FrannyGallops
VIP Member
I was going to say the same thing.
Matt Haig
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smirkingrevenge
VIP Member
So is he going to apologise for trying to pose as an expert on depression and mental health….?
Limey
VIP Member
He’s a very tedious little man. Also if any stories of his poor behaviour/sliding into DMs emerge, he can now use his diagnosis as a shield. Just like Jack. Thankyou for all that you do etc etc.
Shineyshine
VIP Member
Also he can control Instagram. If anyone challenges his BS, he can delete their posts. He wasn’t able to do that on Twitter. I know Twitter is toxic, but he put himself and his crap out there for long enough seeking the glory, and now he’s decided he can’t take the heat, he’s retreated to Instagram where he can control the narrative. He’s a pathetic specimen.
smirkingrevenge
VIP Member
And he did it right away. Comments are limited
Grizzlybear
VIP Member
BIB
Flivver
VIP Member
Yes, I thought the same. People are struggling to access mental health services but rich white author can pay to jump the queue. Much like JM with her alleged 3 therapists on speed dial and long dayhab stay. He’s obviously been in a very dark place though and Instagram has been spared the sort of tedious bread crumbing that JM likes to drop on Twitter.
MH posted one of his wordy scribes this morning about (might be triggering so I’ve spoilered) suicide. I wonder if he reads here as he’s done a good thing by signposting a local Brighton suicide prevention charity as suggested up thread. Fewer self-centred words and more of this and some of us might find him a tad less irritating
maisie20
VIP Member
It’s not jumping the queue it’s just being fortunate to be able to pay private. I was able to get my ASD diagnosis within 3 months, I know I’m very fortunate but I didn’t skip any queueYes, I thought the same. People are struggling to access mental health services but rich white author can pay to jump the queue. Much like JM with her alleged 3 therapists on speed dial and long dayhab stay. He’s obviously been in a very dark place though and Instagram has been spared the sort of tedious bread crumbing that JM likes to drop on Twitter.
MH posted one of his wordy scribes this morning about (might be triggering so I’ve spoilered) suicide. I wonder if he reads here as he’s done a good thing by signposting a local Brighton suicide prevention charity as suggested up thread. Fewer self-centred words and more of this and some of us might find him a tad less irritating
Flivver
VIP Member
I’ll have to politely disagree with you here.
Consultants can’t work in two places at once. A family member was offered an NHS appointment for April 2023. Their parents offered to pay and they were seen within a week by the same consultant. Perhaps I worded it wrong but in my eyes, that’s a privilege not afforded to many.
maisie20
VIP Member
yes It’s definitely a privilege no doubt about it. I was desperate for my diagnosis as I needed certain accommodations for college and work, and I was just very lucky to be able to afford it privately.
kachoochoo
VIP Member
yeah, being able to afford private healthcare is an immense privilege, so tbh, i do see it as jumping the queue, while also taking advantage of patients
it's all the same doctors after all. like, back to physical healthcare, a few years ago, there was a consultant where i work who would tell pts in nhs clinics who needed to be listed for surgery that the waiting list was 2 years and give them his info for his private sessions
i think what i really meant to say in the first place is that matt has either diagnosed himself online or, like jack, has been dr shopping
Like, I may go to hell for saying this but: I feel like a lot of narcissists are being diagnosed as autistic by psychiatrists who aren't brave enough to tell them the truth (especially privately-paid ones, and even more so those whose patients have a public profile).
He may well also have autism/depression/addiction etc but his root problem seems to be pathological self-obsession and chronic attention-seeking. If I was raking in hundreds of thousands if not millions of pounds for books with chapters that consist of "Eat pasta!" and having my second-rate children's stories turned into blockbuster Christmas movies (£££!) starring Maggie Smith I would simply not be sat on Twitter every night fishing for likes or Googling my own name and then vague-responding by Instastory to every single scrap of criticism that has ever been written about me anywhere on the internet (he even admits to having read this thread). Why behave like such a loser when you're one of life's lottery winners? It's bizarre.
He may well also have autism/depression/addiction etc but his root problem seems to be pathological self-obsession and chronic attention-seeking. If I was raking in hundreds of thousands if not millions of pounds for books with chapters that consist of "Eat pasta!" and having my second-rate children's stories turned into blockbuster Christmas movies (£££!) starring Maggie Smith I would simply not be sat on Twitter every night fishing for likes or Googling my own name and then vague-responding by Instastory to every single scrap of criticism that has ever been written about me anywhere on the internet (he even admits to having read this thread). Why behave like such a loser when you're one of life's lottery winners? It's bizarre.
zetta buttons
VIP Member
I frequently have this conversation with my SENDCO wife. When I was at uni and was learning about Autism (and to a lesser extent teaching about it a few years ago), the rates seen then are simply not what they are today.
Of course our ability to diagnose and recognise the condition has improved massively (particularly in young girls) and obviously this has had a positive impact on individuals and families, but can this explain the increased rates of Autism seen today? Some say the threshold for diagnosis (in some groups, like you suggest) may be lower than it was. Who knows? Maybe the introduction of more private diagnostic opportunities has changed the environment.
It’s a minefield.
StatusWoe
VIP Member
I do think a lot of this can be explained by late diagnosis, especially of women who should have been identified in school. There are so many people who are overlooked because the label autism carries loads of stereotypes and often people don't relate to these. So that's one issue.
I'm no expert on the subject, but afaik autism is diagnosed through an interview with a specialist and I think the format's like a questionnaire? This means that, if someone is hunting for a diagnosis, it would be easy to answer in a way that secures the diagnosis even if there are other conditions which are a better fit. I don't like to be cynical about this because I don't know Matt Haig, it's just a possibility.
Me-rail but relevant: I knew someone, a bit like Jack Monroe in many ways, who was constantly looking for medical attention/new diagnoses. When I began having doubts I felt like a terrible, judgmental person. I kept thinking I was being unfair - 'I don't know what they're going through' - that sort of thing. But something just didn't feel right. I was so convinced this person wasn't autistic, but they went to a psychiatrist, she asked some questions and they got the diagnosis. This person told some outlandish stories and as soon as one crisis was out of the way the next one was always around the corner. I never really believed their diagnosis, but the psychiatrist obviously did so
ETA: Had to edit to clarify something. I don't think it's a good attitude to be suspicious of other people's diagnoses. When it comes to mental health it can be dangerous to believe someone is fine when they're not. I know lots of ill people can appear well on the outside. Most people don't fabricate mental illness. Unfortunately, people like Jack Monroe exist, so occasionally there is real cause to be wary. Sorry this post is so rambly. Don't even know what my point is now.
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FrannyGallops
VIP Member
I’ll probably get flamed for this, but I have a good friend who is convinced she has bipolar, fibromyalgia and a whole host of other stuff and I think the drs have agreed with her to get her off their backs. What I think is she’s been through a few years of severe trauma and needs intense specialised therapy and counselling but it’s easier and cheaper to put her on a duck ton of medication and give her a label. This isn’t a criticism of my friend either because she was desperate for help, but the systems in place just aren’t the help she really needs or are otherwise tit. It also means that *some* people, like the Monroes and Haigs of the world, can play that to their advantage.
Sglodion
Chatty Member
There's a bit more to it than that - they try to get information from family members for example to get a picture of what you were like as a child, as one of the criteria is that you've presented with the 'symptoms' throughout your whole life. But if you really want the diagnosis I'm sure there are ways round that, e.g. if you say your family are unsupportive and don't believe in autism then I highly doubt they'd deny you a diagnosis on that basis.
StatusWoe
VIP Member
Thanks for explaining. I thought they used info from family members, but wasn't sure if this was as common with adults.
yellow_daisies
VIP Member
I had to submit my old school reports too (not a possibility for everyone, but fortunately mum had held on to them). The consistency of certain themes really stood out!
