honestly I'd really like to see the #ActuallyAutistic tags changed to #ActuallyDiagnosed since that seems to be what people really mean, and given how difficult/expensive it is to access assessment and diagnosis, the number of undiagnosed and actually autistic people probably far outweigh the diagnosed ones

God people on the internet are mad weird cause why did I see someone saying that Damien "decided" to be autistic. Apparently he saw the "positive feedback and bandwagoned" and I'm just staring like... Huh. I don't... That's not... First of all self diagnosis is valid af (I say that as if I don't do doubt myself but imposter syndrome who?) but secondly he's literally diagnosed??? And has talked about it openly as well as his ADHD, OCD, and mental health in general?? Sorry it's very unimportant but it blew my mind 💀💀

hi so i think i may or may not have autism and ADHD but i'm really scared to get diagnosed because my family isn't supportive of the neurodivergent community and i'm pretty sure my parents would flip if i asked them to get diagnosed since they're alr toxic af and put down my ass every day but my life's become a living hell because i'm 95% sure that all of my "bad habits" and "tics" are just adhd and autism things and they've really manifested over the last few months and i have no clue what to do because it's a lose lose situation either way and please PLEASE tell me you have advice or at least tips on how to deal with this

Hey there. I am so sorry to hear what happened to you.

Please prioritise your safety first. You can get to formal diagnosis later when you are more financially stable and in better place.

I would like to let you know that self-diagnosis is valid. Your ADHD and Autism are valid even if you have no means to get official diagnosis, because there are a lot of barriers to getting one.

I’m not sure whether you are still in school or have already started working, but for now if you’re stuck at home—here is a few resources I think would be helpful:

1. Self-Diagnosis-Friendly Resources and Communities

2. Embrace Autism

3. Am I Autistic? A Guide to Diagnosis for Adults

Since it’s disability pride month

Please keep in mind that self diagnosis is 100000% VALID AF

Medical diagnosis is a privilege

Sometimes it can take months or years to get a diagnosis

not everyone can get a diagnosis- that doesn’t make them any less disabled

Re autism books:

Tony Attwood is spectacular, essential reading for anyone on the spectrum. Recommend the Complete Guide to Aspergers Syndrome (yes the term is ourdated, but the research and interviews hold up). Self Help, Medical-ish. Highly recommend watching his TED talks etc, so lovely.

Unmasking Autism by Devon Price. Smart, relatable, helpful af. Self Help.

Women and Girls with Autism Spectrum Disorder by Sarah Hendrickx. The beginning is very technical, but most of the book talks about women's experiences in different aspects of life and how to cope. This was the first one I read after my diagnosis and it made me feel so seen and validated. Self Help.

Autism for Adults by Daniel Jones, preorder Sept 2023. Self Help, i have this ordered. Looks very promising in that the author talks about how to deal in different aspects of life specifically after having received a diagnosis as an adult. Unlearning harmful coping mechanisms, etc.

We're Not Broken by Eric Garcia. More a book on cultural conversation about autism and how to change it. Cultural Conversations.

Hope these are what you're looking for!

Thank you so much! Im gonna post this so I can find it and so others who may be interested can also see it!!

(If u guys have more recs for books or podcasts abt autism pls rec some!)

So like... I think I've come to the conclusion that I'm autistic.

I've been very hesitant to say for definite that I am because, while I fully support self-diagnosis and think it's valid af, I'm the kind of person that's just like. Nahh. I'm not. It's all in your head. You're just doing it for attention. You're not actually anxious, depressed, ADHD, etc. I'm that kind of broken. :')

But... I've been thinking about this for a few years now, to be honest? And I've done my research and listened to others' stories and thinking about my own life and childhood and it all just... makes sense. It's all connecting and fitting together.

I think I'm autistic.

It don't change shit. As an afab adult I'm too scared to try and get tested, and even if I did manage to get tested and diagnosed it wouldn't do anything except make it """official""". So none of it really matters.

But like... it makes sense. And I kinda like that.

I am autistic.

i remember one time i was filling out an intake form for a psych eval and wrote that i have trichotillomania and the nurse said very brusquely, "so when were you diagnosed with that?" and i was like, uhhh i....wasn't? I've been pulling my hair out since 6th grade though? was i supposed to have a doctor tell me yes, you do in fact pull your hair out? and this is why professional diagnosis is often bullshit and self diagnosis is valid af

Sudden remembrance of salt @ 1 specific sibling. It’s been a mix of remembering past salt & also mixing that with recent salt. I got in a fight with them earlier too, and i kind of don’t know how to approach or feel about them going forward tbh. Especially the way they’ve been about mental stuff both in the past and recently. Like they’ll very much complain/shit on someone for x thing meanwhile I’m here w/ specifically x thing or wanting to do specific x thing. I remember I even called them out once when they were ranting abt someone’s stuff which happens to be an adhd symptom which I struggle with & not only do I say this. They go “but ur different” I even brought up they prob have adhd too and once again “but they don’t have it they are just terrible” (thanks for letting me know this makes me a terrible person but it’s ok bc you like me). This was pre dx of this person, and they were super adamant they couldn’t possibly have it & etc etc made them awful. Even before adhd dxs for both of us, they’d talk about stuff they hated in them when it was the same for me. Now person is dxed but I’m willing to bet that they might get wacky. They are always wacky pre diagnosis of anything tbh. They always downplay everything of mine, when it was first getting obvious I was depressed they just called me emo and made me watch tht South Park episode joking abt how I was emo. And now instead they downplay every autism problem as literally anything but autism. They literally asked me “does it have to be autism?”. They never acknowledge or validate the effects they’ve had on me growing up or my memories of them. They simultaneously excuse other people’s and use it as a way of downplaying any other thing I have or harp on them being terrible. I’ve literally heard them tell me things “weren’t that bad” and even in regards to a specific event in HS how I was overreacting and the person/people weren’t even that bad. I sent them resource after resource about things and they clearly never read any of it and got shitty with me for snapping & saying they didn’t even try & accused me of saying they didn’t understand/didn’t educate themselves/try/etc just bc they “disagreed” with me. They immediately distrust any info or people I talk about, when I mentioned say autistic community or autistic people they assumed they were self dxed (implying illness faking). Which also self dx is not even just... ugh. They are wack af abt dx, they will only take pain or struggle or symptoms etc seriously when it’s official enough. Not even just dx. Like we once got our hair done and they assumed and implied I was overreacting and being too sensitive etc bc I was having pain from bleach + the extended time w/ heater & they only believed it was serious when they saw/felt that my hair fucking melted. When I fucked up my knee they got pissy they had to pick us up early, and got extra pissy the next day when they made us walk around the capital despite pain and got extra pissy about how we were being slow. When I first sprained my ankle they were annoyed at me for being slow and overdramatic, they and my mom made us continue going to breakfast where I had to stand and wait in my heeled boots bc it was busy bc they still wanted breakfast while I cried bc it hurt so much & then after they made me get them ice cream when we were at home and got annoyed I was being slow. They talk about how I “focus on my negatives too much” as if that’s even remotely helpful considering they are constantly downplaying or erasing any problem I have. I still remember a lot of shit they pulled when I was younger, and any time I bring any of it up they immediately go “that didn’t happen, I didn’t do that, it was only once” or get hyper defensive and “well you”. Anytime I say anything bad “hope I’m not like tht lol” except then they are except then they can’t actually handle me saying that so it’s just reassurance w/o actually caring if they are or aren’t. They value the shit res team more than FCKING me. They actively talk over and act like they know me and my life better than I do

I got my diagnosis. I’m lucky AF

I wrote an earlier post about the validity of Self-Diagnosis because of the many barriers that make it difficult to get a diagnosis as an adult female. Well, I now I’ve had an official diagnosis for a few months now. While I wish I could say that getting pursuing an Autism diagnosis is cut and dry, it’s far from it, especially as an adult with female presenting traits. My pursuit of a formal diagnosis is full of lucky breaks that seem border on planetary alignment. 

How I won the motherfucking diagnosis lottery: A List

🌟 I had a doctor that agreed to referring me for testing, after me basically telling my life story in tears. They could have dismissed me, and I think they almost did.  🌟 When my doctor wasn’t able to find anyone who did assessments that was covered under my insurance (because ya know... Medicaid), I spent 3 weeks looking myself to see if I could find anyone. I didn’t. 🌟 As a last ditch effort, I called the local University Autism Center to see how much they charge for an assessment. I almost hung up when I heard the number. It was as much as one month’s rent on my apartment and we’re a single income household. 🌟 The coordinator on the phone told me they have a grant available to help with the cost, so I applied. The price was pretty much cut to 40% of the original cost, and I can pay it over several months. This kind of setup while very helpful, is incredibly rare.  🌟 The doctor that diagnosed me specializes in Autism and follows the latest science and data. They were very open, kind, empathetic, and so understanding. They don’t use functioning labels, and their report was very thorough. I was diagnosed Autistic with ADHD-I pretty much immediately.  🌟 The doctor also said if ANY medical professional refuses to acknowledge my diagnosis or wish to contest it, HAVE THE DOCTOR CALL THEM IMMEDIATELY.  They are willing to defend their diagnosis to other medical professionals to make sure that I get the accommodations and treatment I need. 🌟 Most people wait months to go through the assessment process, I was able to get into an initial meeting with the doctor within a week of my call and got a formal diagnosis within a month of my first appointment.

If you still don’t think that Self Diagnosis is valid after this, I honestly don’t know what to tell you.

If it is OK to ask, when did you find out you were autistic?

It’s absolutely okay to ask, I welcome all respectful questions about autism, neurodivergence or disability in general :) This got long, so I’m putting it under a cut.

I’m a late-diagnosed baby. I’m actually still not formally diagnosed, because wait times here in France are through the roof, and getting diagnosed as an adult is an obstacle course (best wait time is 2-3 years if you’re really lucky). But I firmly believe in self-diagnosis being valid.

Figuring it out was a long process. I can’t remember how early I knew I was different, but for sure by the time I was 10. Before that, I remember having trouble making friends and not liking the same things my peers did, but there were some gender things mixed-in too, so I’m not sure how aware I was of why these things happened. My parents always knew I was different, but most of my family is neurodivergent in some way without being aware of it, so they didn’t have a word for it and didn’t worry about it too much. I was lucky to grow up in an environment where they mostly let me do what I wanted, even when they didn’t understand.

[mentions of bullying, depression, SI in this paragraph] From age 11 on, I was bullied in school by everyone, including a number of teachers. By then I was fully aware that there was something “wrong” with me (that’s how I thought of it). I’m also aroace, probably agender (my gender is kind of a mess), overweight and intersex, so there were very few things about me that fit into the norm. I desperately tried to fit in, but it was a lost cause. At this point, I forcibly repressed nearly all my stimming and stopped talking to anyone about my interests. I became depressed, had suicide ideation and, at different points, got specific interests in brain disorders, neurology and disability.

[ableism and psychophobia] I definitely came across things I recognized then, but I never applied the word autism to myself. I think I just never found the right resources. Autism to me was the kids who didn’t speak on TV, basically. I definitely read stuff about Asperger’s syndrome back then but it was clearly something that only happened to boys and those boys all like maths and trains. I never even came upon the concept of neurodivergence, or, for that matter, disability studies and rights. Partly because the concepts hadn’t reached France at all (they barely have today), and I didn’t read English much. What I do remember, is identifying hard with autistic-coded characters on TV (and with no one else). Specifically, Greg House from House MD, and a little later Sherlock in BBC Sherlock. I don’t think I can overstate the harm that the blatant ableism of these shows did to me. For a few years, I honestly thought that I was either a sociopath or a psychopath and probably didn’t deserve to live. (House is also extremely ableist toward the main character’s physical disability and generally misogynist and problematic af, but it took me years to understand that.)

Around the age of 19, I read Daniel Tammet’s book I was born on a blue day and some of Oliver Sacks’s books, and I did recognize myself in this. Not fully, so I just put it in a corner of my mind while I kept looking. About a year or so later, I came back to it in a roundabout way. I was in the Leverage fandom and I read this fic. It was probably the first thing I read written by an autistic person that was about everyday life, rather than meant to explain autism to allistic people. And I related hard. So I started researching again, and I found this among other things (it’s a list of traits in girls), as well as a number of blogs by autistic people. I started finding things about neurodivergence. Around the same time, several people in my family started suspecting the same thing about themselves (by coincidence, funnily).

After several months of intensive readings, once I was reasonably sure, I contacted someone on Twitter who was looking to start a collective of autistic artists. We met up some weeks later, and for the first time, I found myself in a room with only autistic people (most of them were also advocates, more advanced than I was in deconstructing their internalized ableism). It was honestly like coming home. I felt like I belonged somewhere, and that I was welcome, for the first time in my life. I’ve met up with these people and others since, I’ve made other autistic friends (many by coincidence, honestly either I just attract autistic people like a magnet or there are many more than we think), and learned so much about myself. I’m still learning to love myself and to stop being ashamed, and that’s the hardest journey, but I’m confident that I’ll get there.

I probably just hugely overshared and you didn’t want to know all that, but here it is. Hope it makes some kind of sense.

tl:dr: I figured out I was autistic at 20-21 and it was all because of a fanfiction.

Endogenic "systems" ARE harmful because they create a narrative that focuses on people who actively do not fit the criteria for DID/OSDD, and excuses people who are systemphobic. DID is a mental disorder, and while it's very unique per person, endogenic "systems" literally defy the definition of a traumatic based mental illness by claiming they have alters without the trauma that created them. Self DX systems are valid af, so don't say that this is about them. Endogenic systems are harmful.

endogenic systems literally do not claim to have DID/OSDD. they have an entirely unrelated form of inhibition to forming a single coherent identity. this can be caused by various conditions and circumstances entirely unrelated to trauma, including--surprise, surprise--a significant portion of autistic people who dissociate whether we have experienced trauma or not, because sensory shit Sucks and half of us exist in a permanent state of dissociation to avoid being constantly overwhelmed. i have also been told by some folks with psychotic disorders that certain types of psychosis can inhibit early childhood identity development even without external trauma, but i did not experience that outside of having PTSD-based psychosis and dissociation, so i can’t speak to that.

additionally, many endogenic systems identify as such because they did experience trauma, but their system does not qualify for a DID or OSDD diagnosis anyway due to a combination of their lack of symptoms other than alters/dissociation and the timing of the trauma. my understanding of endogenic systems is not that they are not guaranteed 100% untraumatized, but rather, many of them are unwilling to link their multiplicity to their trauma because it does not qualify under the current DSM requirements.

people who have situational depression without clinical depression are not harming clinically depressed people. people who have drug-induced psychosis are not harming people with psychotic disorders like schizophrenia. people who have solely executive dysfunction are not harming people with ADHD. nobody is harming someone else by existing with symptoms that do not qualify for a diagnosis of a full-blown disorder.

not to use my status for clout, but i am saying this as a system who formed due to severe childhood trauma.

A common-sense list of things NOT to say to someone infertile

I get a physiological response when I consider telling someone for the first time about the struggles I’ve had trying to get pregnant. My throat seizes up, tears begin to congregate around my eyeballs, I get mildly light headed and I have a hard time getting my vocal cords to do their job. So if I’ve told you about the trauma of my infertility, feel honored. And don’t respond with shit like this:

[Taken from real-life conversations when I’ve “come out” of the infertility closet]

“When I was pregnant, my colleague had a miscarriage. My other coworkers told me that it would be a good idea if I didn’t join them for lunch for a while, to honor her loss. Can you believe that?” 

Yes, yes I can. You’d think I was a monster for all the baby shower invites I’ve deposited immediately in the trash, the times I swore off social media seeing another baby announcement at the top of my feed or the hangouts I’ve bailed on just to avoid another pregnant woman. My dreams of having a family that includes children are slipping through my fingers, and seeing someone preggers reminds me that I may never have that. It may make me look like as ass, but when you’ve experienced dozens and dozens of monthly, crushing let-downs, given yourself injections, endured uncountable trans-vaginal ultrasounds, and have experience pregnancy loss, then you can tell me that my feelings are unreasonable. So take your salad back to your office where the walls are covered with pictures of your beautiful children, and appreciate what you’ve got. 

“I had a chemical miscarriage between my third and fourth kid.” 

All loss is hard, and this isn’t a Who-Has-It-Worse competition. But come on. Four?! 

“I have a friend having a hard time getting pregnant. She posts Facebook updates about her journey. TMI, am I right?” 

Half of my trauma has came from suffering in silence. Infertility is taboo, and soliciting support often means you get your fair-dose of painful, unhelpful pieces of advice and even a fanboy group of neigh-sayers. My isolation has got me blogging anonymously, just to try and beat back a little of the depression and anxiety that is clouding my day-to-day decision making. Studies show the depression and anxiety levels generated through infertility are equal to a cancer diagnosis. Imagine keeping your cancer diagnosis to yourself, and then trying to make small talk at a happy hour, or performing satisfactorily at your job. So no...not TMI. 

“My older sister had IVF. She’s an old AF Mom now. She is tired all the time from chasing down my nephew.” 

Old AF, huh? I lament sometimes over not having the opportunity to be a younger, spryer mother. But then I remember I may never be a mother at all. And I think about how radically my life is going to change if it never happens. I’ve built a life in preparation of shepherding a child into my family. The car I own, the house I bought, the career I have---all selected in anticipation of adding a little one to our fam. So I will happily and triumphantly take on the title of an old AF Mom, if it means I get to be a Mom. 

“There are other ways to make a family.” 

Don’t get me started. You don’t sound wise and all-knowing when you make this proclamation. You sound ignorant to my personal family dynamic. My husband told me we’d need to reevaluate our relationship if I began seriously considering adoption. So if we exhaust all the medical interventions to get pregnant, what do you recommend then? 

"IVF is kind of gross an unnatural.”

Fuck you.

“Huh. Aren’t my sons new shoes the cutest? There was a shop going out of business so we were able to get everyone in the family new shoes.” 

This is probably the most common response I have gotten. Whether it be because they are uncomfortable, or self-centered, it is shocking how after I chose to be incredibly vulnerable with someone, how quickly they turn the conversation back to them. For Pete’s Sake---how hard is it just to listen and then validate the horrific thing I am going through? 

If you are struggling with infertility, and feel like you are breaking under the weight of isolation and loneliness, I strongly suggest “coming out” to someone who has walked your same path. It could just be a terrible happenstance that the people in my circle suck, but it’s more likely that infertility simply is one of those conditions that unless you’ve been tortured by it, you aren’t going to “get it”. So when your cousin talks about her coworker who had kids through IUI, ask for their contact information. It may seem wild to seek solace from a stranger, but those infertility veterans aren’t going to respond with something that makes you want to punch them in the throat or single-handedly consume a gallon of ice cream in one sitting. You are going through something incredibly painful and difficult, so don’t feel guilty for reaching out to get the support you really need and avoiding conversations you know may cause you harm. 

I know this might sound obsolete but I think I might be autistic? I don't know what to do or how to go from here but I don't want to self diagnose because I'm scared of the consequences. Is there a way to know for sure? Please don't make fun of me because I am genuinely curious and terrified of being judged for asking about this. Also what do you personally think about self diagnoses? Thank you for your time.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with self-diagnosing. There are many reasons why people don't get a professional diagnosis.They might get their children taken away, people might try to take their rights away, they won't be able to get an organ transplant if they're in the US, they won't be able to gain citizenship in another country, it's super expensive, lots of the doctors who diagnose autism are ableist af and won't diagnose anyone who is afab or can make eye contact, have friends, etc. .... There are a lot of reasons. But unless you need government assistance due to your autism, or want some kind of treatment (do not do ABA), then I don't recommend getting a professional diagnosis, honestly. Self-diagnosed autistics are just as valid as professionally diagnosed autistics. I recommend the autism self-advocacy network and the autism women's network (or something like that) for information and trying to figure out if you're autistic. Take a look at the questionnaires a professional diagnosis requires, and do those and look over them.Good luck! If you have any more questions, I'm happy to help!

There are so many reason why people self dx. In some places there aren't free clinics. In some places they won't accept lgbt+ people. In some places they won't diagnose certain people because they believe things that aren't true (aka: lgbt people are apparently "already mentally ill" so they won't treat them for something else. In some places people's disorders are ignored because they're either "too young" or "too old". In some places the parents won't let their kids or teens get diagnosed. In some places parents are very strict about what apps their kid gets, so they can't get apps that diagnose them. In some places parents are albiest af and it's not possible/safe to get a professional diagnosis. ETC. Not everyone can just "dO tHe WoRk" like the rest of you, when they have literal walls stopping them from being able to. Some people need a label to put on their issues so they don't hate themselves and blame themselves for, for example, not being able to concentrate. Instead of blaming themselves, they could self dx as having ADHD (with other symptoms obvi) and help themselves come to terms with who they are so they can get better instead of hating themselves for shit.

99% of places in the us have a free clinic (i'm not going to speak on other places because i don't know)

your point about lgbt+ individuals is a valid one and i agree with it however there is more than one provider with everything i listed and there's going to be at least one that isn't homophobic/transphobic/biphobic.

if you don't meet the standard age for a disorder you won't be diagnosed. you can be dxed with a personality disorder until 18 and once you become 18 you are too old for conduct disorder. it's how it works.

dxs are not for self acceptance. you may feel better when you get dxed by a professional but that's not what it's for. dxs are for the person to receive treatment. if you are not going to receive treatment for the disorder you are dxed with the dx is useless. you don't self dx cancer because when you have cancer you do chemo/radiation or whatever else the doctor tells you your option is. you feel like you have answers when you get dxed with cancer but you don't self dx it because you can't do the treatment on your own. mental illnesses require treatment just like physical disorders and you cannot do the treatment on your own.

before someone comes and says "bUt wORkBoOkS" that's not treatment that's a workbook and it may help some but it's not a replacement for therapy and medication management.

Submission from Vlad

Sorry in advance if this gets really long. I’m pretty sure that I have Pure O. I was describing an experience and a friend suggested it to me and the Wikipedia page was pretty much new to a t. I’ve always said that I was pretty sure I had OCD without the compulsions, but I was told that it wasn’t a thing. So I kind of just stopped talking about it. So basically, I have A LOT of intrusive thoughts. And I’ve had to learn not to voice them because apparently not everyone thinks that way. (Part 1)

(Part 2) For example, if I’m going under a bridge, I’ll think about a detailed scenario of it caving in.Or sometimes I think about getting hit by a car(if I’m walking or in a car).And if I’m on a ledge or porch, I think about what would happen if I went over it. I also have impulsive thoughts like coming out to my mom or hurting my cat (which I would NEVER do btw).

(Part 3) I also have really uncomfortable sexual intrusive thoughts that I can’t get rid of easily. And I’m REALLY sex repulsed so this is especially disturbing for me. I’m not sure what is meant by mental compulsions but from what I’ve read, I may have them. Like if I have a disturbing thought, I’ll imagine a really detailed scenario to distract myself. It’s usually like a gory action scenario because the more intense it is, the better the distraction.

(Part 4) Also, in not sure if this is a mental compulsion, because it’s not always used as a distraction, but sometimes I repeatedly think about a specific part of a book or movie. It can be an entire scene, a page, a paragraph or as small as a single sentence. And for at least a small while, I’ll just think about it. Sometimes I even grab the book to read that part or watch an entire movie or episode of a show for the one part that I’m thinking about. I’m not sure if it’s calming or anything.

(Part 5) I kind of just do it sometimes. There’s probably stuff I’m forgetting. But thank you for enduring this long af ask. I would really appreciate a swift reply.

Hey there lovely!

I’m so sorry to hear that you’re going through this. Please remember that we at MHA are not professionals and therefore cannot diagnose you, if this is something that you feel you need a diagnosis for, or regular support, I would advise you to seek professional help lovely. It really is worth it, your mental health is just as important as your physical health and if it requires treatment, then you absolutely should get that treatment!

‘OCD without the compulsions’ or ‘pure O OCD’ does exist to an extent, but like you mentioned, the majority of the time, mental compulsions will be present, and for that reason, pure O is not usually seen as an official diagnosis. Pure O is the same as OCD. Your imagining of scenarios, and the repeatedly imagining a specific part of a book or movie does sound like a mental compulsion. All compulsions primarily act to relieve anxiety caused by your thoughts, whether these compulsions are physical or mental. So for example, in the stereotypical type of OCD (which is not the only kind, everybody’s experience with OCD is different and they’re all valid!) people may wash their hands frequently to reduce their anxiety about contamination with germs: the action is there to relieve anxiety. The same applies with mental compulsions. Your thoughts are causing you anxiety, therefore you compulsively think of something to relieve this anxiety, sometimes by distracting yourself, like you say. From the experience you describe to me, it sounds like you could be suffering from OCD, especially intrusive thoughts (the thoughts you describe about hurting your mum and cat would be classed as intrusive thoughts I would say, and so would the graphic images when walking under a bridge) and for that reason, I would thoroughly recommend you seek professional help as OCD, like any mental illness, can be debilitating if left untreated.

OCD is extremely hard to self help, but there are ways that you can do this, including self exposure therapy (so when you have an intrusive thought, resist the compulsion and just sit in the anxiety, eventually it /will/ pass) and trying to resist compulsions generally. Also learning how to combat intrusive thoughts without the need for compulsions, including rationalising them, talking about it, ignoring the thought and not giving it any power. There are a few apps and books you can use to help with this, but I would only recommend this if you really can’t get help from a professional, or while you’re waiting for professional help/alongside it, as self help and self diagnosis NEVER replaces the opinion of a mental health professional or doctor, and treating yourself can be detrimental to your mental and physical health.

I really hope this helps, Caitlin x

Mixed feelings on self Dx

Like on one hand, everything that I have been diagnosed with, I figured it out first and then confirmed it through my doctors. So in a lot of ways I dont think that all self dx-ing is inaccurate and ESPECIALLY in the USA I know testing and doctors are expensive af but at the same time... idk, like I sat for hours in offices, got thousands of dollars in debt and failed two classes due to absence because I had to miss for so many doctors appointments. I jumped through all the shitty hoops to get myself an official diagnosis. And in the process, I also found out things I was suspicious of having but didnt. I found out things that I would not have been able to measure on my own. Most importantly, I found out what could be done about it. Like IMHO there is no use in self dxing if you arent just using it as a jumping off point to find out what kind of testing/medication/therapy you need. Its not making any forward progress to say "I think I have X chronic medical condition" and then not do anything about it. Self DXing is the mental health version of feeling around for lumps. Just like you wouldnt feel a lump and say "I self diagnose myself with cancer" and do nothing about it, if you actually think you have a chronic mental illness, the next step is seeking out treatment. Also, mental illness isnt an identity? I dont identify as mentally ill any more than I identify as a strep patient when my throat hurts, I just AM. Its simply part of my lived realty, not something anybody but my doctor has the power to "validate" or "invalidate".