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as a licensed social worker who is fully qualified to professionally diagnose and treat mental disorders, I believe self diagnosis is totally valid and can be a helpful tool for individuals who cannot seek professional care. (thread)
first and foremost: the medical-industrial complex is incredibly flawed. there are many reasons why someone might not be able get a professional diagnosis, including systemic racism, misogyny, ableism, and classism. (2/?)
seeking mental health treatment can be incredibly expensive in the US, even if you have insurance. and once you& #39;re in the office, you& #39;re still subject to documented discrepancies in care if you belong to a marginalized group. (3/?)
here& #39;s the secret about professional diagnosis -- professionals aren& #39;t perfect. you& #39;re probably not going to get the exact correct diagnosis right away. in many cases, we might even make a preliminary "best guess" for insurance billing purposes, and work from there. (4/?)
mental health professionals have the same exact references that you do -- the DSM-5 and ICD-10 are both freely accessible on the internet. there& #39;s no reason why anyone couldn& #39;t access and use these materials for themselves. (5/?)
mental health diagnoses are, with a few exceptions, clusters of symptoms commonly found together. if you& #39;re experiencing symptoms of a diagnosis, then resources for that diagnosis will probably help you, even if you don& #39;t necessarily qualify. (6/?)
there are still reasons why professional diagnoses are helpful and necessary. professional mental health care is an important tool for recovery, but if that isn& #39;t accessible to you, I don& #39;t believe you should be completely barred from speaking on your experiences. (7/?)
bottom line: mental health diagnosis validates people& #39;s experiences, and provides guidance for tools and treatment. everyone deserves to have access to mental health treatment, whether that& #39;s help from a professional, or free resources online. if a dx helps, then use it! (8/?)
That& #39;s all I have to say for now. I& #39;ll try to come back and share some of my favorite free mental health resources below. I encourage everyone else to do the same. Stay well, everyone <3
for those calling my credentials into question... https://www.socialworkers.org/News/Facts/Social-Workers">https://www.socialworkers.org/News/Fact...
