To diagnose or not to diagnose, that is the question!

maiz450 29 days ago

Hello all!

I wondered if I could please get some advice on whether to pursue a diagnosis or not.

ever since I was a kid I’ve been ‘different’ and ‘weird’ and ‘unusual’ and I’ve always struggled socially (i learned over time how to blend in and communicate well). For some years now I’ve been debating with myself whether I should pursue a diagnosis or not. I’ve spoken with my family and they all believe I show traits. However back when I was 17 (I was having issues with social anxiety and depression) I brought up the possibility of autism with my psychiatrist (CAHMS) and I was immediately dismissed, I wasn’t even allowed time to explain why I thought this or any traits I had. The lady said to me ‘it’s not possible it’s mainly in males’. Ever since then I’ve had a doubt in my mind wether I’m just an anxious and unusual person or if there indeed is some sort of neurodivergence within me.

I’ve been researching and found there are ways to privately get an assessment. I’m now debating if it’s worth me trying. My main concern is that I’m not neurodivergent and then that will lead me to asking so many questions to why I am the way I am.

I wondered if anyone could share their diagnosis experiences or their stories to help me decide if this is something I should pursue.

thank you so much! (Female, 25, north east England)

Parents

Phased 26 days ago
HI maiz450

So I asked ai to summate the thread for me first and it came up with this:

"The National Autistic Society community forum thread examines the complexities of pursuing an adult autism diagnosis, weighing benefits like validation and workplace support against challenges such as long waiting times and limited post-diagnostic resources. While a formal diagnosis aids in accessing specific healthcare and employment accommodations, many members also emphasize the validity of self-identification and community acceptance."

I'm gonna take a different tack tho' and build off your title quote because it has been thro' my mind a lot.. (literally quoting it in my internal speech).

TW I spent a long time in suicidal ideation before kindoff emerging as a different person in context of autism diagnosis/burnout etc.

AI says this when i asked it to explore the famous "to be or not to be" speech for me

Hamlet’s soliloquy in Act 3, Scene 1 of

Hamlet is a profound meditation on the human condition, weighing the pain of life against the fear of the unknown in death.

The Core Conflict

The speech is not just about suicide; it is a logical argument about existential entrapment. Hamlet asks whether it is "nobler" to passively endure life’s suffering or to take action and end it.

Key Themes

Life as a Battle: He describes life as an onslaught of "slings and arrows" and a "sea of troubles" that must be fought [4, 5].

Death as Sleep: He initially frames death as a "consummation devoutly to be wish’d"—a simple way to end heartache [4, 5].

The "Catch": The logic shifts with the phrase "perchance to dream." He realizes that if death is a sleep, it might bring nightmares even worse than reality [5].

The Dread of the Unknown: This uncertainty—the "undiscover'd country"—is what forces people to endure "the whips and scorns of time" rather than seeking peace [5, 6].

The Conclusion

Hamlet concludes that "conscience does make cowards of us all." He realizes that overthinking and the fear of what happens after death paralyze the ability to take bold action, turning "enterprise" into nothingness [1, 6].

So the conclusion with this is don't overthink it...

i acknowledge that is a lot easier said than done.

I needed a professional diagnosis and along period of coming to terms with it myself. Although as has been noted others don't - depends on you and where you're at really.

Plenty of knockbacks mean that I am very cautious and want to risk assess stuff really fully before making a decision or an action.

For me this is also because I am a "bottom-up" thinker and weigh up every thing from all the info I can get before action - if I can.

But to break down the speech further from my personal perspective (and crucially I got to this place post diagnosis - so take that as you will :-) )

1 I hate having to fight personally - so the trick is to not to unless absolutely necessary - aim for collaboration every time (hehe even if they collaborate because you've got them in a neck hold...)

2 my death won't end things for those people and things I love so I hang around as long as I can to help them as much as I can

3 death isn't necessarily a full and final thing - bits of one can die when one is still alive (including the pre-diagnose autism self) - keeping values and dreams alive keeps up the motivation and reasons for living

4 the unknown may contain the very happiness one is seeking so best to explore it

Go for rebirth after apparently dying pheonix like is my suggestion.

All the ebst
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Phased 26 days ago
HI maiz450

So I asked ai to summate the thread for me first and it came up with this:

"The National Autistic Society community forum thread examines the complexities of pursuing an adult autism diagnosis, weighing benefits like validation and workplace support against challenges such as long waiting times and limited post-diagnostic resources. While a formal diagnosis aids in accessing specific healthcare and employment accommodations, many members also emphasize the validity of self-identification and community acceptance."

I'm gonna take a different tack tho' and build off your title quote because it has been thro' my mind a lot.. (literally quoting it in my internal speech).

TW I spent a long time in suicidal ideation before kindoff emerging as a different person in context of autism diagnosis/burnout etc.

AI says this when i asked it to explore the famous "to be or not to be" speech for me

Hamlet’s soliloquy in Act 3, Scene 1 of

Hamlet is a profound meditation on the human condition, weighing the pain of life against the fear of the unknown in death.

The Core Conflict

The speech is not just about suicide; it is a logical argument about existential entrapment. Hamlet asks whether it is "nobler" to passively endure life’s suffering or to take action and end it.

Key Themes

Life as a Battle: He describes life as an onslaught of "slings and arrows" and a "sea of troubles" that must be fought [4, 5].

Death as Sleep: He initially frames death as a "consummation devoutly to be wish’d"—a simple way to end heartache [4, 5].

The "Catch": The logic shifts with the phrase "perchance to dream." He realizes that if death is a sleep, it might bring nightmares even worse than reality [5].

The Dread of the Unknown: This uncertainty—the "undiscover'd country"—is what forces people to endure "the whips and scorns of time" rather than seeking peace [5, 6].

The Conclusion

Hamlet concludes that "conscience does make cowards of us all." He realizes that overthinking and the fear of what happens after death paralyze the ability to take bold action, turning "enterprise" into nothingness [1, 6].

So the conclusion with this is don't overthink it...

i acknowledge that is a lot easier said than done.

I needed a professional diagnosis and along period of coming to terms with it myself. Although as has been noted others don't - depends on you and where you're at really.

Plenty of knockbacks mean that I am very cautious and want to risk assess stuff really fully before making a decision or an action.

For me this is also because I am a "bottom-up" thinker and weigh up every thing from all the info I can get before action - if I can.

But to break down the speech further from my personal perspective (and crucially I got to this place post diagnosis - so take that as you will :-) )

1 I hate having to fight personally - so the trick is to not to unless absolutely necessary - aim for collaboration every time (hehe even if they collaborate because you've got them in a neck hold...)

2 my death won't end things for those people and things I love so I hang around as long as I can to help them as much as I can

3 death isn't necessarily a full and final thing - bits of one can die when one is still alive (including the pre-diagnose autism self) - keeping values and dreams alive keeps up the motivation and reasons for living

4 the unknown may contain the very happiness one is seeking so best to explore it

Go for rebirth after apparently dying pheonix like is my suggestion.

All the ebst
Cancel
Vote Up +2 Vote Down

Sign in to reply

Cancel

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