ADHD and autism have some similarities, but I’d say it’s probably good to exercise caution towards self diagnosis of either, for anyone. I just say that because I see a lot of people without ADHD be like “oh I do that thing sometimes so everyone has it a little” and as someone with ADHD it’s definitely frustrating, and I see people do it with autism sometimes and I imagine it’s frustrating to autistic people. You just gotta be careful with self diagnosis, is all.

ailithnight:

randomslasher:

I have been diagnosed with ADHD, anon, which is why I laid claim to it. I also did not say I was autistic, only that I have seen things about it in my reading that feel familiar. I’ve also seen lots of things that don’t fit, which is why I haven’t unequivocally said “yes that’s me,”–only that I see it as a possibility. 

However, I do disagree with you a little on the benefits of self-diagnosis. Assuming everyone has the means or resources to be officially diagnosed with something is fallacy. Many people can’t be diagnosed, and many people can’t afford the fallout if they are. 

Example: I cannot donate blood. I used to donate as often as I could, because I like helping people and it was something I could do. I also have a blood type that’s often in demand (0 positive –not quite as in demand as 0 negative, but still useful). 

However, I had two screenings come back with a positive reading for the Hepatitis B Core Antigen, a sign that I could possibly have HepB (unlikely, as I’ve actually been vaccinated against it). 

Now. Chances are, it’s a false positive. Those tests are notorious for coming up with them. And I could go to the doctor, pursue the issue, and come back to the blood bank with a clean bill of health and the ability to donate blood again. 

But here’s the other side of that coin: there’s a chance I might have Hep B. If I do, I’m completely asymptomatic, so it is not impacting my life right now in any way. I do not benefit from a diagnosis. 

However, a diagnosis could cause me a good deal of detriment. My insurance premiums could go up. I could get denied coverage for things. I could get labeled a ‘risk’ for things I not really a risk for. And there’s social stigma attached to certain diagnoses, too. 

Now, back to ADHD/Autism. Yes, I definitely do understand it can be frustrating to see people on tumblr appearing to make light of conditions that are very real and very stigmatizing for those who have them. But telling someone that they can’t identify their own experiences without the help of a Professional Diagnosis is a little bit…I dunno, insulting to them? People know what they’re going through. If someone sees a list of experiences and symptoms that feel absolutely spot on for their experiences, there’s a very good chance they’re right. And as often as people with these disorders get overlooked or misdiagnosed, I’m not sure I share your faith in the medical community’s ability to identify these conditions, particularly when they present themselves in uncommon ways. 

Bottom line, people know their own bodies, they know their own experience, and it behooves us to listen to them, even if they didn’t or couldn’t get a fancy official stamp from a doctor. 

(And as someone who has been misdiagnosed and had symptoms overlooked for a number of the chronic conditions I have, this is a bit of a sore spot for me, so if I sound a bit harsh I apologize. But I literally had to figure out my endometriosis on my own and ask for treatment–which worked, btw–after two completely useless doctor’s appointments and one very expensive trip to the ER that showed nothing. Medical diagnoses are great, when they work, but there are a hell of a lot of biases in the medical community that prevent them from working, a lot of the time, and it’s good to stay cognizant of that.)

I spent several years here on tumblr looking at posts from people explaining their experiences with having ADHD and autism. And every time I saw one of those things and felt like it was me, I disregarded the feeling. I told myself I couldn’t have those things because I’d never been diagnosed. I figured it was just that thing they say medical students experience, where they learn about the symptoms of something and they get paranoid cause the exhibit the symptom, but really it’s just a common thing to experience with or without the illness. 

Earlier this year, as I was finishing out my second semester of college, I was really really struggling with things that I felt like it made no sense I was struggling with. It kept getting harder and I kept falling further and further behind and I was frustrated with myself and desperate to just know what the problem was so I could maybe address it. And those posts kept popping up. And finally, I started digging a little deeper. Bottom line, as it turns out, I have spent years of my life struggling with ADHD I didn’t know was there. So many things that I had attributed to my own failings as a person had this relatively simple underlying cause. And it’s worth noting, I didn’t know it was ADHD because I did not experience it in the stereotypical way. My grandmother even told me I couldn’t have ADHD because I had never had “learning difficulties”. 

I have a medical diagnosis now. And medication that’s helping and accommodations from my uni that help me function on a level roughly similar to my classmates and now that I know what it is, I have made changes in my life to help me manage. I’m much better off now. But I never would have been if I hadn’t listened to that little piece of myself that kept seeing those posts and saying “It me.”