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

While the subject of self-diagnosis in the autistic community remains controversial, it's essential to shed light on the complexities of this topic. Numerous individuals may have personal reasons for preferring self-diagnosis over a formal one, ranging from accessibility issues to the desire for self-understanding. However, self-diagnosis, especially in the context of autism, can face certain limitations and challenges, which we will delve into below.

Firstly, autism is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder with a wide range of presentations. It is not a single symptom or characteristic but rather a constellation of symptoms that can vary greatly among individuals (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The tools that professionals use to diagnose autism, such as the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) and the Autism Diagnostic Interview, Revised (ADI-R), are thorough and multifaceted, designed to capture this complexity (Lord et al., 2000).

Moreover, the process of diagnosis typically involves not just observing the individual's current behavior but also gathering a comprehensive developmental history. This includes exploring whether autism-related signs were apparent in early childhood, as outlined in the diagnostic criteria of the DSM-5 (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). A self-diagnosing individual may not always have access to this historical information or may not recall it accurately.

Finally, cognitive biases like confirmation bias or self-serving bias may affect self-diagnosis. Confirmation bias refers to our tendency to seek out and focus on information that supports our existing beliefs while ignoring contradictory evidence. Self-serving bias, on the other hand, describes the human tendency to attribute success to personal traits while blaming external factors for failures. These biases may cloud objectivity and result in inaccurate self-diagnoses (Nickerson, 1998).

This is not to downplay the experiences or insight of those who self-diagnose, but to highlight that self-diagnosis may lack the robustness and objectivity of a professional diagnosis. It's always recommended to seek professional advice if possible, especially when dealing with something as complex as autism.

References:

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: Author.

Lord, C., Rutter, M., Goode, S., Heemsbergen, J., Jordan, H., Mawhood, L., & Schopler, E. (2000). Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule: A standardized observation of communicative and social behavior. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 19(2), 185-212.

I'm not saying you shouldn't do research on your symptoms. You totally should! That's how you figure out that something's wrong, and learn about coping mechanisms that can help until you can treatment.

However, it's important not to operate solely off of a self-diagnosis. It's all too easy to mistake one thing for another, and this can have dire consequences. Oftentimes, two conditions with very similar symptoms will have very different causes (e.g., a psychological vs physical cause) which means that they will have very different treatments.

For example: Misophonia is primarily neurological, dealing with how your brain is wired. But hyperacusis can usually be traced to a certain physical event that caused it, and can even be treated with surgery if therapy doesn't work.

Doctors are much more qualified to figure out what's wrong, taking into account not only the details of symptoms, but how they might manifest in different individuals. They are also more qualified to give you different ✨tips and tricks✨ to cope, and recommend treatments to minimize (or hopefully eliminate) the problem.

You deserve proper care! See a doctor - it can make all the difference.

- keep on feeling the love,

🧸𝑀𝒾𝓈𝑜🧸

Why do some people not understand that not everyone can get a diagnosis?

Some people don't have enough money. Other people have abusive parents and are minors. And there are many other reasons some people can't go to a professional.

Just because someone doesn't have a diagnosis, it doesn't mean that they don't have this illness.

Please don't fakeclaim other people. Thank you.