Is Self-Diagnosis Valid?

Yes — self-diagnosis can be valid, especially when it’s done thoughtfully, carefully, and in the context of real lived experience.

For many neurodivergent people, accessing a formal diagnosis can be:

• Expensive or unavailable
• Dismissive or invalidating
• Shaped by biased, outdated, or non-inclusive systems
• Only accessible through long waiting lists or narrow criteria

In those cases, exploring your own traits — through research, community support, and self-reflection — can be a meaningful path to understanding.

Self-diagnosis often provides:

• Language to describe long-held feelings or patterns
• Relief and clarity after years of confusion or shame
• A sense of belonging in communities that get it
• Permission to adapt your life in ways that work better for you

It doesn’t mean making wild guesses based on internet memes — it means doing the work to explore your experience and what fits.

Self-diagnosis may not carry the same weight in medical, educational, or legal settings — but that doesn’t make it meaningless.

What matters most is whether the insight helps you build a life that feels more manageable, authentic, and kind.