Last updated on November 26, 2023
I was reading LiveJournal today, the Asperger’s Syndrome community, and encountered the recurring topic: “I’m an Aspie, but my therapist denies it.”
Okay, I’m not a therapist, but I’m about to play one online. (That’s sarcasm.)
Self-diagnoses can be valid. They can be necessary when you need to start on a path of discovery.
Yet, if your therapist and doctor don’t agree with you, they might be right.
“I want to be autistic,” a person wrote on the thread. What? Really?
Be sure your therapist is listening to you. Get a second opinion. I understand needing a second evaluation.
Yet, some people with two and three evaluations (and those are not cheap) continue to disagree with the diagnoses offered.
I was diagnosed with other labels. I get it. But three times?
I believe most therapists, regardless of their educational backgrounds, are now quite familiar with the terms “Autism Spectrum Disorder” and “Asperger’s Disorder / Syndrome.” It takes a lot of hubris on the part of a patient to assume that he or she knows more about autism than a clinician. It takes even more hubris (or something else) to self-diagnose yourself with any mental health condition in the face of several diagnosticians suggesting another label.
People wonder why I think autism is approaching the level of “trendy” once reserved for ADD/ADHD need only read any of the online communities for more than three weeks.
Yes, there are a lot of people with an ASD in these communities. There are also a lot of people looking for a mix of explanations and excuses for whatever social difficulties they experience. I fear there are a lot of people seeking an autism diagnosis when there is really a much more complicated problem present. If you want/seek a diagnosis of autism, I wonder if there aren’t also more pressing issues to address?
Understand that I am resistant to the label while recognizing I have “autistic” traits from a very real, physical trauma. I just think a lot of people are seeking the Asperger’s label when they might be better served forgetting particular labels and dealing with their social challenges apart from being categorized.
Why not deal with the social issues and not keep asking for a label? What am I missing? Does the label suddenly solve problems? Or does it create yet more expectations of difficulty and oppression?
Self-diagnosis is understandable for financial reasons, but contradicting your healthcare providers means you might be ignoring the conditions they do suggest you might have to address.
Worst example: “I couldn’t have OCD and ADHD. I have autism.” Well, maybe you do have OCD. You could even have both. But you need to ask why you are rejecting a professional opinion.
Autistic self-diagnosis is valid for many people. Diagnosis begins with, “I wonder if I’m autistic?”
But, when health experts suggest you might not be, at least give them a listen. You might have another diagnosis or comorbid diagnoses. No matter what your label, it might change when experts change their standards.