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Friendly reminder: Don't self diagnose
4 years ago
It's a trend I've been noticing especially with autism in particular. Autism needs a diagnosis by a specialist. How do I know? My brother went to a specialist in 1997 in another state because that was the closest one to us then. He was 3 years old. My mom and dad took him on a three-hour road trip and my mom bawled when they got the diagnosis. My brother didn't say his first word until he was about 9. He still can't have conversations or have friends in the same way I do.
My mom does not have autism, My dad has a lot of traits but a diagnosis would do nothing to help improve his quality of life, I'm in the same boat as my dad and I can function just fine in life. My brother's diagnosis does not mean that my dad or I would be on the spectrum just because we have some traits. EVERYONE has traits of autism, it depends on the severity and the amount. Self-diagnosis is a slap in the face to not only those with autism but to the families that work so hard to take care of them and provide for them.
Diagnosis is not some fancy pretty label. It's supposed to determine a path of treatment to help improve your quality of life. A label should NEVER be the goal.
My mom does not have autism, My dad has a lot of traits but a diagnosis would do nothing to help improve his quality of life, I'm in the same boat as my dad and I can function just fine in life. My brother's diagnosis does not mean that my dad or I would be on the spectrum just because we have some traits. EVERYONE has traits of autism, it depends on the severity and the amount. Self-diagnosis is a slap in the face to not only those with autism but to the families that work so hard to take care of them and provide for them.
Diagnosis is not some fancy pretty label. It's supposed to determine a path of treatment to help improve your quality of life. A label should NEVER be the goal.
I get what you're saying but I also think if someone ticks enough boxes and the stuff is bothering them day to day, they should go seek answers.
And by that I mean to talk to a doctor about it. Not internet randos.
(What I highly suspect of myself isn't autism fwiw)
'We don't want to HELP you we want you to help US."
My issue is mainly that I'm starting to not cope with it/can't mask it like I used to. And there are potential treatments.
I have something I took an online test for to see the likelihood so I could take the information to a psychiatrist and work on it with them. The point of that label would be to find what treatment options I would have.
You're not a bad person. I think honestly people romanticize conditions and use them as personality traits rather than focusing on themselves as the person. For example, I have MDD (Major Depressive Disorder) that isn't who I am. I am just someone who happens to have to live with that condition.
I always appreciate your insight on things like this.
I've been in the same boat with my stuff. I can cope fairly normally but there are times I slip backward and I have to try and get back up.
So I guess it’s probably not easy for some people to get the diagnosis they need. That said, I do agree that some people seem to romanticise illnesses like autism for some weird reason and it’s a crappy thing to do for people really struggling with it.
Sure, it's a lot of hoops and quite the dance - gotta see a General Practitioner, who'll refer you to a first-level specialist that will do an initial assessment. If the assessment is conclusive, they will refer to the proper specialist for the condition, who'll then do a more specific assessment to figure out the breadth and depth of the condition and offer a treatment solution accordingly.
This process can take between 4 weeks (for serious cases) to 4 years (for mild ones). While by no mean "fast", it is still free, assuming they use the public service and truly have the condition.
But it would mean for the people who "use" those labels that they would have to go see a professional, being told that no, they aren't autistic/have aspergers/havesomeissueoranother; that they are just shitty human beings that need to get better, grow up and kind up - at least, that's what I get from most of those that self-diagnose, in my - albeit limited and subjective - personal experience.
The Internet is a wonderful thing for many things, but ask any doctor what they think of WebMD, and they'll roll their eyes - much like anyone in the academic circles rolls their eyes when you mention Wikipedia. It's a good starting point to try and get an idea of what COULD be wrong, but it's rarely accurate.
But that's the thing - it's a starting point for one's journey towards self-care and/or recovery. Nothing more. Self-diagnosis is a tool in a huge toolbox. And if that's the only tool you use and willfully ignore the others at your disposal, then the issue is certainly not with the condition, if you ask me...
I get that it can be hard/costly to get a diagnosis in certain places of the world. But even if the diagnosis is official with no monetary means to further the treatment, there are oftentimes cheaper alternatives that can be looked at; depending on the condition, it doesn't even have to be medication. Can be simple lifestyle changes, for instance. Or pattern recognition. Or a whole slew of other things that require little to no money.
They might not be as "effective" as "proper" treatment, but they can still help. And I wouldn't be surprised that some "better treatments" are available with help and/or subsidies if the person qualifies for them.
But one can't look into those avenues for treatment unless they get a diagnosis... and they really want to "get better".
I don't like to advertise my own conditions, but as someone who was diagnosed with Dysthymia with Recurring Depressive Cycles (aka the "Double Depression") and "recently" (read: 4 years ago) with mild-to-moderate PTSD, I can say it wasn't easy to get those diagnoses. First one was somewhat "easy" since it followed a major mental breakdown and, at the behest of my bestie, went to see my GP and got the diagnosis, later confirmed by a psychologist and furthered to the "Double Depression" by a psychiatrist. Took a solid year of seeing specialists, but I identified a bunch of things that I could be aware of and work with.
And took pills for 3 years with nothing to show for it except 90 pounds gained (that I'm still trying to lose to this day).
And the reason I'm saying this is because I see so often people online say "I have depression", when they really mean "I'm sad today" - Situational Depression vs Clinical Depression is a HUGE difference... and that's the reason why I don't say anything in public. Because then, I get the usual frustrating "oh, you'll feel better tomorrow; it's not that bad." speech which misses the point entirely. Peoples' lack of understanding of having depression and feeling depressed is actively hurting me nearly every day... Which, you know, just fuels my actual depressive cycle more... which is something I try very hard to avoid.
So, yeah... I can attest to your "it hurts the people who actually suffer from XYZ" point.
And I've grown tired of trying to educate people that somehow always seem to know better what I have than actual medical professionals, when I point out what they are doing is wrong.
So I just... shut up and just soldier on. And deal with my issues on my own and my close circle of people that know better.