Self-Diagnosis: Is it Reliable?

I have the same concerns, and looking at your profile, we are crazy alike lol. I also had an appendectomy in 6th grade. I have struggled with thinking I maybe was schizo, autistic, ADHD, and a number of other disorders. This still affects me and I have no Idea what it is.

@Jadie, I completely understand! I was formally diagnosed with psychosis and schizophrenia so I got medical help with that, although my partner is not so helpful when it comes to protecting me in psychotic states or helping me to minimize them before they grip me. I'm glad you and your partner have learned from the self-diagnosis experience! I also get not having gotten good help for traumatic medical issues. I often let many of mine be swept under the rug because when I was a child, my mother often criticized that I was a hypochondriac whenever I had a health issue, so I would never take myself seriously enough; on the other side of things, I've had doctors not take me seriously or literally even refuse a diagnosis because I didn't meet one specific symptom (looking at you, autism--just because I make eye contact well, arguably too much of it, so a nurse practitioner refused to diagnose me with it). I think you're totally right, and I appreciate your perspective. ❤️

Self diagnosis saved my life. This was both with chronic illnesses like POTS and disorders like psychotic PTSD, ADHD, and autism. i educated myself and now me and my partner know how to keep me safe in psychosis and he is falling in love with the unmasked me. I havent ever gotten good medical help only traumatizing experiences that worsened my body. Im still looking to get medical attention when I can but there is no point not trying to help myself when Im struggling. I am a huge advocate for self diagnosis. The medical system refuses us and makes us jump through invisible hoops just for the most basic accommodations. And no one who genuinely wants to improve their health takes self diagnosis lightly so when there is a gut feeling its worth looking into it. There will always be risks with any form of self diagnosis but they are also there in the doctors office. We are humans wanting to live and be happy. We see a problem and want to fix it. And just because some stranger didn’t scribble a title on a piece of paper doesn’t mean what we are experiencing isn’t happening. Self diagnosis means you are allowing yourself to care about your struggles while opening up new possible avenues to what healthy means to you.

I think that some things such as autism are so hard to get a diagnosis for that a self-diagnosis is ok!