Are most self-diagnoses correct?

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You didn't answer my questions, Norny. In fact, I'd have to say you actually evaded answering them.

Apparently, your actual answer to my questions is "No, I'm not inside his body and mind, don't know what he goes thru, and I'm also not a professional and do not have the qualifications to diagnose him."

My suggestion, Norny, is that you let him seek diagnosis, and accept what the pros (which you are not) say, just as you would in anyone else's case. Also, stop claiming to be able to know someone else's inner workings of body and mind better than they do themselves.

You're not God, tho' you sort of think you have some of his abilities...which you don't.

No it's not. You aren't a patient if you haven't seen a doctor. People that aren't completely serious usually do not see doctors, despite self-diagnosing. I have known many people in my life that have been through this.



I don't care if you dismiss my experience. There is no research that indicates what the OP is trying to confirm. Yes I listed one person - of many. Tony and Simon stating such a thing is also an anecdote. Being that you've somehow made this into a matter of linguistics I see nothing more than appeal to authority - no value there.

Seems like you quoted my post because I'm against self-diagnosis, otherwise I see no reason for your spiel concerning how professionals are accepting of stories etc. If I gave enough f***s about this topic I'd write an essay but I can't be bothered. Disprove me all you want, I won't reply. CBF lol

I answered them, you didn't accept my answers.

Again, I give no f***s if you think that I'm wrong. It doesn't bother me.

Have a nice day, good sir.

I have a feeling the answer (to the title of this thread) is yes, although I don't have any official statistics to back up my opinion (if such data were ever collected). I have seen many posters here who initially suspected autism (self-diagnosis), and then got an official diagnosis. I am one of them.

Everyone knows that a self-diagnosis is not an official diagnosis (that's why it's called a self-diagnosis). And everyone knows that a self-diagnosis is not enough for official purposes (such as government assistance etc). But that doesn't automatically render a self-diagnosis totally meaningless in other ways. Most self-diagnosed people are very aware of the clear distinction between a self-diagnosis and an official diagnosis. But they seem to get criticized by some anti-self-diagnosis people, as if they were claiming a self-diagnosis equals an official diagnosis.

The individuals suspected with autism need to go to professionals and clinicians, who are experienced to diagnose it properly. Early stage diagnosis gives a chance to reduce the symptoms with treatments as soon as possible.

It really is. You're trying to parse the words until what you want to be true is true. So you exclude anyone who hasn't been a patient yet by picking at the words used.

I self-dxed before I'd been a patient, and I was still correct.

People also have many reasons for not seeing a professional when they suspect something. Often it is "Can't afford it." Sometimes it is fear of what could happen (for example, people who have been involuntarily hospitalized or fear they're at risk for it might avoid going to a psychiatrist). There are more reasons than "doesn't take it seriously" for not going.



There is a difference between an appeal to authority (which is not a logical fallacy) and an appeal to inappropriate authority, which is a fallacy. Both of these men have probably interacted with more autistic people than you have, and probably have a more solid foundation for making such a statement than you do for stating otherwise.

I also linked some research that did confirm the OP, but maybe you just missed the link.



Clearly your rhetoric knows no peer...because most people are better at it.

I quoted your post because you are against self-dx and because your explanations are flimsy and illogical - like most who are against self-dx.

And for the record, I don't even take it as given that you're correct about this guy not having OCD. I've had people minimize my difficulties when trying to dismiss my own self-assessment, so I definitely know what that looks like.

This is because some people love to mind other people's business.

If only it were that simple. I tried repeatedly and on my first attempt was told that I could not have it since I had stable employment... he couldn't even pronounce Aspergers correctly and I had to explain to him the full DSM IV criteria. The second one seemed to think I was asking to be put in a jail cell and was puzzled as to why a self-diagnosis wasn't good enough and the third told me that she only diagnoses children but it is most likely I meet the criteria. The fourth pretty much told me it was irrelevant and there is no benefit and my age and possible drawbacks (like insurance making you "high risk".)

I am at the stage where I can gut my entire savings and ruin my financial stability to be told what I already know. What's the point?

Depends on the person. If they have been reading up on the subject in official and verified medical journals, then probably yes.

If they saw an autism documentary on TV and thought, "that might be me", then probably - no.

You'll never know unless the 'diagnosis' is verified by an appropriately-trained and experienced mental-health professional.

What GiantHockeyFan says makes sense.

What's the use of an official diagnosis if untoward consequences (e.g., becoming high risk in an insurance sense) result from it?

Anyway....an ASD is not cancer. There's no chemotherapy that will bring you into a "remission."

If you need the diagnosis to get accommodations, then I'd go for it. If you feel like you need it as a form of "self-actualization," then I'd go for it.

Otherwise: what's the use, really?

I won't reiterate my experience with a botched (non)diagnosis, but it was just about as dire as your description. Yes, mine yielded diagnoses of GAD and OCD, but denied my AS (forest, trees and such, in my opinion). My diagnostician had also specialized in childhood diagnoses and treatment (I wasn't informed about her lack of adult-diagnosis experience until I arrived and had committed to the experience). I was 52 at the time, and had a lifetime of autodidactic adaptation skills. However, my self-reported screening tests told a different story altogether.

After several months considering the same things that your fourth diagnostician advised about, I am satisfied with knowing myself better than another diagnostician would. My life experiences, recognized adaptation skills, factor diagnoses and screening-test scores combine to inform me all I need to know about myself. I don't need a piece of paper to tell me what I already know and can prove satisfactorily. I also don't need (or want very much) the permanency of a diagnosis that might jeopardize future situations; though, I admit that the possibility isn't my leading reason to avoid a diagnosis. At this point in my life, I don't need the corporate or government accommodations that an AS diagnosis would give me.

Holy crap! It's a religious war!

A difference of views with no definitive evidence that can prove or disprove either side? Check.

A bizarrely elevated emotional energy and need to be right about the unproveable position? Check.

People using their identification with the "right" side as an excuse to be unpleasant to people on the "wrong" side? Check.

I suppose eventually people will do a proper study of adults who self diagnosed and then sought professional diagnosis and then we will have numbers and an answer.

In the meantime, if you are using your position on this as an excuse to be unpleasant to people, you should probably stop.

There are plenty of people here who sought professional diagnosis after coming to the conclusion that they were probably autistic (and this is what people usually mean when they say they are self diagnosed) That fact alone should be reason enough for the anti-self diagnosis people to consider that their jihad is harming other autistic people and gaining nothing. Give it a rest.

Don't know where you are from but in the USA insurance does not pay for this diagnosis for adults. If they are autistic they are more likely to be under or unemployed meaning they can't afford a professional diagnosis. Also as mentioned above most professionals and even autistic professionals do not understand how autism presents in adults and females. This means people may have go to several clinicians before getting a competent one and it may mean traveling long distances. Again this is very costly. Even if they are well employed taking that much time off to do this could mean losing that job.

So once again I ask what is a person in this situation to do if self diagnosis is totally wrong?. IMHO Self diagnosis is the best workaround when there is no other choice. If you do that, do not be like Jerry Seinfeld looking up a few traits and proclaiming to the world I am autistic. If you do this you are only perpetuating the massive negative stigma against the self diagnosed. Don't base it on an online test. Be super thorough. This is a months if not years of research. Researching your childhood is a must. If possible talk to people who know you as a child, toddler and get records if available. For older adults this may not be possible.

Last edited by ASPartOfMe on 03 Mar 2015, 12:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.

This is nothing (at least yet). Late last year, there were several threads on this topic. I actually find these discussions quite interesting. Probably, because before I was diagnosed, I struggled mightily with this question.


I think one of the problems is that each of us has a different definition for self-diagnosis. In one of last year’s threads, Norny suggested the following difference between suspecting and self-diagnosis:



You may say that this is “splitting hairs”. But, I personally believe it’s an important enough distinction.

My definition is confident enough to proceed as autistic