u/Party-Ask-6331

Hi, guys! Thought some of you might find this interesting.

I was born with spina bifida (t11 myelomeningocele), as well as hydrocephalus and a Chiari II malformation. My SB is quite severe - I was born well over a decade after prenatal closure was first pioneered, and a little after it became the standard of care - however, as I’m a twin, it was never available to me.

As a result of my disability, I can’t move or feel any part of my legs, as well as my lower core muscles.

Feel free to ask me anything!

Hi, guys! Thought some of you might find this interesting.

I was born with spina bifida (t11 myelomeningocele), as well as hydrocephalus and a Chiari II malformation. My SB is quite severe - I was born well over a decade after prenatal closure was first pioneered, and a little after it became the standard of care - however, as I’m a twin, it was never available to me.

As a result of my disability, I can’t move or feel any part of my legs, as well as my lower core muscles.

Feel free to ask me anything!

Hi, guys! Thought some of you might find this interesting.

I was born with spina bifida (t11 myelomeningocele), as well as hydrocephalus and a Chiari II malformation. My SB is quite severe - I was born well over a decade after prenatal closure was first pioneered, and a little after it became the standard of care - however, as I’m a twin, it was never available to me.

As a result of my disability, I can’t move or feel any part of my legs, as well as my lower core muscles.

Feel free to ask me anything!

I have spina bifida (t11, myelomeningocele) - meaning I was born completely paralysed from the waist down. I have zero function or feeling in my legs, so have used a wheelchair all my life.

Any newer/ambulatory wheelchair users, feel free to ask me anything - hopefully, I can answer some of your questions!

Hi, guys!

I was born with spina bifida (t11 myelomeningocele), as well as hydrocephalus and a Chiari II malformation. My SB is quite severe - I was born well over a decade after prenatal closure was first pioneered, and a little after it became the standard of care - however, as I’m a twin, it was never available to me.

As a result of my disability, I can’t move or feel any part of my legs, as well as my lower core muscles.

Feel free to ask me anything!

PS: I’m in my early/mid teens - please remember that while asking me questions!

Hi, guys!

I was born with spina bifida (t11 myelomeningocele), as well as hydrocephalus and a Chiari II malformation. My SB is quite severe - I was born well over a decade after prenatal closure was first pioneered, and a little after it became the standard of care - however, as I’m a twin, it was never available to me.

As a result of my disability, I can’t move or feel any part of my legs, as well as my lower core muscles.

Feel free to ask me anything!

EDIT: I’m in my early/mid teens - please remember that while asking me questions!

I’m only counting formal IQ tests (like the Stanford-Binet, WISC/WAIS, etc)!

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I’m starting ADHD medication (Ritalin) tomorrow, so was wondering if anyone had any helpful tips/advice! This is my first time taking medication for my ADHD, as I was just recently diagnosed (and my first time taking prescription medication in years), so I’m a little nervous.

I’m fourteen, if that makes a difference. Thanks in advance!

I feel like I’d be able to scrape a 4 in RE

I have a few different arguments for this:

1. Symptoms overlap. You might think you're experiencing ADHD symptoms, but it could actually be ASD, anxiety, chronic sleep deprivation, or iron deficiency anemia, to name a few. Without clinical training & access to complex diagnostic tools, it is incredibly difficult for the average person to isolate the root cause of their behaviour.
2. Confirmation bias and 'medical student syndrome' are very real things. If you research one specific disorder, you could very likely end up viewing your entire life through the lens of that disorder. If you self-diagnose yourself with autism, you could end up thinking everything you do is because of said autism, when it’s actually not. When there is no objective party around, it's very easy to twist things - which is fine, it’s not a moral failing or anything, just human nature - but it IS a reason to consult a trained professional.
3. Psychologists & psychiatrists have gone through years of rigorous, incredibly specialised training to accurately diagnose you - often quite literally over a decade's worth. Diagnosing disorders doesn't come down to a checklist - they are trained to look at the nuances & read between the lines of your behaviour (in a way that you can’t), take a full clinical & developmental history, etc. Psychs also have access to multiple scientifically validated instruments that are not available to the general public. For example, standardised diagnostic interviews like the ADOS for autism and the DIVA for ADHD, and cognitive assessments like the WISC/WAIS - which you can’t find on the internet and, even if you could, you can’t administer yourself.
4. A substantial part of most diagnoses is third-party evidence - parent, teacher, whatever. Third party rating scales exist for a reason. For example, when I had my ADHD assessment, they sent Conners scales home with my parents and to my teacher at school.
5. No, self-suspecting and self-diagnosing are NOT the same thing - thinking, hey, maybe I’m autistic, is very different from thinking, hey, I’m autistic.

I understand this view may be flawed and there could be arguments for self-diagnosis I haven't considered, so I'd be really grateful if anyone who does think it's valid could explain their reasoning! Thank you!

EDIT: I’m 14 - I understand you may think my opinion is flawed, but please don’t flood my inbox with nasty DMs. Thanks :)

The schools in my area vary so much it’s not even funny - some are insanely cracked and some are so terrible I’m genuinely shocked they haven’t been shut down

My school is so cracked it’s not even funny, the pressure is acc insane - but I’m a neek so I suppose it works for me