Who's read 'Age of Diagnosis' (overdiagnosis in Long Covid, ADHD, Lymes, autism, cancer screening)

Let's also include narcissistic people then. Where does it end. I don't care if everyone says they are autistic just don't pretend they speak for individuals that are massively impacted by their severe symptoms.

Not being able to manage basic self care is not one of the diagnostic criteria for autism though. That’s not what autism is. The criteria allow for people with what you describe as profound difficulties and those without. One is not more autistic than another, and it’s not their fault if they don’t seem severely enough affected by your standards. They are autistic whether you like it or not.

He's claiming he's the same as the person who needs 24/7 care and lacking any independence skills.

Perhaps high functioning and low functioning or Asperghers should be used?

There isn’t. You have just spouted complete rubbish. Clinics can not spout out an autism diagnosis in an hour with just a tick box form. There’s not a large number of adult diagnosis. Previously autism diagnoses (like adhd)was heavily genderised which left women and girls undiagnosed. Now we have better knowledge and diagnostics those lost women and girls want their diagnoses. Don’t really get what you prefer,your ignorance is palpable.

Absolutely agree with this. If societal expectations weren't so rigid we could absolutely make space for the normality of people being different from each other.

I hear this a lot and I sympathise, but I often wonder what these specific expectations are, and how you could make individual people change their expectations. You're obviously right that people are different from each other, but that means that people's own societal expectations are also always going to be different too. That makes it impossible to create a society where societal expectations are universally non-rigid. I'm assuming that even if the world were populated entirely by ND people, it would still be impossible to have a set of societal expectations which would make everyone comfortable.

But the “self serving adult male” you describe is someone showing incredibly clear signs of autism - poor social skills, info dumping and an inability to see things from another point of view are all classic signs of the condition.

Yet because he presents in a way that pisses you off or annoys you, he’s criticised. It’s a tale as old as time when it comes to neurodiversity.

Screening (not for ND, but for illnesses), investgat8ve scans, etc are so effective now that we can have anomalies spotted v early. Sometimes spotted incidentally - so they investigate xyz but also happen across unrelated anomaly abc at the same time. Would you want to know?
Treatment for conditions that are asymptomatic and you are very likely to outlive... probably not worth the side effects, but I'm fairly sure I'd want to be treated anyway, just in case. Irrational of course.

I also see normal things being spoken about as if they are medical issues- being worried about your unwell baby isn't health anxiety; mourning the death of a loved one isn't depression, being unfit because you don't exercise isn't a heart condition, though I guess all those things CAN ultimately cause a medical issue.

“Expertise in adhd diagnosis “ being the key words. She doesn’t have that

And re autism-“A formal diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) requires an assessment by a specialist team, often including doctors, psychologists, and speech-language therapists. For children, the team should ideally include a pediatrician or a child and adolescent psychiatrist. A diagnosis cannot be made without a comprehensive assessment. “

She doesn’t get to over ride said assessments, MDT teams and professionals with expertise who very much feel diagnosis was warranted and needed in regards to my children.

Yep, the adult diagnosis is banged out by private clinics in an.hour after completing tick.box forms. There's a large number of adult diagnosis now. I prefer a spectrum, at least the people that struggle day to day and cannot look after themselves don't get lumped in with the look at me I'm autistic adult private clinic diagnosis. Having worked with adults with PROFOUND and LIFE CHANGING challenges, that cannot look after themselves, even do self care, cannot live alone, never have relationships or work it's completely different.

Absolutely agree with this. If societal expectations weren't so rigid we could absolutely make space for the normality of people being different from each other. I believe I am one of those women who were neve diagnosed because I learnt how to behave for society while feeling like a terrible misfit most of the time, desperate to please people to my own detriment and with terrible anxiety that hid behind a front of confidence. It makes me very sad to think about what life could have been like for me with a more understanding society.

Well, you clearly have a viewpoint you don't want to move from.

I can link you to numerous statements like Dr Adamous and other testimony from people who worked within the system who tell you there IS a problem but you want to disregard it. What possible reason do you think people who worked in the sector, championed the entire concept of adult ADHD which wasn't even recognised as a condition till this century -BECAUSE of these practitioners work in getting it recognised, accepted and treated - would want to say there's a misdiagnosis problem?

And I left the sector a few years ago but at that time, private assessments were around £700 which isn't that expensive. Private prescriptions are costly, which is why many people got a private diagnosis then tried to get into the NHS service for treatment and were pissed off when their diagnosis was not upheld.

There are many. many reasons someone would want a diagnosis whether they have the condition or not. I'd say everyone really, really thinks they do so that's a big motivator. They want explanations for how they feel, how their lives have panned out, struggles they have. They are also employment, financial and housing motivators.

And the clinic I worked at, we spent years arguing with the commissioners who said our assessments were too long and in-depth and therefore, too expensive and causing waiting lists. Because we did assessments over several hours, with a multidisciplinary team and with a lot of information required. The commissioners didn't want that, took up too much time and therefore too much money so a while back, the NHS lost that contract and it has gone to a private provider providing a poorer service where it will be easier to get a diagnosis.

These are real things that are really happening.

It's very difficult to have a decent debate about this on MN as posters seem to think it's a personal attack on them, their children or whoever else they know that has ADHD or ASC or that we, with concerns and experience and expertise are somehow 'deniers' of the conditions or their prevalence. And we're not.

Just listened to the R4 reading from her book Episode 2: Long Covid and I’m absolutely spitting. She says that Long Covid is psychosomatic because there are no tests showing abnormalities and the symptoms are so wide ranging. That’s just completely untrue. I have ME (not Long Covid) and the overlaps between the two illnesses are huge. There is mounting evidence of physical abnormalities showing that ME/LC is a multi-system disease, hence the huge range of symptoms. It’s time doctors actually updated themselves instead of peddling myths from the last century.

I have actually experienced an adult rock up to a group with 'I'm autistic' a recent diagnosis, aged mid 50s, then assuming to speak for 'autistic people ' . It happens. The poor individuals that struggle with every aspect of their life dumped in the same box as this self serving adult male know it all who now wants to speak for them since he's 'autistic'.

That’s a really interesting thought.

@GarlicPile Really enjoyed your post. I've had similar reflections from the other side of this (diagnosed at a young age, many years ago).

I listened to her on the Dr Chattergee podcast recently and honestly felt a bit sick the way she described knowing (as a medical professional) that someone had a medical condition but thinking she should not impart that knowledge to the patient themselves. It was like a God complex and if a patient had come to her feeling something was wrong, would be medical gaslighting.

This is one of the most ignorant posts I have ever read on MN. The trouble with books like this one, even if well-intentioned, is that they can legitimise ignorance and prejudice imo.

Not true that only a Psychiatrist can diagnose adult ADHD, that's how so many people are now being diagnosed by private clinics who bang out assessments in an hour online.

The NICE guidelines for diagnosing ADHD in children or adults says psychiatrist, paediatrician or another healthcare professional with expertise in ADHD diagnosis. So nurses, psychologists and other healthcare professionals can and do diagnose in NHS and private clinics.

You don't even need a psychiatrist to prescribe medication, there are thousands of nurse prescribers in the UK , many of whom are prescribing medication for ADHD. They're overseen by psychiatrists but there are far too many prescriptions needed for it to be solely the role of psychiatrists.

And the nurses are much cheaper.

She has zero cancer expertise too.

As I said I know who I would take advice from if potential cancer was flagged up and it wouldn’t be a neurologist with zero expertise and a book to sell.

Neurologists are not autism or adhd diagnosticians. She has zero ND expertise.

If she's talking about breast cancer and over diagnosis then fine. I think it's quite well known that a lot of women are treated for breast cancer than would never have actually developed due to screening.

But the idea that autism is a sickness is offensive and the idea that it is over medicalised is ridiculous. I don't believe it's over diagnosed or diagnosed too early, I think it's under diagnosed and many people with high functioning ASD fall through the net and spend their whole lives struggling and not knowing why.

Private assessment is ubiquitous where I live amongst my friendship groups. I'm in a low middle income family and many of our friends (most with higher incomes, some with lower) have purchased private assessments.

I've seen cost ranges from £800 (but dubious looking places tbh) to £5000 for multiple assessment bundles.

Thank you. I saw that documentary and thought it was appallingly misleading. It had a mission before it began. Nothing exploratory or investigative. It sought proof of its pre-planned outcome. Total confirmation bias.