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Comment by ablation | Hacker News Reader

When you say "self identify", do you mean you settled on this state without medical professionals diagnosing you? If so, why, and why not pursue a diagnosis?

Serious questions and genuine interest, not trying to be an ass.

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A diagnosis is mostly useful if you want medical help. If you're self-managing reasonably well, there's no need to go to a doctor, even if you're showing symptoms - just like you might not go to a doctor with a physical injury you can look after yourself or with the help of friends.

A diagnosis can even be actively harmful.

If I found myself with a developing case, I'd get one if I felt like I couldn't self manage and was running out of options, but mental illness is just something that neither the American social system nor medical system handles very well.

Agreed, a minor injury turning into a major sickness from visiting a hospital when it's not needed, is not necessarily an unwarranted paranoia, e.g. MRSA.

And I have witnessed in my own life mental health professionals both helping situations and making them worse.

For me, it's not as simple as "never seek help from professionals" or "always seek help from professionals".

I didn't mean to imply a particular position on the spectrum, was trying to be a clever tongue in cheek reference to the idea that the boundaries between "having" the condition or not are murky, not trying to share my personal life story, at least not this time :)

Hey, no worries. Replies all around were interesting, so thanks :)

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