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“Trendy” diagnoses

Alien0n3arth

I’ve got some negative experience and also some thoughts. It’s about the self diagnosis in mental health conditions being not accepted mostly by professionals. 
There are various online tests - screening tools. AQ50, AQ10, RAADS, and many others. There are also tests for ADHD. These are screening tools, not designed to diagnose. When you fill out the test, you get the result. If your result is significantly high, you get a message- you might have xyz condition, it’s better to contact a mental health professional. What is the reality? If you fill out the test or even few of them and their results together point to this condition and you go to the professional, there is a high chance, that they will not take you seriously, there high risk of hearing the stupid  “trendy” comments about diagnoses that everyone wants to have, that you just want attention, you’re just lazy not willing to work on yourself, or laugh and question if you know it from TikTok. 
There is a huge ocean of information and also misinformation out there, we as non professionals often lack the ability to differentiate what is true, what is not, but it also depends on where do we look for the information. Social media is more likely to deliver us more misinformation than books, but it’s not all black and white. 
the truth is that we ourselves know best what we experience and a professional who questions that, who tells us “you are exaggerating, creating your problems yourself, or that “this is not a problem” erode our trust and make us more cautious about contacting them. I heard from a psychotherapist (psychiatrist and psychologist, with long experience, doctor, lecturer at a university) that lack of friends is not a problem when I told her it is. When I was a teenager, I was suicidal because of this. And then I heard such a thing. 
So I feel it like - if you think that xyz condition describes your problems and explains the why’s, better stay as you are and don’t dare self diagnosing or reaching out to professionals with your insignificant problems. I hope I will finally find someone treating me seriously. I hope others here have better experience. In my case I was told by few professionals that Im probably autistic, the first one - the lecturer gave me her “trendy” comment after I described her my problems. I haven’t even mentioned anything about autism. I will see if it leads me anywhere or I stay as I am trying to cope. At least the self dx helped me manage my life in a way that is a bit easier for me and recognize how to name actually my struggles and strength and weaknesses. I’m not sure why I’m sharing this, just want to share some thoughts and experience. Can anyone relate? Sorry for a long post

Parents

  • I have enountered individuals who have expressed scepticism about some self diagnosers, this person was pretty disparaging in his comments, saying it was about needing to feel special. He said he's been diagnosed himself, though. 

    I have never had a diagnosis as an adult, as a child it was another matter. But it wasn't called autism then. The idea it might be that didn't make me feel special though, it brought up some very painful feelings. I'd like to know one way or another though, but as my medical notes, which I caught sight of by accident, are in the UK and I'm not, the elusive diagnosis will most likely remain elusive. 

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  • I have enountered individuals who have expressed scepticism about some self diagnosers, this person was pretty disparaging in his comments, saying it was about needing to feel special. He said he's been diagnosed himself, though. 

    I have never had a diagnosis as an adult, as a child it was another matter. But it wasn't called autism then. The idea it might be that didn't make me feel special though, it brought up some very painful feelings. I'd like to know one way or another though, but as my medical notes, which I caught sight of by accident, are in the UK and I'm not, the elusive diagnosis will most likely remain elusive. 

Children
  • in reply to Nexus11

    I think maybe the idea of "wanting to feel special" is key here - I think that maybe there are some NT people who want to feel special and join a group, as they have a drive to want to be included and given attention. I don't want attention or to feel special, I just wanted to be able to reduce my anxiety, avoid depression, regulate my emotions better, and have good relationships with a few people.

    I'm sorry if this offends any NT people who might read this, but we already have to negotiate a world designed by NTs that overloads us and causes anxiety, now it's possible we may have our very identity invalidated because some NT people feel left out.

    Rant over - I'll get my coat.