Do you think getting diagnosed matters?

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I've been wondering about this a lot lately, especially after an experience I had recently. I was listening to Autism Guidelines for Everyone, and it pointed out that late diagnosis and lack of psychiatric or psychological support for people with autism can actually increase the risk of suicide. Hearing that made me feel terrified and angry.

This really hit hard because at my recent appointment, my psychiatrist told me that getting a diagnosis wouldn't change anything and questioned the point of it all. she pointed out that I should accept and love myself without needing any diagnosis, and she dismissed it as something that wouldn’t impact my life. But everything I’m learning suggests otherwise. Knowing you’re autistic can mean access to support, understanding, and even resources that can make life significantly better. So hearing her say this felt dismissive my worries, like she didn’t care about what I needed or what I was going through.

I went to her because she seemed a good psychiatrist, but now again I’m feeling let down and like I wasn’t really heard.

I’d love to hear what you all think. Does getting diagnosed matter to you? Did it make a difference in your life, or do you feel it's important for those who suspect they might be on the spectrum?

There seems as little point in getting diagnosed at my age as there is waking up.

I'm not officially diagnosed and a diagnosis may not ever be possible due to the way they wrote the criteria. There weren't enough outwardly clear traits early enough for ASD, but the traits I do have showed up far too early to be attributable to the alternatives.

That being said, if somebody's traits aren't clear enough to be picked up on in childhood, most of the benefits come from knowing and being able to learn from other folks, or just give oneself some grace and reorient to a lifestyle that's more compatible.

The big advantages to getting diagnosed as an adult have to do with having better numbers so that hopefully in the future the criteria will match a bit better with what people are actually dealing with.

It depends on the individual. Some people need a professional validating their suspicions others don’t.

It has helped a lot with my self esteem. It explained why I made key life decisions that went bad, specifically that it was not character flaws but then way I am “wired”. It helped me know my weaknesses and strengths. Plenty of times in life you cannot avoid situations that are bad for you, this knowledge helps me find ways to mitigate these situations.

Again not everybody needs professional validation to gain these benefits.

In many places, your doctor isn't wrong.
In Connecticut, state funded mental health services go away when you become an adult.

A diagnosis doesn't help others understand you.
Few understand autism so it is a "mystery label."

It isn’t important to me personally. I am so high functioning I don’t need practical support, so the health service cannot really help me. It is emotional support and connection that I need, and I can get that by connecting with like minded people (for example here on Wrong planet), or by paying for talking therapy.

From someone who was diagnosed, at the request of my wife, at age 60:

Your psychiatrist is an idiot. Understand that most psychiatrists know very little about autism itself, and to the extent they are consulted, it is for symptom reducing drugs.

If you want to get a diagnosis, get one. Any neurotypical person who says it won't make a difference is a terrible person. Listen to your own heart. It might in fact not make much of a difference, but it might make a great deal of difference.

It was important to me because after the diagnosis, everything started making sense: all the snubs, all the laughter (directed at me), all the missed opportunities, et cetera.

I feel much better about myself for finally knowing what was "wrong" with me all my life.