Alright. I have to air my unpopular opinion on the subject of “Self Diagnosing Autism”. I am NOT saying that being curious about possibly having autism is not ok, I am saying this about the people that think that autism is strictly just an identity and then get angry at the medical community for not diagnosing them. Autism is a medical condition that other conditions such as ADHD, and Social Anxiety can mimic the symptoms of. It is a condition but is also an identity IF one has the condition. I am autistic which means my brain functions entirely differently from the vast majority of the population, although that sounds really cool, it comes with many challenges with dealing with every day life. It’s a medical condition. In many ways I am disadvantaged. I am tired of hearing about those people who wish they were autistic so that they have an excuse for odd behavior that’s more publicly accepted. 1.See a professional. 2.If you don’t like their diagnosis, get a second opinion. 3. Learn to accept yourself. What I am trying to say is, stop self diagnosing and let the medical community do their jobs. They study years for this while most self diagnosers research a few months on the internet and not always from reliable sources. I’m not saying all doctors know everything. That’s where getting a second opinion from another doctor comes into play. Autism is not a fad, it is not strictly an identity, not everyone is autistic and no one can just claim Autism for themselves like they can with other identities or labels. I get angry reading some of these things people type about wishing they had autism because here I am, actually autistic and crying because I cannot fit in with society very well, I can barely make friends and finding/keeping a job is extremely difficult. Again, it’s fine to be curious, do your research and present your concerns to a doctor. I have a friend who I agree MIGHT be on the spectrum like me but he isn’t pursuing a diagnosis, he wonders that about himself but isn’t taking it as an identity nor is he trying to make the rest of society conform to him and his supposed needs. Self diagnosing people who end up acting like entitled brats give actual autistic people who truly need resources a bad name. Autism is NOT STRICTLY AN IDENTITY. AUTISM IS NOT A FAD. AUTISM IS NOT A LABEL FOR ALL. That, my friends, is my Unpopular Opinion.
