I’ve been wondering for quite a while if I have autism or not as I seem to hit a lot of the commonly reported symptoms and experiences. I recently tried some of the self-tests out there, including the ones on Embrace Autism, and yeah, I hit every single one I tried for mild to even moderate autism. Scored 49 on the rbq-2a for example.

Now, I know that none of those tests are conclusive and I could easily be a false positive, so I’m not directly claiming I have autism. But I’m thinking the next step is probably to talk to my primary care doctor, but to be honest I’m really hesitant to/don’t completely trust the mental health system in Canada. Genuinely asking because I don’t really have anyone in my personal life who has similar experiences or I think would understand: what do people here think about getting a formal diagnosis? Is it always something one should pursue if they suspect they’re on the spectrum? Are there any major drawbacks? I’m especially concerned about it affecting my career prospects (which already aren’t great tbh, my fault for getting a science degree in an already niche field which I deeply regret but that’s a different story) or my ability to take out loans or rent an apartment by myself. I don’t personally see my autism (if I have it) as a disability, but unfortunately in Canada it is still very much seen as such. Who am I required to disclose an autism diagnosis if I am diagnosed?

I’m really sorry if any of this comes off as insensitive. I have never really participated in the autism online community and I am in no way trying to put down people with autism, I’m honestly just kind of scared about what this means for me. Anyone else in a similar situation, or were in a similar situation? Care to share your experiences or have any advice?

  • ghostOfRoux();@lemmygrad.ml
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    1 year ago

    I knew quite a few of the traits but wasn’t aware of the categorizing of them like you did. The first almost describes my wife to a T but she also has a few from the second one as well.

    Thanks for the time to write this up and please keep being awesome! Gonna share this with her.

    • Red Wizard 🪄@lemmygrad.ml
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      You’re welcome comrade! My brain was putting off doing real work at the end of the day, so it was no effort at all 😉. I saw a few sources split those lists in that way so I figured I’d include it. It’s not exhaustive or comprehensive, and I’m not a psychologist, just a guy with ADHD lol, so defer to your licensed practitioner for confirmation.