What a lot of people think self-dxing is:
*sees a video of traits* I do that, so now I’m gonna call myself that
What it actually is:
*sees video or post about traits* oh hey I do that
*gets curious and looks it up*
*denies having it cause “i don’t relate to this at all”*
*realizes that they do, diagnostic criteria are just very ridged and don’t provide a lot of explanation*
*maybe a breakdown or two*
*talks to friends who have it*
*laughing about this anxiety, only for the scary moment of “oh yeah no that sounds like *insert disorder here**
*talks to a therapist if able*
*talks to strangers who have it*
“Maybe it’s not this, maybe it’s this...”
*More research to try to prove themselves wrong*
*realizes all the childhood/teenage moments that should have been a red flag*
“Well, all these other people have it like this, but mine is different, so I don’t have it!” “No, that’s still a trait/symptom, just less well know or less sensationalized”
*finally coming to terms that maybe you have it*
*depending on what the disorder is, fearing your social life is fucked*
And that’s that. I have never heard of a person going “haha I do that” and calling it a night. There’s always way more to it.
