2 ms·
Growing up in the 80s, kids usually weren’t diagnosed with autism unless it was severe. There’s no cure/medication, so seeking an official diagnosis is of no re
by bluescrn 2y ago
Growing up in the 80s, kids usually weren’t diagnosed with autism unless it was severe. There’s no cure/medication, so seeking an official diagnosis is of no real benefit. But many people eventually connect the dots as adults, maybe do some reading, and suddenly make sense of their struggles and behaviors. Are they really less ‘valid’ than those with an ‘official’ diagnosis?
- zaphar 2y agoI need to do something and this is something is not usually a good justification for anything. It takes literally years of experience to properly diagnose someone, so yes, I do think it is potentially less valid than an official diagnosis. Self diagnosis has an effect of becoming a self fulfilling prophecy many times. Therapists have to get training in avoiding leading a patient into a wrong diagnosis because it leads to some terrible outcomes. It's called "iatrogenic illness" in the literature. Self diagnosing patients have none of that training and are at significantly higher risk of causing it to themselves.
- theshackleford 2y ago> Therapists have to get training in avoiding leading a patient into a wrong diagnosis because it leads to some terrible outcomes. I suffered incredibly negative consequences to my life after being incorrectly diagnosed as bipolar 2. It shattered my confidence and belief in myself as I was continually told the things I believed and the decisions I made were from a position of mania. It’s too hard to explain in a short comment but it’s potentially one of the most damaging medical interactions I’ve ever had in terms of what it did to my life.