comment: >
  
  They definitely do need help, I'm just sick of the misinterpretation and misinformation. 
  Essentially say "I think I have _." Instead of "I have __." As whether they mean to are not they are doing more harm than good, the amount of replies in fakers comment section is absurd, some of the posters actively try to convince people that they have the disorder as well.
context: I'm an adult with ADD. I'm tired of people using it as an excuse. Being on medication helps a lot. But just because you have issues concentrating. Or you might be slightly hyper doesn't mean you have attention disorder. >
  
  Exactly, like I said, there’s nothing wrong with suspicion, it helps people come to terms with the way they work, but in order to be able to self diagnose, you need to RESEARCH, research the hell out of it and if after all that you believe you have it, seek further actions. I’m just tired of people causing stigma because it causes people with the disorder to be more judged and it puts more pressure on them >
  
  I know a large number of mental health professionals they all hate self-diagnosis and believe it causes harm to the groups in question >
  
  I think one major problem that contributes to people self diagnosing is the initial barrier in getting diagnosed in the first place, particularly with any kind of disorder such as autism or adhd. Just standard testing is costly. I'm in college, and testing for just adhd is about 600 without insurance. I dont have that money and most people don't have that kind of disposable income.
  In addition, most doctors only know a very standard set of symptoms when it comes to mental disorders. Again, speaking from personal experience. Studies have shown that adhd and autism is shown differently in males and females, but doctors are so much more familiar with the common symptoms in males that if a woman goes in for testing, oftentimes she won't be diagnosed simply because she doesn't exhibit the behaviors that are typical of autism in males. >
  
  That makes sense and I understand that. I’m not saying all self diagnosing is dangerous, because it’s a tool, it’s a huge help to some people. I just mean that it’s dangerous when people use it to cause issues in the community they’re trying to be a part of when they know they don’t have it and they’re just trying to cause trouble for the people that have it >
  
  If done incorrectly, absolutely. I think what the people against self-diagnosis fail to consider is that often doctors incorrectly diagnose.
  A lot of people that turn to self-diagnosis have gone years/decades getting misdiagnosed by doctor after doctor. They’re tired and frustrated and have exhausted their options. 
  True self-diagnosis is about taking an active process in your medical care. If I’m going to go see yet ANOTHER doctor, I’m gonna bring something to the table, so that I’m not left being tested for stuff I already know that I don’t have. >
  
  Oh absolutely, I am 100% with you on that. I mainly mean clout self diagnosing. Like, the kind where people do it for attention and not for the mental relief of knowing what’s going on >
  
  Completely agree. >
  
  saying what your dealing with is similar to x is an incredibly helpful way for people to communicate to loved ones their issues in a way they can understand and also seek coping mechanisms prior to diagnosis. self diagnosis or even actual diagnosis doesn’t give you an excuse to be a dick, those are completely separate issues. 
  Access to formal diagnosis is an incredibly major issue too especially for young people (TikTok’s main demographic) and is why schools will provide accommodations without formal diagnosis. 
  Also since I have technically speaking self diagnosed before let me give you the perspective on it from someone who did. 
  I self diagnosed with (quite severe) dyslexia this is a learning disability and neurological condition (autism and ADHD are also neurological conditions) 
  My symptoms were apparent from being as young as 5. Whilst I had delt with a lot of dismissal of my symptoms as is common for people with neurological conditions (e.g for people with autism sensory issues can get dismissed as just being picky) at times I even questioned if maybe just maybe I was just not working hard enough to improve/just bad at x ect. But the fact is that when looking at my experiences and symptoms it was obvious I was just dyslexic. 
  An additional element of self diagnosis that people often overlook is informal diagnosis. When I entered high school I had a screening test done, this test did indicate clear signs of dyslexia but was not a formal diagnosis. Nor was the repeated consensus of special educational needs staff and other teachers at my schools that I clearly had dyslexia. Along with several other things. 
  But even with all of this reason to believe I had dyslexia I was still self diagnosing and I kept self diagnosing until I entered university and managed to get a diagnostic assessment with an educational psychologist that confirmed what I (and everyone else) had known for a long time before. >
  
  Exactly. Agree completely. It’s one thing to tell people you suspect you have something. I have a strong suspicion I have dyscalculia and say as such because I match its symptoms almost 100%. But I won’t claim I really do have it unless I get diagnosed (which can be hard for adults since most testing is focused on kids). I think a lot of people who say they have something but have never gotten diagnosed are doing it for attention. >
  
  Exactly, I was diagnosed with BPD, before that I was certain I had it because I matched all the signed and symptoms, but I didn’t tell anyone I had it because there was no diagnosis, it’s not safe for people to self diagnose genuine problems. People on tiktok romanticize mental illness and issues but they don’t understand the extreme turmoil that these problems can cause >
  
  Yeah, no kidding. I have diagnosed bipolar 2. It’s not fun at all. Definitely not romantic. >
  
  I see a lot of people with self-diagnosed ADHD saying stuff like "i can't do this because I have ADHD" "I can't help at home because ADHD" - I've got diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 11 and I'm a normal person bro. I can do everything, I might have a weird way to organize my routine, to study by myself etc AND IT WORKS. Don't treat yourself like you're disabled because you aren't! I don't even take meds. If I can you can as well since 95% of the times they're just excuses >
  
  How do you know someone is self diagnosing? Have these people said it outright or are you just assuming that everyone who says they have ADHD/autism on the internet is lying about it? I’ve seen so many people assuming this and as someone who is professionally diagnosed with ADHD it bothers the crap out of me, you literally can’t know someone is self-diagnosing unless you ask the person individually. >
  
  I’m not at all saying that everyone is wrong, self diagnosing is an amazing tool to start understanding what is going on with yourself. I mean people who do it for the attention of it, the people who go around and tell everyone they have it when they don’t match any of the symptoms whatsoever. I’m very sorry if I said something that upset you, I didn’t mean to come off that way. 
  Another example of this is people self diagnosing BPD, I have a professional diagnosis and it pisses me off when people pretend to have it so they have an excuse to be an asshole. people who are just doing it for the attention are a danger to people who have the disorders because a lot of people do it and create more negative stigmas around already highly stigmatized disorders. >
  
  I’m still just lost as to how you can be certain that someone is “pretending to have it.” >
  
  You can’t be certain most of the time but when people constantly brag about it and over exaggerate symptoms for attention is where the problems arise. You can never be certain of what is truly going on with someone, I’m more so saying that it’s bad for people to take something serious and use it as a joke or a way that is negative to that community. As someone with a genuine  diagnosis of autism, MDD, and BPD who has two siblings with ADHD and autism, people who intentionally seek attention by trying to make a joke of serious issues is extremely frustrating and it’s dangerous to the community of people who do have the disorders >
  
  Maybe they aren’t bragging and just overwhelmed but a debilitating disorder >
  
  Have you seen any of the people that self diagnose with DID? They're absolutely bragging. >
  
  A diagnosis is a privilege >
  
  Then you obviously have no idea what DID is. Many professionals still argue whether it's a real disorder or not. It's incredibly rare and take years of the worst trauma a child can face into to split into different personalities. The teenagers online that claim to have it are so obviously faking it and they use the same excuse you do "getting a diagnosis is a privilege!" Literally just look up DID on TikTok, you'll see exactly what I mean. >
  
  I am a mental health professional and what you are saying about DID is absolutely true. I watched some of the self-diagnosed DID TikToks and they are incredibly difficult to watch. Early in my career I worked with someone with DID and it was a debilitating, extremely stressful, and difficult disorder for them to deal with. This person experienced some of the most horrific trauma as a child and seeing people attention seeking with claims of having it is very distressing. On the other hand, if it is attention seeking or they think they have or convinced themselves they have it, they need mental health care as well.
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  EDIT: Grammar >
  
  They definitely do need help, I'm just sick of the misinterpretation and misinformation. 
  Essentially say "I think I have _." Instead of "I have __." As whether they mean to are not they are doing more harm than good, the amount of replies in fakers comment section is absurd, some of the posters actively try to convince people that they have the disorder as well. >
  
  As someone with diagnosed autism, I'm not angry at people self-diagnosing, and I actually encourage it.
  I get mad at people saying they are "transautistic," as in they actually don't have autism but say that they identify as someone with autism.
  Autism isn't a social construct, it's a developmental disorder.
  Edit: updated with more accurate terminology since I had outdated information >
  
  You have illustrated why I generally take issue with Autism as a spectrum disorder. I’m not trying to suggest that you don’t have Autism, but if you claim yours might be categorized as a “learning disability” that is in no way similar to somebody who has Autism and has cognitive issues. >
  
  Huh, when I was learning about it in class it was considered a learning disability. I wonder when they recatagorized it. >
  
  Maybe on the super mild end of the “spectrum” it is. But there are other people with Autism who will need constant support for their whole life and that is in no way similar to being dyslexic. >
  
  There is no such thing as "self diagnosis". You are only embarrassing yourself if you think you've diagnosed yourself and are treating your ailment properly. Go to a real doctor if you think there is something wrong with you and confirm your hunch... that's all your "self diagnosis" is, a hunch. >
  
  Self diagnosis is a great tool though too in a lot of cases. 
  Official Diagnosis can be tricky to come by, especially for autism as when it’s missed in childhood it’s hard to prove the symptoms were there. (Plus most people with the credentials to diagnose specialize in children so it’s harder to find someone who knows how autism presents in teen/adulthood and can give the diagnosis. Can vary depending on where you live.)
  But when you know you have something, you can research more about it and find things that work for you without always needing the official diagnosis to get. (Life-style changes, being able to put words to what you are experiencing and better communicating your needs to your loved ones)
  I don’t know what I have. Self diagnosis is a valid avenue, but it won’t be “official” until it’s properly screened for by a professional.
  But I do know quite a few of my traits match with those associated with autism. I feel better being able to understand what stimming and meltdowns are and how they present in me so I can find ways to curb harmful stimming and avoiding things that can lead to a meltdown. Being able to research and understand myself a little better definitely helps with some of the negative aspects I experience.
  I kinda feel like the positives out weigh the negatives. Having a mental disorder is never an excuse to be a dick, you’re still responsible for your actions. 
  Do wish it inspired people to research more and use it as a way to help improve their behavior instead of just slapping a label on and calling it good. >
  
  It’s crazy to me that your literally trying to gatekeep mental illness…
  I completely agree that going public and saying uninformed things about mental illness can be harmful, and honestly anyone actively publicizing their mental illness is usually just looking for attention… however most people actually don’t need to go to a doctor to find out the have depression or anxiety, the internet has enough resources to make a pretty well informed conclusion yourself. 
  Also getting mental help is so ridiculously expensive, MOST people can’t afford it, like come on. 
  As someone who has been diagnosed (professionally) I can assure you that doctors are not always right, in fact I have been misdiagnosed so many times that I just gave up, and went online to figure it out myself. >
  
  I’m literally not gatekeeping. I said I don’t think it’s right when people romanticize it and say they have something when they know they don’t for the attention. I said that people who intentionally do things that cause more stigmas are wrong for doing that. I’ve been formally diagnosed with a multitude of shit. I’ve also been misdiagnosed and under treated for what I do have. I’m just saying that it’s not ok to have people who intentionally cause harm to an already harmed community. 
  I said that self diagnosing is valid to a degree, it’s valid when someone does their research and understand the illness, it’s not ok when people don’t research and just say that they have something for the hell of it >
  
  People who are attention seeking to the point they make up mental illness probably actually do have mental illness just maybe not the kind they claim to have. It’s not right to discredit someone just Because they didn’t get a medical diagnosis, cause again, not everyone has access to those resources. Also you don’t know these people in real life so you really have no idea what they deal with alone, and how do you even know these people are self diagnosing?? >
  
  Facts. Not an opinion. 
  Anyone who self diagnoses are morons and attention seekers. >
  
  Anyone who self diagnosed themselves is doing it for attention >
  
  Against mental stuff? Yes.
  Against physical stuff? Hell no. >
  
  I do not think people need to stop self diagnosing, nor do I think it is dangerous. It is the first step to tangible help and if I never self diagnosed, and my friends tell me I probably have what I have, I never would have gotten the systems in place that I needed. >
  
  Definitely, social media did help me realize that there was more to my behavior than I thought and encouraged me to get a diagnosis. I now have the diagnosis ADHD and am very happy that I finally got an explanation for things that were always a bit different about me. Things no one understood.
  ​
  But it's dangerous to self-diagnose and not tell people it wasn't done professionally. If you go on the internet telling people how to live with a certain mental illness or how to feel about certain aspects it can be misleading and even dangerous. It's always okay to tell things about your perspective but without a proper diagnosis, it's dangerous to go around telling people how to live their lives with a certain mental illness just because you think you have it as well. It also causes a lot of misrepresentation, causing possible stigma and stereotypes. 
  ​
  It also causes people to take mental illness less seriously since "everyone" has it, ADHD for example is often seen as just being a bit hyper and dreamy. But it has a lot of underlaying issues that are often not seen in the big clout self-diagnosis world, just quirky messy things. >
  
  I’m recently diagnosed with Bipolar II. My entire personality didn’t change once I had a formal diagnosis. I’m still the same person I was, I’m now just able to get appropriate medication management. I find people who self diagnose like to make their illness their personality trait. >
  
  As a doctor nothing and i mean nothing makes my eyes roll harder than when i listen to people who have obviously self diagnosed themselves, usually off some stereotypes they heard.
  Ugggggghhhhhhb >
  
  Hard disagree
  
  Nobody knows your body and your experiences better than you.
  Most mental illnesses are diagnosed by the doctor literally asking you a bunch of questions. If professional websites have access to the same questions, you don't need a doctor to read them to you.
  Some mental illnesses are stigmatized in the field of psychology. BPD, for example, is highly stigmatized and many psychology students have been told to never diagnose a person with BPD or that people with BPD can't be helped.
  You have to care about your own mental health. If you're lucky, you may have people in your life that will want to help you, but that isn't the case for most people. And don't think the "professionals" are there to be your saving grace. At the end of the day, they are there to get paid.
  
  I have been sent on numerous wild goose chases by awful therapists and doctors. Some just said "Well you don't have any more symptoms right now, so problem solved!". Some couldn't remember what I told them five minutes ago. And some wouldn't even bother with me, showing up half an hour late to our first appointment and then not responding to my emails. People have become way too dependent on so-called medical professionals. I have known for a while now that I have some kind of disorder, but I didn't know what for the longest time. I thought it might be bipolar, but when I found out recently about BPD, I instantly recognized it as my mystery disorder. BPD tends to get misdiagnosed as bipolar too, so it makes sense. I have since done a lot of research and looked at the diagnosis criteria (which is just a set of nine symptoms that the doctor asks questions about to see if you fit into). In order to be given a diagnosis, a person must meet at least five of the criteria. I definitely meet eight of the nine. Now I'm looking into possibly getting a "proper" diagnosis... so I don't have to hear people like you say "sElF dIaGnOsIs Is BaD!!!" >
  
  Reading this has just further convinced me of what I already know and explained >
  
  You can’t self-prescribe drugs with a self-diagnosis. If you don’t need any drug to treat a mental illness or disorder you may as well don’t need a dx because your symptoms are too mild or borderline self-induced and that’s ok. But then if you’re so mildly affected but go around in social media spreading your own experience to encourage self-dx that’s actually harmful for those who need medication and treatment . You’re essentially gentrifying disabilities >
  
  That's not even getting into how many disorders share symptoms. Guessing wrong can cause you a lot of problems.
  Let's take hypothetical "Jill" for example. Jill believes she has ADHD, has done her own research, and feels certain about it. Jill can't afford a specialist doctor, but Jill knows someone who sells ADHD medication. Some of that can be very bad for you if you don't need it. Turns out, Jill actually has BPD and the Adderall sends her into a bad downward spiral instead of helping her.
  Or, let's say Jill doesn't take medication, but instead tries to use coping skills meant for ADHD. If Jill actually had BPD, she would then be forgoing any treatment that would give her the proper strategies/coping mechanisms.
  What if Jill's brain had the wrong levels of chemicals due to a physical medical condition? Jill would still be mistreating herself if she focused only on possible ADHD. 
  I get it, things are rough out there, and everything is super expensive. To be honest, in some ways I'm almost more concerned about the health of the self-diagnosers, as SO many symptoms are shared. It's a great way to hurt yourself in the process if you aren't certain on what you're doing.
  Treating for the wrong mental disorder can cause you to backtrack super hard, and it can be dangerous. Some of these disorders can cause suicidal tendencies when mistreated/not treated. No one wants to be wrong. So, until they see a doctor, they may only believe that they have the wrong condition, and might ignore all of the other possibilities. >
  
  Always trust the internet.  It’s never wrong >
  
  No shit >
  
  Personally, I think these diagnoses can be more harmful than good. I understand they’re very real things and that’s ok. The issue comes in when they’re used as a crutch and hold someone back from living their life and enjoying what the world has to offer them. >
  
  Do you mean self-diagnoses or a professional diagnosis? >
  
  Both in this case. >
  
  Almost like there's an artificial lack of doctors and getting diagnosed is costly. >
  
  And what's stopping the government of any country introducing further limitations? Our human rights are actively being taken away already (think adoption bans, lockdowns). Its not like a doctor would give me a pill to make me neurotypical or could perform a surgery to cut out the autism from my nervous system. >
  
  Wouldn’t this be common sense >
  
  I don't think self diagnosis isn't bad, especially since it's sometimes extremely hard for people to get a diagnosis. However your right the rise in people, especially on tiktok who claim to have different mental health issues is a little questionable to me. Especially the rise in people saying they have DID which is quite rare.
  I never self diagnosed myself, even when I suspected it because It doesn't sit right with me, plus I didn't really want to accept it. However I have now been diagnosed with anxiety and I'm under medicine.
  The only mental health issue I think you can easily diagnose yourself is a ED. >
  
  Exactly, it’s definitely not a bad thing, I mean people who do it for the attention of it, or people who do it so they can have an excuse to be rude. It hurts the community more than it already has been >
  
  I could not agree with you more. I have said this before on reddit but I have a family member who will literally change everything about herself to be "more controversial" for attention.  
  She has done it since we were teenagers and it has been almost painful to watch. Anytime someone has it worse she has to find something to top it whether it's a new medical thing or sexual orientation..  It is exhausting talking to her .. >
  
  I'm an adult with ADD. I'm tired of people using it as an excuse. Being on medication helps a lot. But just because you have issues concentrating. Or you might be slightly hyper doesn't mean you have attention disorder. >
  
  Exactly, like I said, there’s nothing wrong with suspicion, it helps people come to terms with the way they work, but in order to be able to self diagnose, you need to RESEARCH, research the hell out of it and if after all that you believe you have it, seek further actions. I’m just tired of people causing stigma because it causes people with the disorder to be more judged and it puts more pressure on them >
  
  I know a large number of mental health professionals they all hate self-diagnosis and believe it causes harm to the groups in question >
  
  I think one major problem that contributes to people self diagnosing is the initial barrier in getting diagnosed in the first place, particularly with any kind of disorder such as autism or adhd. Just standard testing is costly. I'm in college, and testing for just adhd is about 600 without insurance. I dont have that money and most people don't have that kind of disposable income.
  In addition, most doctors only know a very standard set of symptoms when it comes to mental disorders. Again, speaking from personal experience. Studies have shown that adhd and autism is shown differently in males and females, but doctors are so much more familiar with the common symptoms in males that if a woman goes in for testing, oftentimes she won't be diagnosed simply because she doesn't exhibit the behaviors that are typical of autism in males. >
  
  That makes sense and I understand that. I’m not saying all self diagnosing is dangerous, because it’s a tool, it’s a huge help to some people. I just mean that it’s dangerous when people use it to cause issues in the community they’re trying to be a part of when they know they don’t have it and they’re just trying to cause trouble for the people that have it >
  
  If done incorrectly, absolutely. I think what the people against self-diagnosis fail to consider is that often doctors incorrectly diagnose.
  A lot of people that turn to self-diagnosis have gone years/decades getting misdiagnosed by doctor after doctor. They’re tired and frustrated and have exhausted their options. 
  True self-diagnosis is about taking an active process in your medical care. If I’m going to go see yet ANOTHER doctor, I’m gonna bring something to the table, so that I’m not left being tested for stuff I already know that I don’t have. >
  
  Oh absolutely, I am 100% with you on that. I mainly mean clout self diagnosing. Like, the kind where people do it for attention and not for the mental relief of knowing what’s going on >
  
  Completely agree. >
  
  saying what your dealing with is similar to x is an incredibly helpful way for people to communicate to loved ones their issues in a way they can understand and also seek coping mechanisms prior to diagnosis. self diagnosis or even actual diagnosis doesn’t give you an excuse to be a dick, those are completely separate issues. 
  Access to formal diagnosis is an incredibly major issue too especially for young people (TikTok’s main demographic) and is why schools will provide accommodations without formal diagnosis. 
  Also since I have technically speaking self diagnosed before let me give you the perspective on it from someone who did. 
  I self diagnosed with (quite severe) dyslexia this is a learning disability and neurological condition (autism and ADHD are also neurological conditions) 
  My symptoms were apparent from being as young as 5. Whilst I had delt with a lot of dismissal of my symptoms as is common for people with neurological conditions (e.g for people with autism sensory issues can get dismissed as just being picky) at times I even questioned if maybe just maybe I was just not working hard enough to improve/just bad at x ect. But the fact is that when looking at my experiences and symptoms it was obvious I was just dyslexic. 
  An additional element of self diagnosis that people often overlook is informal diagnosis. When I entered high school I had a screening test done, this test did indicate clear signs of dyslexia but was not a formal diagnosis. Nor was the repeated consensus of special educational needs staff and other teachers at my schools that I clearly had dyslexia. Along with several other things. 
  But even with all of this reason to believe I had dyslexia I was still self diagnosing and I kept self diagnosing until I entered university and managed to get a diagnostic assessment with an educational psychologist that confirmed what I (and everyone else) had known for a long time before. >
  
  Exactly. Agree completely. It’s one thing to tell people you suspect you have something. I have a strong suspicion I have dyscalculia and say as such because I match its symptoms almost 100%. But I won’t claim I really do have it unless I get diagnosed (which can be hard for adults since most testing is focused on kids). I think a lot of people who say they have something but have never gotten diagnosed are doing it for attention. >
  
  Exactly, I was diagnosed with BPD, before that I was certain I had it because I matched all the signed and symptoms, but I didn’t tell anyone I had it because there was no diagnosis, it’s not safe for people to self diagnose genuine problems. People on tiktok romanticize mental illness and issues but they don’t understand the extreme turmoil that these problems can cause >
  
  Yeah, no kidding. I have diagnosed bipolar 2. It’s not fun at all. Definitely not romantic. >
  
  I see a lot of people with self-diagnosed ADHD saying stuff like "i can't do this because I have ADHD" "I can't help at home because ADHD" - I've got diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 11 and I'm a normal person bro. I can do everything, I might have a weird way to organize my routine, to study by myself etc AND IT WORKS. Don't treat yourself like you're disabled because you aren't! I don't even take meds. If I can you can as well since 95% of the times they're just excuses >
  
  How do you know someone is self diagnosing? Have these people said it outright or are you just assuming that everyone who says they have ADHD/autism on the internet is lying about it? I’ve seen so many people assuming this and as someone who is professionally diagnosed with ADHD it bothers the crap out of me, you literally can’t know someone is self-diagnosing unless you ask the person individually. >
  
  I’m not at all saying that everyone is wrong, self diagnosing is an amazing tool to start understanding what is going on with yourself. I mean people who do it for the attention of it, the people who go around and tell everyone they have it when they don’t match any of the symptoms whatsoever. I’m very sorry if I said something that upset you, I didn’t mean to come off that way. 
  Another example of this is people self diagnosing BPD, I have a professional diagnosis and it pisses me off when people pretend to have it so they have an excuse to be an asshole. people who are just doing it for the attention are a danger to people who have the disorders because a lot of people do it and create more negative stigmas around already highly stigmatized disorders. >
  
  I’m still just lost as to how you can be certain that someone is “pretending to have it.” >
  
  You can’t be certain most of the time but when people constantly brag about it and over exaggerate symptoms for attention is where the problems arise. You can never be certain of what is truly going on with someone, I’m more so saying that it’s bad for people to take something serious and use it as a joke or a way that is negative to that community. As someone with a genuine  diagnosis of autism, MDD, and BPD who has two siblings with ADHD and autism, people who intentionally seek attention by trying to make a joke of serious issues is extremely frustrating and it’s dangerous to the community of people who do have the disorders >
  
  Maybe they aren’t bragging and just overwhelmed but a debilitating disorder >
  
  Have you seen any of the people that self diagnose with DID? They're absolutely bragging. >
  
  A diagnosis is a privilege >
  
  Then you obviously have no idea what DID is. Many professionals still argue whether it's a real disorder or not. It's incredibly rare and take years of the worst trauma a child can face into to split into different personalities. The teenagers online that claim to have it are so obviously faking it and they use the same excuse you do "getting a diagnosis is a privilege!" Literally just look up DID on TikTok, you'll see exactly what I mean. >
  
  I am a mental health professional and what you are saying about DID is absolutely true. I watched some of the self-diagnosed DID TikToks and they are incredibly difficult to watch. Early in my career I worked with someone with DID and it was a debilitating, extremely stressful, and difficult disorder for them to deal with. This person experienced some of the most horrific trauma as a child and seeing people attention seeking with claims of having it is very distressing. On the other hand, if it is attention seeking or they think they have or convinced themselves they have it, they need mental health care as well.
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  EDIT: Grammar