Are you Self Diagnosed?

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I think that is great!


Yes, it sure is, and it keeps us from seeming to invade "professional territory", so to speak. At my recent exam ordered by the SSA, I was very careful to *not* claim to be "self-diagnosed", and I believe that definitely made a difference with that doctor. When he asked whether I ever have been diagnosed and I only said a therapist had once "informally agreed with my self-assessment", that left the matter for that doctor to decide. I have no idea what he might have written on his report after that, but he did continue writing for a few more moments.

The notion that I might perhaps be on the autistic spectrum was suggested to me by a person on another forum. Before that I was a very much self-diagnosed ADDer, because there did not seem to be a better "label" for the sort of person that had the cadre of developmental issues I had always combated with, and during my era, Asperger's and ADD were unheard of at the schools where I went. i sorta lacked the functionality to pursue a proper diagnosis for anything..and my parents are very leery of Western medicine..including those related to neurological issues..so it was a struggle just to get an assessment for ADD that took me into my late 20's....I was finally informally assessed as having "Asperger's" by an AS specialist at an AS clinic a few years ago, but I fancy that I am more PDD-NOS-ish..if there is any difference any more.

I absolutely REFUSE to use the term self-diagnosed! Instead, I choose to say that I am in the process of discovery concerning the Spectrum as a WHOLE.

In accordance with that, I have also grown to the point where I'm not hung up on saying I have Asperger's specifically. I believe that I just MIGHT fall SOMEWHERE on the Spectrum, but it does NOT have to be AS per se. This has done LOADS for me being in this forum as far as the whole argument over the validity of self-diagnosis! I can effectively distance myself from the comments made by others here who seem to have a loathing for self-diagnosis. In turn, I give myself the opportunity to enjoy learning more about these neurological differences and how I relate to them.

I have had some real challenges in my life and never fully understood what was going on, but I refuse to say definitively that I have AS - or even PDD-NOS! I could actually have Only Child Syndrome (OCS) lol...or I could just be an a**hole who JUST doesn't GET it! On the other hand, there really could be something more serious. Either way, being here helps me understand ME better.

self-diagnosed. i've grown into middle age with this & found my own way. i wouldn't let a real psychologist near me with a 10-foot pole (or net). they would just want me to take some of their pills. i don't think the ailment is as bad as the treatment (others can make their own determination).

m.

I had never heard of aspergers until I took a pathology class recently. I read a book by Tempin Grandin a few years ago and have been concerned that a lot of what she talked about was *me*. I was positive I wasn't autistic.... but I didn't have any other term, so I've been trying to forget about it.

Then I learned about aspergers and realized it sounded just like me. Got diagnosed with "asperger traits" but they (my psychiatrist/med team) refuse to do a full test on me. I suspect that I'm full fledged aspergers. Problem is, now that I am on a gluten free, casein free diet, my "traits" are less than 10% of what I used to suffer.

I self-diagnosed years ago, and then got a professional diagnosis a couple of years ago, because I needed to.

I'm self diagnosed, global spiritual awakening led me to it. Some say it's 2012 thingie going on, but for the last couple of years i've really dug into all the "conspiracy" and new age spiritual stuff. I was caring this notion that i somehow don't belong to society all my life and it now it all came together. Only these couple of years, i understand my whole life and world events in general, why everything turned out the way it did.

Also the one thing that helped me the most was David Icke's advice to just stop caring what other people think about you. So i'm still a virgin, who gives a flying f**k, i certanly don't. This sex-obssesed, brainwashed, stupid and ignorant society really pisses me off. No wonder we're so screwed as a human race. I sometimes really think to myself, when does the ship arrive to save me from this madness.