There are several risks involved in self diagnosis. One such risk is that you may miss a physical disease that masquerades as a psychiatric syndrome. Another is that you may be completely wrong about an illness you have, especially if the symptoms you are experiencing are common.

In some cases self diagnosis can be life-threatening. For example, a brain tumor can cause changes in personality, but so do depression or psychosis — or if you self-diagnosis a panic attack and forego treatment for a heart attack, the consequences could be dire.

If you diagnose yourself wrongly, you may misdirect the clinician or even yourself. This is especially likely if the condition is rare, atypical, or has similar symptoms to another condition. A missed diagnosis can lead to no or inaccurate treatment and potentially severe harm.