Why Do People Hate Self-Diagnosers?

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At least we have one point of agreement; there are issues with professional diagnosis.

What I have been trying to get across it is all about circumstance. I agree that an expert, up to date specialist in your demographic has a somewhat better chance of getting a diagnosis correct then you, even if you are a smart thorough self investigator due to conformation bias etc. But these perfect circumstances are rare. If by this point you still do not think or understand there in a lot of places for a lot of demographic groups that professional diagnosis is not an current or even medium term option I do not know what we can do. Too many of you have assumed those that bring up these reasons for their decision to self diagnosis are probably drama queens, attention whores or outright liars. A lot of you do understand these circumstances but disagree with the self diagnosis response. I have asked repeatedly what would be a better solution to this circumstance. A few posters have given well thought out alternate solutions but the overwhelming response has been silence. The idea of any type of diagnosis is to get it right or get it right as possible for the purpose of help of some sort. Circumstances are going to determine what solution(s) will work what and won’t.

I do not deny there are self diagnosed Aspie wannabees, drama queens, attention whores. I do not think it is this massive problem many think it is. I don’t know if I am right, as far as I know there are no studies on this so therefore if you that think it is significant phenomenon you don’t know either. Celebrity self diagnosers do negatively effect perceptions but that does not describe most here. Most are not blabbing there self diagnosed autism to the world but discussing autism on a autism forum. Most self diagnosers who get it wrong are only hurting themselves. They are not hurting you or messing with the definition of “real autism” whatever that is. And even if they are why let them define you or autism?

I am self diagnosed. I am sure that I have aspergers. I relate to aspies' experiences in a way that i just can't with other people. I am not a person that makes assumptions about things. Even though I recognized so many things in myself the first time I read about it, I researched aspergers for months before I let myself finally acknowledge that I have it. I have not gotten officialy diagnosed because I simply can't afford it right now. That doesn't mean that I'm making it up or that I can't still find comfort in the knowledge of it. I have chosen not to tell anyone (other than my partner and my parents) until I get an official diagnosis. But until then I am using the information that I have access to and working on my relationships with others and myself. While I agree that there probably are many people who either knowingly fake having aspergers or just want to believe that they do, aspergers doesn't begin once a professional says you have it. It is a little arrogant and elitist in my opinion to box out those who are self diagnosed. Most of us are probably left out enough and the last thing we need is to go somewhere to find comfort and be made to feel as if we still aren't good enough. Just saying.

You are a breath of fresh air, APOM.

The sometimes aggressive, condescending remarks aimed at the self-identified contribute to an atmosphere of destructive conflict; these have ranged from wild and unsubstantiated sneering insinuations "we know they are all making it up, just for attention!" to more subtle pressures " but you are really missing out on help!" to outright invalidation that often sounds more like a power trip that an interest in weighing a variety of factors that influence how accurate diagnosis actually is. The apparently calculated unkindness in dissing something - anything - which to a large section of the WP membership is personally meaningful and important is driven by something, and I wonder what it is (have theories!)

There is nothing wrong at all with stating a belief that formal diagnosis was right for you; there is something wrong with disrespecting those who don't share that belief. Whether you are formally diagnosed or not - feeling confident as a person on the spectrum won't come from attempts to form a hierarchy of valid and non-valid members - which is what some posters seem to aim for. Extremists suggest that anyone not formally diagnosed cannot possibly be on the spectrum; but diagnosis doesn't create ASD; it may - or may not - confirm it.

Finally, if you are self-diagnosed and are feeling brutalised by some of the attacks in this thread, an observational quote from Goethe:
"Look closely at those who patronise you; half are unfeeling, half untaught".