I haven’t been diagnosed with autism. If this question comes across as entitled or ableist, I offer my sincere apology in advance.
My wife thinks I’m autistic. Occasionally I wonder myself.
What is involved in getting a diagnosis?
If a diagnosis is acquired, what is the benefit? AFAIK there is no treatment, right? In fact, based on my reading on Lemmy, there may be downsides to being officially recognized (not due to the individual but due to the responses, especially by bureaucracy).
If I am, the only downside in my life has been being shunned and referred to as weird. Maybe being unsure of how to respond to the loss of those close to me. My career has been excellent because of things related to my apparently unusual personality.
Should I pursue this?
Agreed. As someone who got diagnosed after the last year of school, the main benefit I experienced was the tools that autists have for reducing anxiety in certain situations.
The tricky thing about self-diagnosis is that some diagnoses have overlapping symptoms. I’ve heard that autism and ADHD can seem similar in certain situations, but ADHD has the benefit of medication that can reduce the strain on day-to-day life.
Edit: tools as in coping techniques. I also got access to some therapy options for the anxiety I’ve built up during my life, but my crippling social anxiety has stopped me from pursuing anything else.