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ashyo

477d

so I have a question about people self diagnosing themselves with issues they don't actually have or issues they're doctor didn't medically speak of, why would they want any of the issues they don't have? why would they want autism, depression, schizophrenia, or other life altering issues when they're life is already going well, if you have these issues you might not get to work, you might not be able to drive, you won't be able to travel on your own, you can't go across the world to find yourself cause everyone thinks your a danger to their well being so you need a babysitter, nobody takes you serious ever... why would you want this? just asking to try to understand your motive.

Top reply
    • EntropyMill

      477d

      diagnosing themselves with stuff they don't have for attention or whatever is way overblown. I think that narrative usually serves to invalidate real issues that people have and deter them from understanding themselves better. So much knowledge about mental health in our culture is locked behind paywalls, people are just looking for answers about why they feel shit all the time. I think it's unlikely that some psychiatrist is going to understand a person better than they know themself after meeting them for half an hour. Obviously i think professionals can help point to possible causes and provide treatment options, but i think it's a mistake to start by discounting what people believe about themselves.

    • WimpBiscuit

      471d

      Sometimes it's just because want a reason for feeling or acting why they do to make sense of things.

    • Njade

      472d

      Some people do it for attention or the want to feel different or special. Sometimes its malicious. Sometimes its just a cry for help for something else. And sometimes it can be a 'mis-self diagnosis'. Sometimes people dont always understand how a diagnosis works, that they need specific criteria for it - not just a few of of the symptoms. And there is a lot of information online (and a lot of misinformation) about certain conditions. Sometimes some symptoms are very general and most of the population experience, but its the combination of other symptoms and extent of severety of these symptoms that make up a diagnosis. So my point is - sometimes its for attention with bad intentions, sometimes its not. And sometimes its a genuine mistake because the internet is a big confusing place that we all live in and trust more than we should.

    • ProfessorWinston

      477d

      I think the important thing to think about is the motivation behind “wanting” the diagnosis. There are of course individuals that want to say they have a diagnosis for attention on the internet— think the debate a few years ago surrounding Gabbie Hanna & her neurodivergence. Many folks believed she was potentially pretending to have ADHD/be neurodivergent to gain attention. Im not sure of the truth behind those rumors, but it’s a good example of the motivation. This is not really that common, and I feel like is over stated to diminish the experiences of people who truly do realize that they have an undiagnosed issue. In my experience most people don’t “want” the diagnosis as much as they want an explanation for symptoms they were experiencing anyway. A person that is self diagnosing themselves as autistic, schizophrenic, or depressed probably has felt like there was something “off” for a while or has felt like their perception of the world is not normal. The need to self-diagnose is not coming from wanting to limit their experiences, but from realizing that there is an explanation for the experiences they were *already* having. For most people I interact with as a social worker, the process of self diagnosis isn’t easy or quick, it often leads to a lot of self-doubt and feelings of being an imposter. Self-diagnosis is a way for some people to accept that they have experiences that align with an operationalized set of symptoms. The self-diagnosis allows people to give themselves the accommodations that they know they need I hope that helps! This is just from my experience— from realizing I was autistic through my clinical diagnosis class, working clinically with clients/patients, & from my classes/research on the subject of diagnosis/self-diagnosis.

      • ashyo

        472d

        @ProfessorWinston thank you for sharing this as I have a friend who can sometimes say rude things about certain types of people and when I asked her why she is so hateful to that type of person she says she's also got autism or depression, depression is very common and I think some doctors may try to diagnose someone with depression when they don't actually know what is going on or how to treat them, and she said previously she was autistic and I asked her why she thought that way and she shrugged her shoulders and walked away so I really don't know what to think about it I've been fuming mad about it for days and I don't want to ruin a friendship if she's actually going through stuff but I feel like as someone who deals with depression, autism, along with a Santa list of everything else I found what she said to be completely uncalled for.

    • EntropyMill

      477d

      diagnosing themselves with stuff they don't have for attention or whatever is way overblown. I think that narrative usually serves to invalidate real issues that people have and deter them from understanding themselves better. So much knowledge about mental health in our culture is locked behind paywalls, people are just looking for answers about why they feel shit all the time. I think it's unlikely that some psychiatrist is going to understand a person better than they know themself after meeting them for half an hour. Obviously i think professionals can help point to possible causes and provide treatment options, but i think it's a mistake to start by discounting what people believe about themselves.

☝ This content is generated by our users and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making any medical decision

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