"Self diagnosis" trends...source of ridicule

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My 2 cents on self-diagnosis is this....

Doctors are damned expensive, and specialists are hard to find.


For me, that's all there is to it. I could afford to be Dx'ed for AS, but aside from coming up with the money, I'd have to find a doctor experienced in the adult diagnosis of AS, and there simply aren't any anywhere near me.

I don't need a board-certified MD to know there is something wrong with my leg if it hurts all the time. I might even know what may be wrong with me if the symptoms fit a given pattern. I don't see a doctor to treat a bad cold until OTC meds and bed rest don't make it go away after X days.

I don't need a shrink to look at the symptom list of AS, examine my life and realize I fit the pattern perfectly. I need a shrink to CONFIRM what I've discovered about myself.

I've always wanted to be NORMAL like everyone else. I'm not, and I now understand why. I'm not self-diagnosing to slap a "trendy label" on me or to gain undeserved sympathy. I tell others about my AS if I suspect my "quirks" will cause problems and I want them to understand I don't do odd things to hurt others.

AS is MEDICAL CONDITION, not a lifestyle. If I felt sickly and read up extensively on my symptoms and cancer came up as my conclusion, should I accept that and self -diagnose? Should I begin cancer treatments? Should I join a cancer forum and start talking to true cancer patients as if I have this disease? Should I peruse treatments and give advice to others on how to handle the cancer symptoms?? I mean I am self-diagnosed after all. Of course not, that would be irresponsible and dangerous because I am not qualified to make that diagnosis. Yet, with Aspergers, people seem to feel free to 'play doctor' and diagnose brain dysfunction. I do not understand it.

That's because you can physically SEE cancer and it is potentially lethal, you can't do that with autism.

Yes you can (this is the field I work in and I SEE it every day).

I recently spoke to my doctor about my recently discovered diagnoses, (my parents kept it from me till I was in my thirties!) and he said not to worry what anybody else thought, because the point of a diagnoses wasn't to stick people in boxes, but to enable you to understand yourself. Although he had my diagnoses in front of him he took pains to say there was nothing wrong with me, "it doesn't matter if you're autistic or not", and that there was nothing wrong with recognising one's differences, self knowledge could only be a good thing, and I "shouldn't give a monkey's" what anyone else said about it.

Personally, I like that attitude!

Perfect

These same kinds of discussions can be found in relation to alcoholism, and AS is no more of a "medical condition" restricted to professional diagnosis only than is alcoholism or pregnancy. AS and alcoholism and pregnancy all certainly can be self-diagnosed by just about any rational being ...

Whether with cancer or whatever else, many people do that kind of thing all the time ... and then look for a doctor who will listen long enough and do some examination and testing in order to verify.



Why not? If you know what is needed and you have access, go for it!



Why not? Alcoholics and pregnant women interact and help each other all the time.



If you truly know your stuff, why not?



If you know the facts about a suspected condition, who can possibly know yourself and/or your body better than you?



What difference does it make? Even if someone like me who does *not* yet know all the facts ultimately proves to have made an incorrect self-diagnosis, what harm will have been done or what harm might follow?

I think the problem is that AS is a "catch-all" diagnosis who is not social normal. Now this worries me, because kids these days grow up ONLINE where they get little to no "real"(as some would argue) social interaction. Social interaction as we mainly know it, and as our parents know it, is on its way out.

So pretty soon 90% of this generation will be diagnosed Asperger's Syndrome? I wouldn't be at all surprised.

Yes, that is the problem ... and the very same thing happens in relation to real alcoholics who end up never finding amidst all the confusion anything even close to the real help they actually need.

The difference is I might not have Cancer. I might have something else, unless I find out for sure then I will never know. I might end up dying because of my belief in my self-diagnosis. Alot of people that think they have AS actually have other disorders, ones that are far more treatable. By settling for an AS self-diagnosis they are potentially cheating themselves out of a 'better' lifestyle, especially if they have gripes about their symptoms. Once people find AS they do settle for it and discontinue research. AS has an odd sense of whimsy that comes with it. People feel OK with having AS, it is almost a comfort, but they do not feel comfortable with the idea that their problems could be caused by intense childhood trauma (in adults, unresolved trauma presents identically to AS in adults), or other issues. Self-diagnosing pregnancy or alcoholism is an inane and abstruse comparison as these are conditions that have noticable physical attributes. Defining AS in a person is a far more intricate and internal process. I am not against people identifying with AS, I am against them deciding that they have it.

I understand, and we actually agree. My own case might ultimately prove to be just as you have described, or maybe even "worse" if some actual mental illness might come to light and I continue to insist upon living drug-free.



Oh well, there is still nothing you or anyone else can do about that. Many people are willingly deceived, and it is up to the remainder of us to do what we must and adjust.

But why would you care about this if you don't know them? How does it affect your life?

What about people who have been said to have AS by the school system but were never formally diagnosed by a psychologist? Say this person has subsequently looked at articles and said "I know I have it because this description sounds like myself"?

outlier (great name by the way, I know a fantastic band called outlier) - It affects me because it is my job to assist people with Autism Spectrum Disorders. I spend all day every day (and some nights) with people on the spectrum. I am working on better coping strategies, a more efficient diagnostic process and being a general comfort (especially to HFA kids and their parents, some of which who see me as somewhat of a 'success story'). At my work we are constant hindered by issues like the ones we are discussing here. It greatly affects the work and what is trying to be achieved.

timeisdead - It is fine to relate to something you have read, it is a great STARTING POINT. If you really believe you suffer from a medical condition of any sort, especially ones as complex as the ASDs, it is always good to seek a professional diagnosis. Not only to help yourself, but also help the people trying make gains in the area. Stats are a fantastic tool, and we can only get them if people seek diagnosis.

The school system originally said I had AS so I guess I was informally diagnosed. How long does it take to get a formal diagnosis by a psychologist? I can say I'm a bit apprehensive about doing so because it could be used to discriminate against me in the future.

ShogunSalute, can you be more specific about the mechanisms involved? How exactly are the constant hinderances in your work related to people self-diagnosing?