how self dx can be extremely helpful - stream of consciousness / ramble
can i just say how fucking infuriating it is when a kid gets to the ER and describes symptoms that are clearly those of migraines with aura and the doctors/nurses just say "damn dunno what that is but it's over now so bye!"
like, migraines aren't a super rare thing. why tf don't they realise that maybe that's what's going on? my sister was undiagnosed her whole childhood and would just live with her migraine attacks not knowing why she'd lose her balance and vision. it was our dad who finally connected the dots and then my sister doing her own research into it before the doctors actually diagnosed her
i think informed self diagnosis is extremely valuable. of course get the opinion of professionals if/when you can. but fuck, doctors can miss so many obvious clues, especially when they only see you for maybe 10 minutes and you barely have a language for what you're experiencing
it is of course not for everyone to research your unexplained symptoms - maybe you deal with health anxiety and researching will just hurt you more than it will help you. but if you are able to, i really think doing your own research before going to a doctor is very valuable. you can save time this way, since a doctor visit is so short
also i recommend seeking information from both medical websites and from people who deal with these symptoms themselves. hearing it from people who actually live with the symptoms can be so valuable. maybe someone will even be open to questions!
last personal anecdote is a friend of mine, who started having weird experiences they didn't have before. they looked it up on the internet and found that it very much seemed like they were developing schizophrenia. they called their doctor, told them their concerns, got evaluated with a quick set of questions and the doctors agreed with my friend's suspicion. my friend made an informed self diagnosis and it helped them get treatment much quicker
okay this is the very last one, but my sisters have also self diagnosed and been confirmed by doctors afterwards. it makes the diagnostic process that much quicker. you know yourself way better than the doctor who only sees you when you are in their office for maybe 10 minutes at a time
do your own research. get a second evaluation if you don't feel like the first doctor got it right. be open to being wrong about the disorder you suspected, but also know that a doctor can get it wrong as well, so make sure to be as informed as you can and have a good, open dialogue with your doctor. work together towards an answer and treatment
ok i'm out, be kind to yourselves and stay safe <3
