is a diagnosis REALLY that important?

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nope

It can cause more problems than it solves and you have no guarantee it is accurate anyway. Try going to different drs and watch how many different diagnoses you can get even with tests and listing the same symptoms.

Getting a diagnosis serves 2 purposes:

1 It can make the person feel better especially if the diagnosis clarifies things for them or supports their suspicions.

2 It can open the way for support in areas where they need it.

Some people don't need that though, don't find it necessary or may find that things like the support available to them actually hinders them rather than helps.

Support is based on helping the person change or cope....I prefer to find creative ways around my problems instead. It's a less stressful and more fun way of dealing with an issue. And I get the fun of problem solving in the process...love problem solving.

Not that every problem can be solved (Ie i cannot control other peoples attitudes or responses towards me. Nor can I control how they interpret my words, actions and posts. Ergo continuing to try and do so would be futile)..in which case you have to resort to acceptance instead. But for many problems there is a creative solution sitting there just waiting to be discovered. I like to find it.

Plus there is a lot of stigma attached and that can hold a person back and hinder them too.

In short, depending on your circumstances and a variety of other factors, getting a diagnosis can be either detrimental or beneficial or a mixture of both. It is up to the individual to decide whether they want to pursue a diagnosis or not and whether or not they feel it will help them.

I currently do not have an official diagnosis, but hope to get one. Just to validate what I already know. However, it's not terribly important right now. Because I don't intend to go for housing or benefits (because there are so many people that need it much more than me.) My insurance is crap so I'm saving up to find a good doctor because I know I will probably need to pay most of it out of pocket, so right now I'm content self-diagnosing.

If you think you're autistic, you probably are.

Still, it helps to have professional verification, at least for some of us.

In my case, I need to document my impairments for disability benefits.

I am currently self-diagnosed because I have no idea how to tell my parents that I'm showing almost every sign of ASD. I'd want to get the diagnostic to confirm what I believe, but also in the hope that instead of being viewed rude, people will understand that I never intend on it. Also, so my mum will quit getting mad at me for not having any friends, and therefore have little reason to leave my room, and will understand it's hard for me to do so if everyone sees me as rude.

I have never been officially diagnosed. At one point I felt being diagnosed would be important, but the longer I go without being diagnosed the less I care. My mother first told me she thought I has ASD after reading a book on the subject, after living with me and my quirks her entire life. After alot of research on the subject everything just "clicked", and I was convinced. When I first started reading posts on WP I felt as if I was finally reading experiences from people just like me. I didn't feel as alone in the world after that.

If anybody here ever accuses you of being a "fake Aspie", tell them you would prefer a professional opinion.

Doctor referred me around 3-4 weeks ago to get an official diagnosis. I went there to ask if I could have ASD and after a long chat she said her belief was that yes I do, it also tied in with medical history.

She said nothing may come of a diagnosis and I said I knew that but wanted to know for sure, I give myself a hard time over things and get down about it, if I knew there was a reason why I am the way I am I hope that I will cope easier.

I am starting to doubt the official diagnosis though. Heard some scare stories about having it on your record (problems with VISA's, applying for jobs etc)

For me, my medical diagnosis relieved me of depression and anxiety of thinking I was just a messed-up person. More importantly, it pointed the way toward a host of coping skills from which I continue to benefit greatly, improving both my mood and enabling me to be more effective in life. It began what has turned out to be an upward spiral of life experiences, as opposed to my previous downward one.

unless you cant function well on your own, then no.

I want to get tested, but not for services, I want to finally know for sure why I am so different. Like others have said, it provides closure. Before I found out about this I was really getting to the point where I literally hated myself, and now I know that there is a reason I am the way I am, and it's a massive relief.

I agree with Marky9 completely.

In my case I was constantly second guessing whether I had AS. It's totally obvious but the diagnosis, for me, meant that I can finally stop considering whether I had it and start doing something about it. In other words I moved from wondering to acting. Since then I have been able to recognize situations and actions that can be problematic - and avoid or take action. In practice these things are working for me and are daily making my life better (with the usual setbacks).

So, for me, it has meant a great deal and the only regret was waiting.

As others have said : For those younger or with less manageable symptoms the access to benefits is another advantage - even if you do not intend to use them immediately - when you need the assistance it's best to not have to worry about getting the diagnosis first at that time.

Self-diagnosed here.

Getting an "official" diagnosis would NOT help me at this point. I am not looking for services, nor validation from anyone else--I know what I am/have. AS just "makes sense", and that's enough of a "relief" (or "jackpot" ) for me.

Also, as someone else pointed out, having it on my record might cause more problems than it solved. I have two decent jobs, and would like to hold onto them.

Finally: I am female, and over 30. It might not even be POSSIBLE now.

To answer the question in a general sense: IMO, it is only "important" if you actually need services/help. Some of you have said that a medical diagnosis is the only way you would truly feel "validated"--that you're not just "imagining things" or "making it up." All valid considerations. I have had people in my life who saw it before I did, and people who insisted that it wasn't true--someone actually had the gall to say "You have none of the symptoms" when she really knew nothing about ASDs at all.

And yes--sometimes, even here, the self-diagnosed are made to feel like they somehow "don't belong". I usually ignore those implications, but that's just me. Considering how many stories there have been from people who were misdiagnosed/told by "professionals" that they don't have it, only to have a later second opinion say that they do, I think I'll go on trusting myself. More reliable (for me), and definitely less expensive.

When you spend several years of your life wondering how it is possible for you to be highly intelligent and an idiot at the exact same time, it is a relief to find out that there is something that actually explains it.

As many other people have said I want a diagnosis, not for services or to use as an excuse for my behavior, but for closure. To get a better understanding of why I am the way I am. Also, I want to make sure that I'm not something else, as it's possible that the things I do to compensate right now may not be best for other conditions.

PROS
gives you validation as to who you are as a person (that you are just different, not bad)
allows you access to whatever relevant supports and therapies are available
allows you peace of mind, an end to the searching for answers
gives you legal recognition of a disability
legally allows you adjustments in the workplace (or college/university etc.)
allows you to know that there is a much higher chance you might have children on the spectrum
lets you know why you find things so difficult/can't cope and that it's not your fault
allows you to take part in research on autistic people
you can be a spokesperson for ASDs if you chose to
you can be a source of support to other autistic people
allows you access to relevant benefits you might need
allows you access to any housing support you might need
allows you to let medical staff know what adjustments you need due to a recognised condition (that you are not just being difficult)
may give you further insight into the reason behind other medical symptoms


CONS
may affect peoples' attitudes towards you
may affect job prospects
may affect insurances?
may affect immigration/emigration?

...as they say, the benefits far outweigh the risks.