what is your opinion on self-diagnosing? (mental illnesses in general)
hello, i am 15 and i believe i have depression and social anxiety, i say i do have them for ease. what do you think about self diagnosing? i have done every test on the internet since i was about 12 (when i started feeling depressed) ive been on and off 4 or 5 mental health forums, trying to get help. i really feel i have social anxiety because i feel so restrained all the time, and sometimes i spent a few solid weeks just being anxious simply because i forgot to hand in a homework or something. in year 9 i tried to get help by going to the school counsellor and it was the worst thing i ever did. sometimes i just jump into things without thinking about how it'll affect me, and talking to some random old lady about my feelings was honestly horrible. this teacher kept pulling me out of lessons to talk to me and my parents kept bringing it up, and it's scarred me so much i don't think i'm physically able to get help now. lol even just typing this has made my hands sweat. but yeah, i digressed, a lot of people do have a problem with self diagnosing because if they are wrong it can be belittling to people that actually have them, and it could potentially be dangerous. but i got 100% on the emotional wellness test for social anxiety. also i have no idea how to get help it's ruining my life so much. this might not sound a big deal, but it mattered to me a lot, for the past 2 years i've been practising for my grade 5 violin and i thought i was pretty good but i did the exam a few days ago and i completely panicked and i think im gonna fail, why cant i just function like a normal person. also my depression has gotten a bit better since year 8, but im still left with the after effects of no motivation and feeling tired all the time. and recently i started feeling suicidal again, i eve started cutting and writing notes and googling how many paracetamols kill you etc. idk what this was i just wanted to get it off my chest but yeah please answer the q in the title lol