Why Do People Hate Self-Diagnosers?

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It's all about using best available options whatever they are. That is all one can ask for

Some people try to make others who don't support self-diagnosis seem like bad people, this is commonly observed behavior on wp threads about self-diagnosis, and it is often the same individuals behaving this way. I don't really mind that they engage in this behavior, it is interesting to observe it.

it could as easily be incorrect, and lead the person to cause themselves more pain and create further struggles because they're NOT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL and likely do not have the training, the knowledge or the experience to make a valid diagnosis. Autism isn't the common cold, attempting to say "oh i have autism" without a diagnosis just validates the internet hypochondriacs and should be avoided.

that's a lot of words to say "I think I have autism, but I've never been to a doctor, please believe me internet people!"

One thing to bear in mind:

Psychologists are not "medical professionals," either. And they (if a PhD) could diagnose autism.

Psychologists certainly cannot diagnose lung cancer.

What does "bias" mean in regard to professional assessors assessing ASD.
Does it mean they lack knowledge about ASD?
Then they should not offer diagnosing autism but saying that the lack knowledge about it and refer people to a specialist who has knowledge about it.

It doesn't seem to me that there much of a consensus, amongst professionals, as to the precise nature of autism. Especially when it comes to Asperger's/"High-functioning" autism.

There are some psychologists who actually believe that anybody who speaks spontaneously, and who spontaneously interacts with others, is not autistic.

Regarding professional diagnosis, there is subjectivity in assessment.
For eggsample, an assessment may involved a structured interview, in which the person does a task, and psych scores various aspects of their behavior during the task, e.g. 1-3 scale indicating their lack of eye contact with 3 indicating severe lack of eye contact. The subjectivity is which score to give on the scale based on one's observations of the other person's behavior. Usually, 1 vs. 3 difference is clear, but 1 vs. 2 might not be clear, and 1 might indicate normal. The objective version would be direct measurement by eye-tracking machine, then automated data analysis to spit out numbers of where the person is looking and how much they look at the eyes or maintain eye-to-eye gaze with the psych during some social task.

For self-diagnosis, the idea of bias is different from subjectivity during formal assessment. Bias in a direction would be a person believing that they have autism and viewing their traits as autistic traits to support the belief that they have autism even if the traits are normal, that is just one common eggsample.

One thing to keep in mind about people reporting on their psych visits is that those reports are first interpreted through their minds and subject to their biases, and you might have seen something different if you were present at the appointment. This is why I usually don't take sides and support someone when they complain to me or online about someone else in some situation. Because I wasn't there, and the other person isn't around to tell their view.

Last edited by btbnnyr on 12 Jun 2015, 6:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I'm 73. I used to post here fairly often... after these "Why do (some posters) Hate Self Diagnosers" threads... not so much.

These snarky threads about self-diagnosers make me FEEL defensive. And any response I write IS defensive. I spent my entire youth being defensive against my father and many of my teachers right through high school... over half a century ago. How life was for Aspies back in those days is inconceivable to most of you.

Psychiatrists make their living selling drugs. It's the rare Aspie, who gets diagnosed by a doctor, who doesn't get drugs, and a future appointment for a little talk in two weeks or a month to see how those drugs are working, and another refill. Being officially diagnosed with ASD in my opinion means to me that you are probably dependent on a doctor's opinion of your situation, AND the drugs he/she gives you to make you feel better.

I would love to hear about your experiences.



I'm running into this a bit, I think. I'd say he's skeptical, though I don't feel he's being unfair with me.

I agree (about lack of consensus).

My therapist (a Clinical Psychologist, who supposedly has a lot of experience working with autistic children, less so with adults and was not the person who diagnosed me) seems a bit skeptical of my diagnosis. She reluctantly agrees that I perhaps might qualify for an Asperger's diagnosis under DSM-IV. She most certainly would not diagnose me with an Autism Spectrum Disorder under DSM-V (and instead would attribute my challenges to anxiety and obsessions).

I don't have any issue with people who are self-diagnosed. If someone thinks they have ASD, that's enough for me.

I only got a professional diagnosis because I wanted something to prove to myself and other people that I wasn't making it up. Medicaid paid for it... somehow. I just sort of stumbled into getting it for free. I couldn't have come up with $2,000 for it. If I would have had to pay, I would be self-diagnosed, too. So even though my diagnosis is 'official,' it isn't any better than anyone else's. I mean, we're all still dealing with the same struggles.

We get enough ASD denial from people in the real world, we don't need to be imposing it on each other. People on WP say all the time, in lots of different threads, "People think I'm faking; WHY would I fake this?" In my opinion, you wouldn't. You're looking for an explanation for real problems you're dealing with. Maybe ASD is the explanation and maybe it isn't, but the problems are no less real, so you're just as welcome as anyone else is as far as I'm concerned.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_psychology

having a diagnosis isn't being chained to a doctor, and being defensive doesn't make you right by default.

My psychologist, who diagnosed me, didn't suggest medication or offer me any (nor did I want any). My medical doctor, on the other hand, was quick to push antidepressants on me.

Did I say that people who have an official dx are chained to a doctor? Maybe dependent on a "doctor's opinion (except for Rocket)?" Did I say I am "right?"