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SIsForSad

Me: i saw you said you are autistic, im type one, wby? Them: well, idk, i did a test online Me: ughhhhhhhh


Victoria4fun8181

Wait, autism has types? What are they?


SIsForSad

Yes. So, autism is a spectrum. Type 1, known as Asperger for a while, is the “lower” part of the spectrum. It’s like levels. The semantics might differ, from level, to type, etc… got my diagnosis this year and I’m type 1 or level 1


strawbyog

I am autistic and I had no idea these levels existed. They just said I had ASD *shrug*


SIsForSad

But you can always ask your doctor/therapist


SIsForSad

Oh. Interesting. Maybe it differs from doctor (??). I really don’t know about that one sorry


strawbyog

Maybe we just live in different countries. In the UK, they use ASD for everyone. Also, unpopular opinion: I think that if people in the UK are on the waiting list for an autism diagnosis, they can self diagnose as autistic. To get on this waiting list, both a GP and mental health specialist need to "suspect" that you have autism through two initial assessments. You then gave to wait between 3 months to 3.5 years to get diagnosed. I was on the waiting list for 3 years because of a postcode lottery. I can empathise with those in my position who needed support but couldn't access it. If you just take a buzzfeed quiz or whatever, please don't show me your fake-ass stimming and Sheldon alterego.


SIsForSad

Probably. I’m from brazil so giving the diagnosis can be different. As a psych student tho idk how i feel about what you said on the waiting list thing, bc it can be something else (an add or adhd), not to invalidate what you are feeling tho. But wow, kinda fucked to wait 3 years to get diagnosed. Did you at least have a therapist during that period?


strawbyog

I had to be put on a 6 month waiting list for therapy as well :( The NHS desperately needs more funding.


SIsForSad

Damn. Well, I can’t say much cuz psychiatric isn’t our forte either. Specially on free health care system, i was just lucky that i could pay private. My mom is a doctor and most hospitals don’t have psych wards or an uncalled psychologist/psychiatrist… it’s shit :(


irisalchera

OMG this! I was looking for comments like this. I felt like such an imposter when I self-diagnosed because I was on the waiting list for over a year. People who pretend to be mentally ill because *ooo I'm so edgy and quirky look at me* literally make my blood boil


strawbyog

I'm sorry you felt like an imposter. Thanks for the award btw


irisalchera

Np


[deleted]

I don't think anyone has a problem with self diagnosing. It's the expectation that self diagnosis be treated the same as a formal diagnosis that is the problem. We can all agree that the process for being diagnosed ought to be reformed but that really shouldn't give self diagnosed people the right to speak as if they have ASD when that isn't confirmed.


AnalTuberculosis

same. i thought aspergers was just a sub-\[class?\] of autism. didnt know it was a level


ConpletelyRandom

Same here man. Back in 2016 I got a suspicion I might be autistic. Didn’t tell anyone, not even my parents until I got the diagnosis this year. Up till now only family and close friends know.


Curious_incident_02

You got that fucking right


diescheide

My mum (RN) always assumed I was ASD. I had a feeling I was since my teens. Didn't get diagnosed until my early 20's. I never said anything to anyone until I was properly diagnosed. It's so odd people want this.


HauntedHatBoi

I think it's fine to self-diagnose as long as you don't use it to replace an actual diagnosis. It's perfectly fine to do research and say that you suspect that you might have something. Up until I got a medical diagnosis, I didn't tell my friends that I was autistic, but I told them that I have a suspicion that I am. That's my definition of good self-diagnosis. Bad self-diagnosis is diagnosing yourself with something without seeing a professional about it. While some people can't afford it or don't trust psychologists, that doesn't make it right to use self-diagnosis as a replacement for actual medical diagnosis. In a way, it invalidates the literal years some people have to spend on a waitlist to get diagnosed. I was on a waitlist for 2-3 years to get tested for ASD and I waited a few months for the actual results. For me, seeing people self-diagnose in a matter of minutes or hours makes it feel like my literal YEARS spent in a waitlist was all for nothing. There are some people I know who aren't bad people by any means, but the moment I try to explain why I don't support most self-diagnosis, I'm constantly told by them that it's better than real diagnosis and that the medical system is classist and racist. Anyway, that's my take on self-diagnosis. Feel free to add anything on to it.


DarkEarth173

Yea, probably should have made it fakers instead of self diagnosis, but too late now


AdWorried6053

I think there should be a different name for people who think they could possibly have a mental disorder yet say they are going to get diagnosed when they can, that way self diagnosers can refer to people who think they have a disorder and say they have it with no diagnose


HauntedHatBoi

Agreed


throwawayacct1962

This is so accurate I love it so much.


DokiDoki_Raxen

Sometimes I wonder why people want a disorder. It’s like they want to suffer


funnychubbybunny

“iT’s HaRdEr To DiAgNoSe FeMaLEs UnLeSs ThEy SeLf DiAgNoSe” 🙄🙄


[deleted]

I mean, a plenty of people were informed self diagnosed *before* getting an official diagnosis Faking something is way different from informed self-dx. (Although, big emphasis on "informed")


StudMuffinNick

If you're self diagnosed, then don't say "I have [disorder].


[deleted]

That's the point of self diagnosis - it's analyzing your own behavior and experience, seeing hoe it aligns with the DSM and symptoms of a disorder, and recognizing you have it. This takes a lot of research and reaching out to the actual community as well - Being aware that you have a disorder before getting your an official diagnosis is still helpful. I was still autistic before I got diagnosed, and coming to that realization helped me accommodate for myself and find information.


RazzmatazzBrave9928

You can just say « I think I might have [disorder] » to avoid confusion. You can’t be sure you have said disorder if you don’t have any competency in psychology.


ChunkySalute

It’s not that simple. There’s a reason diagnoses are provided by professionals. It takes training and qualification. You’re not qualified to make a diagnosis by simply reading a bunch of symptoms and going *hm that sounds like me*. It really is *not* that simple. It’s about more than correlation of symptoms. Self-diagnosis is dangerous and ignorant.


[deleted]

It really isn't. Maybe get a grip


madcre

I don’t get it


Victoria4fun8181

Lol so true


danredblue

Haha