In the world of neurodivergence, one topic that often arises is diagnosis. While formal diagnoses can provide clarity, validation, and access to support, there’s also value in self-diagnosis. Let’s explore the pros and cons of formal diagnosis and why self-diagnosis deserves respect as a valid experience.
💎🐉 The Benefits of Formal Diagnosis
A formal diagnosis can offer tangible benefits, including:
💎 Access to Resources and Support: A formal diagnosis often opens the door to therapies, accommodations at school or work, and legal protections. This can make life easier for neurodivergent individuals, ensuring they receive the support they need to thrive.
💎 Validation: For many, receiving an official diagnosis brings a sense of relief - finally having a name for what they’ve been experiencing. They aren’t “crazy.” What they are experiencing is real! This validation can alleviate self-doubt or confusion about one’s differences.
💎 Understanding and Acceptance: A diagnosis can help individuals better understand themselves and their traits. It also helps others, such as family members or educators, gain a clearer understanding of how to support neurodivergent individuals. It’s easier to set boundaries when you know what is really going on within your body and mind, what’s driving your feelings and behaviors. You get better at asking for what you need and explaining the things that might trigger you. It helps you take ownership of your journey with others, rather than against or away from them!
🔥🐉 The Downsides of Formal Diagnosis
However, formal diagnosis isn’t always a perfect solution. Here are some of the downsides:
🔥 Cost and Accessibility: Diagnosis can be expensive and difficult to access. Many individuals can’t afford the lengthy process of assessment, or they may live in areas where specialists aren’t available. I have some friends who have been on a waiting list for years!
🔥 Misdiagnosis: As we explored in a previous post, misdiagnosis can lead to inappropriate treatments and delays in receiving proper support. Some individuals are mistakenly diagnosed with anxiety, depression, or even schizophrenia when they’re actually neurodivergent. It can be so hard sometimes to explain in words your experience and what really sits below it. If you live with the subjugation dragon, you may also dismiss your own experiences and just agree with what the doctor assumes - even when you know they’re wrong.
🔥 Stigma and Labeling: Unfortunately, some diagnoses come with societal stigma. Labels can be limiting and lead to people being seen through a narrow lens rather than in their full complexity. Most people knew that “one person” with autism or watched “Rainman” and assume they get you. As a neurodivergent person, it can get tiring educating those around you on what your diagnosis really means. It can be easier to just mask in silence sometimes.
💚🐉 The Importance of Self-Diagnosis
Here’s where self-diagnosis comes in. For many, self-diagnosis is an empowering step toward understanding themselves. It’s based on lived experience and often comes from careful research and personal reflection. Here’s why self-diagnosis can be just as valuable:
💚 Knowing Your Own Experience: Who knows your experience better than you? Self-diagnosis is often rooted in a deep understanding of how certain traits, challenges, and strengths show up in your life. It’s about trusting yourself to recognize patterns that others might miss.
💚 Accessible: Self-diagnosis is an accessible option for individuals who can’t afford or access formal diagnostic processes. In many cases, people spend years researching their own experiences before they pursue a formal diagnosis. Now on top of that, imagine your talent is collecting data, pattern matching, hyperfocus, and making connections between what appears unrelated to others! What a powerful self-diagnosis set of tools!
💚 Less Risk of Misdiagnosis: When you self-diagnose, you’re not relying on someone else’s assumptions or biases about what your traits mean. Professionals might misjudge or misunderstand your experiences, especially if they’re viewing you through societal biases. Self-diagnosis is based on your own lived experience - not a judgment from someone else.
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Self-Diagnosis vs. Misdiagnosis: An Example
One common criticism of self-diagnosis is that it could lead to misdiagnosis, but here’s why the two are fundamentally different:
Imagine someone who has symptoms of emotional dysregulation and difficulty with focus. On the surface, these symptoms might suggest ADHD, but they could also result from childhood trauma. In both cases, the person might experience restlessness, difficulty concentrating, and mood swings. However, the underlying causes are different - neurodivergence is neurological, while trauma often involves psychological responses to past events.
For instance, someone who has experienced trauma might benefit from schema therapy, which focuses on reframing negative patterns from early life. A neurodivergent individual with ADHD might benefit more from executive function coaching or medication.
💚 The key here is that while the symptoms might look the same, the treatments would be different depending on the cause. This is why a formal diagnosis can sometimes be helpful in pinpointing which support will work best.
💚💚💚 However, self-diagnosis can still be valuable even if it isn’t “official.” It’s not about forcing yourself into the wrong box - it’s about giving yourself a framework to better understand your experiences.
A person who self-diagnoses as neurodivergent might still seek therapy for trauma if they feel it’s part of their experience. Self-diagnosis is flexible, whereas misdiagnosis from a professional can lead to treatment that doesn’t address the underlying issue.
❤️🔥🐉 Dragon Wisdom: Trusting People’s Experience
When we trust people to know their own experience, we create a world where they feel seen, heard, and respected. Self-diagnosis can be a vital part of this - it allows individuals to begin their journey of understanding without needing external validation. Just because someone doesn’t have a formal diagnosis doesn’t mean their experience is any less real.
By recognizing the validity of self-diagnosis and not judging people for knowing themselves, we build a more inclusive world where everyone’s story is respected.
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