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Is self-diagnosis okay/valid/a good thing?

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Is self-diagnosis okay/valid/a good thing?
Yes 68%  68%  [ 100 ]
No 32%  32%  [ 47 ]
Total votes : 147

Sweetleaf
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14 Dec 2014, 8:08 pm

^I'd have to agree with that.


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Sweetleaf
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14 Dec 2014, 8:12 pm

sonicallysensitive wrote:
kraftiekortie wrote:
Definitely, people could sway the results of research to their own advantage.
Ergo 'self-diagnosis' cannot be trusted?


kraftiekortie wrote:
more "benefit of the doubt" should be given to self-diagnosis/self-assessment.
Why?


kraftiekortie wrote:
Self-diagnoses should not be dismissed as a default.
But you just said the results can be swayed at the will of the individual undertaking 'self-diagnosis'.



So you think everyone would sway the results? Also with professional diagnoses they sometimes sway the results as well.


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NiceCupOfTea
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14 Dec 2014, 8:15 pm

B19 wrote:
Alex commented on the Critical of Self Diagnosis thread to the effect that striving to discredit self-diagnosed people on a support site is not a very good idea.

I agree with Alex on that. Invalidation of self diagnosis is what has been promoted in threads like this, sometimes in very harsh ways.

Unfortunately, invalidation is one of the researched and recognized triggers to suicide in young people, when its source is family members or a peer group. This is a peer support group. It is believed that autistic young people have higher rates of suicide and attempted suicide, cutting and associated behaviours. I think we all need to be mindful of the potential for these unintended consequences arising from threads like this one.


More appeals to authority (ironic) and guilt-tripping.

The only people I have "invalidated" on this thread have been self-assured and articulate older adults.

I would treat a vulnerable teenager or adult quite differently, regardless of their diagnostic status.



sonicallysensitive
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14 Dec 2014, 8:29 pm

B19 wrote:
Alex commented on the Critical of Self Diagnosis thread to the effect that striving to discredit self-diagnosed people on a support site is not a very good idea.

I agree with Alex on that. Invalidation of self diagnosis is what has been promoted in threads like this, sometimes in very harsh ways.
No - questioning of self-diagnosis has been the nature of this thread - not invalidation.

Whether it is invalidated or not is a measure of subjective interpretation as to how the individual views the points raised, and the defense against/in favour of. This is the essence of objectivity: look for reasons why something may be, and also why it may not be.

An individual's interpretation of the points as invalidating (or not) in no way equates to the contents of said points being in any way invalidating (or not), as whether they are invalidating is entirely subjective.


If someone explained to you why 2+2=4, are they invalidating your belief that 2+2=5?

Or are they helping you, but you can't see it as you don't want to see it?



B19 wrote:
Unfortunately, invalidation is one of the researched and recognized triggers to suicide in young people, when its source is family members or a peer group. This is a peer support group. It is believed that autistic young people have higher rates of suicide and attempted suicide, cutting and associated behaviours. I think we all need to be mindful of the potential for these unintended consequences arising from threads like this one.
Invalidation isn't invalidation if the individual has no validation aside from suspicion.

The height of irresponsibility would be not advising someone to seek medical advice with respect to their suspicions.



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14 Dec 2014, 8:31 pm

NiceCupOfTea wrote:
It's "not a concern" and you don't have "the same interest in [the] topic", but you've posted throughout a 32-page thread. Okay.


I meant specifically the age question that SS keeps asking about, which was pretty obvious if you read my post and you're not trying to make up things to argue about because you like drama.



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14 Dec 2014, 8:33 pm

L_Holmes wrote:
Self-diagnosis is just that, SELF-diagnosis, meaning it affects nobody else by itself, it only has to with their own opinion of themselves.


The bolded bit is false unless the self-diagnoser tells NO ONE about the self-diagnosis. The whole point of the combination of self-diagnosing AND informing other people about it is to affect the other people in some way, such as getting support, like you mentioned below.

Quote:
So unless they are attempting to get special treatment and accommodations from others with it (which is unlikely to work anyway),


According to you, they are. See below.

Quote:
Someone with an official diagnosis could similarly attempt to get special treatment from others regardless of whether they need it.


I don't think the issue is whether or not the "special treatment" is needed, as self-diagnosed people may indeed need it (whatever special treatment even means). I haven't brought it up myself, but I would assume that the issue is that they would be requesting it based on a condition they may not have.

Quote:
They are self-diagnosing because, with their knowledge of themselves (which is presumably fairly extensive, considering they've known themselves for quite a while), they are fairly certain that the description fits, and they feel like they relate to the others who also fit the description. So they tell others they are self-diagnosed because it helps others understand their problems without them needing to explain EVERY LITTLE DETAIL separately. What they are going for is understanding of themselves, support, etc.


The bolded parts are how the self-diagnosis affects others. And if they can't get those things ( support, understanding, and relating to others) without a diagnosis, but they can get them with a self-diagnosis, then yes, they are getting "special treatment" due to their self-diagnosis. It may not be as big of a deal as SSI or work/school accommodations, but it is special treatment nonetheless.



Last edited by starkid on 14 Dec 2014, 8:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.

dianthus
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14 Dec 2014, 8:34 pm

sonicallysensitive wrote:
dianthus wrote:
Actually I did address it.
My apologies. I'll address your reply in the next sentence.

dianthus wrote:
I said I think it depends on the individual.
Depends on what? What are the determinant factors?


(The rest of the reply I'll ignore as it is personal attack.)


I'm not interested in speculating on the determinant factors, because it does not interest me, and saying so is not a personal attack on you.



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14 Dec 2014, 8:37 pm

I have said before that I take seriously the autistic traits of anyone who has them and says that they have them, regardless of diagnosis. People around me say that they have autistic traits, and I take their traits as seriously as I take mine. Often, there is significant overlap between their and my traits, regardless of diagnosis.


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14 Dec 2014, 8:42 pm

btbnnyr wrote:
I have said before that I take seriously the autistic traits of anyone who has them and says that they have them, regardless of diagnosis. People around me say that they have autistic traits, and I take their traits as seriously as I take mine. Often, there is significant overlap between their and my traits, regardless of diagnosis.


That's reassuring.



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14 Dec 2014, 8:45 pm

B19 wrote:
Alex commented on the Critical of Self Diagnosis thread to the effect that striving to discredit self-diagnosed people on a support site is not a very good idea.

I agree with Alex on that. Invalidation of self diagnosis is what has been promoted in threads like this, sometimes in very harsh ways.

Unfortunately, invalidation is one of the researched and recognized triggers to suicide in young people, when its source is family members or a peer group. This is a peer support group. It is believed that autistic young people have higher rates of suicide and attempted suicide, cutting and associated behaviours. I think we all need to be mindful of the potential for these unintended consequences arising from threads like this one.


I agree with this also. And saying things like it is just a rational discussion or debate, a criticism of processes and not of people, that it is not intended to run anyone off or make them feel unwelcome, etc. does not mean that it won't hurt anyone. Intent does not always correlate to results.



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14 Dec 2014, 8:47 pm

dianthus wrote:
NiceCupOfTea wrote:
It's "not a concern" and you don't have "the same interest in [the] topic", but you've posted throughout a 32-page thread. Okay.


I meant specifically the age question that SS keeps asking about, which was pretty obvious if you read my post and you're not trying to make up things to argue about because you like drama.


Much as I :heart: drama, I never act dense on purpose. If I misinterpet something, it really is because I am dense *NCOT explained helpfully* :p

Anyway, okay, I get what you meant now.

starkid wrote:
The bolded parts are how the self-diagnosis affects others. And if they can't get those things ( support, understanding, and relating to others) without a diagnosis, but they can get them with a self-diagnosis, then yes, they are getting "special treatment" due to their self-diagnosis. It may not be as big of a deal as SSI or work/school accommodations, but it is special treatment nonetheless.


I'm in agreement with this. You don't disclose your diagnosis to other people without any reason; this applies as much to self-diagnoses as it does to official ones.



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14 Dec 2014, 8:49 pm

That cat of BTBNNYR: Looks like a cat I had 25 years ago. She was so brave and lady-like.

I want to stroke her under her chin.



B19
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14 Dec 2014, 8:52 pm

"Invalidation denies the importance of your experiences, your feelings, your thoughts, your wisdom, and even your existence" (Lighthouse website quote).

Invalidation has been intrinsic to these threads, whether intended deliberately or not. It would be great to debate sensitive issues without the discounting other people's experiences, feelings, thoughts, wisdom and existence.



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14 Dec 2014, 9:01 pm

sonicallysensitive wrote:
Outside visitors to this site will possibly see this for what it is i.e. diagnosed autistics asking the undiagnosed a very objective question - and in every instance, the undiagnosed replying with diversion.


I am undiagnosed, and I don't think that I've replied with diversion.



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14 Dec 2014, 9:03 pm

@B19 - I could say you're "invalidating" me by discounting my thoughts, experiences, feelings, wisdom, etc. At the very least, you clearly are not reading my posts with goggle-eyed wonder at their brilliance.... <_<.



B19
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14 Dec 2014, 9:11 pm

NCOT, I will try harder to find your nuggets of wisdom.

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