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Recently self-diagnosed

Ken

Ken

Well-Known Member
V.I.P Member
Sometime in late 2018 I saw a speech by Greta Thunberg where she mentioned some of her Asperger’s symptoms. I found this very intriguing because I thought I shared those symptoms as well. That set me onto researching Asperger’s and Autism Spectrum Disorder and I am finding the results to be astonishing. It’s a revelation to my life because ASD answers all of my perplexing life difficulties! With these findings, I can’t believe there can be any question that I am deeply in the autistic spectrum. But, now that my life difficulties are answered, I’m not very comfortable with the “disorder” part, because now that I look back through my life history, I see that what I previously experienced as a deeply depressing, debilitating “disorder”, I now see as a tremendous benefit. Until now, I could not see that it is my Asperger’s that propelled me to an otherwise unattainable profession - that was my childhood dream!



My question now is: how valid is a self-diagnosis? Is it ok to tell family, friends, acquaintances, etc. that I am autistic? Can I reveal that to anyone on a professional basis? It appears that gaining an official diagnosis is expensive, time consuming and risky of misdiagnosis. Can anyone here share their experiences of self-diagnosis and official diagnosis? I guess that I am now so happy to have found the answer to my life that I want to tell everyone!
Gratefully,
Ken
 
 
Ken said:
My question now is: how valid is a self-diagnosis? Is it ok to tell family, friends, acquaintances, etc. that I am autistic? Can I reveal that to anyone on a professional basis?
Click to expand...

In the big picture, "validity" is for YOU to decide alone. Otherwise expect a polarized, mixed bag of responses for and against. Truth is, you have to accept that even with a formal diagnosis by a board-certified psychiatrist or neurologist, there's no guarantee of how your friends, family or employer will relate to it all.

So the best course of action is to keep it on a "need-to-know" basis only. Otherwise at some point expect some nasty surprises on the part of others within your immediate social orbit.

I've been self-diagnosed since I was 55. With a variety of reactions of those most close to me. Though since I'm not seeking any entitlements, I see no point in pursuing a formal diagnosis at this point in my life in my 60s. I know I'm on the spectrum and that's good enough for me.

If anything I wish I had not told my cousin who remains my main social contact locally. Unlike my brother, she has not taken it well at all. Weakening a very old family bond. So again, keep it on a "need-to-know" basis only. Give it lots of thought before telling much of anyone. Even then there may still be social consequences.
 
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As far as having it, there are usually pros and cons and it differs from person to person. But it definitely can be a debilitating condition for some. There is no point generalizing.

Self-Diagnosis is usually acceptable to others on the spectrum. Many here are self diagnosed. I think one must consider carefully before sharing the information to NTs, outside of very close trusted family and friends. Negative stereotypes are very common in the NT population as well as seeing it as an attention getting ploy and not believing it.
 
I was officially diagnosed with aspergers or high functing autism.

Probably the first wolf to be diagnosed with it.:p
 
Truth be told, there are pros and cons to pro vs. self diagnostics.

Due to the subjective nature of it all, both can either be spot on or off.
The important part of a self diagnosis is to be as objective as you can and to not try to answer questions in a manner that makes you fit the outcome you seek.

Unless you need an assessment for gaining support, it would probably just be a waste of money in the bigger scheme of things.
 
Thanks to all. Very helpful input - very insightful.
And thanks for such quick replies!
Looks like a great community here. :)
 
Hi Ken and welcome to the forum.

Ken said:
Can anyone here share their experiences of self-diagnosis and official diagnosis?
Click to expand...
Suspected about myself. Found someone who specialises in just autism. Went many times, answered questions etc etc. It cost but it wasn't too restrictive - I'm in Australia. Got diagnosis.
If you decide to go for it you want someone who really knows about autism.

Ken said:
how valid is a self-diagnosis? Is it ok to tell family, friends, acquaintances, etc. that I am autistic?
Click to expand...
I would not have felt comfortable leaving it at self-dianosis. However my understanding is you'll find people here who remain self-diagnosed so you'll have to make the ultimate decision for yourself.

Ken said:
I now see as a tremendous benefit. Until now, I could not see that it is my Asperger’s that propelled me to an otherwise unattainable profession - that was my childhood dream!
Click to expand...
I'm really happy to hear that! :D For so many of us it brings problems, often good things and problems combined.
 
I always say it depends on your regard for doctors and for professionals in general. Some people need to hear things from an authority.
 
Personally for me I couldn't live with just a self diagnosis. I'd have to find out from a professional. (Un)fortunately for me I've seen multiple psychiatrists many of whom have confirmed, yes, I have Asperger's Syndrome.
 
Rectify said:
I'm really happy to hear that! :D For so many of us it brings problems, often good things and problems combined.
Click to expand...

To be clear, I did not see any benefit at all until a couple of weeks ago. All my life prior has been hell. About 90% of my life has been consumed with suicidal depression. I'm only here now because I could never figure out the details to ensure it could never be found out that the accident was not an accident.(Being an Aspie, it would have to be perfect!)
I guess the benefit that I see now is a matter of contrast and perspective. Finding out that I'm not alone with these struggles is a profound relief. Also, the relief has allowed me to examine my history and see the good parts instead of only the bad. It's very revealing. Makes me very happy - hopefully it will last!
 
Rectify said:
I would not have felt comfortable leaving it at self-dianosis. However my understanding is you'll find people here who remain self-diagnosed so you'll have to make the ultimate decision for yourself.
Click to expand...

I agree. I wouldn’t have felt comfortable self-diagnosing either. I’d definitely recommend pursuing an official diagnosis.
 
Thanks to everyone. At this point, I feel confident enough to be self-diagnosed. The evidence and matching of symptoms are just too overwhelming for me to have any doubts. ASD answers all the perplexing mysteries of my life. I don’t really feel a need for an official diagnosis for my piece-of-mind.

Since I am now retired from a career (that was my childhood dream) and am not in any need of any sort of assistance or anything special, I don’t feel that an official diagnosis will be necessary or beneficial.

This discovery is just so new and soul-stirring I thought I would ask.

I really appreciate all the responses. You have all really helped clarify my options!
 
Ken said:
Sometime in late 2018 I saw a speech by Greta Thunberg where she mentioned some of her Asperger’s symptoms. I found this very intriguing because I thought I shared those symptoms as well. That set me onto researching Asperger’s and Autism Spectrum Disorder and I am finding the results to be astonishing. It’s a revelation to my life because ASD answers all of my perplexing life difficulties! With these findings, I can’t believe there can be any question that I am deeply in the autistic spectrum. But, now that my life difficulties are answered, I’m not very comfortable with the “disorder” part, because now that I look back through my life history, I see that what I previously experienced as a deeply depressing, debilitating “disorder”, I now see as a tremendous benefit. Until now, I could not see that it is my Asperger’s that propelled me to an otherwise unattainable profession - that was my childhood dream!



My question now is: how valid is a self-diagnosis? Is it ok to tell family, friends, acquaintances, etc. that I am autistic? Can I reveal that to anyone on a professional basis? It appears that gaining an official diagnosis is expensive, time consuming and risky of misdiagnosis. Can anyone here share their experiences of self-diagnosis and official diagnosis? I guess that I am now so happy to have found the answer to my life that I want to tell everyone!
Gratefully,
Ken
Click to expand...

Hey! Welcome to the boat! Pull up a chair and grab a beer! :)

I'm also self-diagnosed. It really made a huge difference for me to understand, and suddenly have terms to research and be able to find common ground when describing issues (and therefore be able to learn about them.) I've suspected that I'm on the spectrum for over a decade - but I finally really started seriously researching it and realized without any doubt that I am.

Learning about autism gave me the tools to explain it to people. And here's the thing - on a professional basis (or with friends/colleagues/acquaintances that I don't know super well) learning about autism gave me the tools to explain my difficulties without using the A word. I can say things like "I have sensory processing issues" or "I am having trouble with executive functioning and I need to take my time to finish this task" or "I have difficulty understanding subtext and I need you to tell me explicitly what you need from me". There's no need to claim a diagnosis that I don't have officially (but without the self diagnosis I didn't have these tools/language to explain this stuff. So though I don't feel comfortable saying "I'm autistic" outside of certain circles, the self-diagnosis has been incredibly helpful and really changed how I understand myself and how I interact with the world.)

You should be aware that self-diagnosis is accepted in some circles (and definitely accepted here!) but it's not necessarily accepted by the world at large. However, unless you're asking for accomodations that require documentation, no one is going to know unless you tell them you're not officially diagnosed. If you just say "I'm autistic" it's unlikely anyone will ever know the difference. (If you're like me though, you have a really hard time saying something like that without the qualifiers because it feels dishonest...so I just avoid using the term outside of certain situations.)
 
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