Self-Diagnosis; Valid or Not? By: Janaya Buckley

In an age where mental health is becoming more recognized and researched; diagnosing and finding treatment for disorders is still difficult for many to achieve.

This why self-diagnosis has become more and more common. As defined— self-diagnosis is a process of documenting and identifying a mental health condition without the help of a medical professional. Individuals who self diagnose claim they have a certain disorder without consulting with a doctor. 

In modern society, Gen Z is the generation most likely to rely on self-diagnosis. This influx is caused at least partly by social media. As more and more conversations are had about mental health online, the more normalized it becomes. Tiktok is one of the many apps where these conversations are held— an app where Gen Z frequent daily. Subsequently, mental conditions are often watered down or romanticized, and young people are more prone to self- diagnosing to fit in with those around them, find validation and have a solid answer for their struggles. The true problem comes from a lack of research, and diagnosing based on misinformation. 

However, the historical difficulty of getting medical treatment cannot be ignored. For example, Autism was mainly diagnosed in men due to women not fitting the external symptoms needed for diagnosis. Women are more likely to mask their autistic traits in order to fit in with society comfortably. While males showed more external traits that made it easier to determine the cause.

Even today it still remains a challenge for a woman to get diagnosed with autism. And it does not end there. This same issue persists in other disorders and for many different reasons, such as overlap of symptoms, being unable to afford treatment, medical bias and more. These issues are why some may turn to self diagnosis. 

With all of these considerations, self-diagnosis is valid; as it can eventually lead to an actual professional diagnosis. It is important that those who self-diagnose are making an active effort to get the opinion of a doctor, so that they can truly get the help they need. Even though a small group of people who self-diagnose do it for invalid reasons, the majority of self-diagnosers are actually struggling and it is important that they are shown kindness and attentiveness rather than scrutiny and judgment. With the right research and tools, a self-diagnosis can be a helpful pathway into official medical care.