Professional diagnosis vs self-diagnosis?

have multiple developmental,learning and neuro disabilities which are all fully diagnosed by profesionals.

have never self diagnosed anything,full self diagnosis can cloud someones judgement if they become focused on a label they havent yet been assessed for,so woud rather mention symptoms and issues than say have got something when havent been diagnosed with it.

thats the problem with self diagnosis,some use it as a sign post to encourage themselves into going for profesional assessment which is what it shoud be about,but often a lot of people in this group dont have the money to go for assessment [especially if theyre in places that dont have an NHS] so its not really their fault if they are self diagnosed for a while.

others become a lot more attached to the label they have diagnosed themselves with and the community behind it,they attempt to speak for everyone who has been diagnosed with it,and put forward their experiences as experiences of that condition.

then there are those who SD [self diagnose],because they have some faults or issues,and want to be labelled with a condition that is well known as it gives them a lot more support and understanding than if they were just labelled with their basic faults.

so not everyone who SDs shoud be looked at less innocently,they have to start somewhere and its good they have been able to educate themselves on it.

with childhood conditions,people shoud always get old school reports,ask parents in detail what were like etc,dont just judge as an adult,fodaddy is right about the amount of people diagnosing themselves with aspergers on YA,add ADHD to the list as well.

as for them using disability services and accomodations,well a lot of support organisations wont take on service users without a diagnosis anyway [especially ones for specific disabilities],but one thing with accomodations-self diagnosers may not have the label but does it mean they dont have the impairment to?

they shoud be able to get accomodations if an assessment shows they need it,as people do not need a diagnosis to have their difficulties.

not sure what mean by disability advocate,as have heard different meanings.

have got an advocate [as in someone who speaks on behalf,due to disabilities and being in residential care],but have also known quite a few people who are advocates of disabilities.

of own advocate,he isnt disabled but speaks for self when need quite big things sorting.

of the other type,have rarely known any that werent diagnosed-there were a few that did used to advocate online only,they claimed to be autism spectrum but indoing their accutely anti pro choice/pro cure speeches they always assumed all of us on the spectrum were able to live and cope like they do.

parent users used to get a lecture on how to bring up their moderate/severe/profound classic autistic children based on the advocates own experience of mild aspergers.

woudnt take anything they said seriously,as they had said they werent actually diagnosed but believed in it more than some people do-a religeon.

have known a few people become small time online advocates,speaking on behalf of us all on the autism spectrum,saying how ASD is a personality difference not a disability [and so on,the usual...] and then one day,they post that theyre finally getting assessed,they give people a runthrough of their experience with the doc,and then suddenly,theyre diagnosed with social anxiety disorder,or ocd,to be fair people do have some bravery when they can come back and say they were wrong though.

if are to include only online disability advocacy,its impossible to know even all of us who say we have diagnoses are anymore believable than those that are self diagnosed,use the sense test-if they are making a lot of sense at all,and can relate to it,its worth a read whoever its from.

1. I have been diagnosed with different disabilities. I once self diagnosed with ADD and it turned out I was actually diagnosed with it in 4th grade. I was even diagnosed with a language processing disorder. I no longer do self diagnosing since it's the doctor's job and I could be wrong.

2. I think it depends on why the person is going for a diagnoses. I think mine was important because I was still in school and I needed help and my mom didn't fully understand me. She didn't know what I had and knew I had something but didn't know what it was. But the bad part is it keeps you from getting health insurance and joining the army.

3. I see everyone as normal and no different. My thoughts don't change when I hear they have something wrong with them. But I do believe some abuse things like spending less money for a bus pass when they can afford the whole thing or trying to cut in lines at Disneyland or Disney World just because they have that privilege for people with disabilities.

4. I don't understand why some feel the need to wave their label around. I think some put it in their signatures on the forum because they want to be understood better and not be mistaken as a troll or be seen as stupid and uneducated. I don't take the self diagnosed as seriously because I know for a fact they may not have what they claim to have and they think they do.

1. in one case a family member noticed symptoms of a disability that they were familiar with and suggested that the parent seek treatment for the child & pointed them in the right direction for what type of doctors and specialists they would need to see.

in another case it was obvious from the moment the child was born that there were issues.

2. professional diagnosis is needed because if the disabled person qualifies for assistance or special training of some sort then they won't always be able to get it w/o the professional confirmation.

3. no, it doesn't change how I feel about them. It makes me feel sad for them that they usually aren't getting everything that is available to them because they haven't had the professional diagnosis.

4. as I've said already, when they are self diagnosed, they often are not properly diagnosed and don't have access to all that is available to them. their experiences are valid but their info as to what services, accomodations, etc are available for their disablility is often incorrect because they often don't know what they qualify for or what is available.

My recommendation is if you have a disability that would allow you to have access to a service or benefit that would make your life easier then you should get that professional diagnosis, otherwise you're just cheating yourself out of something that could make your life a little less difficult.

Good Luck.

1. I have a learning disorder, which was diagnosed by a professional, however I was an adult when diagnosed. Having documented evidence meant that when I returned to study, I was able to get access computers with specialized programs, note takers etc.

I also have a acquired physical disabilities, and these too, were diagnosed by professionals, and having medical evidence meant that I could claim a part Social Security payment (DSP in Australia).

2. I believe a professional diagnoses is important, especially if the person is young and at school, and they require classroom supports etc or other support services both at home and school, then a professional diagnoses will help in getting these.

Also having a professional diagnoses, can also mean you maybe able to legitimately claim Social Security payments, as SSI usually requires documented evidence from a medical professional.

Self diagnoses can be dangerous, especially if someone surfed the internet and then they start self treatment. But I do understand why people do self diagnose, because they may have tried to get answers to their health problems, and have either being ignored or fobbed off by their doctor/s.

3. I try not to think or treat people who have self diagnosed any differently to someone who was diagnosed by a professional. I have come across a few people who have self diagnosed, sadly one person was having trouble trying to claim a Social Security payment, and they were going from one doctor to another, which was not helping. And they wanted my help (I run a support group), but I was severely limited to what I could do, as they needed to have a professional diagnoses, to get any where, they did eventually get a diagnoses, but it was not what they thought.

4. I have no problem with this, as I have found that some people who have self diagnosed, have fairly good understanding of the condition/disability, if not better than some medical professionals. I have had one medical professional who openly admitted he knew nothing about my disability and he to his credit researched a little, and was able to offer some help.

My biggest issue is people making assumptions, that clearly shows their lack of knowledge and understanding related to a persons disability, and they make very stupid statements that cause more misunderstanding and frustration of those affected.

1. I have cerebral palsy (cp) and major depression, both were diagnosed by doctors.

2. I feel it is important to have disabilities professionally diagnosed and treated. If you don't, you will never know if you really have the disability or not. In order to get the right treatment you have to get the right diagnosis.

3. (I will just answer the last part of this question) Just like people who don't have a disability can use curb cuts and accessible bathrooms, I think there should be no law about who can use those kinds accommodations (Think about mothers with baby strollers using curb cuts and I have a friend who is really tall and feels like he is sitting on the ground when he is using a regular toilet). Though I think people need to be professionally diagnosed to get SSI and SSDI, for children to be placed in special education classes and those kinds of things.

4. I think most people are sincere when they talk about their disabilities. Though I tend to take people who's disabilities were professionally diagnosed more seriously. I think people with self-diagnosed disabilities may not even have the diagnosis right. I know a lot of disabilities with similar symptoms and they have been mixed up, even by doctors. So to take advise from them I think isn't the smartest thing to do

Since BPD is a personality disorder, it cannot be treated with medication because it won't work. It's likely that there may be depression, or anxiety that can be treated though. There is also something called Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) that is geared for BPD. It helps you use rationale's and your wise mind for making decisions and handling the things that come into your life. I think that seeing a psychiatrist and a psychologist, which is a counselor, would both be extremely beneficial. Also the Dialectical Behavior Therapy which is a group therapy. I have BPD and the DBT is very helpful and also being able to have the one on one with a counselor. And the medication that can help some of the other possible problems associated with BPD that only a psychiatrist can prescibe. However I would say that the DBT and the individual counseling would be the most beneficial

Remember that some disabilities are not visible disabilities. Rare "orphan diseases" and conditions the elude definitive labels further isolate people suffering from disabilities. Internationally, the Patient Voices Project encourages people with chronic or mental disabilities to express their experiences. See links below.

Obtaining Social Security Disability is confusing because some people receive the designation, yet are very active and work, while others cannot work, partially paralyzed, in wheelchairs or braces, in constant pain, etc. cannot get classified.

Some doctors are notorious for not declaring people disabled for certain things like MS which may take ten to twenty years of suffering and expensive testing before finally being diagnosed. That is why it is important for people with suspected ailments and diagnosed ailments to seek out and participate in support groups, online research, and subscribe to newsletters from that disabilities advocates. Yes, some of that literature is obviously produced by drug manufacturers and equipment providers.

They've all been officially professionally diagnosed. Although I've thought I had a couple of disabilities that I found out I didn't have.

people who self-diagnose are about as credible as a judge who tries a case involving him/herself. A prime example of this are the multitudes who apparently have Aspergers. Roughly 100% of Youtube users claim to have it. The same holds true for just about any online message board/forum you can name. Of course it's highly unlikely that all the afore mentioned people are actually Aspies.

Getting a professional diagnosis is important if you ever want to take advantage of programs or accommodations. No organization or government entity is just going to take your word for it. Doing so would be completely asinine.

Personally, I feel that self-diagnosis is meaningless, I could self-diagnosis myself and come the conclusion that I'm Mary Queen of Scots, but that doesn't mean I actually am.

Doctors Reverse Diabetes Without Drugs - http://help.diabetesgogo.com/