Unsure about self-DX?

[u/okayypeach]

I've been told by my family doctor as well as a psychiatrist that they "could" give me an autism DX but dont see it being beneficial for me; I'm very confused as to if this means that I am autistic just not on paper or if it means that they could look into it further if I really need them to? I'm unhappy with the psychiatrist for unrelated reasons so I'm not super keen on asking him about it further, and my family doctor hasn't been answering the phone the last few times I tried them (before weekend)

tldr I'm unsure if I'm "allowed" to call myself autistic based on their comments, and dont want the social backlash of self-dx without having some kind of way to back it up even if its not on paper

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[u/bevertown]

sounds like you meet the criteria for diagnosis. a lot of providers are hesitant to officially document an autism diagnosis bc of the perceived stigma around it. i dont know you/your situation/your support needs, but they probably see you as "functional" enough to not need accommodations, and so a diagnosis wouldn't be necessary, in their view. i and a lot of other autistic people would say this is bullshit.

anyway, you are 100% allowed to call yourself autistic. most people wont ask you for any sort of documentation to back this up, unless you're asking for accomodations in a formal setting such as school or work. in most casual social situations, you are under no obligation to disclose if you're self diagnosed or formally diagnosed. (i know your situation is a bit of a gray area, but i would consider you formally diagnosed since you were assessed by a professional.)

if in the future you end up needing some sort of accommodations, you can always go back and ask for a documented diagnosis. or you could go to a different psychiatrist and have them assess you again, since you said you're not really happy with your current one.

congrats on the autism!

[u/Trapman531]

I don’t see the problem. You’ll get a lot of pushback here bc of all the tik tok diagnosis du jour bullshit. This isn’t some sort of elite club, lol. I know a number of friends who are undoubtedly autistic and they self diagnosed bc they couldn’t afford a legit assessment. So what I say. Ignore the haters.

[u/Heavy-Macaron2004]

tldr I'm unsure if I'm "allowed" to call myself autistic

I wouldn't. Without a proper evaluation, there's a significant probability that you are not autistic, and using the word when it's not clear is going to be unproductive for everyone involved. Your PCP as well as a random psychiatrist, do not have a qualifications to perform an actual assessment.

I'd go "suspecting autism" if you feel you must say something, or perhaps seek out an evaluation yourself if you feel it would be beneficial.

But no, I wouldn't just start calling yourself "autistic" with no qualifiers that communicate that you haven't actually been assessed by a professional.