invalidate the label" or "what if it doesn't apply to me" or "I'll be intruding in a community I don't belong in"

stop it, use the label

I promise you, if you use one of the same labels as me and one day realize that it didn't really fit that doesn't hurt me at all, not one little bit. Even if you interact with me all the time, no effect on me whatsoever what label you use.

Same goes for most all labels. The people in that group will not be affected by you using the same word to describe yourself.

you know who will be affected? You. It will help you describe yourself and your experiences to others. Even if that experience or your understanding of that experience changes and you start using different labels. The only thing you did was help yourself communicate your identity and experiences.