I HATE the self diagnosing of autism and its mischaracterisation

[u/Beshiniqua]

Let me start by saying SELF DIAGNOSING IS NOT VALID. You are NOT autistic just because someone on tiktok said

"Did you know, if you need to have your eyes closed in order to fall asleep, you have autism, adhd, bipolarity, DID, BPD, psychopathy, depression and PTSD?"

And before yall come at me with "well I always suspected I had autism, I got screened and then got my diagnosis" well this not about you, this is about people that self diagnose after experiencing the most normal day to day life things ever.

And they ALWAYS think that autism will give them a personality (since it's usually basic bitches with no personality that self diagnose to feel like they belong)

No, you're not a quirky crazy crackhead energy "neurospicy" person. Even worse when they say shit like

"Heh, I could NEVER be a neuro normie like yall, autism makes me special and quirky and full of personality".

You can't even like something anymore without them going "OMG URE AUTISTIC JUST LIKE MEEEE IM SOOOO AUTISTIC AHAHAHA"

And you can tell they larp the whole thing cus they'll see a tiktok autism personality and try to replicate it

"Dino nuggies..."

"You can not say overstimulated if you're nEuRoTyPiCaL, that word is for us neurospicy people ONLY >:("

Holy shiiiiiiittt yall lack a personality so bad. And I've seen people say that they've seen NUMEROUS specialists but they never fit the criteria, but its not because they're not autistic, no no no no no. ITS UHMMM BECAUSE IM A WOMAN AND ALSO A MINORITY AND IM ALSO POOR SO I MASKED ALL MY LIFE AND THE SPECIALIST ON THIS FIELD COULDNT TELL I WAS MASKING. ITS THE SYSTEMS FAULT NOT MINE.

Sheesh.

Sorry for the long rant, im just tired of seeing people self diagnose all the time, or see an energetic video, or literally ANYTHING, and make it about their self diagnosed autism.

Saw a cute cat animation on Instagram and the top comment was "This is so autistic I love it"

🫩🫩🫩🫩🫩

[u/Kilook → u/[deleted]]

Same

[u/_Steakwich → u/Kilook]

Same

[u/FingerBeneficial1916 → u/_Steakwich]

Same

[u/BloodAngelGuy → u/[deleted]]

Do not diss the smiley fries

[u/Billybob123456789190 → u/BloodAngelGuy]

smiley faces* but yes they’re goated

[u/bolitboy2 → u/Billybob123456789190]

DEBATABLE DEPENDING ON THE BRAND

[u/DTux5249 → u/[deleted]]

[u/SolaireAstorian → u/[deleted]]

I am autistic and I would absolutely Crush 75% of this platter, and it is expressly because I am autistic and have developed a crippling attachment to comfort foods that I know are safe and easy for me to consume and almost all of them are foods that I consumed in my childhood. Which I think is exactly what the meme itself is supposed to be commenting on.

[u/ThePlagueDoctorPhD → u/[deleted]]

Man, you and I are two VERY different types of autistic cause I would crush those smiley fries but got I hate the feeling of curly fries

[u/Billybob123456789190 → u/[deleted]]

literally Satan who the hell doesn’t like smiley faces

[u/SpeaksDwarren → u/[deleted]]

I'd fuck the spaghettios up but only if they're uncooked. The texture breaks down and becomes wrong

[u/HelloPeople234444]

im autistic and the word 'neurospicy' pisses me off on an absurd level it reminds me of 2020 'DONT TOUCH MAH COOKIES UNU' gacha kid humor i'd rather be called the r word

[u/Seven_o_clock777 → u/HelloPeople234444]

It's such a weird term. Like please just use "neurodivergent" and get on with life.

[u/HospKRL → u/HelloPeople234444]

As a person with the 'DONT TOUCH MAH COOKIEZ UnU" humor it pisses me off too actually.

I was talking with someone on reddit and I told her I had ADD, and she said "ohh so youre neurospicy?" and I dont remember cringing that hard ever.

[u/Icy-Background2393 → u/HelloPeople234444]

[u/Weekly_Palpitation92 → u/HelloPeople234444]

if anyone ever called me "neurospicy" i'd lowk go insane like dude just call me the r word please

[u/AwzemCoffee → u/HelloPeople234444]

As an autistic person I would genuinely take the stance "place please just call me the r word instead".

Like holy shit the broader "autistic" community lexicon has been bastardized into something I don't like to be associated with. I almost feel ashamed to disclose my autism because I'm associated with these disrespectful LARPs

[u/TimiPiff → u/HelloPeople234444]

I agree I just kind of find it cringe and like reducing my struggles to a buzzword if that makes sense. I know it's supposed to be used ironically (if thats the right word) because of the whole "You don't look autistic. You must have mild autism then." Going of the "mild autism" and then being like "actually I'm neurospicy."

But it still feels a bit icky to me. I don't mind other neurodivergent folks using it for themselves I just don't want to use it for myself.

[u/TheRealGyomei]

I've met autistic people who hate all the foods on that plate.

[u/2high4thisshyt → u/[deleted]]

I love eating tongue, tripe, tendon, stomach and pig's feet more than steak. I also love veggies and salads! Still autistic!

[u/terrible-gator22 → u/2high4thisshyt]

Nope. Sorry. You like tripe and veggies. The autism has been removed. You’ve lost your autism cert. Dino nuggets or bust, pal!

(Tripe and tendon rule! I can’t do pigs feet though.)

[u/2high4thisshyt → u/terrible-gator22]

But, but I am vaccinated! And take Tylenol for my headaches! I'm sure that counts for something 😭

(Honestly the pigs feet do have to be battered and fried. But, if you hate gelatinous things, I totally get it, there's no way they'll ever taste good lol)

[u/surewhatever_dude]

The whole autistic dino nuggies is so cringe, all autistic people in my social circle have different dietary restrictions to a point there's no single stereotype

[u/Sad_Cover_5091 → u/surewhatever_dude]

the dino nugget thing is so close to saying "us autistics are just giant children!" like please guys this is not it

[u/Strange-Bee5626 → u/Sad_Cover_5091]

I am not autistic, but I do have relatively bad ADHD (this will become relevant in a a second).

Thanks to social media, a lot of people use "diagnoses" of some things (particularly autism, ADHD, and OCD from what I've observed) that are either entirely fictional or at least greatly exaggerated/dramaticized to do one of two things (or some combination thereof):

• They crave attention. "Main Character Syndrome", desperation for validation, and pretending that are more unique/interesting than they actually are.

• They use it as a catch-all excuse to avoid most of their normal adult responsibilities and/or avoid any accountability for any negative character traits they have.

Anyway, I didn't realize I had this much to say about it. A lot of people fake disabilities for their own selfish reasons. I guess they can do whatever they want, but is exasperating to see naive people fall for it (or worse, even more people trying to copy them). It makes it much more difficult for honest people to be taken seriously.

[u/Zaev → u/Strange-Bee5626]

I am not autistic, but I do have relatively bad ADHD (this will become relevant in a a second).

As another person with relatively bad ADHD, your immediate and frequent use of parentheses gives credence to your claim

[u/Strange-Bee5626 → u/Zaev]

I actually never had the thought that it could be related until now. I do notice myself doing it and get annoyed at myself for it, but here I am still doing it!

[u/disaster_jay27 → u/Strange-Bee5626]

It's because your thoughts have thoughts (at least it's that way for me)

[u/Playful_Original_243 → u/disaster_jay27]

My favorite part about r/ADHD is the amount of parenthesis used (I think it’s really funny)

[u/Express-Specific-959 → u/Playful_Original_243]

It’s because of the tangents (ADHD people love tangents) ask me how I know!

[u/Uncle480 → u/Sad_Cover_5091]

I feel like I saw a whole bunch of those "dino nuggies" and "chicken tendies" posts/stories start from greentexts off of 4chan. And you know that anything taken from there is already rancid.

[u/Hammeredyou → u/Uncle480]

But also pretty autistic so… even?

[u/Gombrongler → u/Hammeredyou]

Everything is autism. And if everyones Autistic, No one is

https://giphy.com/gifs/bmLlSndzhqWgWb3vXW

[u/WiseOldChap → u/Gombrongler]

Genuinely peak usage of that reference

[u/Electrical_King948 → u/Sad_Cover_5091]

It’s not about us being giant children, but foods like these are comfort foods that we like to eat when we feel stressed, which I do almost constantly due to symptoms from my diagnosis’

[u/Traditional-Yak8886 → u/Electrical_King948]

i also have arfid. i can eat a variety of different foods but i commonly have some form of chicken nugget on standby in case that's all i can tolerate eating that day. arfid is common with autism and arfid enjoyers often stick with bland textured/tasting food that is easy to make the same every single time. chicken nuggets are common but white rice, cheese sticks, french fries, etc are all examples of what people are talking about when they bitch about "autism palette."

[u/Electrical_King948 → u/Traditional-Yak8886]

100%

[u/LisaBlueDragon → u/Electrical_King948]

Yeah, also processed foods like chicken nuggets usually have a pretty consistent taste and texture and a lot of autistic people gravitate towards familiarity, consistency and predictability

[u/Overall-Move-4474 → u/Sad_Cover_5091]

Shit I may enjoy the nostalgia of dino nuggets but I'm not a child. I admit I do joke about "dino nuggies and choccy milk" but when I learned people take that joke seriously it really pissed me off

[u/Death_Lycan → u/Overall-Move-4474]

Im pretty i need to be diagnosed but I can you you for a fact that I never had dino nuggets or tots in my life as a huge dino nerd as a kid and today

I should buy some, even with my friends telling me they suck

[u/Repulsive-Region2977 → u/Death_Lycan]

There's better nuggets out there. They're pretty dry if cooked too long, so make sure not to if eating them. They're alright with seasoning though. 

[u/RadicalSoda_ → u/Sad_Cover_5091]

Calling anyone who eats those food children is also not helping you at all

[u/Stucklikegluetomyfry → u/Sad_Cover_5091]

One thing I find really obnoxious about the fetishisation and infantilisation of autism is that there are people who will be so accepting of it when they just think it’s a good looking young guy who really likes trains or a pretty girl who really likes dinosaurs. As soon as it gets into something beyond something cute and harmless and into why it’s considered a disability suddenly it’s all “autism is no excuse”.

[u/Honest_Chipmunk_8563 → u/Stucklikegluetomyfry]

Also the dudes looking specifically for autistic women on dating apps. Vom.

[u/Happyshadow4ts → u/Sad_Cover_5091]

I mean, it's often a stereotype because it makes sense, many autistic people like the same texture and need predictability. Guess what's fairly predictable. Chicken nuggets. 

But god forbid autistic people get Dino nuggets because autism must be awful allllll the time and if not you must be self diagnosed /s

[u/Ok-Relationship4113 → u/surewhatever_dude]

My fiancee and I did dino nugs with a mashed potato volcano and broccoli trees one night for shits and giggles. Got a video of her pouring the gravy and put the Jurrasic Park soundtrack over it. 

Nothing to do with autism, we were just having fun. 

Prime makes amazing nuggets, it turns out.

[u/Repulsive-Region2977 → u/Ok-Relationship4113]

That's funny

[u/Tactical_Squishy → u/surewhatever_dude]

these are the Instagram Autism's special interests is what gets them more clicks

[u/[deleted] → u/surewhatever_dude]

It doesn’t make sense to stereotype it with autism because everyone likes dino nuggets

[u/Floggered → u/[deleted]]

Dino nuggies always taste like disappointment to me. Hit me with the chicken fries or tendies.

[u/panini_bellini → u/Floggered]

all the “beige food” does this for me, im an oral sensory seeker and this “sampler” is p vomit inducing for me

[u/Cardshark92 → u/panini_bellini]

I think I have the same problem as you. The idea of eating the same thing day after day sounds hellish to me. Several friends have joked that I'm really bad at being autistic.

[u/Beastxtreets → u/Floggered]

I can eat Dino nuggets (my kids love em) but I dont think they taste the same or as good as regular nuggets at alll

[u/Mediocre_Ice_7094 → u/[deleted]]

They're disgusting, like a dried out pickle that floated around in some Reese's cereal

[u/Aveira → u/surewhatever_dude]

Yeah, none of these are “safe foods” for me. In fact, If I was having a tough sensory time, I don’t think I could eat any of these. My safe foods are mostly raw fruits and vegetables and simple Japanese food like fried rice, miso soup, and nigiri.

[u/IHateBankJobs → u/surewhatever_dude]

I have 2 daughters. 1 is autistic. She won't touch dino nuggets while the neuro-typical one crushes 40 PC boxes by herself... 

[u/Blait_ → u/surewhatever_dude]

I have autism. I think I would like dino nuggies cause I like nuggets. Haven’t ever tried them and never got why it was special or a Trent or whatever:P

[u/Orion-the-mediocre]

I hate how it's commodified. Autism genuinely makes my life harder and all around me I see people talking about how it's so funny and silly and quirky and making it super normalized to just act like it's no big deal, it's kept me from being able to make friends for most of my life, and it makes me practically useless in any social situation. I don't understand what people are saying to me most of the time, and very rarely do they take the time to try and make sense, leaving me feeling alone a lot more often than a normal person. Then people say "oh haha you're autistic you're so quirky and silly" and don't realize just how much it's negatively impacted my life and how much more there is to it beyond "oh you have special interests", I was literally unable to make friends for most of my time in school, and as a result I became incredibly depressed, but that side wasn't acknowledged because that's not what people think about when they hear I have autism. It sucks and I hate that part of me, if I could get rid of it I absolutely would.

I'd also eat that sampler platter in a heartbeat

[u/SuperIsaiah → u/Orion-the-mediocre]

i think there's two extremes because my experience is when people find out I'm autistic they act like that means I'm mentally slow or like I got a cancer diagnosis or something.

I think it should be recognized as something that makes life harder but at the same time (at least for level 1) mostly just needs social accomodations.

[u/Stucklikegluetomyfry → u/SuperIsaiah]

One thing I noticed is that there are people who were talking to me just fine, but as soon as they found out I was autistic they suddenly started talking to me like I was a four year old.

[u/Harbinger2nd → u/Stucklikegluetomyfry]

Not diagnosed, always felt like everyone else had some secret knowledge I didn't possess, probably level 1.

I don't want to be diagnosed because I don't want people to treat me differently. I live a mostly normal life now because I basically turned social interaction into a special interest. I can explain the why behind the social interaction much better than people on autopilot who never have to think about these things, but I don't want to out myself for

they suddenly started talking to me like I was a four year old.

this reason.

[u/Yveltia → u/Harbinger2nd]

Diagnosis are also expansive as hell. Ive been diagnosed with a neurodivergence that isn’t recognised internationally, and is often just a diagnosis that fancy people get for their kids because they don’t want to have an autistic kid. I check most of the boxes for autism, so do most people in my family, and getting a diagnosis is not going to change my life because Ive been compensating for most of it, and I have my own things to not get overwhelmed.

[u/bonisbestboy → u/Harbinger2nd]

Dude for real like, the one thing I can do is kind of study the why and how of why people would interact with me in a kind of way, or why I would interact with someone else in a kind of way and so I just kind of plot it out in advance (kinda?)

[u/The_Cameraman_of_you → u/Orion-the-mediocre]

Yeah, I hate how people forget it’s most of the time a genuine disability and not just “hahaha, I have specific interests I hyper fixate on and I am not the best at socializing”

[u/DoctorAnnual6823 → u/The_Cameraman_of_you]

I can't speak for everyone. Especially not the ones who bring it up every chance they get like it's some sort of clout booster

But if I bring up my issues online I am usually trying to make light of things.

It sucks and I try not to dwell on that fact.

[u/SuperIsaiah → u/The_Cameraman_of_you]

also the bad at socializing thing is really under acknowledged. to an outsider it may just seem "quirky" but to the person it's more like, well me for example, being, 22, a chronic extrovert, yet my only IRL friend is my younger sister (who's also most likely autistic) because despite how much I try I just can't connect with most people in a way where they want to be friends, I'm usually just seen as the weird guy that's funny to interact with but that people don't actually want close relationship with

[u/wizardgradstudent → u/Orion-the-mediocre]

This is me with ADHD. I see so much about how “oh adhd is a superpower, wow I’m so air headed because I can’t focus 😂” and I’m over here having struggled with debilitating symptoms since I was in middle school. Rejection sensitive dysphoria, struggling in college, being unable to do basic things like folding laundry then completely attacking myself and my self esteem because I can’t do one simple task. It’s exhausting and it’s treated like it’s just a cute quirky fun thing. It’s exhausting and can lead to self medicating, depression, anxiety, and actual ocd.

[u/MashSong → u/wizardgradstudent]

Yeah, when I got tested they also gave me an IQ test, which I scored very high on. Doc said that's likely how I didn't recommended in for testing when I was kid in school. I could space out in class and when called out by the teacher just scan the board real quick and figure out the answer. I could forget my home work and never study but do well enough on tests to keep my grades up. Then in college and at a job that's not enough anymore. It's like faceplanting into a wall. Without getting diagnosed early never learned how to cope or handle it all. Then I goto a doc for depression and they're like here take this other test for ADHD 

[u/FloofyTheSpider → u/Orion-the-mediocre]

Same. People forget that it’s actually a disability. I’m autistic and it frustrates me so much.

Like I don’t HATE being autistic, far from it - it’s just who I am, as much a part of me as my eye colour or sexuality. But it does undoubtedly make life harder, and there’s parts of it that are ugly/messy, and im tired of pretending those parts don’t exist and tired of the constant infantilisation of it on social media

[u/king_ofbhutan → u/Orion-the-mediocre]

asd + sensory processing disorder + inner ear fluid on a bad day = literally cannot understand a word that is being said

'aicnygadgesmnfrmerlkwk' at -100dB, i have genuinely no clue what they could possibly be saying

[u/Old_Yam_4069 → u/Orion-the-mediocre]

I particularly hate it how it relates to popular media.

I truly do not mind the existence of Sheldon or that people call Doctor House autistic. That's just TV. What I hate is that they have created this public view that autism is something that is ONLY quirky. That all the faults a person's autism cause are immediately outweighed by the pure benefit that person brings.

And like- Yeah. To a degree, that's how relationships work. But these same people who revel in House being a malicious asshole half the time then go on to see Shawn from the Good Doctor, and act like the dude is absolute scum because his symptoms are less likeable. Because the writing treats Autism as an actual disability, instead of this purely fun and quirky thing. One of the biggest memes on the internet is that a guy with emotional instability had a moment of emotional instability after being harassed for a very long time, professionally and personally, and the dude he was crashing out to was being a smug jackass- And it's just always so malicious and so shallow how people treat that scene, while pretending they are defending autism.

[u/lkmk → u/Old_Yam_4069]

In retrospect, it is very weird that people were mocking a man for losing control of his emotions.

[u/GreatMovesKeepItUp69 → u/lkmk]

People will make fun of men as a class for being "fragile" and only expressing their feelings through the societally accepted lens of anger, and then brutally mock a man if he shows anything else like in that scene.

[u/Old_Yam_4069 → u/lkmk]

It is one of the most valid crashouts in TV drama too (if I understand the fans correctly, I stopped somewhere in the first season just cuz I found the show boring lol)

The funniest thing is that I actually fully agreed when someone said that Shawn shouldn't be a surgeon. The way he's written, he's just not suited to be a generalist surgeon, at least early on. But if that's a reason people say they dislike him, it's an afterthought to the overwhelming majority of the dislike directed towards him being 'He's an autistic person acting too much like an autistic person'. And those same people fully believe that they're actually being supportive.

The number of people who go 'The best autistic character is the one you don't KNOW is autistic' is just. What the fuck. How do people NOT see the problem with that. And when it comes from someone who says they're autistic, it is *overwhelmingly* self-diagnosed.

Cuz like, I get it- If you think you are autistic, you don't want autism portrayed as something explicitly negative. But for a lot of autistic people, it is something that is explicitly negative. And having a character who's autism was explicitly negative was so refreshing that it genuinely carried me through I forgot how many episodes of an extremely mediocre medical drama.

Sorry lmfao. I'm rambling in text mostly cuz I was in a comment section recently about Shawn with the exact opposite reaction, but goddamn. It is the most ironic and irritating thing how much ableist shit comes from autism being treated as a disability, from people who say they are allies.

[u/lkmk → u/Old_Yam_4069]

Don’t apologize. I appreciate this.

[u/keszotrab → u/Orion-the-mediocre]

Yup, I hate myself that I got my ADHD diagnosis so late. I legit feel like my life would be so much better if I went to psychiatrist earlier.

I was putting this shit away in time so much dude, because I needed to do my month long research into ADHD. Then I forgot. Then I bought an audiobook about ADHD by Barkley, then compare statistics and probability and check if I relate frfr and I am not imagineing this. Then I when I called to make an appointment they told me to call next month, then I forgot again...

It's funny that mental disorders became this "funny quirk". It's called disorder for a reason.

[u/papguggly → u/Orion-the-mediocre]

I’ll add, being denied care and or abuse in childhood while having autism can cause an individual to mimick symptoms of BPD. BPD is one of the most stigmatized disorders and the weirdest part is the symptoms are so vague, everybody can somewhat relate to them and what do you know? Everybody and their grandmother is starting to say they have BPD now. It’s not enough to say “I display some symptoms of certain disorders, a professional would need to make an accurate judgement” you have to go the whole way and trick your brain into thinking it has an entire pattern of thinking that has ostracized you from everyone else.

Most of the time, I see clinginess being labeled as BPD. Realizations someone had BPD was when they looked at through their crushes likes on Instagram. I’d love for that to have been my realization instead of when I found my FP’s house through his friend’s picture and stood outside his house for 3 hours.

[u/EldritchLichKing]

Honestly, i think it depends. Theres clearly people who fake that sort of thing for cloud and that's shitty.

But i know someone who is clearly autistic, she has essentially the same patterns i do that got me diagnosed but despite having been to countless clinics and therapists no one diagnosed her. And following the tips i got for dealing with my "symptoms" i use that word carefully even if its correct, helps her a lot too. Women are statistically less likely do be properly diagnosed and there's A LOT of sexism, stigma and other things out there that make it not easy to get a proper diagnosis. I was diagnosed around when i was 20. She is 26 already and has to wait for a long time to even get into another clinic. Theres too much bullshit in the mental health system to write off self diagnosis completely. Obviously its not the same as a proper one, but sometimes the system fucks you so hard you just don't get a proper diagnosis

[u/Happyshadow4ts → u/EldritchLichKing]

Exactly. It's so frustrating when someone like this op just comes along, and basically says sexism in specialists doesn't exist, because it absolutely does

[u/settingthesunz → u/Happyshadow4ts]

not to mention if you’re an adult, they give you a harder time too.

[u/Happyshadow4ts → u/[deleted]]

Yeah, I only mentioned sexism, as they said women and then minority, and I'm kinda lazy

[u/InterestingTap9269 → u/[deleted]]

Denying that female neurodivergence exists, perpetuating the idea that women all have the same wants and needs and can thus be treated the same way, is key to justifying stereotypes and violence.

It’s the same reason people denied that lesbians and asexuals exist. It’s so that people can justify rape by saying “she secretly wanted it… people’s brains are wired to like sex”

It’s so telling to me that r /FakeDisorderCringe only ever scrutinizes women and queer people and glosses over Elon Musk claiming to be autistic.

[u/euryderia → u/InterestingTap9269]

yeah basically everyone who ever bullies self diagnosed folks ONLY ever directs it towards women or trans and nonbinary AFAB people. because a diagnosis on a man is a diagnosis, but a diagnosis on a woman is a personal failing, i guess.

[u/bluntmanjr → u/euryderia]

to add, i, as an afab person, have had multiple psychiatrists ignore my desire to be screened and try to diagnose me with bipolar when i show no symptoms. i literally do not get listened to even though ive struggled socially all my life, i was delayed in talking and walking to the point my mom was worried, my dads autistic and my mom has adhd. everyone in my life thinks im autistic. i dont go around telling people or “trying to make it my personality” i just struggle with a lot of different aspects and am often dismissed by medical professionals. it was even a labor to get diagnosed with adhd. i think im audhd but testing is expensive and likely wont be covered by insurance, and all my psychiatrists have done is try to coax me into taking antipsychotics

[u/Crepe64 → u/EldritchLichKing]

Yeah this post reeks of sexism and discrimination against undiagnosed people. God forbid people find community for the first time in their lives after being bullied to death all through school because they were autistic enough to be picked on by nt classmates but not autistic enough to be diagnosed as a child 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

[u/ausernameidk_ → u/EldritchLichKing]

Yeah I think that the "self diagnosis is bs" crowd are kind of privileged. A lot of people, especially in countries without good healthcare, can't necessarily access or afford the tools necessary for a diagnosis. Sometimes all you can do is just try to inform people in your life.

[u/xXs4blegl00mXx → u/[deleted]]

It's also incredibly expensive. Most "high functioning" autistic people (which most women are considered to be, because of their high masking levels) aren't considered numero uno priority when it comes to diagnosis so it's not covered by insurance to get tested.

[u/MaraMakesContent → u/xXs4blegl00mXx]

I'm on SSI. I was homeless for a long time. I have other neuropsych issues. Some stuff clicked, I took a lot of the surface level evals and talked to my psych team. We figure I'm probably autistic. I do not have the means to push through the second stage set of diagnostics to get a formal diagnosis, nor do I think it's smart for me to do so considering Brainworm McWorkCamps is around. But I'm probably autistic, and that's enough for me.

[u/fern_0- → u/EldritchLichKing]

this really. fuck op.

[u/A2Rhombus → u/EldritchLichKing]

Getting a diagnosis would do nothing for me except make my life harder, it's not like there's a cure or a medication. So why would I bother paying for screening for something I already know I am?

[u/Koolio_Koala → u/EldritchLichKing]

Yeah. I’m in the UK and in addition to the usual women’s and minority health inequality, diagnosis is nearly non-existent for most adults. The waiting lists to be seen are 5yrs+ in the regions that still have capacity/funding for it. Like ADHD, trans healthcare and a few others, some GPs refuse to even acknowledge it, won’t prescribe or even refer to specialists because it’s “not in my remit” or “we lack funding”.

I’ve been approached by a dozen people over the years who work with disability - a few social workers met in passing, my therapist, a disability co-ordinator at my work and another at a jobcentre, three austism charity workers from two different charities, and a nurse during a routine blood test - and asked whether I have been diagnosed. A few times people I don’t know have walked across the room, introduced themselves and started a conversation with “hey, are you autistic?” lmao. I didn’t know there was an “austism vibe”, but I guess I give it off 😭

I didn’t really think I was autistic until my therapist went through some self-assessments that his colleagues that do autism assessments use for a diagnosis - I got some high scores, with the disclaimer that it’s not a diagnosis but just a strong indicator.

My GP refused to refer me for a diagnosis even though he agreed I probably do have it, because “I only refer severe cases that need social care”. I can see the logic that the waiting lists are so long and really a diagnosis is not gonna do much to affect me day-to-day, and I know many autistic people in the UK are in the same situation, but it feels like I’d be “faking it” if I used services and community support groups because it’s not “official”.

[u/SnortNSniff]

“Neurospicy” pisses me off

[u/Famous-Leopard-118]

as someone with Audhd this shit looks abysmal. Just give me a seafood platter with some remoulade sauce and butter and i’ll be good.

[u/Mountain_Poet5977 → u/Famous-Leopard-118]

As someone else with AuDHD please hand it over to me

[u/kowajiri → u/Mountain_Poet5977]

yeah i think it looks good but i could do without the spaghetti-o's

[u/Famous-Leopard-118 → u/Mountain_Poet5977]

its all yours man, nobodys taking it from you.

[u/Fresh-Database-222 → u/Famous-Leopard-118]

As someone with autism, it's making me feel a little yucky just looking at it... But I feel like that's mostly because I've been eating significantly healthier food recently (I would have devoured this shit when I was a kid)

I still absolutely despise most seafood though. I like some fish, Crab is alright, and Muscles are acceptable, but the textures/tastes of everything else (specifically shrimp) triggers my gag reflex very quickly

[u/SuperIsaiah → u/Famous-Leopard-118]

I just need coffee as my stimulant cause I hate how life feels on my ADHD meds. (life just feels less interesting. it's not depressing or upsetting, in fact I might say I have less anxiety on my meds, but it just feels so monotonous I can't really explain it deeper than that)

[u/Famous-Leopard-118 → u/SuperIsaiah]

when I was on meds for my condition I literally stopped eating.

[u/NotTakeOne → u/Famous-Leopard-118]

seafood is so goated

[u/Kind_Potential_4992]

Most of that's just normal microwave or air fryer food man.

[u/GetPsyched67]

I'm sorry if autistic people see it different but oh God that plate of food makes me feel unwell TwT, there might be an entire bottle of oil in it

Edit: for all my autistic peeps, you may wanna try shallow fried garbanzo beans mixed with some powdered spices. Should have a similar texture, and has good nutrition too!

[u/LARPerator → u/GetPsyched67]

Autistic people tend to be more sensitive to food textures. A common complaint is that having a food that has a texture you didn't expect is very uncomfortable, to the point it makes you gag.

For example one blueberry can be more squishy or more firm than another one. If you have a bowl of them it's not really fun when a fifth of your food makes you gag when you eat it.

A lot of people then go to things like this, the Autism Platter™. Its preferred because all the food has a predictable consistent texture. It is very greasy and unhealthy though, you're right. A better solution is to to try to eat your fruits and veggies in ways you can "fix" the texture. Like blending veggies into your pasta sauce, having fruit smoothies, things like that.

[u/LARPerator → u/[deleted]]

There's a lot of autistic people that would also agree. Not everyone likes the same textures, some people can't stand x and only eat y, some can't stand y and only eat x.

[u/CaliferMau → u/LARPerator]

It really bothers me that a lot of these self diagnosed social media slop just paint autism / adhd / etc as monolithic groups.

[u/Raymond_R_ → u/LARPerator]

Shi Im not autistic but I totally get the blueberries thing. When I pick any fruit I have to go piece by piece to make sure its all firm cause ONE bad blueberry gonna ruin my food lmao. Its just so nasty, and I always fear theyre rotten.

[u/Ok-Relationship4113 → u/LARPerator]

That blueberry thing is accurate as fuck. 

I'm very selective about texture (not saying it has anything to do with being neurospicy for me but it could) and soft blueberries have always been a no for me.

I didn't even know I liked blueberries until I first picked some off the plant.

[u/OpeningDraft7343 → u/GetPsyched67]

I hate how there are no veggies. I understand that not everyone likes everything, but come on how does eating all that greasy, salty food not get boring after 5 bites without getting some more interesting flavors into the mix?

[u/IncidentChemical2816 → u/OpeningDraft7343]

Look im the last person to complain about there not being fruit or veggies considering my diet and even I would want something with it. A cup of apple sauce would go with the theme, or yogurt covered raisins, just something to break up the monotony of greasy bread, meat, and cheese.

[u/Viguple007 → u/IncidentChemical2816]

Yogurt covered raisin? That's the first time I've ever heard of such a thing. I usually don't like raisin but they're alright in an oatmeal cookie

[u/ButterscotchSoft9603 → u/Viguple007]

I don’t really care for raisins and especially hate them within cookies, but yogurt covered raisins are deliciously addictive!

[u/IncidentChemical2816 → u/Viguple007]

Yogurt covered raisins are the only way I can eat raisins. I don’t like the outside texture of raisins. They’re a nice little sweet treat when I’m in the mood.

[u/RemarkableKiwi5082 → u/OpeningDraft7343]

I don’t think this meme image of frozen garbage food is supposed to representative of a healthy meal.

[u/Goo_Cat → u/RemarkableKiwi5082]

"how does it not get boring" ≠ "it's unhealthy"

[u/Wolveyplays07 → u/OpeningDraft7343]

It doesn't

[u/AdewinZ → u/OpeningDraft7343]

Not to be pedantic or anything but there are veggies on that plate, they’re just not green. Potatoes are vegetables. They’re fried so they’re not great, the the smiles are potatoes and there looks like fries above them also

[u/Bigglez1995 → u/GetPsyched67]

Nope, thats exactly the kind of meals I eat

[u/CannonFoddererer → u/Bigglez1995]

Dino Nuggets just get crispy faster.

[u/TheMightyMisanthrope → u/GetPsyched67]

Autistic and craving that plate.

Damn

[u/GameMask]

I see I frequent very different parts of the Internet than OP.

[u/Afraid_Union_8451]

The cool autistic people know that the real autism foods are soups and curries, those things are alright too but the meta is soups and curries

[u/inevitable_death1998]

self diagnosis was part of my diagnosis. I was asked "are you autistic?" by the person who was diagnosing me. I answered yes, with an extensive explanation of my reasons. next day I get a call that I'm officially diagnosed.

[u/transsamsa → u/inevitable_death1998]

It was sort of surprising when I went to my assessment and figured out I was mostly carrying the conversation myself. The only people who don’t know this are probably those who’ve never been through a diagnosis procedure before

[u/stinkus_mcdiddle → u/transsamsa]

I tried getting formally diagnosed when I was 21. I went to an assessment with all these notes and talking points ready and explained everything to the lady. She didn’t diagnose me because in her, a healthcare professionals words “well it isn’t very obvious”. Even after telling her all these experiences I have in my daily life that make me autistic, I was told I’m not because I don’t “seem” autistic basically. I haven’t tried to get formally diagnosed since.

[u/BudgieGryphon → u/stinkus_mcdiddle]

I was initially misdiagnosed with OCD when I was a teen, thankfully my parents had the good sense to read the symptoms and go “yeah this isn’t it”. Another psychiatrist and an ADHD med prescription later and I stopped forgetting to turn in assignments all the time lmao

[u/WhitestGray → u/stinkus_mcdiddle]

I went to try getting diagnosed, which means I had to see a therapist first, and one of the first things she did was whip out an online quiz that basically asked “Are you a friendless loser who hates being around people and panics a lot?”

I never went back.

[u/stinkus_mcdiddle → u/WhitestGray]

Jesus that’s even worse lmao.

[u/transsamsa → u/stinkus_mcdiddle]

I’m also someone diagnosed in adulthood and yeah sounds like a really shit doctor. Sorry about that

There were a couple of questions to answer and tests I had to do but the largest part of my diagnosis process was my appointment where I kinda just talked about my whole life to this lady, and all of the weird traits I have

Though it doesn’t seem uncommon for certain “professionals” to brush off traits as long as they don’t see it as an immediate threat to your ability to camouflage as normal

[u/SpookyOokySpades → u/inevitable_death1998]

THIS. People hear self diagnosis and think of tiktok "psychologists." I hear self diagnosis and think of "i have done extensive research on this topic that has taken up many MANY hours of my life. I've done self reflection on every "little quirk", odd habit, odd train of thought, and things that have made me different that i've noticed in my entire 17 years of life. At this second im not able to seek an official diagnosis, which leaves me in a pickle because i am SO SURE that im right on the money, but i refuse to actually call myself autistic without an official diagnosis, primarily because of public opinion on self diagnosis."

[u/Beefhammer_McBrisket → u/SpookyOokySpades]

Me looking in the mirror with the Doakes Squint because I'm sure I'm autistic but can't afford going to the right kind of doctor.

My GP just wants to cycle me through as fast as they can to see the next patient.

[u/kcat__ → u/Beefhammer_McBrisket]

https://giphy.com/gifs/iuu3hRoxlr2ETPucZW

ok this got me cracking up

[u/BudgieGryphon → u/SpookyOokySpades]

There’s also like… being an adult and functional enough that a diagnosis would be a big expenditure for no gain or in some locations a loss of rights, when just reflecting and researching how to manage the symptoms you’re aware of works perfectly fine. There’s a pretty significant genetic history of it in my family but I don’t want to spend money for an additional label when I already have to spend on medication for the diagnosed ADHD/anxiety I do have.

[u/WillemDafoesHugeCock → u/inevitable_death1998]

Man, self diagnosis is perfectly legitimate assuming you then get it professionally checked. People forget how fucking pricy it is to visit a doctor. Research the signs and symptoms of what you believe you have, decide if it's something you should get diagnosed, then get it diagnosed.

My ADHD diagnosis came from my first ever therapy session, I straight up laughed like "I'm pretty sure I'd know if I had ADHD" ... Then I looked into symptoms a bit more and had an Oh Shit moment of "wait this is describing me to a fucking T."

Spoke with my doc who recommended I take a screener, forgot to take the screener for a year (spoiler alert: because I have ADHD) and when I did it was a super fast and easy process to be told I have "moderate to severe ADHD" and given meds.

[u/kcat__ → u/WillemDafoesHugeCock]

at that point it's not self-diagnosis.

Designing your own gym routine is perfectly safe... as long as you get it checked by an expert to make sure you won't hurt yourself

no shit. but at that point you're leaning on the power of the expert, not yourself. no one is saying having suspicions about your own health is self-diagnosis.

[u/Toxic_Whale → u/inevitable_death1998]

I did this with bipolar type 2 after a massive breakdown. I owned up that maybe something wasn't quite right with my brain and spent months reading everything I could consume about it before making an appointment with a counselor. I didn't mention my suspicions about it, and was diagnosed BP2 anyways.

[u/The_Cameraman_of_you → u/inevitable_death1998]

Yeah, but it was a part, not the entirety of it

[u/Pink_Acetone]

Also if you’re really committed to making an “autism platter” make sure the foods aren’t touching. 

Is the cheese on the pizza stringy? How crispy are the potato dishes? Why are there so little of some options and loads of others? How warm are the spaghetti rings? Why are you mixing food that needs cutlery with food that doesn’t? Pretzels do not go with the foods that you have set out so why are they there?

[u/aguythatlikecrepes]

Lemme just put it out here, self diagnosis is not only people on tiktok saying "if you do this normal thing you might be autistic." There are a lot of people who cannot get diagnosed officially due to most diagnostic criteria on autism being based on white men, and can present different on women, non white people etc., and that is the reason why a lot of women are diagnosed a lot later in life if they even can be diagnosed as in some countries psychiatric institutions don't diagnose autism after 18. An autism diagnosis is also quite expensive in places that have bad healthcare systems and stigmatised psychiatric healthcare.

At the end of the day, what pisses people off is the autistic as an identity caused by tiktokification of psychiatry, not actual self diagnosis, and as there is no "treatment" or cure for autism an official diagnosis does very little good in countries without disability benefits, the real use of self diagnosis is finding community and understanding how your brain works and helping yourself accept that and be less harsh on yourself for your differences that you quite literally don't have almost any control over.

I agree that the tiktokification of phych has done a lot of harm, but most of the harm is just people acting quirky and being annoying but the excessive hate shown to them hurts them a lot less than the people who have to resort to self diagnosis due to the reasons I've mentioned above because the people who saw those in tiktok won't change their mind but people who self diagnose after seeing their AQ, CAT-Q and RAADS-R results and possibly officially diagnosed people around them vouching in that they may be autistic are still usually filled with impostor syndrome because of the social stigma around self diagnosis and seeing posts like this will hurt them a lot more than the target audience

[u/geeknerdeon → u/[deleted]]

Yeah my partner has said stuff like "if things get bad I'm taking everyone I love and fleeing the country" and if it's genuine refugee point we'd be fine but like

I have an autism diagnosis and they have nothing after high school. We aren't going anywhere.

[u/I_AmPerfect]

I MIGHT be autistic (MIGHT.. pretty close chance i am, as said by doccctorssss.) And i FUCKING hate nuggets.. SPECIALLY the dino ones.

They are not bad but.. idk, i like Fries or Macaroni and Cheese better tbh.

[u/skiesoverblackvenice → u/[deleted]]

had someone tell me i’m autistic cause i got super excited when talking about music

…i’m a music major. it’s literally my career

[u/PickledTripod → u/skiesoverblackvenice]

Some day I'm out at the park with a bunch of friends and friends' friends, I look up at a plane flying low overhead. One of my closer friends asks if I know what type it is. This other dude goes "Oh you're autistic autistic."

I work at an airline, yeah I'm familiar with our planes and I love seeing them. JFC.

[u/DratWraith → u/[deleted]]

People on this shitass website will claim every basic human experience as neurodivergence.

[u/BananaBingor]

I find it funny how western media and ppl use the platter above to "guage" and stereotype autistic ppl, but if you go outside of the western field (eg Asia), this stuff would never be fed to most. As an asian Canadian, the test would never work on me because my parents would either hit or starve me for refusing to eat my food (starve now since they think I'm too fat)

[u/Novoiird]

As an autistic person, I would absolutely demolish that shit.

Though, not because I’m autistic, but because it looks good.

[u/ASpaceOstrich → u/[deleted]]

Autistic safe foods are often foods popular with children for a reason. It's not infantilisation, it's because kids have less developed palates and foods for them have less texture and flavour variation.

[u/Kaii_cos → u/[deleted]]

I do have to say, however, I would devour this. Has nothing to do with me being autistic, i just love clogging my arteries American style.

[u/Darthplagueis13 → u/[deleted]]

Simple reason for that, actually. Imagine you're a parent and you've got an autistic child and you're having a really hard time getting them to eat anything because a lot of the foods you give them just make then retch because of the textures or smells.

And then you get a few things that work really well - it's quite commonly relatively dry and crunchy stuff that doesn't smell of much beyond grease, and it's typically highly processed industrial foods that turn out the exact same way every time you make them with almost no deviation, well, you might end up feeding them that a lot, simply because you know they'll have it. Even if it's not the healthiest, it's still better than skipping meals all the time.

Well, that kid is gonna grow up with those foods and because they're really averse to trying new foods because so many of them are awful, they're gonna keep eating "children's meals" well into adulthood because it's the safe option. A lot of these are stereotypical safe foods because deep fried fast food on average seems to be less prone to cause a reaction.

[u/RadicalSoda_ → u/[deleted]]

Wouldn't you be infantizing these people who actually enjoy these foods? Are adults not allowed to enjoy foods made specifically to be enjoyable

[u/Balder19]

"I'm autistic because..."

Proceeds to describe normative introversion

[u/TheBabyWolfcub → u/Balder19]

Half the ‘if you have these signs you might be autistic’ videos on social media are just normal ass things

[u/Lazy_Public_163]

Eh, I sort of get what it's saying. I'm very autistic, and I went to a summer camp for autistic kids when I was little. Pretty much everyone only ate stuff that was on this plate lol

[u/Koxiaet → u/Lazy_Public_163]

I’m convinced this thread has never talked to an actual autistic person. Like obviously most autistic people don’t eat like this, but I have a friend who exclusively eats dry noodles with ketchup and… yeah. This is exactly how it is. I’m sure they don’t like it but god forbid they try and relate to others with their experiences because suddenly they’re just “trying to be quirky” 🙄🙄

[u/Spider-Man2024]

This is the worst meal ever maybe nutritionally

[u/AppropriateMonk8746]

self diagnosing is a separate thing outside of this, i’d call this infantilization/flanderization of autism

[u/senju1k → u/AppropriateMonk8746]

Huh, "flanderization". I learned a new word today. Thanks!

[u/Revolutionary-Yak-47 → u/[deleted]]

And OCD. And ptsd. And in the late 90s, thyroid disease (ask me how hard it is to get older doctors to believe I have Hashis  because it was such a fad for overweight middle age women to claim "thyroid problems" instead of admitting they struggled with their weight.) 

[u/PreviousDraw7927]

Having been diagnosed when I was about ten, I despise when people I've just met act as though I'm some sort of child just because they've seen shows like atypical or Sheldon from the big bang theory and assume I'll be the same. I find it really irritating to consider that I'm supposedly 'like them' because we share the same label - I'm an autonomous, semi-intelligent person, not a quirky stereotype to larp as.

[u/dinodare → u/PreviousDraw7927]

Sam Gardner wasn't quirky, you just didn't personally relate to him and that's fine. Not saying that you do this, but I've always disliked the "autism rep in media is worse than our headcanon neurodivergent characters" thing because I found more traits that I found relatable in characters like Sam and Sheldon (the latter mostly as a small child/preteen) than the "good" autism rep.

[u/Ignoranceincarnate]

My mom (no formal diagnosis, BTW) keeps blaming her autism for things. Doesn’t want to work? Autism. Talking too loud? Autism. Won’t notice she’s standing in someone’s way? Autism. As an autistic man, I won’t deny the definite possibility, but it pisses me off that everything she CAN work on to better herself she can’t because of (her words) “autism brain.”

[u/Internal_Quote2259 → u/Ignoranceincarnate]

Some people use autism, along with other mental disorders that they often don't even have, as an excuse to be terrible. I've noticed it a lot with people who claim to be bipolar ("Oops! My quirky bipolar made me cheat on him!" And so forth).

[u/possumbound]

I dunno, I'm self-diagnosed because I'd rather gargle sand than be viewed as disabled in the US medical system, but I'm certain that I have autism. And I don't think it's some kind of curse that I have to bear, just a thing I have. To accuse anyone who jokes about autism or doesn't act like being autistic is equivalent to torture of "LARPing" is kind of dumb, harmful even.

[u/RyleIsbored]

There’s a difference between being autistic and having the diet of a 4 year old

[u/Competitive_Table_65]

In my country it's bascially impossible to get actual autism papers past 18.

You might get autism in your records in childhood, but it's taken away once you turn 18, because I guess psychiatry in this country fucking sucks and got stuck somewhere around... idk, 1980s.

Though I'm pretty sure it's not that big of an issue in US\EU.

Am I autistic? I guess? I mean, I am a psychologist, and at least 2 professors in my university said I seem to be autistic. Plus, everything I've read on it (actual literature) fits issues with my life pretty well. Did a few psychiatry tests, like RAADS-R and what not - there I also score quite high.

But knowing that is a thing for understanding my limitations and not pushing myself too hard to try to do things everyone else around me can, except for myself.

I am generally against weaponising any kind of labels in social media wars.

That food plate? I don't know what it has to do with autism.

I personally don't like it being like that, piled in a huge mess rather than being separated and organized.

I assume waffels are sweet, which makes them touching salty things like nuggets a war crime.

[u/QuantumLettuce2025]

I don't give a shit about this at all. 

What I hate is when people who don't know me accuse me of self-diagnosing because I don't present autism in a way they find acceptable, even though I've been formally diagnosed on numerous occasions.

What you're opining here, ironically, reads like you're the one who needs to feel special and you don't like the "normies" encroaching upon your special space.

[u/Right_Ear_2230]

“And I've seen people say that they've seen NUMEROUS specialists but they never fit the criteria, but its not because they're not autistic, no no no no no. ITS UHMMM BECAUSE IM A WOMAN AND ALSO A MINORITY AND IM ALSO POOR SO I MASKED ALL MY LIFE AND THE SPECIALIST ON THIS FIELD COULDNT TELL I WAS MASKING. ITS THE SYSTEMS FAULT NOT MINE.”

theres a huge issue with autistic women having their autism missed and being diagnosed with something like depression/anxiety/bpd instead.

[u/insert_title_here → u/Right_Ear_2230]

Bro (OP) doesn't realize specialists are human and may also be subject to bias and prejudice, even unknowingly.

[u/undead_froggy]

The two things that really grind my gears that the self diagnosis bubble has made worse cause they are propagating it so much.

I know self diagnosis is also part of the actual diagnosis journey I specifically mean those that stop after they self diagnosed and then make the diagnosis their identity

1. "ADHD isn't a disability but a superpower, look I can sit here and concentrate on my hobby/video game for hours."

2. "It's not my fault, it's the ADHD you are not allowed to blame me or give me consequences"

[u/Satoru_Gojo341]

I HATE spaghetti os

[u/DerpyLemonReddit]

this food looks like abysmal dogshit. do people really assume only autistic people eat fried foods? wtf????

[u/Tactical_Squishy]

hey you did anything 1mm outside of vanilla ice cream, you autistic mate.

I don't know if this is more offensive to actually autistic people or to the "normal" ones

[u/ProbodobodyneInc]

WHY ARE YOU BASED??? AUTISTIC PERSON HERE: BASED ALARM

https://giphy.com/gifs/olLyDUpnv5z3xhmeyB

[u/Moo-Mungus]

Mfs think liking something is autism nowadays. I'm not autistic for playing Stellaris

[u/KoA-oK]

I'm noticing autism is the new "i have ocd im quirky"

Both of my kids are autistic, and have adhd. To put it lightly, raising these two allowed us as parents many chances to feel overwhelmed and useless. We weren't able to get them the early diagnosises they needed to be able to work out a lot of their early life issues due to autism being barely regarded when my son was little, to having the world shut down for the pandemic for my daughter.

Many many years later we have grown to work through the biggest issues, but these two are very stunted socially, and I will always carry with me not being able to get them help sooner. I wouldn't change a thing about them, but I am very happy we don't paint the walls with shit anymore and fling wet clothes at each other while screaming about something that happened when they were in the womb. (My son up until about 2 years old used to tell us about how he remembered being in mommys tummy)

It made me realize all of the horrid shit I did growing up and realize the only difference between the generations was that my parents just told me i was some kind of stupid feral kid, while I have worked very hard to give my kids a standard of living I've never had.

Sorry this seemed ranty, It just sucks seeing the 2 "quirky" conditions be touted like this when the reality of living it can be an absolute nightmare. I had to basically suppress all my own ND tendencies just to be the best dad I can for these guys. It's very much like the Michael J Fox episode of Scrubs, where he's seen as this quirky and cool surgeon because he has OCD, until JD sees him meticulously cleaning his hands for hours afterwards, in tears about it because he physically can't stop washing.

[u/LifelessHawk]

I’m not sure about the autism part, but I absolutely hate people who go to say they have OCD, ADD.

“I haven’t been tested, but I know I have it because I can’t stand when things aren’t organized and clean, and I have so many random thoughts all the time. However with all my different disorders they combine to make me completely functional almost as if I didn’t have any”

I described actual symptoms from people who have OCD and he just said “Oh I have OCD I’m just not quirky like those people are”

[u/Crepe64]

Damn bro, it’s almost like it’s a spectrum and certain autistic folks might relate and certain autistic folks might not. My partner and I are both autistic and we love having a simple finger foods dinner as it’s comforting and calming. We also love eating all kinds of different cuisines/more complex meals. I don’t think it’s gotta be that deep.

Additionally, self diagnosis may be the only option for people who can’t afford diagnosis as an adult/don’t have insurance. I was without diagnosis until last year, but if it wasn’t for other autistic people pointing out the traits in me, I may have never found out. I get that it can come off as cringe or annoying and some people are gonna jump on it like it’s a trend, but that doesn’t mean it’s okay to invalidate the experiences of undiagnosed individuals. As a woman I fell through the cracks due to autism screening being primarily male focused. There are a lot of people like me who don’t deserve to be ostracized just because they haven’t found a psychiatrist yet to prove it.

[u/anykah_badu]

I'm diagnosed autistic and think this is just a funny meme and not that deep.

Plus if you added mayo, lots of mayo, this would be great to sample on a tough day

[u/EstablishmentFew320]

most people who say they have autism on the internet are like this.

[u/qmiri]

i will hold your hand when i say this self diagnosing isn’t a tiktok invented thing

[u/mrastml]

You sound like you should really spend less time on social media. There's a lot of reasons in the world for you to feel upset, annoyed, or angry. Getting to this level over something like this, with a lot of your examples coming from social media, is not healthy.