When we live in a world where you can literally Google anything, it might be tempting to research your symptoms to try to find answers when something doesn’t feel right. After all, it might help us to make sense of how we’ve been feeling, thinking, or behaving, especially if we’ve not had the answers before, or if we think we might need some support.
Self-diagnosis is stating you have a certain diagnosis without confirmation from a doctor or relevant professional. People who self-diagnose might research symptoms* in order to identify an issue with themselves or someone else. This could be for a medical illness, a mental health condition, or something else, like a neurodiverse condition such as autism, ADHD, or dyslexia.
People might research symptoms in the following places:
*A symptom is another word for a physical, mental, or behavioural feature that someone might experience if they have a particular condition, illness, or issue. For example – a symptom of a cold might be a sore throat and a headache. But, as we are all unique, how I experience something could be different to how you do, so our symptoms would be different.
This generation of young people has an admirable view on exploring, identifying, and managing health and wellbeing. Knowledge is power, and it’s really clear that lots of people want to find out more, so that they can help themselves. That’s a really positive thing, and we shouldn’t forget that.
So many more young people than ever before are seeking support for their mental health and wellbeing. And while that’s a really positive thing to do, searching for the answers yourself and self-diagnosing rather than seeking professional help can be really unhelpful.
We are all so different, and so are our symptoms. So, researching symptoms, or taking online questionnaires in order to diagnose yourself, doesn’t take into account who you are as an individual, your life experiences, or the context around your symptoms.
For example:
You might be feeling sad and in a low mood lately. And, while these feelings could be seen as symptoms of many mental health conditions, your feelings might also be because you’ve had some bad news recently, or because you’ve had a disagreement with someone you care about, or because you feel overwhelmed with your studies or work. In this example, how you feel is in context with what’s happening in your life.
Exploring self diagnosis
It’s also important to remember that having feelings is normal, and it’s not always an indicator that something is “wrong” – it can be just a response to life in general. Sometimes we feel sad, happy, excitable, unmotivated, angry, irritable, and a whole host of other emotions. It’s when those feelings get in the way of our everyday life, or when they go on for a long period of time, that it might become a cause for concern. If you do feel this way, then talking to a GP or other professional could be a helpful first step.
Finding some answers often starts out as a way to feel better, or to feel more in control of how we think, feel, or behave. However, when we self-diagnose, it might lead us to a result that makes us feel worse than we did before.
This could be because:
The internet can be a wonderful tool and a great way to find things out quickly. However, not everything you find online is accurate or from a reliable source. For example, there are many people who claim to be experts in all sorts of fields, but just because they say they are, doesn’t make it a fact. We have a great article about spotting fake news that you might find helpful.
While self-diagnosing a condition might in some ways make you feel better and help you make sense of things, it might also prevent you from seeking professional help.
TOP TIP We really hear how sometimes Googling or researching symptoms might feel like a helpful starting point. So perhaps there’s a middle ground that could be useful. If you really want to do your own research for some useful information or suggestions, you could then take these findings to a professional as a way to explain that what you’ve read seems to fit your symptoms and experiences. This way, it’s more of a helpful tool and conversation starter, than a way to self diagnose.
If you are worried about particular symptoms, we always recommend seeking professional help. This could be a doctor or a medical or mental health professional. And, while their answers might take longer than the click of a button, they have the knowledge, extensive training, and qualifications to diagnose you accurately, which may help you get the support you really need.
We really hear that long waits for assessments or appointments can feel frustrating, but getting the right diagnosis or support will be more helpful to you in the long run.
If you are currently waiting to speak to a professional, or you are thinking about making an appointment to discuss your symptoms, writing them down could be useful in order to give an accurate picture of what’s been going on for you. It can also be a good way to track what’s happening for you, when your symptoms are more apparent, and if there are any patterns.
Don’t forget, you can always take someone along to your appointment if you’d feel more at ease.
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