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[–] 37 points 11 months ago (11 children)

I mean, what would an autism diagnosis provide?

At least with ADHD you get really helpful meds

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  • [–] 29 points 11 months ago (7 children)

    I mean, what would an autism diagnosis provide?

    Some peace of mind for some, I guess. Giving a name to the issue may help a little living with it

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  • [–] 10 points 11 months ago (6 children)

    Are labels like that actually helpful?

    I'm genuinely asking. I feel like they're not, that with or without it you have to forge an understanding with others

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  • [–] 10 points 11 months ago*

    Not the labels per se but being able to identify patterns and processes can be a comfort and even helpful if you have the right guidance and support system.

    For example, identifying habitual masking (even when unnecessary) and making the decision not to mask can be helpful when socialising by conserving energy and making them more meaningful without the doubt and shame of "faking it". Also giving yourself credit for feeling emotions and stimuli intensely and deciding for yourself to move away from to self-regulate.

    The "label" should be foremost for you, hence why some don't feel comfortable getting an official diagnosis (especially in the U.S.)

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  • [–] 6 points 11 months ago*

    For some they are, for some they're not, I guess. Personally I do think it helps me understand myself better , but then again I was diagnosed as a kid for ADHD, but have been off meds for 20 year (I forgot to take them and eventually stopped altogether)

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  • [–] 5 points 11 months ago

    As a parent, helping children to name their emotions when they feel something is the very foundation of getting them to recognise what's happening and developing strategies to cope with the strong feelings.

    I've been told by parents of kids with autism, and by friends who's received formal diagnosis that it is a very similar mechanism. The 'label' helps with recognising patterns of behaviour, and helps them to develop coping mechanisms.

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  • [–] 1 point 9 months ago

    I would say they’re useful for peace of mind and better understanding of the self. But also for interacting with other people since saying you’re autistic is a lot easier for people to understand than explaining how you work. Lastly if you’re low functioning autistic a diagnosis can also qualify you for disability benefits. I personally saw a major improvement in my life from that last point.

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  • [–] 12 points 11 months ago

    I got some preliminary testing done by a clinical psychologist for both ADHD and autism, and it indicated I have both. For a diagnosis to 'count' medically, you have to have a doctor make it though, so I went to a psychiatrist.

    Both the psychologist and psychiatrist basically advised that I should only seek a medical diagnosis for neurodivergence if I was going to seel treatment or other disability accomodations with it. Otherwise, there's no real benefit and a huge chance of discrimination by other doctors. A friend, who's from another country, said her psych gave the exact same advice.

    So I only got a medical diagnosis for ADHD and remain content with the psychologist's autism 'diagnosis'.

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  • [–] 7 points 11 months ago

    Nothing beyond clarity. I always thought I was working around my own character flaws but after I realised I'm autistic it reframes it as me working around autism.

    It didn't provide help but it did provide answers. I now sometimes say to clients that I have autism and I might ramble on too much about details and people seem to like it.

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  • [–] 1 point 11 months ago

    Targeted therapy and various strategies you can use.

    Some countries provide support, and there's a certain amount of legal protection you can get from things like discrimination (for example if you get overwhelmed a lot you can ask to take breaks or to sit in a quieter area of an office).

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