What do you think of the self-diagnosed?

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What is your honest opinion of the self-diagnosed on this board?

I consider myself self-diagnosed but since I cannot be the supreme knower of all things, I have "not sure" in my profile, though sometimes I switch it to self-diagnosed.

I think that most of the self-diagnosed probably do have AS. I think that because of the fact that who would want to have AS. I don't mean that in a bad way as an aspie myself. I welcome those who are self-diagnosed because to admit that you think you have AS or any other disorder is to admit your faults and thats a hard thing to do.

Self-diagnosis is ALWAYS a bad idea. It's like that saying about a lawyer who is his own client is a fool.

However.

From my own perspective I see this: I share enough in common with those who have been diagnosed with AS that solutions which may help them may help me as well.

So the label isn't important to me: making myself a better person is.

I think that everybody should be welcome, here.

I am going to decline on voting on this due to the fact that there is no vote sufficient to describe my belief on this.

I will say though that my profile has always stated that I am 'Not sure that I have it.' My reasoning for this is as follows:

I would find it erroneous, and perhaps egotistical to say that I am self diagnosed with an ASD due to the fact that I hold no degree in behavioral sciences. However, I would say that much of what is experienced by others parelells many experience that I have had in the past, and parelells my current day to day behavior.

If I were more daring, I would say that I am self diagnosed, however, that self diagnosis would not be based upon empirical clinical data, but by fairly subjective circumstantial evidence.

Again, the question being, 'Do I have an ASD?'
--Yes, providing that the criteria for self diagnosis allows for subjective cumulative evidence. However, upon clinical grounds, the answer is obscured to the point where "I'm not sure I have it" is a more logical answer.

Not everyone has the fortune of being taken to a shrink for acting different.
All my family did whenever I acted aspie was to call me stupid.
I am now 37, and just by researching online i can assure you that I have Asperger's.
This was an enormous relief to me, as I didn't just have Asperger's but had bi-polar issues and deep depression before I learned about AS.
Thanks to self-diagnosis I now only have Asperger's and anxiety.

I am in the process of going to a shrink -it's not easy when you have no insurance- and all I am trying to get out of that is therapy and maybe some assistance with school and work. I will never let them drug me. The purpose of drugs is to turn you into a pseudoNT. Who would want that? Heck, who would want to be a real NT?

Frankly,

Even the diagnosed have often done nothing to prove it to us. I'm saying nothing against them, only that we shouldn't be punished, etc... for being honest. Frankly, I have had some nice discussions with people here. I believe them, and hopefully they believe me. Anyway, I get NO special breaks for coming here. My mother treats me NO different. My step mother treats me NO different. outside of people on two forums, I have told NOBODY else. I think it is clear I am not seeking special status, etc...

I think we should be treated alike.

BTW my employers have treated me different because of my willingness to work, unusual knowledge, ability to learn things quickly, etc... I have been the goto guy everywhere I worked. I don't even dare tell you the punch line. It is just TOO funny! If only they knew. Here's a hint! It makes me look smarter, and a LOT of other people look dumber. That was true in 1980(before AS was recognized), and true today. I have been accused of acting like a big shot going out in VERY cold weather with no coat. The crew on a recent A319 flight thinks I am nuts because of my complaint of the lights blinking! Hotels think I am crazy, and overreact to the alarms and handicapped doorbells. They don't know I have AS! In a couple years, when AS becomes popular, they may very well GUESS! Heck, some of my old classmates may have figured it out before I did! AS diagnosis or not, my history will probably brand me with it!

BTW I notice a lot of people here have trouble smiling, etc... You should see the photo album my mother has. It is filled with comments like "Steve smiles, sort of!", and "Steve please smile". I could go on and on about things that show I have AS and/or am like diagnosed people here. Things that happened even before aspergers notes were translated around 1981!

Steve

I do not think it makes much difference, if you fit then you fit and diagnosis, in my opinion, only helps in specific situations and there is no guarantee of a correct one.

You see, occasionally, when there is a disagreement, one party will accuse the other of being an "NT" or not being "Aspie" as if you can be more "Aspie" than others. This makes me laugh as it is a spectrum disorder that affects everyone differently, as if people who class themselves as more "Aspie" than someone else, or someones who have an official diagnosis are superior.

As if a persons opinion can be disregarded as they do not conform to one person idea of what an "Aspie" would do or say in a given situation.

Frankly there is enough elitism in society as it is, and there is no cause for it here, i am sure i remember reading something about welcoming like minded individuals in the homepage.

So, go forth and self -diagnose.

I think people have the right to give themselves whatever label they see fit.
I don't think having AS is really an advantage in our society yet-- we still run into a lot of discrimination.
So I don't understand why people who are completely NT would somehow fake having AS.

I don't think it is necessary for everybody who has AS traits, or appears to be obviously AS to get a diagnosis. There are cases in which due to life situation that really isn't necessary at all. On the other hand, I do think that it can't hurt to get a professional (an expert on the subject) to confirm your diagnosis. I don't say this because I am accusing people of lying, but because if you are are wrong about having AS then you have wasted time uselessly.

Why would someone want to claim to be a person with Asperger's when they are not? Simple: Identification with a victim group. It gives one a sense of belonging, and being the underdog with a cause. They have certain advantages that may think they can dominate over others. In fact such people have in many cases attempted to control groups of people that have limited voices on their own. We must be weary of them.

Finally, people often do things you few would think anybody would ever do. You cannot associate what others do with what you would necessary wish to do.

I consider myself self-diagnosed. Most of the problems that have plagued me over the years can be traced back to the diagosis criteria for AS. Thus I could only conclude that I have AS. Its either that... or come to terms with the fact that I'm a social 'loser'. Not like being a 'loser' would bother me at all since I don't really play the NT game.

I'm self-diagnosed. I didn't know at first if I had AS or not, but when I read personal accounts on this site, they described me perfectly. That's when I knew I had AS. I'm not planning to get a professional diagnosis. We all know what stigma neurological conditions carry.

I don't have a problem with people self-diagnosing. I did it myself and then told my psch and he just agreed with me that i had it. Since there is no test to prove one way or the other if you have it or not.

If self diagnosis means taking the Diagnostic manual criteria and checking off the symptoms - then it is valid although you may want to get a few people you know to go over the same data to get a second opinon

There are a lot of things the average person can do just as well as an expert if they are willing to research and do the foot work.

That said - my psychologist has been very helpful with coping skills and meds to control OCD

Werbertism is a religion of peace and inclusion, therefore, all are welcome here.

That being said, I do feel a certain sense of superiority over the self-diagnosed. I was diagnosed by, not one, but two certified psychologists. Plus, I agreed with their diagnosis, so that was like three expert minds who agree that I have AS. So take that, self-diagnosers.